Pastor James Swilley of Georgia-based mega church, Church of the Now, has come out to his congregation from the pulpit explaining that there were two things in his life he couldn’ t change, even if he wanted to: His calling from God and that he is gay. The suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi was the impetus fo rhim to discuss his orientation.

For some reason, his situation was kind of the tipping point with me. There comes a point in your life where you say – how much time do we have left in our lives? Are we going to be authentic or not?…At a certain point, you are who you are.

The release of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung Suu Kyi yesterday after spending 15 of the past 21 years in prison or under house arrest was thrilling, uplifting. Pressure on the Burmese government came from many angles, economic, diplomatic. And from the voices of people around the world lifted in song.

One cannot discount or ignore the power of that rock n roll played in Suu Kyi’s release. Over decades U2 has championed human rights, specifically through Amnesty International. For their monumental, astounding super-gianormous 360 Degrees tour which began in 2009 and continues through 2011, U2 staged a specific tribute to Aung Suu Kyi  and Amnesty International during the song “Walk On,” recounting her history as the democratically elected leader of Burma (Myanmar) and then as a prisoner of the military which took control of the country.  (wonder what they’ll do now for that part of the show?)

Weird side note: In his book Decision Points, George W. Bush recounts how he met with Bono to discuss financial aid for Third World countries. The twoo had a great chat, and after Bono left,  one of his staff asked if he knew who Bono was. Bush said that of course he did — he was the rock star who

used to be married to Cher.

U2′s 360 Degree tour set attendance records; in 2009 the show was seen by over 3 million people; the 2010 has been equally as well received. That’s a lot of people around signing postcards for Amnesty’s campaign to free  Suu Kyi.

U2 fan wearing Suu Kyi mask at concert

Amnesty International has storied history in Ireland; one the NGO’s founding members, Sean MacBride, was the son of Irish revolutionary–and muse of William Butler Yeats–Maud Gonne and Major John MacBride who was executed for his part in the 1916 Easter Uprising which led to the Republic of Ireland’s independence from England.

At 15, Sean MacBride joined the Irish Volunteers and was imprisoned in 1921. Released in 1924, he studied law and eventually became an Irish politician, and worked throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s for human rights worldwide. MacBride was appointed to number of positions at the United Nations including Assistant Secretary General,  President of the General Assembly, High Commissioner for  Refugees and High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Yeah, rock ‘n roll changed something in world. Well, many things.

It’s a crime in Zimbabwe to call someone a witch or a wizard. Must be like yelling fire in a crowded theater. Three 50-something year old siblings were accused of

indicating

their mother as a witch and have been summoned to court for trial. The trio claim the charges are false, that their mother has been induced to accuse them of such heinous a crime, and asked that the charges be dismissed. The local magistrate said the case will be heard.

The two sisters and one brother, himself whom is a successful businessman

allegedly accused their mother of causing accidents in the family

every time she consults a traditional healer over family problems.

Wow, I wonder if Moms had a session with her faith healer before the charges were brought, because this is a big oops! And if so, I wonder if her faith healer does phone consultations….

The defendents claim allegations against them

stem from blatant ingratitude by some of the their family members and to some extent jealousy.

Their lawyer said

“Accused genuinely believe that the complainant (mother Marian Chifamba) does not fully appreciate the nature of allegations she is being compelled to make…She is merely being used by [some of her other children] who have their own differences…

The three are being charged under  Section 99(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act: Chapter 9: 23, indicating witches and wizards, which is considered a

crime against morality.

Oh noez! A super big giant phallo-missile mysteriously shot up in the air off of Catalina and no one at the Pentagon wants to talk. Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told local the Los Angeles CBS affliate which had captured the Unknown Launch on camera:

Nobody within the Department of Defense that we’ve reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from.  So far, we’ve come up empty with any explanation.

Golly! One report has Former US Ambassador to NATO Robert Ellsworth, a former deputy secretary of defense, suggesting to CBS8 that

It could be a test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine underwater… to demonstrate mainly to Asia, that we can do that

But maybe it was just a commercial something or other, only FAA doesn’t know anything about it.
So I am thinking maybe it was some test rocket by an amateur, a brilliant under-employed substitute teacher. Or perhaps the street people of Santa Monica set off a giant bottle rocket. Your thoughts?

CNN’s update:

John Pike, a defense expert who is director of GlobalSecurity.org, said he believes he has solved the mystery.

“It’s clearly an airplane contrail,” Pike said Tuesday afternoon. “It’s an optical illusion that looks like it’s going up, whereas in reality it’s going towards the camera. The tip of the contrail is moving far too slowly to be a rocket. When it’s illuminated by the sunset, you can see hundreds of miles of it … all the way to the horizon.

Oh yeah, I believe that theory, or maybe it was flatulence from white winged pigs. Did you know there are actually pigs that don’t have cloven hooves, so technically they can be used for kosher bacon?

copyright Louis Metz, permission granted for use on FDL

Los Angeles-based Louie Metz’s paintings evoke Egon Schiele’s work, though with a distinctly California flavor: One work is entitled “It Used To Be a Zody’s”, a reference to a local discount clothing store. Metz has been featured at various galleries in Los Angeles and was included in the Beyond Eden art weekend last month at Barnsdall Park. Lately Metz has taken to creating political cartoons using Photoshop’s drawing and painting features.

I am all for pot smoking, gay-lovin’ folks moving to California. It will increase out tax-base, which means more money for schools and infrastructure. Property values will increase and maybe more people will start landscaping with native plants!

It Used To Be a Zody's, Louie Metz

I voted! Very excited! Now I am watching the exit polls. I figure we’re gonna just shoot the breeze about whatever tonight.  Straw polls, strawmen and women, weed…it’s a free for all. I’ll be happy to swap recipes, tell jokes, and cheer as election results come in. We can play a drinking game: every time a talking head says

“Exit”

or

“Lead”

or

“Gaining”

or

“Defeat”

or

“Trailing”.

swig iced tea or American liquor! And anytime marijuana is mentioned, well, do what thou wilt!

Rest in peace, Captain. The rest of you, go vote!

November 2, y’all better be at the polls. There’s plenty on the ballots, whatever states you live in. AZ, CA, OR and SD have pot issues. And then there’s a whole other type of tea party to vote against!

If I can haul myself out out of my vale of tears and wrap my swollen eyes in Jackie O shades to stagger to the polls, those of you who haven’t done your mail in ballots can certainly do the same!

VOTE!

The Captain, Final Boss of the Internets, RIP November 17, 1960 to October 30, 2010.

I loved Sean Carasov, aka The Captain, from the day he walked into Atlantic Records to A&R the urban department. Bold, brash, with a heart bigger than his ability to conjugate the verb fuck. He introduced me to Vida, Fred Eric’s definitive Los Feliz restaurant–now a Chabad center, my how the 90s have become the next century!–and there he christened me La Lisa, a reference the grand courtesans of the Belle Epoch, not only because he saw that side of me, but also he said, because I wasn’t a diva.

La Lisa, Norman, The Capt, Atlantic Records, Xmas96

He had worked for the Beastie Boys and Jive Records before Atlantic and after for Artist Direct, later becoming a major contributor to 4Chan and Encyclopaedia Dramatica, the most irreverent, offensive NSFW ridiculous sites on the Internet. He also worked in the porn industry as a producer. One time he called and suggested I drop by a porn set in the Valley, a perfect 1970s times capsule, where along with seeing a lot safe sex from a safe distance,  I met the band Orgy and a cute pair of dogues de Bourgone, a type of mastiff. Thankfully, neither the band nor the animals were involved in the filming; they were just hanging out.

We lost touch until I got involved with Chanology, the Anonymous protests against Scientology’s repressive actions. Mudkips, one of his feral cats was poisoned the day of the first major protest, and Sean was falsely arrested on trumped up charges leveled by a cult-zombie. I tracked him down and we re-established our friendship. When he went to court to deal with the BS–a Scientology flack claimed Sean had threatened him–I house sat to insure there were no breaks-in or monkey business. I was of course photographed by the Lee Baca supported criminal cult goons, but wtf, that’s part of The Game. The charges against Sean were dropped.

The changes in the record business had rendered The Captain’s skills and talents redundant. His stated goal was to move to Thailand and work with refugees, but he had to deal with the IRS and other financial situations. The Captain was passionate about the underdog, the oppressed, the pariahs. He fed feral cats, adored Evie “his” feral and adored his own kitties Gotti and Shorty. Gotti died a while back, and Shorty’s death earlier this month exacerbated Sean’s depression.

The Captain would often drop by my house on his bike with bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola for me during a very bleak period of my life. He was in constant physical pain from injuries, but always kept working out, always managed to make me laugh. On Friday the 29th  he popped over to hang  out for a bit as we got ready for a party Saturday and tried to work out logistics of him bringing by some out of town guests. He had plans for Halloween weekend and sounded up beat about some DJ/dance projects he was starting, though mentioned being upset about having to pick up Shorty’s ashes. I offered to drive him, but he said he’d deal with it.

Today someone sent me a message on Facebook mentioning the “tragedy” and asking if I could help feed the feral cats in Sean’s yard….Whaaaa? That’s how I found out. Friends drove me the couple blocks to his house since I was pretty much a sobbing wreck. His neighbors and I wept together as they told about the details. I gathered some dirt from the spot where he had taken his last breath before shooting himself with his  .45 ,and then we drove to the vet and got Shorty’s ashes which are now on my living room table. The dirt is in a jar on my altar.

The Captain was such a brave, generous, hard ass fucker, tender, bold, fearless. But the pain he felt was too great to be rectified.  I love him; I always will. The Captain is why I will now have on my arm.

The family has asked that donations be made in Sean’s name to FIXNATION.ORG, a non-profit 501C3 (that means it’s tax deductible!) which does trap/neuter/release of feral felines.

And now a word from Encyclopaedia Dramatica:

4chan Boss Rorschach was a Britfag Internets superhero who had devoted his otherwise empty life to trolling the fuck out of the ‘church’ of $cientology and giving them teh rAIDS.

So far he did a pretty good job since OSA‘s quest to find out his powerword, movements, routine and ‘crimes‘ for a dox drop at Party Van central, has yielded little to nothing other than the basics. I mean, what are you gonna ‘get’ on an unhinged, unemployed, divorced, oldfag /b/tard who blew all his hookers & blow money in the late ’90s?

On October 30th, 2010, Rorschach took his own life. He was survived by his Farmville account and his .45.

Posted on /b/ after being outed. Rorschach, when reached for comment said: “Co$bitches don’t know bout my /b/tards“.

Rorschach OTI

(more…)

With Halloween just around the corner, eldritch tales of bone chilling terror abound. Oh noes! Razors in apples, Liquid-Plumr-laced chocolate, and the worst of all: DRUGS!

Within these stories lies a warning, an ancient morality fable: Nothing is free, and with greed comes a risk. There have only been two cases nationwide from 1958 to 1988 of children dying from eating tainted trick or treats, including one kid who was murdered by his own father with a strychnine-flavored Pixie Stix. Yet the stories continue because they prey upon our fears: Our spawn will be destroyed by (choose one or more):

Well, just in time to scare people about Prop 19, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office issued a warning about medibles, medical marijuana in candy form. The Los Angeles Times reports:

Investigators have confiscated candies and snacks containing pot from marijuana dispensaries, and they are concerned such items could wind up in children’s trick-or-treat bags, they said Friday in a statement.

Local Los Angeles TV station KTLA–owned by the LA Times parent company Tribune–showed medibles which were clearly decorated with pot leaves and had names like “Kush Candy.”

WTF!? At $10 to $20 a medible snack, who the heck is gonna be giving out those candies?

Officials say pot treats, such as candy bars and lollipops are sold in marijuana dispensaries and could be circulating around. “These lollipops, candy bars, they look pretty legitimate. The problem is if it gets in the wrong hands and a kid licks a lollipop, they get ill or intoxicated,” said Cpt. Ralph Ornelas of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Some treats look like regular cookies or candy, but they don’t smell normal. Another clue, many of the products are not clearly labeled (my note: they aren’t very commercial looking compared to say Tootsie Pops or Snickers bars).

Both stories did add that the Sheriff’s Department

says it has never received a report of candy or snacks containing pot being distributed to Halloween trick-or-treaters.

This is fear mongering at its finest. Oh how I wish Lee Baca was up for re-election. I would be leading the move to get him out of office!

The warning comes days before Californians vote on Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization measure. Sheriff Lee Baca opposes the proposition and has said he will continue to arrest marijuana growers even if it is approved.

Props to KTLA’s reporter who asked if opposition to Prop 19 had anything to do with the news alert. The on-camera deputy said the sheriff’s department was just concerned about public safety. Note that in this photo, courtesy of the LASD, along wth pot leaf logos, you can clearly see the word

WARNING

on the candy. I’d file this under pot-hating propaganda.

Self-defeating propaganda photo courtesy of LASD

Okay, Snow White’s stepmom handed her a poisoned apple, giving second marriages and witches a bad name, and there was one time on record that pot was passed out to trick or treaters. But that was an accident. Snopes.com reports:

An odd act of randomness occurred in the town of Hercules, California (near San Francisco) in 2000. Some trick-or-treaters came home with little packets of marijuana done up to look like miniature Snickers bars…Police investigated and were satisfied the homeowner had no knowledge of the special contents of certain bars that were handed out that night.

The marijuana packets dressed up to look like Snickers bars had landed in the Hercules dead letter office because whoever had tried to mail a package containing them either didn’t use enough postage or had listed an incorrect address…A postal employee (the mystified homeowner) brought the “candy” home to give out on Halloween, thinking the Snickers bars were, well, Snickers bars.

Had pot been legal, this would never had happened. Maybe some news stories about the high rate of childhood diabetes and obesity would be more on the mark, or a feel good story about alternatives to candy, like pencils, disposable tattoos or maybe even used kids books bought in bulk from thrift shops?

Side note: Since 1983 I have been doing an annual experiment. On the day before Halloween, I go to the market, sometimes with a friend, sometimes alone. The set up varies, but the goal is the same, to see how awake people are. I always make sure to dress as square as possible and cover my tattoos. Glasses add an air of respectability and further the “normal” vibe. Thus costumed as a typical suburban mom and carrying a couple sacks of candy or a bag of apples, I’ll ask a clerk and/or a fellow shopper if they know what aisle the Drano is on. Then I’ll ask where the sewing needles can be found. If I’m with a friend, while standing near some people, I’ll matter of factly ask:

I’ve got the candy, could you snag the Raid and some razor blades?

Or I’ll buy a a couple of the above items along with bags of fun-sized chocolate bars–I mean you can always use single edge blades to cut out decoupage designs, and gods know buttons come loose and hems fall out…

Granted, I’m not expecting the store manager to give me the third degree or be swarmed in the parking lot by the LAPD, but maybe a raised eyebrow, a gasp…Today I was at the airport purposefully holding my arriving guest’s name card inverted, and four people stopped to tell me it was upside down. You’d think–

I may be a bit of a prankster, but what Lee Baca and the LAPD sheriff’s office did with that warning–which only served the sheriff’s own antediluvian agenda–was ridiculous and only furthers a myth which has been repeatedly debunked.

I love conspiracy action movies, especially with lots of explosions, gun fights, car crashes and a degree of relevance. They Live–so awesome! Conspiracy Theory–effing brilliant, especially the Catcher in the Rye reference. RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous), based on a DC Comics graphic novel, reminds us that just because you are retired doesn’t mean you are are redundant.

The AARP-ready ultra-top secret crew of assassins who are targeted for elimination include Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovitch and Helen Mirren. It’s part goofy love story and part “Whoa, maybe the CIA does do stuff like this”– things like staging suicides, for example.  Then there’s RED‘s plot point about Guatemala which though cinematically very different from the “ project in Guatemala that deliberately infected prisoners and insane asylum inmates with various venereal diseases, ostensibly in order to study how the diseases were transmitted and if they human contagion could be blocked,” still calls to mind covert actions our country has done in the past.

So what movies did you see this week? And what conspiracies fascinate you? Do you think that a paranoid is a person in possession of all of the facts, or someone who knows a little about what is going on? (Both of those statements have been attributed to Williams S Burroughs).