Shit that Pissed me Off This Week – 6/28

Pakistani Actress Gets Acid Thrown on Her Face

Now why did this happen?  It happened because the Taliban in Pakistan are doing this to a lot of women. Their religiously motivated hatred of women is so deep, it is driving them to assault women simply because they are asking for an education.

I don’t dislike Islam any more than I dislike other organized religion but this is a fine example of what bothers about most of them.  On the one hand, they talk about how their treatment of women shows such a high level of respect.

On the other hand.  That is bullshit.

You don’t throw acid on someone because you respect them.  You throw acid on someone because you want to punish them for existing.

I’m just trying to find out on which page of the Koran you can find this picture. I’m sure it’s near the picture of a woman. Ha ha! No it isn’t. No false idols, remember??

The Taliban practice a warped version of Islam.  That is true. Religion is so easily warped already and that is what bothers me. Any religion that suggests women must cover themselves to avoid tempting men (as all the Abrahamic religions do) has created something that can be warped in the most sinister ways.

And yeah, I think I’ll call throwing acid on someone “sinister.”

Time Cover Story Wrongly Singles out Atheists for Not Helping out Tornado Victims

The quote by columnist Joe Klein that is especially frustrating is this one (emphasis mine):

… there was an occupying army of relief workers, led by local first responders, exhausted but still humping it a week after the storm, church groups from all over the country — funny how you don’t see organized groups of secular humanists giving out hot meals — and there in the middle of it all, with a purposeful military swagger, were the volunteers from Team Rubicon.

Now never mind for a moment that what he said was factually in error as there were a lot of secular humanists helping those in need, the question is this – why the heck did he even need to point that out?  What possible purpose did it serve to take a pot shot at non believers in this article?

If he’d singled out almost any other group, his editor would probably have struck the reference because it borders on libel.  Humanists/atheists, however, are apparently fair game.  You can just make shit up about us if it adds a little color to your story.

Fortunately, he wrote an apology that said, in essence, “I’m sorry you didn’t understand what I was trying to say.”

So we’re all OK now.

Texas is Executes it’s 500th Inmate Since the Death Penalty was Reinstated

And the President didn’t even send a card!

This is a nice one!

Bad form, Obama!

If he’d been born in America, he would have sent a card.

Mom Faces Murder Charges After she let her Boyfriend Rape her Infant Daughter

See this is a companion to the article above, in which I just made a joke about the President sending a card to Texas for being so good at killing criminals.  In general, I’m against killing anyone and that includes criminals.

But this lady certainly forces me to re-consider my convictions on the subject.  If she did what she is accused of doing, I honestly can’t see much use for her.

I don’t have anything funny or clever to say about this story.  It sure did piss me off, though.

Antonin Scalia is a Complete Hypocrite

Justice Scalia was pretty fired up about the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the Defense of Marriage Act this week.  He wrote a scathing dissent that, I have to say, seemed just a bit petulant.

He threw a judicial tantrum, in fact.  He wasn’t just upset that the court struck down key provisions of DOMA, he was angry.  While there is no video allowed in the Supreme Court, I am quite certain his face was red and puffy as he presented his objection that is sure to launch 1000 fundraising letters.

The kicker, though, came right in his opening sentence where he said the following:

…we have no power under the Constitution to invalidate this democratically adopted legislation.

Interesting that he would say that the day after he was one of the Justices who voted in favor of invalidating democratically adopted legislation meant to protect minority voters.  You would think that if he thought the court didn’t have a right to do that, he would think it was the case all the time and not just when it was a piece of legislation he didn’t like.

Look, I”m not saying that he is looking worried about the gay agenda in this picture but he’s clearly pretty worried about something…

But here’s the thing about Scalia.  He’s made it clear he doesn’t like homosexuals much and certainly doesn’t believe that homosexual behavior is any sort of protected right.  His dissent indicates he’s still pretty upset at the court decision that made it illegal to pass anti-sodomy laws.

He is upset not so much because of the legal precedent but because he is morally opposed to homosexuality.  That is his right.  As a supreme court justice, he should rise above his own moral code and stay true to the law of the land.  He, more than any other justice currently on the court, has shown that he has no ability (or desire) to do so.

Rick Perry is an Insufferable Prick

After Wendy Davis managed to filibuster long enough to ensure that a draconian anti-abortion bill would not pass during a special session of the Texas Legislature, Perry was pretty upset.  I mean, the guy is a champion of the unborn and the thought that Davis used a parliamentary procedure to give a voice to folks little heard in the hallowed halls of the Texas Capitol must have bugged him a little.

So he did what any good Christian would do: he told everyone that Davis ought to consider herself lucky that her mother didn’t have an abortion.

You know, because that is a sensible argument.  It always makes sense to tell someone abortion could have killed them and since it didn’t, they should be against abortion.

Am I glad that my wife and I made the choice to have our kids? Sure!  I’m doubly glad that it was a choice and not a requirement.

Perry is also going to call a second special session because being an advocate of small government is all about spending public money on your own agenda.

Nik Wallenda mentions “Jesus” or “God” 142 times while crossing the Little River Gorge on a high wire

The dude really believes in god.  This was clearly exhibited based on his comments while crossing the Little River Gorge on a high wire.

And you know what?  He’s totally entitled to his beliefs.  And while he’s walking on a high wire 1500 feet above the ground, he can say whatever the hell he wants.  I’m good with that.  I’d probably say “fuck” almost as many times as he mentioned Jesus.  Probably more.

So when he started talking, why didn’t it occur to anyone that it was startlingly bad television?  The guy was mentioning god approximately once every 10 seconds. It gets boring really quickly.  Like after about 20 seconds. And it went on for 23 minutes.

If it had been me, it would have been 23 minutes of beeping.  Also really bad television.

Also – and this pisses me off more – the guy did not cross the Grand Canyon!!!

This is (a tiny tiny part of ) the Grand Canyon

He crossed the Little River Gorge. Which is near the Grand Canyon.*

This is the Little River Gorge. I have seen the Grand Canyon, sir, and you are no Grand Canyon!

Some of the stuff I’ve read says he is the first person to cross the Grand Canyon on a high wire.  Except he didn’t cross the fucking grand canyon!

If we are going to start giving people credit for something just because of their proximity to something else, can I say I swam across the Atlantic ocean if I cover the distance in a pool at a YMCA in New York City?

Note: Wallenda has never claimed he was crossing the Grand Canyon.  That was just lazy reporting.  Seriously folks, our kids already suck at geography.  Why do we want to make it worse?