iPhone photo - Ponch

I shot this while walking with a friend in Hollywood. People who know me well understand that I might simply stop in mid stride or while talking and start taking photos. There was no need this time. My friend was smoking a cigarette before jumping in my truck so I took a few photos to keep my mind of smoking. Being a former smoker sucks.

This shot caught my eye because whoever put this tag up was so neat. It's like they stayed within the lines on purpose. I shot a few photos with my iPhone. This was the best.

It's been a long week folks. I've found it hard to do anything besides work and sleep. Plus I'm sick of pedophile pastors. I'll get back to blogging soon. 

It’s only $300K

Why would we even charge Rev. Michael Angeloni? Who would miss a paltry $300k? Perhaps it was the elderly lady he allegedly stole the money from?

Angeloni is accused of soliciting money on multiple occasions from the woman -- a parishioner at Church of the Holy Child (Brandywood) on Naamans Road -- where Angeloni had served as an associate pastor.

Prosecutors said Angeloni told the victim he needed the money for certain, specific personal expenses, "when in fact, the money was used for other purposes."

Source: Priest charged with stealing $305K

Apparently this is not the first accusation against the Catholic Priest I doubt it will be his last. He seems to like milking his sheeple.

Technorati Tags: Catholic Crime,Catholics

Metropolis II at LACMA

Chris Burden has worked on this kinetic display for nearly 4 years. It will show at LACMA in autumn. I’ll be first in line.

Technorati Tags: Art,Museums,LACMA

Photo: Spanish street preachers

Where ever you go, they are always there. Spreading the Good Word with giant obnoxious signs. Do they think that this brings in converts? Do they think it reaches the hearts and minds of the unchurched or atheist? Is this effective or obnoxious?

It’s entertainment folks. It’s no better than a McDonalds commercial.

Technorati Tags: Street Photography,Christians

Introducing Greatplay.net

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, Greatplay.net.

My name is Peter Hurford and I am the creator of www.greatplay.net, a blog for philosophy, politics, economics, and a few other things.  I write to try to get to the bottom of it all, and this quite often involves discussing atheism -- both making arguments for why religion is false and trying to figure out why, despite these arguments, believers still believe as they do.  Feel free to read along.  There are new posts every weekday.

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll for more information. or visit the the full Atheist Blogroll membership list.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

iPhone photo – stucco pattern

I pulled into a drive through restaurant to get an ice tea and saw this stucco pattern on a nearby wall. Patterns and textures are one of the joys of iPhone photography.  I can capture what I see in just a few seconds without carrying my professional gear around. I do it all the time.

Shot with the iPhone Hipstamatic app.

Technorati Tags: Photography,iPhone

Introducing the Secularity

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, The Secularity.

I'm Liv Jones, author of "Sheep Under the Sea", and I'd like to share with you The Secularity, a unique blog experience written from our interesting perspective. It's a open community, from many authors, that discusses news, politics, and religion, in real-time- generally biased towards atheism. Most all our authors are Atheist, though we do encourage, any secular belief to contribute.

Personally, I'm an Atheist who has started to wonder if she's a Christian. I'll never believe in the supernatural, but I believe the idea that doing good in this world is the best thing we can do as a society. Perhaps, as Elizabeth Gilbert once wrote, "God dwells within" me? Maybe if we replaced God in our prayers, as just a conversation with ourselves; explained as our mental workings simply trying to figure out our reality- then religion, doesn't seem so crazy. Of course many disagree, and that's the beauty of our little website which we'd welcome anyone who's interested to participate in.

So drop on by and visit! We'd love how to see how you see the world!

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll for more information. or visit the the full Atheist Blogroll membership list.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

Introducing Color Me Atheist

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, Color Me Atheist.

Hello!  I'm Amber and I have just started coming out to the world as a Atheist.  I just started up my own atheist blog called Color Me Atheist.  It's my own blog to show my journey as a Atheist.  I used to be a member of a church but only recently decided to come out.  I'll post my own experiences, but also posts from some of my favorite atheist writers such as PZ Meyers, Pamela Gay, and James Randy of JREF.  I hope it'll help someone else who is a closet atheist to be able to come out into the open.  So stop by and say hello and I'll do the same!!

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll for more information. or visit the the full Atheist Blogroll membership list.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

Deacon Albert Chambers arrested

If I opened my posts up to Church deacons and elders, I would need to quit my job just to keep up with the volumn. There are too many cases to keep track of.

A 47-year-old deacon at Antioch Tabernacle was arrested on charges that he molested two teenaged girls. Deacon Albert Chambers had been active in the church youth group. We all know how these stories end. Deacon Chambers should get used to prison life. Given the charges, I think he’s looking at a very long prison term.

He was sent to Dauphin County Prison on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, furnishing alcohol to minors, photographing minors depicting sex acts, and illegal contact with minors.

Source: Harrisburg youth volunteer charged in sexual abuse of teen girls by Miles Snyder.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Child Molestation

iPhone Photo – Pinkberry’s Grass

I keep my eye open for patterns while I’m out and about. This grass pattern came from inside a Pinkberry shop near my home. The shop features a backlit floral display behind frosted class. It’s large and subtly beautiful. I shoot something in the shop every time I visit. It’s a stimulating and tasty environment.

By the way, Pinkberry’s Salted Caramel flavored yogurt is crazy good. Give it a try and snap a few photos of your own.

Technorati Tags: iPhone Photography,Photography

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Rev. John Schneider sentenced

I would file this case under small crimes and misdemeanors except for that the nature of the crime highlights the  hypocrisy of the Catholic church. The prevalent mindset amoung priests is to protect accused priests against all complaints. It may not be the official policy, but when one priest acts to protect another by deleting incriminating child porn, it shows what the leadership of a parish is willing to do. They will commit crimes to protect their fellow priests. How screwed up is that?

Rev. John Schneider was sentenced to 45 days suspended sentence, 12 months probation, and 100 hours of community service. Oh, and lets not forget the massive $100 fine. Schneider deleted pornographic images of children from the computer of convicted pedophile Paul Lawrence Berrell. The district attorney let Schneider plead to a misdemeanor.

According to police, Schneider went to the North Ridge Drive apartment of former music minister Paul Lawrence Berrell on May 18, 2009, and deleted hundreds of pornographic images of children “in secret and with malice” during a criminal investigation of Berrell.

Source: Former Asheville pastor pleads guilty to obstruction in child porn case by Clark Morrison.

Pedophile catholic music director Paul Lawrence Barrell was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Pedophile enabler Rev. John Schneider is still a priest. How does that work?

Schneider, 58, resigned as pastor of St. Eugene shortly after he was charged. He remains an ordained priest but can't publicly present himself as a priest or publicly celebrate the sacraments, Hains said.

We see self imposed punishment. He’s no longer leading a church. He should be defrocked. One need only act, were Schneider’s actions Christ-like? I hear a resounding no. Why is this criminal still a pastor?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Pedophiles

Youth Pastor Shawn Justice sentenced

Baptist youth pastor Shawn Anthony Justice was sentenced to a prison term of 8 years and 3 months for raping a teenaged parishioner. He was convicted of 8 counts of second-degree child sexual abuse. He was also sentenced to 30 years of suspended time. 

“But he was the shepherd placed in charged of protecting his flock, and he turned out to be a wolf,” McConahy said, borrowing language used by the prosecutor. “Leniency to the wolf is not justice to the lambs.”

Read more: Former Fairbanks pastor sentenced for sex with teen

This is not the first instance of abuse for Justice. He molested a young girl when working as a musical director at a church in Virginia. Unfortunately for Alaskans, Justice could be on the street in a little as 3 years.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Baptists

Youth Pastor Demetrius Allen arrested

Youth pastor Demetrius Darnell Allen was charged with 10 counts of lewd acts on a child and other offenses. This Baptist youth pastor allegedly had a 14 month sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

Allen, 26, is the youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Venice, Ca. There is little other news on this story besides the press release. From what I can tell, the church does not have a website.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Baptists

Related articles

• DEMETRIUS DARNELL ALLEN: 23 year old Youth Pastor Charged with Sexual Molestation at Venice-area church (economy4abc.blogspot.com)
• Pastor charged with having 14-month affair with girl (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

Pastor Dale Richardson arrested

When we talk about hypocrisy, it quickly becomes apparent that Catholics priests and Baptists pastors lead the clergy from other Christian sects by a wide margin. Catholic priests tend to go after our innocent children. Baptist pastors tend to lead the pack in moral depravity. If you are wondering who is raping your best cow, I’d check the local Baptist church first.

Pastor Dale Richardson, a Baptist, was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping two woman. He’s also being investigated for other unsolved sexual assaults. If the charges are true, Richardson led a double life.

Dale Richardson, 46, of Myrtle Way, said he serves as pastor of Freedom Free Will Baptist Church in Ladson and also manages a construction company called All-Safe Industrial Services.

His church's website describes him as a married father of two adult children who "dedicated his life to preaching and living the Holy life as handed down in Scripture."

And by night…

Richardson pulled out a black and chrome handgun and pointed it at the woman, telling her to do as he said or die, the report said. He laid her seat back, put a pillowcase over her head and bound her hands in front of her with red construction tape, according to the report.

Then Richardson drove the woman to a home in Dorchester County and forced her to have sex with him, the report said. Afterward, it said, he took her to an area near Carolina Commerce Parkway and told her to walk into the woods, warning that he would kill her if she looked back at him.

Do they teach that in seminary? Wait… What are the chances that Richardson went to Seminary? He’s a Baptist. Anybody can be a pastor in a Baptist church. All you need to do is profess believe and start preaching. Since there is little control and not accountability (they are the original anti-Catholics you know), abuse of power follows. Granted, this is an extreme case, but it makes my point.

Technorati Tags: Baptists,Clergy Sexual Abuse,Rape

Hat tip: Maximus Aurelius (and others)

Another horrific case of Catholic hypocrisy

What do you call it when a Catholic official who was responsible child protection within the Catholic church is arrested for possession of a large collection of child pornography? It’s hypocrisy, right? It does not matter though. I’m sure to get hate mail anyway. 

Christopher Jarvis was caught with 4,000 pictures of child pornography.He has admitted to 12 counts of making, possessing and distributing indecent images. The Dioceses of Plymouth fired him from his position as child safeguarding officer. He had held the position for nine years.

No problem here folks. Move along.

Technorati Tags: Child Pornography,Catholics

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• More Hypocrisy: Catholic Church Child Protection Chief Caught With Child Porn Pics (nogodz.wordpress.com)
• So F****ing Predictable (greensboring.com)
• Church child protection chief caught with 4,000 child porn pictures (irreligion.org)