The brazilians are here - Pare de Sufrir is in central Phoenix!

I could not believe the sight. I certainly don't believe their ideology.

Late at night all over South America this group buys (bought? I don't know, it was a couple of years ago) TV time to draw people in. Generally anything having to do with the christian religion is a turn-off, but this group was just so wacky with what they'd do to draw people to their "churches" I would sometimes be curious about what they were promising NEXT. Besides, it was a challenge to understand the thickly-Brazilian-accented Spanish they spoke. The best thing they had on offer was "blessed soap" to wash your sins away.

It was SO surprising to see their logo on a building downtown. A, um, modified version of their logo ;) is part of this posting. I like the modified version a little better since it more accurately represents what they do.

jesus freak funeral protestors turned away at the Canadian border - but supposedly not all of them :( ...

I won't mention the website name that these idiots from Topeka run. I hope the second group get their asses kicked, then charged, then deported. This is a sad footnote to a gruesome story that got little press in the USA.

In short, an innocent "nice guy" was beheaded by a crazy guy on a Greyhound bus in the province of Manitoba. For the geographically challenged, Manitoba is above northwest Minnesota and North Dakota.

Google it for more details - it's too disgusting and depressing.

Beheading victim protesters stopped
Winnipeggers urge action against U.S. sect planning McLean funeral picket
By SIMON FULLER, SUN MEDIA
The Winnipeg Sun

Members of a controversial U.S.-based church hoping to picket the funeral of beheading victim Tim McLean Jr. were turned away at the Canadian border by officials yesterday.

The Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, Kan., announced Wednesday it planned to protest the funeral, to be held tomorrow afternoon at Westwood Community Church. But church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of church pastor Fred Phelps, confirmed last night one "team" of pickets were turned away at the Canadian border yesterday.

However, she said a second team was "on course" to arrive in Winnipeg in time for tomorrow's funeral.

"The only way they won't get through is if they are strip-searched and they find Westboro Baptist Church tattoos on their butts," said Phelps-Roper, who previously told the Winnipeg Sun McLean's "filthy ways" brought wrath upon his head.

If they do make it across the border, angry Winnipeggers are ready to confront them. Several Winnipeggers outraged by news the funeral for McLean, who was beheaded and partially eaten on a Greyhound bus west of Portage la Prairie last week, are planning to block the group from getting anywhere close to funeral-goers.

By early last night, a Facebook group devoted to the idea had swelled to almost 200 people.

"Everything they say is bizarre and off the wall and it's totally disrespectful to invade a funeral," said Winnipeg student Amalia Slobogian, 26, who joined the group after reading about the church's plans.

"When I first heard this, I was very angry. Freedom of speech is one thing, but imposing this at a funeral is totally inappropriate."

Pat Martin, the NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre, agreed.

"These guys are lunatics," said Martin.

"They're not baptists -- Tommy Douglas was a baptist."

Martin said there could be an "absolute melee at the church" if the picket goes ahead. If so, the folks from Kansas should be prepared for some "northern hospitality," he said.

Speaking from Ottawa, Martin said yesterday afternoon he had urged Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Immigration Minister Diane Finley to block the church's passage into Canada.

"They treated my concerns with absolute decency and respect," he said. "This is not a partisan issue and it goes beyond political stripes -- it's about common decency."

Slobogian said the controversial church -- whose members believe God is punishing people and nations who accept homosexuality -- is just trying to get publicity.

"They're just a tiny sect looking for attention and notoriety. It would torture them if people didn't hit their website," she said.

Slobogian said the anticipated protesters will not be met with violence or placards, just a human barricade to separate them from funeral guests.

A Winnipeg police spokeswoman said the protest would not violate any hate laws, but officers have the ability to lay charges depending on what happens tomorrow.

She said charges can be laid under the provincial Cemeteries Act if anyone wilfully and unlawfully disturbs people assembled "for the purpose of burying a body."

Vince Weiguang Li has been charged with second-degree murder in McLean's death. He is currently undergoing a psychiatric assessment to determine if he is fit to stand trial and is scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 8.

---

WHAT IS WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH?

WHO: Westboro Baptist Church

WHAT: Headed by disbarred lawyer Fred Phelps, the church has 71 members, 60 of whom are reportedly related to Phelps through blood, marriage or both. It is not associated with any known Baptist conventions or associations.

WHERE: Based in Topeka, Kan.

WHEN: First public service was held on Nov. 27, 1955.

WHY: Followers believe God views homosexuality as the ultimate sin. As a result, any community or nation accepting of the "homosexual agenda" is hated by God, and bad things that happen to its citizens are signs of His work.

LOWLIGHTS: Members have picketed funerals of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and the memorial for victims of the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia ... Members have praised such things as AIDS and the 9/11 terror attacks ... Made several racial and anti-Semitic statements.

Mormon Missionaries getting owned, courtesy of YouTube

A uniquely american way to deal with high gas prices - prayer

Only in the USA... prayer groups have descended upon Washington DC area Shell stations in hopes of divine intervention lowering gas prices.

If it actually works, the phenomenon will be seen next in Brazil with the holy rollers going from church to the nearest Petrobras station. Then it will head south to Uruguay with the Pare de Sufrir folks handing out their "blessed soap" that washes away sins while praying over the pumps at ANCAP.

International mail delivered by Satan himself in a U.N. black helicopter?

I went to the post office to day to drop off two international packages. They require customs declarations to be attached.

Both customs declarations had a bar code containing the number 666.

If I was a religious loony I might have run from there...

The Rapture - a possible way to escape summer in Arizona?

Yeah right. I believe in the rapture and the end times about as much as I believe Dick Cheney runs an open, honest office.

But I'm watching this show on Discovery Times called The Rapture. Hell, I had time - the guy I was supposed to meet punked out... but that's another story...

They showed a really funny (well the christians took it seriously) website called www.jesuspets.com. Now as I dog owner I read what they had to say with a really open mind - and then laughed like hell.

Here's the proposition:
"What is JesusPets? Who is going to care for your pets after you are raptured into heaven? Many Christians believe that animals do not go to heaven. So when Jesus comes back and you return with him to heaven, will there be somebody to take care of your dog or cat? If you have a non-Christian family member, they might take care of your pet, but if not, have you made any plans? Imagine being taken to streets of gold while your dog starves to death walking around in his own feces trapped in your small house or apartment, subject to fire and earthquakes or even being eaten by heathens searching for any remaining morsel of food. Do you want that to happen? With the imminent collapse of the global economy and rampant godlessness, even the community shelters will not have the resources to care for your poor, hungry animals. So you need to make preparations. That's what JesusPets is for. We are assembling a community of heathen pet-lovers to care for pets that are "left-behind." We are coordinating with feed mills and kennels in preparation for your post-apocalyptic pet care needs."

Someone actually SERIOUSLY wrote that. Scary, eh?

Guess who Bush II will pardon at the end of his term? Hmm...

Scooter Libby got sentenced to 30 months. Hopefully he's not the last member of the Bush II administration to get sentenced.

I don't usually donate money to political causes but I'm going to throw a few bucks this way:

http://www.wilsonsupport.org/donate

It's the civil suit against the other cronies in the case.

I hope the judge sends him to jail and he can appeal from behind bars.

Teletubby murse sparks belated controversy in Poland

Maybe its happening in honor of Jerry Falwell's death, but the 1999 controversy about the Teletubbies has resurfaced in Poland.

http://www.theregister.com/2007/05/29/teletubbies_probe/

Maybe they're empowered by something they saw on TV from Moscow?

Arizona Republic (an) -- Leaders on edge over lingerie, fetish themes

Um, rich people like to fuck and have the money to spend on stuff like this?

"The 3rd annual Arizona Fetish Prom requires no city permits, so as long as the event planners adhere to other Arizona laws there's nothing local officials can do to stop the event at downtown's Venue of Scottsdale.

But that doesn't mean they aren't voicing their displeasure.

"I don't think that's a good or appropriate image for Scottsdale," said Councilman Tony Nelssen."

...

Nelssen and a few others said that tourism advertising aimed at gays and lesbians by the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau may have something to do with the city's sexy image.

"When you have a web site catering to alternative lifestyles, why not fetishes?" Nelssen asked."

What a fucking prude! Oh well, he had to do something to get his temple permit renewed for the year.

families with lots of kids and documentaries about them

Amongst all the mind-rotting crap that I pay a hundred bucks a month for, the so-called Discovery Health channel sucked me in. No, not for the commericals for various home products... but the spate of shows about families with huge amounts of kids.

Now, I would not be a great parent. If I had a kid he would be the one the other kids aren't allowed to play with, or at least not at his house. He'd be the kid allowed to watch anything on TV and the accompanying earthy vocabulary etc.

Having lots of kids due to a fertility clinic... ok, it happens. I can relate a little bit to that family because there are aspects of their life in the TV show that were even remotely familiar.

But this other one that has the perma-pregnant woman and her daughters in the dowdy frocks with the home schooling... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee. The whole sickeningly sweet on-fire-for-god thing is a little much to watch, along with the fourteen (or was it fifteen... or sixteen...) little fashion violations. Talk about a case for spaying and neutering.

But its refreshing to see these families trot out their life stories for whatever is in it for them. Now, this might sound jaded or whatever, but its the way things seem to work in the 500-channel universe. Reality TV has to fill it because you can only cost-effectively create just so much drama, right?

I've seen how it works. See, way back in the late 1990's boy met boy. (I was one of 'em so LISTEN UP, m'kay?) We decided to go get civil unioned in Vermont. Seems our justice of the peace was in cahoots with one of the cable channels and the producers of The Wedding Story contacted us to see about having our civil union be a show.

Now I need to ask a rhetorical question of my readers. Those of you who are divorced, what do you feel when you watch those wedding videos? I'm going to go out on a limb that if you had to choose between watching that and watching an hour of Barney, you'd proabably pick Barney, right?

We would have had a bunch of video of the trip from Minneapolis up to Vermont by way of Boston. It would have been boiled down to half an hour so that all of middle america could've said, "Hey Myrtle get back here in the trailer so you can watch these two faggots ensure they're gonna burn in hell." Or asked, "Which one's the woman? Shouldn't one of 'em be wearing a dress?!"

So when I got the fax from the producer of the show, I went home to my (now-) ex and said - do you want to do this. He left it up to me. I didn't want to be a sideshow. So we declined and did our thing privately without middle america and their TV's along for the ride.

But this is what entertainment is coming to. I saw the word "irritainment" this evening in the context of a blogger who puts the very public bits of his foreclosures out on the net for the world to see. I won't identify him because he's getting quite enough traffic!

The media mix has come a long way from, ok its summer time so its just going to be reruns on TV. Yeah, as if those three channels count for much of anything...

Oh well, back to the irritainment I'm watching now.