U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice

Koran, Bible or Book of Mormon - they are all just books. Shooting one, burning one, or even eating one should not make a bit of difference. Yet it does.

A soldier used the Quran -- Islam's holy book -- for target practice, forcing the chief U.S. commander in Baghdad to issue a formal apology on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, flanked by leaders from Radhwaniya in the western outskirts of Baghdad, apologized for the staff sergeant who was a sniper section leader assigned to the headquarters of the 64th Armored Regiment. He also read a letter of apology by the shooter.

Source: U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice; military apologizes - CNN.com

I am not saying that staff sergeant dumb ass was right or that his actions are somehow justified. We are fighting a war. Some level of cultural sensitivity is required. Shooting a Koran was dumb. So is raping 14-year-old girls. But kissing the friggen Koran - I mean - oh come on!

The apology went well - or maybe not.

Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani, in a speech on behalf of all tribal sheiks of Radhwaniya, called the incident "aggression against the entire Islamic world."

At least nobody was killed over this nonsense.

Technorati tags: Koran, desecration, Iraq, war, Islam

Forgiveness - really?

Because a person has committed a crime -- for the rest of their lives they will never be able to live down their crime," he said. But, he said, even those guilty of their sins are deserving of forgiveness.

- Pastor Ron Matheney

What if these words fell from the sugared lips of a man who had been charged with beating his wife, raping her, violating her with a foreign object, and then prevented her from seeking aid for her injuries? Would his words ring true or would he sound like a hypocrite?

And whose forgiveness are we talking about? God? His wife? His congregation? Or is he just trying to protect his job?

In an unexpected move, Matheney plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor battery.

He entered an Alford plea, under which a defendant admits no wrongdoing, but concedes they would be convicted by a jury if the case went to trial.

An Alford plea? No wrongdoing? Right - it was all about keeping his job or maintaining his status in the community.

Matheny maintained his innocence until the end - that is until he was found guilty. In one interview he raised the specter of politics driving his prosecution, but then admitted to punching his wife. How does one go from "They are just trying to bring me down" to I punched my wife... but she hit me first.

He acknowledges that they fought and that he twice punched her...

Why does anyone go to this man's church? I wonder what the sermon was today?

Technorati tags: Rape, Ron Matheney, clergy sexual abuse, spousal abuse

There is no hiding from Wikileaks

I was reading Mormons, Scientologists face uphill battle against Wikileaks on ars technica. The article lead me to Mormon handbook of instructions. I spent the next hour browsing a pdf and laughing my ass off. I knew the Mormons had rules for everything. I just did not realize they had rules for everything.

Like baptism for criminals:

Persons who have been convicted of crimes and seek baptism for the first time or baptism for readmission into the Church are not baptized until they complete their terms of imprisonment, parole, or probation resulting from their convictions (unless the First Presidency has granted an exception). They are encouraged to work closely with local priesthood leaders and to do everything they can to become worthy of baptism.

No wonder fundies do so well recruiting in prison. They don't have any competition.

Technorati tags: Mormons, Wikileaks, baptism

Blogroll Update: cognitive dissident

I love the design aesthetic of cognitive dissident. I going to steal his template. The author has been kind enough to provide an introduction.

In his own words:

The blog cognitivedissident.org is written from the general viewpoint of skepticism, which in my case is a strongly atheistic humanism. I have little love for the unholy trinity of preachers, pundits, and politicians, as their nearly-uniform support of the status quo stifles those of us who think and live differently. My blog tackles a variety of subjects, as mentioned in my FAQ.

"A brief glance at my list of topics will indicate that my primary subjects are politics, current affairs, media criticism, and an occasional foray into the arts. […] Although neither a historian nor a political philosopher by trade, I am a voracious reader of those subjects (as well as current affairs, privacy issues, and church/state matters). I am an iconoclast who believes that sacred cows make the best hamburgers, and who examines the conventional wisdom from a critical perspective."

Having a category about George W. Bush called Worst. President. Ever. —among many other offenses against the herd—means that I am blogging anonymously…at least for now. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, I hope that you find my blog interesting and thought-provoking enough to say so!

Technorati tags: The Atheist Blogroll, Atheism, Blogging

Graffiti on a tattoo parlor

I am amazed at the level of fear a piece of art can generate. I turned and saw this out of the corner of my eye while walking down a street in Berkeley. I jumped.

Technorati tags: Photography, graffiti, art, Berkeley

155,000 and 1

What is the significance of one death when the world loses 155,000 people each day? People die all the time. I see these roadside memorials along the highway. They are called descansos. Sometimes they are small, sometimes they are enormous. They all mark a place where someone lost their life.

I don't know Xavier Arriaga, but I know how me died.

LA MIRADA, Calif. - A man who was working near train tracks at a La Mirada intersection was struck and killed by an Amtrak train Wednesday while trying to move a piece of equipment out of the train's path, officials said.

I saw this descansos as I drove home from an early morning disc gold game at La Mirada park. The level crossing here is nasty. Drivers slow down to a near stop when crossing. I came to stop in front of this memorial while waiting to cross the tracks. A large black crow flew up from near the candles. It gave me a chill.

I went back later in the day to take a picture and learn more about the man who died. If it were important enough for his friends and family to memorialize the place of his death, the least I could do is find out how he died.

I think on a subliminal level I suspected a train. You see, I am sure that when I die it will because a train nailed me. I've had this morbid fear of level crossing all my life. Arriaga's death by train simply reinforces my deeply held neurosis.

R.I.P. Xavier Arriaga.

Technorati tags: Xavier Arriaga, Trains, La Mirada

Foodgasm: Cafe Hiro

My wife and I visited Cafe Hiro in Cypress this evening. I found this amazing restaurant on Yelp a few weeks back. It has been on my list since I first read it's reviews. It did not disappoint.

Let's set the stage. Cafe Hiro is in a strip mall and shares a parking lot with Chilis. The strip mall is located on the edge of an industrial zone populated by various large employers. I would not have known this restaurant was there even if I had been looking for it. It simply blends in with the boring urban landscape.

We arrived late and found all the tables taken. The host offered us two seats at the counter. We watched as the three person wait staff ran an efficient operation. At the same time we were offered a glimpse of the kitchen staff working to prepare our meals. We felt like we were sitting at the chief's table.

We ordered from the menu and the specials board. I've posted our selections below. Our foodgasm started with the Spring Roll.

Appetizers

Peking Pork

Crispy Sea Bass Spring Roll

Main Course

Chinese Chicken Salad

Beef Tongue Stew

Dessert

Banana Millefeuille

Walnut Crème Brûlée

We ate slowly. The appetizer were both delicious. I preferred the Peking Pork. They were juicy little cuts of flavorful pork served like Peking Duck. They exploded with flavor. I ate two, my wife ate the other two. I wanted 30 more.

I think my wife regretted ordering the Chinese Chicken Salad. She assumed the appetizers would be chili sized. Instead the were torture you with taste sized. My Beef Tongue Stew took me back to France. I savored every bite.

My wife watched the dinner plates as they returned from the tables. She commented that they all came back empty. I know why. The food is good to the last drop.

The true test of a restaurant is how they handle Crème Brûlée. Um... it was perfect. I'll be back another go. My wife's Banana Millefeuille was a new taste experience for both of us (I managed a small taste or two). It is a bled of banana custard and chocolate sauce. The dessert managed a perfect balance of two tastes. Yummy!

Our dinner lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes. Service was at a leisurely pace, but attentive. Our dinner costs just of $60 with tip. We did not have alcohol.

What are you waiting for? Go eat.

Technorati tags: Foodgasm, Restaurant Reviews, Reviews, Food, Cypress, Cafe Hiro

Baptist Pastor robs Dollar General

I cannot make this stuff up. Hobert Wayne Bryant is the long time pastor at Rocky Branch  Baptist Church and allegedly an armed robber too. 

Hobert Wayne Bryant, 55, of North Marye Lane, Luray, entered the Dollar General store in the Woodstock Shopping Center wearing a blue coat, dark knit hat and sunglasses on the day of the robbery, according to police. He approached a store clerk, police said, displayed a gun and demanded the contents of the cash register. As he fled the scene, witnesses were able to note the description of the suspects vehicle.

Source: Local Pastor Arrested For Armed Robbery

What the heck was this guy thinking? Armed robbery for a couple of hundred dollars? If you are willing to take the risk - go big.

Technorati tags: Baptists, Hobert Bryant, crime, robbery

Cute cutout in Berkeley

I found this walking around the campus a couple of weeks ago. I like stencil/sticker art.

Technorati tags: Photography, Berkeley, Art, Stencils, Stickers

Former assistant pastor set for sentencing on rape charges

I missed this one. Gerald Klever is 76. Apparently he raped young girls from his youth group way back in the late 70s.

MEDIA, Pa. - A former assistant pastor of a southeastern Pennsylvania church faces sentencing on charges that he sexually assaulted young girls nearly three decades ago...

...Authorities say Klever raped and sexually assaulted girls in his youth group while an assistant pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield between 1977 and 1983. One woman says he raped her one time at a pool party and another time after tying her to a bed at a church retreat.

Source: Former assistant pastor set for sentencing on rape charges

Klever is 76. It is a little late for justice. I hope his victims have managed to move on. I doubt it. This is the kind of thing that sticks around for years and years.

It looks like Klever was a serial rapist. At least 12 women came forward with allegations of sexual abuse when the case fist hit the press.

Police in Springfield say 12 women have contacted First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, where Klever was assistant pastor between 1977 and 1983, to report sexual misconduct by Klever. The current charges, however, apply to two women who were 16 and 17 when the incidents occurred, said Kovach, explaining that due to the statute of limitations, Klever cannot be prosecuted for misconduct alleged to have occurred before July 12, 1980.

Source: Former pastor, freed on bail in rape case, returns to Tucson

It is a shame I missed this one. Klever appears to one of the worst Pedophile pastors to come to justice in a few years.

Technorati tags: Gerald Klever, rape, rapist, pedophile, clergy sexual abuse, Tucson, Presbyterian

Texas minister caught in Internet sex sting

Another Baptist pastor goes down in flames. This time Joe Barron though he was setting up a little meet & screw with a 13-year-old girl. It turned out to be a cop. Barron happens to be a pastor at the largest Baptist church in the country.

A minister at a Dallas-area megachurch was charged with online solicitation of a minor after police said Friday he was caught in an Internet sex sting...

...Barron is a minister at Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the country with 26,000 members and 40 ministers.

Source:  Police say Texas minister caught in Internet sex sting | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

The official story is that Prestonwood did not realize Barron had any kind of problem. One would hope they did a good background check.

Technorati tags: Texas, clergy sexual abuse, pedophilia, pedophiles, Joe Barron

District Heights Mayor Pleads Not Guilty To Solicitation

I'm counting down to the day James Walls comes out of the closet. I give him another two weeks. Until then I'm tracking the progress of this hypocrite as the one time pastor and current mayor of District heights, Md., deals with being caught in the act of buying a male prostitute's services.

The mayor of District Heights, Md., pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of soliciting a male prostitute. James L. Walls Jr., 30, was arrested on April 24 at Sixth and F streets in D.C. Sources said he allegedly solicited a male prostitute who was actually an undercover officer.

Source: District Heights Mayor Pleads Not Guilty To Solicitation - News Story - WRC | Washington

How does turning to a gay prostitute mesh with your Christian morality? Or better yet, how does it feel to be a total Hypocrite?

I've posted on Walls before.

Technorati tags: Baptist, hypocrisy, James Walls

Former Lubbock pastor goes to prison

Pastor James Cornell Clark is a bad man. He stole food from the mouths of needy children and pocketed the money for his own gain. Now he is going away to prison for almost 20 years.

Prosecutors say Clark created the businesses to receive funds for the Summer Food Program, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide nutritious meals for children when school is closed.

Source: Former Lubbock pastor sentenced in summer food scam | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

But wait... there is more. Clark was also convicted of importation of an alien for immoral purposes. I'll translate: He brought a exchange student over and user her as a sex slave.

• Ex-Lubbock pastor convicted
• Evil Lurks in Lubbock
• Lubbock Pastor May Not Stand Trial
• Another sexual predator posing as a pastor in Lubbock

Technorati tags: James Clark, Lubbock, Texas, clergy sexual abuse, rape

Big news in California

Same Sex Marriage is legal in California. you can read all about it at The Gaytheist Agenda.  Congratulations to my gay and lesbian friends!  Now quick - go get married before they change their mind.

If your looking for someplace to celebrate and you are in Long Beach this weekend. Try the Lesbian and gay pride festival. It's a hoot.

Technorati tags: Gay rights, California, Same Sex Marriage

Titillating Slutbucks

OK - just so I'm clear on this. This is dumb.

Seems that one person's smut is another person's morning latte.

A Christian group based in San Diego found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo for Starbucks Coffee.

The Resistance says the new image "has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute," Mark Dice, founder of the group, said in a news release. "Need I say more? It's extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks."

Source: Logos: Christian Group Calls For Boycott Over Titillating New Starbucks Logo

The "Christian Group" is called The Resistance (Warning - plays a video on load) It's run by Mark Dice. And, he is a nutball. How does a man who is a known fringe conspiracy nutball suddenly become a spokesman for Christian values?   He's quoted in newspapers across the English speaking world. Are there no standards?

What is Mark Dice complaining about? He thinks this is porn.

 

You can read about the Starbucks logo at the Deadprogrammer's Cafe. Somehow I don't think it's about sex at all.

Technorati tags: Starbucks, advertising, boycotts, The Resistance, Mark Dice, Nutballs