Bear Named Chunk Winner of Fat Bear Week Despite Broken Jaw

“A brown bear weighing over 500kg (1,200 pounds) has overcome a broken jaw to become the winner of Fat Bear Week 2025.

Chunk received the most votes in a competition between 12 brown bears in which people pick the bear they believe ‘best exemplifies fatness and success’ as they prepare for winter hibernation.”

BBC

It’s usually cats, and sometimes puppies, which go viral online, but Chunk a brown bear tipping the scales at 1,2000 pounds has captured the hearts of animal lovers.

Chunk, the winner of Fat Bear Week, drew a huge streaming audience; viewers were fascinated watching him use his huge paws and broken jaw to snatch salmon. Chunk is an inspiration to us all; he doesn’t let his disability hinder him from snatching the delicious fish.

The winner is the bear that best exemplifies fatness and success, thank goodness that fatness and success are not mutually exclusive. So, don’t hate on me as I munch on Doritos when I watch videos of Chunk.

Chunk is a lover and a fighter, he likely broke his jaw while fighting another bear during mating season. Chunk does not let his disability slow him down, he gets his freak on with the ladies, and he eats more salmon than the average bear.

The Fat Bear Week festivities attracted a huge virtual crowd this year, more than 1.6 million people voted for their favorite bear.

Thank God for Chunk, we need some good news to make us forget about all the bad news.

The Rapture

The Rapture is an eschatological belief held by dispensationalist evangelicals, that true believers will be suddenly and supernaturally raptured or “caught up” from Earth to meet Jesus in the air. After the event, those who believe will ascend to heaven, whereas those who do not will remain and endure seven years of catastrophic tribulation.

Reformed, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and most mainline Protestant churches do not believe in the Rapture delusion. It is a heresy that has taken root primarily in evangelical and fundamentalist churches in America.

In places like Nigeria, Syria, North Korea, and Somalia where Christians are massacred and owing a Bible is illegal, the persecuted believers are not counting on the Rapture to deliver them.

In other words, in countries where Christians are a persecuted minority the Rapture is not a popular doctrine, but in America where Christians are in the majority it is a widely held belief.

In America if a department store salesperson tells Christians “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” snowflakes cry out that they are persecuted and they long for the Rapture.

Not only are evangelicals wimps for hoping that the Rapture will save them from faux persecution, but they are selfish assholes for not caring that those left behind will face seven years of tribulation.

If only the Rapture were real and MAGA Christians were raptured to meet Jesus in the air and then dropped straight to hell while those of us left behind enjoy paradise on Earth.

To Hell with Evangelicals and Their Child-like Faith

Evangelicals believe the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God. They trust Scripture implicitly, and they place a premium on child-like faith. They take pride in believing in fables and allegories like Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and the Tower of Bable with the innocence and naivety of children.

Doubt is the unpardonable sin, and they pray away every last vestige of skepticism. Critical thinking is for atheists, liberals and heathen and they swallow hook, line, and sinker every doctrine of their faith. The evangelical brain is conditioned to have zero critical thinking skills, doubt kills faith.

Therefore, they accept without reservation every idiotic, irrational and batshit crazy utterance that emanates from the sphincter-shaped mouth of their messiah, Donald Trump. They believe every lunatic conspiracy theory that is posted on a MAGA website or published in a far-right conservative publication.

This is why your sweet evangelical grandma thinks liberals are Satan-worshipping pedophiles, and that’s why MAGA Republicans voted for a malignant narcissist, adjudicated rapist, serial adulterer, suspected pedophile, convicted fraudster and steaming pile of human shit.

You will never convince a child who’s been indoctrinated by their parents that Santa is not real, and you will never convince an evangelical that Donald Trump is the embodiment of evil.

We cannot expect the Lord to rapture these cultists to heaven or to hell where they really belong. We must take care of matters ourselves and vote MAGA politicians out of office, and mock and ridicule evangelicals into silence.

‘Praise Music’ is the Soundtrack of the Apocalypse

Back in the 1970s, when I attended a Baptist church, the pastor’s sermon always followed worship songs. The minister’s wife crooned a couple of songs and then the congregation belted beloved hymns like “Amazing Grace,” “Mansion Over the Hilltop,” and “How Great Thou Art.”

The emphasis was on the lyrics that extolled the saving power of Jesus, and the music was just an appetizer before the meat of the Word of God delivered by the pastor.

Today most evangelical churches have replaced hymns with praise music. Praise music induces a meditative, transcendent state of consciousness, by using repetitive patterns and phrases.

These techniques prepare worshippers to have a spiritual experience, which has nothing to do with the traditional Gospel or communing with the Almighty. Evangelicals may repeat “Jesus, I love you” ad nauseum and then exclaim “Amen,” when the MAGA pastor praises Donald Trump, who anyone with a smidgen of spiritual insight would recognize as a steaming pile of human shit.

Christian nationalist worship leaders, like Sean Feucht, are frequently the opening acts at MAGA rallies. Adolf Hitler idolized and obsessively loved the music of German composer Richard Wagner, and Donald Trump loves praise music, and features contemporary Christian worship leaders in his rallies.

Praise music is the soundtrack of the Apocalypse, and whenever I hear praise music I pray that God will smite the fucken somnambulists.

I Love Me Some Kohl’s Mom

Ellie Kemper, celebrated for her roles in “The Office” and “Bridesmaids”, is best known as “Kohl’s Mom,” the lovable and humorous brand personality created by Kohl’s, the American retail store department chain.

Although Kemper is an attractive actress, her characters—like Kimmy Schmidt in “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and Erin Hannon in “The Office”—are known for their innocence and kindness rather than sexuality.

Kemper’s own experience as a busy mom of two makes her a perfect fit for the role of Kohl’s Mom, an omnipresent but non-intrusive brand spokesperson who is always ready to offer a word of advice to her customers.

 When I was a dapper young man department store salespersons always hovered nearby, eager to earn a commission by steering me towards high-end merchandize. As a senior citizen, I feel unnoticed and must signal for assistance.

But I am confident that Kohl’s Mom would acknowledge my presence with a welcoming smile and offer her witty advice as if I were the only customer in the store.

In the commercials, customers call her “Kohl’s Mom,” and it is assumed that everyone recognizes her. Indeed, her commercials have gone viral, and she is a household name, even in pitiful towns where there is not a Kohl’s store.

I dreamt about Kohl’s Mom the other night, I was a young man again, Kohl’s Mom was the greeter, she made it rain Kohl’s cash, dazzled me with her latent sexuality, and everything was right with the world.

‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’ Songwriter Dies in a Plane Crash

“Country singer and songwriter Brett James, known for the hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died with two others in a small plane in North Carolina’s mountains.”

Spectrum News 1

“Jesus, take the wheel,

Take it from my hands,

‘Cause I can’t do this on my own.”

Brett James

I don’t particularly care for country music, especially when it’s infused with Christian lyrics. It’s miserable to have a brain worm, but it’s torture to have an earworm. If I hear a snippet of “Jesus Take the Wheel”, it’s ensconced in my mind until I scream out: “Jesus Take the Fucken Wheel and crash into the nearest power pole.”

“Jesus Take the Wheel” is one of the most lyrically insipid and theologically ignorant songs in the annals of country music. It implies an unhealthy level of passivity, and an unwise dependence on an invisible deity. I know Christians who pray for “traveling mercies” and then proceed to text and sing along to Lauren Daigle bangers while they drive merrily on down the road.

I live according to the teachings of Jesus, but I don’t beg Jesus to take the wheel, or control of my life. I’m not going to abdicate my own decision-making process to any televangelist or theologian who claim to speak for God.

Jesus didn’t take over the flight controls of the single-engine Cirrus SR22T plane and Brett James died in the crash.

I pray that a hack songwriter won’t be inspired to write, “Jesus Take Over the Flight Controls.”

Charlie Kirk’s Life & Death: Martyrdom or Cautionary Tale?

Charlie Kirk died the death of a rabble rouser whose inflammatory rhetoric energized the evangelical MAGA base and incited a troubled young man to permanently silence him with the type of weapon that the rightwing prophet fetishized.

Kirk’s violent and gory death was a personal tragedy for his family, friends, and colleagues, but it was not a national tragedy. When a propagandist who incites violence against the LGBT community, racial and religious minorities and immigrants meets an untimely death, it is not a time for mourning, it is a time for reflection and sobriety.

I condemn violence unequivocally. I denounce political assassinations, and I deplore political commentators who provoke violence against women, minorities, and political opponents with their fiery rhetoric.

Kirk was a Christian nationalist who trafficked in rightwing politics steeped in homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism while claiming to be a disciple of the Jesus of the Gospels who ministered to the poor and embraced the disenfranchised.

It is distressing that evangelicals eulogize Kirk as a martyr and canonize him as a national hero akin to Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. This sorry state of affairs in an indictment of evangelical Christianity and MAGA politics.

As a progressive Latino who lives on a fixed income and hates fascism, I do not mourn the death of Charlie Kirk, I mourn the death of our democracy symbolized by the glorification of a conservative agitator.

Bob Vylan: ‘RIP Charlie Kirk, You Piece of Shi*’

The Sex Pistols, a seminal punk band of the 70’s, caused controversy through profanity and anti-establishment stances. In 1977 they released “God Save the Queen”, which attacked the monarchy during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

“God save the Queen,

The fascist regime.

God save the Queen,

She ain’t no human being.”

For an English punk group to attack the Queen in the 70’s is analogous to a 60’s American rock group attacking John F. Kennedy.

We need the punk aesthetic more than ever, thank God the English punk duo Bob Vylan assumed the mantle of the Sex Pistols. Through their lyrics they fight fascism in England, Israel, and the USA.

Bob Vylan is no stranger to controversy, at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, they called out to the crowd: “Fuck the IDF.” The chant drew criticism from mainstream media, resulting in the group being banned from numerous music venues.

Bob Vylan called Charlie Kirk “an absolute piece of shit of a human being” while performing in Amsterdam. The frontman shouted from the stage: “The pronouns was/were. Cause if you chat shit you will get banged. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit.”

Bob Vylan made the statements in the context of a punk concert; nobody should expect punk rockers to speak the language of diplomacy.

If you are outraged at the genocide of the Palestinian people and alarmed at the deification of a racist piece of shit, you should support Bob Vylan by buying their albums.

Trump’s Droopy Face is Ready for Halloween

Donald Trump’s toxic personality and virulent rhetoric are accelerating his ageing process; the septuagenarian is falling apart before our eyes. From the shockingly thin hair on top of his head to his humongous cankles, he is the picture of deterioration, decay and decline. The hideous tyrant would be well-advised never to leave home without wearing a cap and he would be better off exchanging his classic dress shoes for cowboy boots.

The president stunned the nation with his ghastly drooping facial expression when he was commemorating the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon. Trump is literally and figurately full of shit, and we are accustomed to his droopy drawers, but his droopy facial expression caught us by surprise.

The Dear Leader’s pronounced drooping on one side of his face sparked rumors that he suffered a mini stroke. Trump’s dreadful drooping face came after concerns over his health last month over his weeklong absence from the public eye.

Droopy Don is free to meander inside the White House and disturb his family and staffers with his god-awful appearance, but with the exception of Halloween, he should not venture outside where he will frighten the horses and terrify the electorate.

And for the love of God Droopy Don should stay away from the roof of the White House, that spectacle would be more frightening than the Hunchback of Notre Dame ringing the bell.

I Don’t Mourn the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk MAGA activist, right-wing podcast host, white Christian Nationalist, co-founder of Turning Point USA, and Trump fluffer was shot and killed by a sniper while participating in a “Prove Me Wrong” debate at Utah Valley University.

The fascist-in chief, Donald Trump, paid tribute to the slain conservative activist in a Truth Social post, writing: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk is dead.”

Trump has stocked his cabinet and administration with imbeciles, racists, and extremist conservatives, and he reserves his most lofty praise and adulation for dictators like Russian President Valdimir Putin, the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele.

Therefore, if Trump lavished praise on Charlie Kirk, you can rest assured that he was a fascist jerk.

Kirk was a huge supporter of the Second Amendment, and in 2023 he said:  “It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” Kirk, like most evangelicals, also believed in the “God-given right” of Israel to commit genocide.

It’s poetic justice that Kirk was gunned down as he was answering a question about mass shootings in America. I condemn political violence and I’m not rejoicing at his death, but I am not going to pretend that I am in sorrow. Good riddance to bad trash.

Donald Trump directed that United States flags be lowered to half-mast as a tribute to Charlie Kirk.  American flags should be flown at half-mast to mourn the fact that we live in a fascist state that honors moral scum like Kirk.

Ken Paxton Encourages Students to Recite Lord’s Prayer

“With a new Texas law in effect allowing time for prayer and reading religious texts in public schools, Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday encouraged students to practice the Lord’s Prayer as relayed in the King James Version of the Bible.”

Texas Tribune

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

Matthew 9:6

The Texas House of Representatives impeached Ken Paxton for showing favoritism to a donor who bribed him, misusing public resources, making false claims against whistleblowers, and interfering with his ongoing securities fraud trial.

This paragon of virtue, alleged adulterer and Texas senatorial candidate urges students to recite the Lord’s Prayer in school, cynically pandering to the evangelical electorate.

This law is an affront to the separation of church of state. I have a problem with the first verse: “Our Father which art in heaven.”

The Bible was written by men in a patriarchal society, reflecting male authority and female subordination. In the biblical narrative women don’t rise to the status of second-class citizens, they are chattel, the property of men.

According to John 4:24, “God is a Spirit,” and the pronouns for the deity should be they/them.

Teaching our female students that the ultimate authority figure is a father figure, sends the wrong message. It indoctrinates them into thinking that authority figures are male.

Any version of the Bible that translates the first verse of the Lord’s Prayer as “Our Father” should be obsolete and this sexist translation should not be read in a public school.

Sleepy Donald Trump Mistakes Flag for Blanket

Gramps Donald Trump was dazed and confused when he was presented an American flag during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. When Rep. John Rose handed Trump an American flag contained in a transparent plastic bag, he responded” “Oh I could use that at night,” apparently mistaking the flag for a blanket.

The remark elicited subdued laughter from the sycophants present, prompting Rose to clarify, “It’s an American flag.” Realizing his blunder, Trump responded, “It’s very nice, I like that. Thank you very much.”

Flunkies bearing gifts for Sleepy Don would be well-advised to label them with a Sharpie so he will know exactly what they are.

When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail, and when you are a senile septuagenarian, every product made from fabric looks like a blanket. I am surprised Trump did not lay his head down on the Resolute Desk using the flag as a blankie.

I am relieved Rose had the presence of mind not to gift the demented old fool a T-shirt wrapped in plastic, he might have dropped trou in the Oval Office mistaking the shirt for diapers.

The only time America is safe from Trump’s shenanigans and evil edicts is when he is sound asleep. Every American who cares about our country should give him comfy blankets and fluffy pillows; in the hopes it might encourage him to stay in bed for longer periods of time.

OK Boomer, enough with the Phone Calls

I grew up in the pre-cell phone era, when rotary phones had a mechanical ring that was noticeably loud and encouraged immediate attention.

This halcyon era was before the invention of robocalls, and calls from auto insurance repair companies. When the phone blared, we stopped dead in our tracks and raced to answer the phone. Back then, every call mattered because it came from a friend or family member.

Some of my most indelible childhood memories are of answering the phone and blurting out, “Mama it’s my tia from Mexico.”

In this high-tech society, boomers do not realize that the rotary phone of old has almost no resemblance to the smartphone of today. A cell phone is a small computer with calling as just one of its many functions.  In lieu of placing calls, youngsters text or send DMs. No one needs to remind me “OK boomer, a text message would have sufficed.”

Advice to boomers: Think twice before you call your children or grandchildren, you may be interrupting them from shopping online, swiping right on a dating app, doom scrolling, or watching the latest viral videos.

Many young people experience anxiety when answering the phone, even when they know it’s a relative calling. They are accustomed to communicating via text and are rendered almost mute when they are forced to engage in a phone conversation.

Word to the wise! If you cannot break your habit of placing calls, your nieces and nephews may block or ghost your stubborn old ass.

Trump Wants to Rename Department of Defense ‘Department of War’

“The Trump administration is advancing plans to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a White House official, after US President Donald Trump raised the prospect on Monday.”

The Jerusalem Post

Donald Trump is a branding expert; there are dozens of golf courses, hotels and apartment buildings throughout the world that bear his name.

The Trump name is toxic, and the fascist-in-chief is determined to restore the toxic names of military bases named after Confederate generals. Over a dozen Army bases have reverted to their long-standing toxic names under his administration.

It’s not surprising that Trump plans to rename the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense was originally established as the War Department in 1789 and was renamed in 1949 to the Department of Defense. This is all part and parcel of Trump’s agenda to turn back the clock to a time when America was more racist, intolerant and jingoistic.

Trump has declared war on the American people; naturally, he wants to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War. Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines, to Los Angeles, and the National Guard to Washington DC, and he has threatened to dispatch the National Guard to Chicago and NYC.

The wannabe dictator raised the notion of rebranding the Defense Department while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, saying it “just sounded to me better.” It would sound better to a fascist like Trump.

Is Donald Trump Dead?

When the Wicked Witch of the East died after a tornado dropped Dorothy’s house on her, the Munchkins burst out singing in jubilation:

“Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead,

Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed,

Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!”

When the decrepit and demented wannabe King, Donald Trump, finally dies, shouts of relief and songs of celebration will sound throughout America.

The Wicked Witch of the East instituted a reign of terror in Oz, she tortured her slaves, the Munchkins. Trump has presided over a reign of incompetence, corruption, and authoritarianism, he has demonized the LGBTQ community, terrorized immigrants, prosecuted his political enemies and ignored the concerns and needs of the poor.

Rumors have flooded social media that Trump is dead.  The spotlight-loving narcissist who holds press conferences and delivers speeches on an almost daily basis has not been seen in public for two days, naturally everyone is praying and hoping that he has croaked.

Vice President JD Vance, in trying to quash the rumors, only made it worse, insisting he is ready to take the top job in case of a “terrible tragedy.”

I am fervently praying that Trump’s cankles, bruised hands, unsteady gait, incoherent speech and morbid obesity means that the Grim Reaper has finally caught up with him.

I can’t wait to sing:

Ding-dong, the orange buffoon is dead,

Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed,

Wake up, Donald Trump is dead.

Trump’s Bruised Hands Give me Nightmares

Donald Trump’s sphincter-shaped mouth is grotesque, and the toxic rhetoric that emanates from it is nauseating. Trump often juts his chin forward, a gesture that creates shadows and folds in the neck area that resembles an atrophied vagina. His wispy hair looks like cotton candy drenched in urine. He looks like a rabid raccoon due to the stark contrast between his orange spray-on tan and the paler skin around his eyes.

Trump’s face looks like it was stitched together by Dr. Frankenstein, and it never fails to amaze me that his followers see the face of God in this abomination. It is not Trump’s visage but his hands that give me nightmares.

If Trump’s hands had smooth skin, and his nails were perfectly filed they would still be repulsive because they are so tiny. His doll hands are not in proportion with his ungodly girth; they give me the heebie-jeebies.

Trump’s bruised hand and his profligate use of makeup to cover the discolored patch of skin have led even his supporters to fear that he may be at death’s door. His bruised hand and his cankles are symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency.

A morbidly obese septuagenarian, with a vile temper, bruised hands and cankles is not long for this world. I hope the Grim Reaper grabs him by his hands and hurls him into hell.

Happy National Dog Day

“National Dog Day celebrates all breeds, mixed and pure and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, either from public shelters, rescues and pure breed rescues.

National Dog Day honors family dogs and dogs that work selflessly to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.”

https://www.nationaldogday.com

Most holidays celebrate human beings, but even the best of our kind have frailties, weaknesses, and deficiencies. As the Good Book says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” According to the Gospel of Robert, “for all humans are sinners, but dogs are sinless angels, sent to guide us in the path of righteousness.

I feel queasy celebrating holidays which commemorate genocidal monsters like Columbus, or slaveowners like George Washinton. But I delight in celebrating “National Dog Day”, how can I not feel good about celebrating such loyal, loving and beautiful innocents.

I wish I could hug every pooch in the world, but since I’m not omnipresent, I will settle for loving on my doggie, Princess. In her view, every day is equivalent to National Dog Day, as I love on her all the time.

On National Dog Day, I hope you will shower your furry friend with hugs, treats and attention. If you do not have a puppy, today is the most appropriate day to adopt one from your local animal shelter.

Happy National Dog Day to all who celebrate!

Trump Fears He Won’t Make it to Heaven

“I want to try and get to heaven, if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

Fox News is the Trump regime state media, in the same way that Pravda is the official organ of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Fox News is a mouthpiece, a megaphone for Trump’s Republican Party. Fluffing Trump is a ratings winner for both Fox and Trump.

Trump has a penchant for calling Fox & Friends when something is on his mind and he wants a sympathetic ear. He called his favorite morning cable program to talk about his summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Apparently, he believes supporting a ruthless dictator and opposing a ceasefire could earn him favor in the afterlife.

What we can glean from Trump’s musing on his prospects of going to heaven:

The morbidly obese septuagenarian with the cankles, unsteady gait, triple chin and bruised hands is closer to death that we’ve been led to believe. Even an evil shit may wonder about the afterlife when the Grim Reaper is stalking him.

The second thing we can deduce is that Trump is not an evangelical. His top advisors and cabinet members are evangelicals. The first rule of the evangelical club is that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works. But Trump does not believe in God (he thinks he is God), and he does not listen to a word that his evangelical grifters say.

The most important thing we can learn is that Trump was talking nonsense. You can tell he was not serious because he said, “I’m hearing I’m not doing well.” Trump surrounds himself with sycophants, fluffers and flunkies, no one has the balls to tell him that he is not doing well.

Fuck you Trump. If you dare show up at the pearly gates, St. Peter will curse you out.

The Liberty University Sign is an Abomination

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the James River, Lynchburg is a picturesque city, renowned for its Civil War history, beautiful scenery and small-town charm and hospitality.

When Lynchburgers think of our wonderful burg these activities come to mind: eating a greasy Texas Inn Cheesy Western, climbing the Monument Terrace stairs, watching the Hillcats play in the Bank of the James stadium, shopping in the revitalized downtown, and taking a second mortgage to watch a movie at the River Ridge cinema.

When outsiders think of Lynchburg, the only thing that comes to mind is Liberty University, the Mecca of dispensationalist evangelicalism.

The LU sign, sitting atop Candler’s Mountain can be seen from many vantage points. It’s an aesthetic nightmare, a scar on Candler’s Mountain, and it gives the false impression that LU is central to the town’s identity and daily life.

Austin Candler created a petition on Change.org, titled “Restore Candler’s Mountain to Preserve Family Heritage.” The mountain was named after his ancestor, Daniel Candler.

Candler’s petition seeks to have the “LU” logo changed to a cross, it’s his belief that the gigantic sign mars the Christian heritage embodied by his famous ancestor.

I agree that the LU monogram is an abomination but changing it to a cross wouldn’t be an improvement. How about replacing it with a “Lynchburg” sign, reminiscent of the famous Hollywood sign, that would represent Lynchburg residents, regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

Masked ICE Agents Kidnap High School Student Walking His Dog

Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz, an 18-year-old high school senior, was walking his family’s dog in Van Nuys when he was kidnapped and taken into custody by ICE. The masked Gestapo agents tied his dog to a tree and then unclipped his collar, allowing the family pet to run loose. Benjamin is being held in a cramped holding cell with about 50 others, without access to basic hygiene or adequate food.

You would expect the dateline of this news story to be Tehran, Moscow or another city in a totalitarian regime, and not a city in a country that is supposed to be a democracy. But in Trump’s fascist regime these horrific scenes have become an everyday occurrence.

Trump promised to deport cartel members, sex traffickers, and hardened criminals, but ICE quickly ran out of criminals to deport, and to meet their bloated quotas they are kidnapping and deporting landscapers, construction workers, nannies, and even school children who haven’t committed any crimes.

What was Benjamin’s terrible crime that brought him to the attention of ICE? Allegedly he overstayed his visa.

When I walk my dog, I feel comfortable and at ease and I smile at my neighbors as they greet my pooch. My daily walks provide an opportunity to bond with Princess, interact with neighbors, and engage in physical activity. As a senior citizen, I would be mortified if ICE agents arrested me and released my pet that I regard as a member of my family.

I cannot begin to imagine the trauma that Benjamin is experiencing, his life has been turned upside down, not by common criminals, but by government agents acting like thugs.

Here is the link to a GoFundMe page set up to help Benjamin and his family. Please donate to this worthy cause, thereby demonstrating that there are more of us who cherish our democracy than there are fascist monsters:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-support-a-family-in-crisis-after-ice-detention

Trump’s Military Takeover of DC is a Sheer Demonstration of Power

President Donald Trump held a news conference on August 11, to announce his latest dictatorial move: federal takeover of the DC police and deploying the National Guard to fight a crime wave in the nation’s capital that is not real.

There is no crime wave in DC just like there is no alien invasion, Trump uses these fake emergencies to display his power and to energize his base.

Trump rambled incoherently, as is his wont, leaving no doubt that his brain has turned to mush. Trying to decipher his word salad rant will render you with a migraine at best and scramble your brains at worst. The stable genius bragged that he was meeting Putin in Russia, he will actually meet his fellow dictator in Alaska.

Trump was flanked by former Fox News personalities Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, and United States Attorney General Pam Bondi.

I do not envy these court jesters having to maintain a straight face and pretend that the clown-in-chief is making sense, and at the same time trying not to choke from the stench of his ripe Depends.

I refuse to pretend that there is anything normal about Trump’s fascist regime, and I will use my platform, however small and insignificant it may be, to expose the racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, and corruption of Trump and his cronies.

Kenneth Copeland: It’s God’s Will for Every Christian to Have a Debt Free House

According to the Houston Chronicle prosperity gospel televangelist Kenneth Copeland is the wealthiest pastor in America, with a net worth of $750 million in 2021. The religious charlatan owns several mansions, two Lear jets and a fleet of luxury cars.

Copeland built his empire on the backs of trailer park grandmas who send him their tithes and social security checks in the hopes they will prosper by making him prosper. The only ones who prosper from the prosperity gospel are the con artist ministers, and their families.

Copeland Ministries has a YouTube video (21 House Scriptures) that teaches that it is God’s will for every believer to own a “debt free home.” According to this video, Christians can have a new debt free dwelling by supporting the ministry and manifesting their new home.

It’s the American dream to own your own home, but if you are not a millionaire televangelist you will not suddenly own a debt free home. If you work hard, save your money, make a decent down payment, you will own a debt-free house after you pay off the 30-year mortgage.

You’re not going to believe your way into a new home. You are not going to manifest a new house. And you are sure as hell will never afford a new house if you give your hard-earned money to a religious fraudster like Kenneth Copeland.

Your debt free home promised by Copeland is as real as the heavenly mansion of the old hymn, “I’ve, got a mansion.”

To Hell with Evangelicals

A 2023 Pew Research survey found 32% of nonevangelicals had negative views of evangelicals, compared with 18% of nonevangelicals who viewed evangelicals favorably.

I come from an evangelical background, and I share the disdain many nonevangelicals feel for evangelicals. Even some evangelicals have a negative view of evangelicals, which is why there are so many exvangelicals who become disillusioned with its fascist politics and fundamentalist social stances and have left that narrow-minded religious tradition.

Evangelicalism, as practiced by white Americans, is a narrow road that leads to divisiveness, discord, and damnation.

I urge evangelicals to come to their senses, leave their cult, and become exvangelicals. That doesn’t mean you have to embrace atheism; there are many mainline Protestant, Reformed s and Black Bible churches that practice real Christianity.

It is okay to hate evangelicals, just as it is okay to hate Nazis, Al Qaida, conspiracy theorists and fascists. Evangelicals incorporate many elements of Nazism, fascism, and Islamic fundamentalism. In fact, it is our patriotic duty to hate on evangelicals. I believe I have the Lord’s blessing when I say, Fuck evangelicals. Can I get an Amen?

Trump Walks on the White House Roof

When I saw the video of Trump strolling on the White House roof, I had a vision of the buffoon teetering off the edge and suffering a great fall. I imagine his evangelical supporters gathering around the orange carcass and praying that his rotund corpse would defy gravity and ascend to heaven.

Alas there are no fairy tale endings in real life, and the decrepit idiot will survive falls, diseases and STD’s and not die before his term is over.

Trump is not the first president to take a trip to the White House roof. Jimmy Carter took visitors to the roof to stargaze. Willie Nelson confessed in his autobiography that he smoked weed with Carter on the roof of the White House.

When Trump sauntered on the roof, the attention seeking moron answered questions from reporters assembled below. When Carter trekked on the roof, the only onlookers were Secret Service agents.

Carter wrote a poem about one such experience, in which he observed geese flying through the dimming sky over Washington. It begins:

I recall one winter night,

going to the White House roof

to study the Orion nebulae,

but we could barely see the stars,

their images so paled by city lights.

Can you imagine Trump writing a poem about his experience:

I remember a more beautiful day that anyone has ever seen,

going to the White House roof,

surveying my kingdom,

and looking down at the blouse of a reporter with the biggest boobs in the world.

Ben-Gvir Leads Prayers on Temple Mount

“In an unprecedented move, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led a group of Jewish worshippers in prayer atop the Temple Mount on Sunday as he marked the Tisha B’Av fast day — the first time that a government minister has overtly worshipped at the flashpoint site in violation of the status quo.”

Times of Israel

There is no more divisive Israeli public figure than Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, he routinely uses inflammatory and racist rhetoric against Arabs in general and Palestinians in particular.  

Ben-Gvir is an Orthodox Jew whose vehement racism and genocidal policies toward Palestinians are camouflaged by religious zealotry.

Israel and Jordan have an agreement allowing Jewish visitors on the Temple Mount but prohibiting them from praying there.  

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem known as the “Noble Sanctuary” by Arabs in the biggest flashpoint in the Middle East, prior provocations by Orthodox Jews in this sacred site have ignited intifadas.

Ostensibly, prayer is a means of communicating with the Almighty, but evangelicals in America and Orthodox Jews in Israel have weaponized prayer. Evangelicals in America publicly pray that God will punish gays and lesbians, and Orthodox Jews in Israel pray that Jehovah will rid Arabs from the Holy Land.

Ben-Gvir did not pray atop the Temple Mount for the peace of Jerusalem, on the contrary he was hoping that his defiant action would incite violence and give Israel an excuse to crush the Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Ben-Givr is not an aberration, most of Netanyahu’s governing coalition are far-right radicals just like him. It is time for America to stop supporting this racist apartheid regime.