Church of the Open Minded Church of the Open Minded
8/16/05
I sent a letter to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. regarding a program I saw tonight, any response I recieve will be posted on this site:
Dear Sir or Mam,
This letter is in referance to the paid program "Justice?" that aired on WRLH Fox Comcast Cable channel 11 at 1:00 AM on August 16, 2005. The program featured Charles Bennet as the host.
While I have no objection to religious programing on any channel, whether a paid program or otherwise, I must take offense at the airing of this program on the basis of the extreme anti-gay sentiments exspoused on the program.
It was bad enough that the host made the usual claims that gay people are trying to destroy marrage and are sinners. However, when he went on to claim that all gay people pedophiles and routinely refered to them as "sodomites", it went accross the line of religious propaganda and became pure hate literature.
Reguardless of you're disclaimer that the show did not reflect the beliefs of WRLH, Fox, or it's affiliates, I can only surmise that by agreeing to air this trash, whether or not it was paid programming, your company and it's sponsers do indeed endorse the opinions expoused there.
As such, I will no longer be watching this channel or doing business with anyone who advertises on it. Also, I will be informing all my friends of what you are airing and encouraging them to stop watching this channel as well. If I see this or similar programming on any of your other channels, I will be taking the same actions for them.
Thank you,
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7/26/05
Hello, it's been a while since I've come around to post here. Not much is going on. I've been spending quite a bit of time playing
The portion that I scanned and posted here is only what appeared on the front page of the paper, not what was buried on page A5.
This article bothers me, but not in the way that the author, the editor, and George W. Bush are hoping it will. This article bothers me because it is but another example of how the media is trying to make us live in a constant state of fear.
The major focus of the article is on how "insurgents in Iraq" could have nuclear weapons. Even though they do point out that the explosives can be used for other things, the bulk of what most people will read (what's located on the front page) is spent describing how these explosives can be used for nuclear weapons.
Now I'm not disagreeing that these explosives COULD be used to make nuclear weapons. I agree completely that they COULD. But ARE they being used for this purpose?
My belief is that THEY ARE NOT USING THESE EXPLOSIVES TO MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. The construction of a nuclear weapon requires a high degree of engineering know-how. The concept of how a nuclear weapon works is something that anyone with a high school education can understand, but getting it to actually work is a whole other thing.
To illustrate what I mean, here's how a nuclear weapon works (I have NOT hacked into a government database or otherwise stolen top secret information, this information is readily avelable to whomever takes the 5 minutes to look it up):
The first thing that one must understand is that ALL nuclear substances have what is called a "critical mass". It is impossible to possess an amount of any nuclear substance that is at or above it's critical mass because once you have a critical mass of a nuclear substance, a nuclear explosion occures.
A nuclear weapon is nothing other than a device that drives two subcritical masses of a nuclear substance together to form either a critical mass or a supercritical mass of that nuclear substance. The trick is getting enough force to drive them together without immediatly fragmenting them again (thus defeating the purpose).
Sounds easy, right? Wrong.
First you have to obtain a weapons grade nuclear substance. Since there are no deposites of any known nuclear substance located in Iraq and weapons grade nuclear substances are under the control of one of the few "nuclear states" (USA, Russia, China, France, UK, India, Pakistan), it is unlikely that the insurgents have any nuclear substances, much less weapons grade (which would also require a refining plant far bigger than would fit into any cave to make).
Then, you have to make a device that packs conventional explosives around your two subcritical masses of this substance in such a way that it drives them together instead of apart or past each other AND with a very specific force so that they become one mass and do not fragment when they collide or bounce off wach other. THIS is the big secret behind nuclear weapons, what you're government doesn't want you to know (for good reason I might add), and why nuclear weapons are so difficult to build.
Only a hand-full of people on Earth possess both the education (read: a doctorate in engineering) and the intellegence (it literally took an Einstein to discover) to figure out how to build a nuclear weapon. Even if you stole the plans for a nuclear weapon you'd need a doctorate in engineering to understand it, not something your average "freedom fighter" has. The only reason that the Russians (at that time the USSR) became a nuclear power when they did is because they stole the plans for a nuclear weapon from the US. Although they probably would have discovered it for themselves if given another ten-twenty years or so.
Remember, Iraq was just starting their nuclear program in the late 80's and it was cut off by the US in '91. Forget that shit you hear in the media about traveling or underground nuclear labs we don't know about. Even if they did have them, they couldn't have been big enough to manufacture a working nuclear weapon. An instalment that big would have easily been picked up by spy satellites (true, they could build one underground, but we'd have watched them build it and know right where it was). I'm talking major square footage here.
Even if they somehow figured out how to make nuclear devices with traveling/underground labs, it is highly unlikely they could have figured out how to make them in 15 years under the level of scrutiny they were in AND keep it a secret.
If, after what I have just told you, you still believe that there's enough of a chance that the insurgents are going to be using the explosives they stole to make nuclear weapons to report it on the front page... I have a wonderful bridge in San Francisco I'd like to sell you.
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10/12/04
Been a while since I posted last... let's see.... where to start...
The X prize has been won. Congrats, guys, that was well earned. Now, what do I have to do to get on the next flight?
Lets see, not much going on here otherwise. Work's kicking my ass lately and I've got a cold I'm still working on getting rid of... George W. Bush is still making an ass out of himself... Christopher Reeves died yesterday, may he RIP... what else?
AH! Yes! I did read (another) great book by Poppy Z. Brite, Liquer. I'm not sure that folk who aren't in the restaurant buisness or aren't already a fan of hers would enjoy it (luckly, I'm both), but it was a very enjoyable book. Not grotesque like most of her other works are, just a simple fun to read story. Anyone who's read her work before will recognize her style, but that's where the similarity to her other works ends.
Not much other than that going on... been in chat rooms a lot lately, so keep an eye open for more updates to my Chat pages.
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7/06/04
Well... according to this evenings news, a marine has potentially sided with the opposition in Iraq. I only have one thing I want to say to him:
Tell them the get the fucking address right next time. The White House is on Pennsylvania Ave in Washington DC, not in downtown New York!
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6/29/04
Ah yes, finally I make it back to the only place my voice is free. Not much going on, just work and Gemstone. Barely gone to the Village lately, just sick of the drama. Come to think of it, I'm just plain sick of everything around me... time for a change...
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4/06/04
Everywhere I look lately, dAgGErs seem poIsed to plung into the backs of freinds. Backtalk flows against one's tRUSTed by one. I no longer seek to belove but rather HOpE to find AlLiEs that will not pLOT against me.
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3/23/04
Everyone in the Richmond, VA area that likes sushi should come join Sushi Sluts. It's dedicated to bringing together the sushi lovers of Richmond... and we're trying to get a sushi night going! :P
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3/17/04
In less than a month, I will be turning 25. By today's standards, that is still quite a young age. Only about a third of the age that I'm expected to live...
Yet, every day that I live, I feel more and more that I know more than those twice my age... and nothing at all.
I'm not speaking of what can be learned from a book. Any fool can learn that, and I claim to know no more or less than the next person on such things. I refer instead to what can only be learned from experiance and one's reflections on that experiance.
I will not dispute that there are many, both younger and older than myself, that have experianced far more than I have. Even though I have experianced my fair share of both hardship and pleasure. What I would dispute, however, is that I have gleaned far more from my experiances at this young age than most will in their life times.
While I see those around me mearly reacting to what happens around them. I've found that looking at events, both in my own life and on a larger scale, and reflecting on them has given me an insight to things that most barely glimse...
It makes me see the pettyness of many things... compramising one's self to please others, fear of that which one doesn't understand, and self gratification at the expense of another are all good examples of which I speak.
I don't know why I'm posting this here... I know that I probably sound full of myself to anyone reading this. It's just something that I felt the need to type out... or sort out?
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2/28/04
Added a new page to the Chat section. This one's a IM that I got today.
2/26/04
"Immediate action by the highest state court is necessary, because this is a matter of statewide concern and urgency."
If you were to overhear the statement above what would you think the speaker was talking about? The latest corperate scandel? A new law passed that violates your civil rights? Maybe even someone in Flordia trying to do away with chads?
Well, the speaker that I quoted was talking about none of those things. Ludicris as it sounds, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said that in referance to the marrage licenses issued by the city of San Francisco to same sex couples.
Sounds a bit over stated, don't you think?
I mean, honestly, how many straight people are losing sleep over same sex couples being able to legally marry? Other than the religious nuts and a few politicians trying to gain a temporary advantage, not many, I'm sure.
Unless a straight person has a friend or relitive that is homosexual, this issue really has no effect on their life. Even then, allowing same sex couples to marry legally can only have positive effects.
So why all the fuss? Glad you asked.
It seems that there is a certian segment of the population that is bent on "saving your soul" (a.k.a. religious nuts). These people take it upon themselves to decide how everyone else should live their lives, then try to force us to live our lives in that manner. Meanwhile, the ones doing the deciding get to "walk the primrose path to perfection" (to quote Shakespeare).
Why are they doing this? They'll tell you that they're doing it to "save you from hell" and "it's God's will". Personally, I think it's a case of short-dick syndrome coupled with bigotry. In other words, they're insecure about themselves so they have to bully others around to make themselves feel validated.
Those who have studied their history, or lived through the sixties, will note another time that this has happened in America. Except back then it was with the marrage rights of interracial couples. Care to guess who won that battle?
Although, if these anti gay marrage advocates really knew what they were doing, they'd give us the right to marry, but deny us the right to divorce... but that's a whole other contraversy
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1/23/04
I noticed today that the whole underwear worn at the waist/pants worn halfway down the ass thing is still in.... Just one question.... Why? Espicially these guys that try to get away with wearing briefs while doing it...
It's not sexy, it doesn't even approach sexy, but these fools insist on doing it. I guess it's another unfortunate side effect of white guys thinking their rappers...
Well, I have news for them... every white rapper there has ever been has sucked. Yes, even Eminem (or slim shady/Marshal Mathers/whatever he's going by now). None of them can compare to true rappers like DMX, Snoop Dog, Tupac, or Biggy. Hell, even Puff Daddy was cooler than the real slim shady (and he sucked!).
So white guys, it's time for a new fashion trend. This time one that's sexy... like freeballing with you're pants worn halfway down your ass.
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1/19/04
Well, the rest of the vacation went pretty good (except for CA's stupid smoking laws... can't even smoke in bars). Finally got our luggage, after many more phone calls. Have I said how much United Airlines sucks yet?
I have? Ok, just checking...
Anyway, the ski slopes were great. In fact, I think I'm gonna have to fly out to the west coast if I ever want to ski again. They've ruined me for east coast skiing...
I added a message board today. Nothing special, just an easy place to talk to everyone. If you see something here you'd like to comment on or just have something on your mind you'd like to talk about, feel free to pop over there and leave a note. Hell, even if you just have some random/insane ramblings that you've no better place to put them, put them here.
I did make it so that you have to register, but it's automaticly approved... none of that going to your e-mail and replying crap. I only selected to make people register so that you have the ability to edit your own posts... on the public version you wouldn't be able to do that.
All that I ask is that messages be kept "PG13" or (at the worst) "R" rated and that anyone that posts use common curtisy towards each other (even if you have to count to 10 before hitting the submit button)... I know how heated message boards can get.
See you in the boards.
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1/04/04
Ok, here I am, on vacation in Lake Tahoe. All the sking that I want, no responsibilities, just relaxation... right?
Hell no. United Airlines put my suitcase on the wrong flight and was supposed to have it to us, at the hotel, this morning. Instead, I'm stuck here wearing the same fucking clothes that I wore yesterday, with my ski coat in my suitcase, and unable to fucking smoke in my god damned room because of Calafornia's fucking idiotic smoking laws... and it's 10 degrees outside!!!
I could understand United's mistake if they would at least be HONEST with us about what's going on with my luguage. But NO, first they tell us that they were put on the bus at 8:00 to go to the Hotel, then, 2 hours later, they tell us they were put on the bus at 10:00. It's now 7:30, local time, and I still don't have it... worse still, I don't have any reason to believe that it was EVER put on any bus, truck, or anything else headed for this hotel.
Is United Airlines thinks that I'm ever flying with them again, they're sadly mistaken. In fact, I will activly do anything and everything in my power to discourage other people from flying with them as well (hence this rant).
FUCK YOU United. Oh, and FUCK California and their stupid smoking laws too, see if I ever visit this state again.
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12/14/03
News of the day (as of 7:30 AM EST): We caught Sadam... WWWHHHEEE... NEXT!
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12/12/03
Yesterday, the FAA announced that fruit cake is now listed as a security risk. Damn... I knew fruitcake was nasty (how many other types of food bounce?), but a security risk???
It would appear that while the x-ray machines can peer through a stack of hard shell Samsonite suitcases with no problem, they cannot see through a fruitcake (another reason not to eat it btw). All I got to say is: whowouldathunkit...
One last thing before I depart: Santa Clause is a fat bitch. That is all, thank you.
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[my real name edited out]
UPDATED 2/18/03 Chat- Oh the things we say in chat rooms
UPDATED 9/04/02 ESSAYS- Essays about whatever I'm inspired to write about
POEMS- This is where all my poems and a couple of short stories are
LETTER- A letter that I sent to an antiManson site correcting them on a few things
BANDS- Pics of some of my favorite bands
ART- See my artwork
UPDATED 02/13/03 QUOTES- Some of my favorite quotes
VAULT- A little bit about me
STORE- Buy posters of your favorite bands
GUESTBOOK- Sign my guestbook, leave yer e-mail address and I'll send you a line each time I update the page
LINKS- If you need me to tell you what this is you need help.
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