'700 Club': '9/11 Was Foretold In The Bible, Dreamed Of By Hitler'

Rabbi Daniel Lapin was on yesterday's '700 Club' with host, Pat Robertson.  They were discussing the events of September 11, 2001.  Rabbi Lapin had an interesting take on what happened that day.  He claims that the Bible prophesied about 9/11 in the book of Zachariah.  He went on to say that the attacks were "based on a dream Adolf Hitler had in 1943".

And Robertson falls for it, hook, line and sinker:



Of course, Pat Robertson is the individual that blamed the Washington D.C. earthquake on gay marriage in New York. (I'm still trying to figure that one out.)  He also blamed the earthquake in Haiti last January on a literal "pact with the Devil" the Haitian people made over a hundred years ago.  So, it's no stretch of the imagination that he would believe that a terrorist attack was 70 years in the making.

So, Al Qaeda in a round about way, collaborated with the Nazis?  Right...

Good Morning

Looks like a beautiful day outside.  Think I'll take a quick run...

Ha ha ha.  Who am I kidding?  I can't run.  In fact, I'm still in bed.  I wrote this post last night.

Quote Of The Day

"The world has lost a visionary.  And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

 - President Barack Obama, on the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs. 

Watch Steve Jobs Inspirational 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech

With the passing of Steve Jobs this afternoon, I thought it would be appropriate to post the following.  On June 12, 2005, he gave the commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University.  Months before, he publicly battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  That day, however, this billionaire who had never himself benefited from a college degree, revealed three personal stories from his life.  These stories make you think about yourself and your place in the world, and inspire you to do great things.

If you haven't seen this video, I encourage you to take the next 15 minutes to view it.  It will be the best 15 minutes you have spent today.  I must warn you though, there is a segment of the speech where Jobs talks about facing death.  In light of today's events, it made watching the video somewhat hard to watch.



One final note:  Steve Jobs was notoriously famous for keeping his private life private.  It is unknown as to the true nature of the latest illness that caused him to resign as Apple's CEO in August.  Many speculate that he had a recurrence of the pancreatic cancer, but it was never disclosed.  His cause of death may ultimately never be known.

His family did release the following statement this evening,

"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. 

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. 

"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve.   We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

Apple.com on October 5, 2011.

Breaking: World Mourns Passing Of Visionary Steve Jobs

ABC News is reporting that Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, and the man that revitalized the brand in the nineties, has passed away.  In a large part, he has the way that we live our day to day lives.  With the IPod, and later with the IPhone and IPad, the world is a different place today because of his innovations.

When you go to Apple's home page, you are greeted by a full page photo of their founder, along with the words, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011".  Clicking on his image takes you to a statement by the company, it says:

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being.  Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.  Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

 In 2004, Jobs beat a rare form of pancreatic cancer.  In 2009, health conditions worsened, requiring him to get a liver transplant.  Six weeks ago, on August 24, he announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple.  Days later, photos surfaced of an emaciated and gravely ill Jobs being aided across the street in California.

Jobs was a "technological philanthropist".  He believed that investing in the improvement of technology would improve the human condition, thereby making the world a better place.  He was a controlling investor in Pixar Animation Studios, and later sat on the board of directors for Disney.

Steve Jobs was a college dropout, who, together with Steve Wozniak, started building computers in his parents' garage, back in 1976.  30 years later, many would consider him the Thomas Edison of our day.  He had an uncanny knack of thinking outside the box.  He has changed our vocabulary, and the way we communicate.  He has changed the way we listen to music and watch movies.  Are we a better world because of Steve Jobs?  I will leave that up for debate.  But, I will say, that we are a changed world because of him.

On a personal note, my three year old daughter was playing on our IPad this morning.  At three, she already knows how to negotiate the device.  She knows which folders her favorite applications are in.

We purchased the IPad months ago to help educate her.  In the six months or so that we have had it, she has made a remarkable improvement.  With the help of a number of apps, she has learned how to write and recognize numbers and letters.  She knows what opposites are.  She can even complete 16 piece puzzles.  With the aid of the IPad, she is going to enter kindergarten head and shoulders above all of her classmates.  For that reason alone, I owe Steve Jobs my gratitude.

Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and his four children, Lisa, Reed, Erin and Eve.  Our thought are with the family, as well as the Apple family during their loss.

Discriminatory Christian Advertisement Of The Day

Charlie Whittington, owner of Kwik Kar Lube & Service in Plano, Texas, has one hell of a deal for you.  (pun intended)  Come into his location, recite John 3:16, and get an oil change, which normally costs $34.99, for $19.99.  If you happen to be a Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or an Atheist customer - Google it.  Otherwise, it sucks to be you.  Seriously.

Offensive?  Absolutely.  Illegal?  Not in Texas.  As Kwik Kar Lube is a "privately owned business", Charlie has the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason.  So tomorrow, he could theoretically have an ad giving free oil changes for married, white, heterosexual Christian men only. 

Whittington's reasoning is sound behind the ad, saying "I'm not making you do anything, and I'm tired of people making me do something."  Makes complete sense from someone that misspelled "Quick" and "Car" to me.

In case you aren't familiar with John 3:16, it's a favorite of Christians worldwide.  It says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life $15 off their next oil change."

Once, just once, I would like to see an atheist alternative to this.  Show me an atheist owned business, where they offer $20 off a service if you come in and curse god.  If anyone has seen an example of this, please... PLEASE...forward it to me.  Thank you.

Oh, one last thing...  One of my biggest pet peeves.  I absolutely hate when I see little "Jesus fishes" in business ads.  It's nothing but a way for businesses to swindle money out of fellow "Christians".  Let's be honest.  Does it mean that they follow Christian business practices?  Hell no.  It means, "Give me your money instead of my heathen competitor".  What a fucking joke.

Thanks to Patheos for the pic.

Mashup Monday - "Shit, It's Almost Wednesday" Edition

It's been a crazy week.  I didn't even wake up until about ten minutes till four in the afternoon yesterday.  It's  11:29PM, and it just occurred to me that today is Tuesday.  Really.  I'm okay.  I swear.

This week's entry is a goody.  It comes from a DJ from the Boston area by the name of Lenlow.  It's a wonderful mix, one of the best ones I have heard in a while.

Today's mashup is a mix of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' and Beck's 'Go It Alone'.  The video isn't much to look at, but you'll want to download the track.  You can do so at the link above.  Enjoy.

Tat Tuesday

Thought I would try out a new weekly post (like I don't post enough, already).  I have always been a huge fan of tattoos and body modifications, but I haven't found way to incorporate that into the website.  Hopefully, that's where "Tat Tuesday" will come in.

"Tat Tuesday" will be a weekly post consisting of a photo or two of a tattoo or a piercing that I admire or appreciate.  In the last decade, the tattoo industry has attracted a bevy of classic artists, many with college degrees in art history and theory.  Tattoo artists are no longer the stereotypical biker with a tattoo gun.  They are legitimate artists, using the human body as their canvas.

For this week's post, I thought I would show my latest piece of work.  I had it done in May of this year by Josh at Serenity Tattoo in Tucson, Arizona.  He did a wonderful job.  He also did some work on my wife earlier this year.  I'll probably show her piece at a later time.  I had a hard time with my arm accepting the ink.  There were some areas where he had to go over eight or nine times before any ink would seem to go into the skin.  It also scabbed up differently than any of my previous tattoos.  On a couple of the numbers, overnight most of the ink bled out.  Since my last tattoo, I had been diagnosed as having Type II Diabetes.  It was a night and day experience versus any tattoo I had had previously.  The pain level was exponentially higher.  It initially healed up "waxy", and took about six weeks or so to look normal.  It's enough of a game changer to reconsider getting another tattoo until my A1C drops considerably.

It healed up well though, as you can see.  Pay no attention to the bruises.  I'm still recovering from surgery.

If you have seen 'Donnie Darko', then you recognize the image immediately and understand it's significance.  If not, let me explain.

In the movie, Donnie is visited by a bizarre looking, time traveling, six foot tall rabbit named Frank.  Throughout the movie, you're not really sure at times whether Donnie's actually seeing these's things, or if he's schizophrenic.  This demonic looking rabbit gives him messages throughout the film.  After one of his "episodes", he wakes up on a golf course.  The numbers above are written on his arm, exactly as they are on mine.  Frank tells Donnie, "28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.  This is when the world will end".

I got the tattoo for two reasons.  First of all, I'm a huge fan of the movie, and I thought it would make a badass tattoo.  I have never seen a full Darko piece on a forearm like that before, and I thought that it would be a cool tattoo to get.

Secondly, I got the tattoo on May 21, 2011.  It was the day that Harold Camping had prophesied that the world was going to end.  Doomsday prophesies are nothing new to me.

I grew up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  Every Saturday morning, I was knocking on doors, telling people that god was going to destroy the world at the "great day of Armageddon".  It was coming any day now.  My mother was so sure that it was right around the corner, in fact, that she kept me out of kindergarten.  Kindergarten came and went.  So did twelve years of school.  I was forbidden to go to college, because there would be no need for higher education in god's "new system of things".  Armageddon was right around the corner, after all.

I'm 36 now.  My daughter will be starting kindergarten in two years, and I'm sure my mother is still saying that Armageddon is, now more than ever, "right around the corner".

My point is, there will always be some religious zealot out there with a doomsday prophesy.  Whether it be the Jehovah's Witnesses, or Harold Camping or the Mayans, the world is set to end in someone's mind about every 28 days.  That is why I got the tattoo:  To remind myself of what I left 15 years ago.

Deepak Chopra Meditates With The #occupywallstreet Protesters (Video)

I was sent a link to a moving YouTube video a few minutes ago.  I would like to share it with you.

Last night, Deepak Chopra visited the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street.  The General Assembly is the nightly meeting that is held at Zuccotti Park every evening.  At the meeting, ideas are discussed.  Updates are given.  Plans are shared for the next day.  Bullhorns are prohibited within the park.  Instead, they use what is referred to as "the people's mic".  One person speaks, then everyone within earshot repeats what is said, so that the people in the back of the crowd can hear the speaker.  The occupiers have created a sanitation team, as well as a medic team, legal team and a team dedicated to establishing a web presence.  Each team sends representatives on their behalf to the General Assembly every night.

Chopra offered a short meditation to the group.  He said,

“I just want to do a two minute meditation, or even less. Put your hand on your heart and just ask yourself internally what kind of world do I want to live in? And listen. Do it now. And now ask yourself how can I make that happen? How can I make that happen from a place of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? Simple anger will only perpetuate what already is out there. It was created by greed and fear. We have to go beyond that, and come from a place of compassion, centered equanimity and creativity. Once again, ask yourself, how can I be the change that I want to see in the world? Thank you.”

Here is a video of Chopra speaking to the General Assembly:



While he quoted Gandhi ("Be the change you want to see in the world."), and at the same time, almost quoted Yoda ("Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering."), it was still a very thoughtful and moving moment with the demonstrators.  Think about this.  Deepak Chopra is one of the "one percenters".  In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated that he had earned approximately $22 million.  So, why was he there?  Simple.  He has a conscience.  He knows the difference between right and wrong.

He isn't the only celebrity to join the cause.  Susan Sarandon, Rosanne Barr and rapper Lupe Fiasco have all taken part of the protests in the last week.  Actor, and future Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, even spent last Saturday and Sunday camped out in the park with the protesters.

Deepak Chopra used the word equanimity a couple of times during his meditation last night.  I couldn't think of a more appropriate word.  It means "mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain".  So far, this has been a peaceful protest.  The protesters need to maintain a level of composure, especially now, to ensure this has a peaceful outcome.  The NYPD is not seeking peace.  We have already witnessed their brutality toward unarmed, innocent men and women, exercising their First Amendment rights.  It's up to us to remain tranquil.

As the video mentioned, a walkout is planned with CUNY students tomorrow.  That, along with as many as 38,000 transit workers taking the streets to protest, could mean more than 100,000 people in the Wall Street area tomorrow afternoon.  Regardless, it will, by far, be the largest day of demonstrations to date for Occupy Wall Street.  It is unclear whether the transit system will be affected in New York City tomorrow.  Many are hoping that workers will protest during their off hours.  Others believe that workers across the city will be a "no show" at their jobs, crippling New York commuters.

Tomorrow should be an interesting news day.

Best "That's What She Said" Joke EVER (Video)

Oh, Michael Scott.  My, how you are missed.

This Is How NOM Publishes A Baby Announcement

On September 30th, Jared Polis, a gay Congressman from Colorado, and his partner, Marlon Reis, announced the birth of their son, Caspian.  No information was disclosed as to the baby's mother, because, honestly, it's no one's business.  This was a notable birth announcement, in that Polis became the first openly gay parent in Congress.  The announcement from Polis and Reis read as follows:

"Marlon & Jared are proud to announce the arrival of Caspian Julius: 8 pounds 12 ounces, Born September 30th 2011

Baby and parents are doing well, baby has learned to cry already!

No gifts please, just nice thoughts for Caspian, humankind, the planet, and the universe!"

Many news websites and political blogs noted the birth.  All reported the news positively.  Many offered their congratulations and well wishes.  After all, how is the birth of a beautiful, healthy baby boy a negative thing in this world?

If you were to believe the news from the National Organization for Marriage, you would think that Caspian's birth was a harbinger of the end of the world.  This was their headline, announcing the baby's birth:

What a horrible way to spin the birth of a child.  This little boy is going to have two parents, in a secure, stable home, that love him.  And, simply because those parents are both male, NOM automatically considers him "at risk" or "disadvantaged".  This is nothing less than hate speech, and it was specifically targeted at Polis.

Rep. Polis is the co-sponsor of the Every Child Deserves A Family Act.  The act "bans discrimination in adoption or foster care placement based on the sexual orientation, marital status or gender identity of the potential parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child".

It's a wonder they didn't call little Caspian the Anti-Christ.

Hank 3's Reaction To His Dad's Dumbass Comments

This morning, TMZ got in contact with HW3, the son of Hank Williams Jr., for a comment on Jr.'s criticism of President Obama.  It's clear that the apple falls far from the tree.  Not even in the same orchard.

If you're not familiar with Hank 3, he's the spitting image of his grandfather.  That where the similarities end.  Hank is a musician, but his influences tend to come more from artists that played at CBGB, than those that played at The Grand Ole Opry.  His sound is a mishmash of country, metal and punk.  It's easy to guess that politically, his views are polar opposites than his fathers.

When asked of his political views, he said that he was "a musician, not a politician".  He also said that most musicians are "not worthy" of political discussion.  The one exception?  "The only person out there worthy of mixing political views and music is Jello Biafra."

Jello Biafra is the lead singer, and co-founder, of the punk band The Dead Kennedys.  After the band's demise, Biafra turned to politics, becoming a prominent figure in the Green Party.

While Hank didn't mention his father directly in the interview, he got his point across.  Williams should have kept his mouth shut.

This is a video of Hank, with his band Assjack, singing their song, 'Cocaine':

Obama Responsible For Return Of 'Arrested Development'?

August 2009:

The people have spoken.

August 2011:

President Obama addresses the nation.

Sunday afternoon...

It's announced at The New Yorker Festival, that the show is coming back for one more season.

Coincidence?  I think not.

Great New Internet Meme - "Helpful Tyler Durden"

Okay.  This meme isn't exactly "new".  It has actually been around for a little more than six months, as best as I can tell.  When it comes to meme's it's one hell of an interesting concept.

If you have seen 'Fight Club', or have read Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, then you're quite familiar with Tyler Durden.  He is one of the few iconic male characters in the last 20 years.  His perspective of the world made you question yourself, and your place within it.

Think of "Helpful Tyler Durden" as having members of Project Mayhem making an impact on people's lives on an individual level, much like the scene where Tyler decides to rob the liquor store, takes the clerk into the back alley, and puts a gun to his head.  Instead of pulling the trigger, he takes the clerk's ID, and asks Raymond (the clerk) what he wants to do with his life.  He replies that he wants to be a veterinarian.

Tyler: I know who you are and where you live Raymond, if you're not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in 3 weeks I will find you and kill you. Now go home...

Raymond runs away, in tears.

Tyler: "Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted."

Below are some of my favorite "Helpful Tyler Durden" posts, of the dozens I've seen.  By far, the best one is the very last.  So true.  Enjoy.

Did Designer Tom Ford Just? Yeah. He Totally Did. (NSFW)

American designer Tom Ford is probably best known for turning around Gucci's public image in the 90s.  Since then, he has introduced his own menswear brand in 2005, as well as his own line of beauty products and perfumes.

Speaking of perfumes, Ford is featured in the latest issue of Russian 'Vogue', testing out the latest scents at his desk.  He has a look on his face that says, "Ho hum.  Another boring Tuesday."  And then you see the rest of the photo.

***The rest of this post is NSFW.  If you're drinking something, please swallow it now.  I would hate for you to get coffee on your screen***