Hanging by a thread, from the lunatic fringe.

© Brett Lamb.

We have CNS News editor-in-chief Terry Jeffrey and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, having a chat about this net neutrality business. Like most of the altwhatthefuckever, they are thrilled by the rollback. Their little discussion runs off onto quite the side road…

Yesterday on “Washington Watch,” Jeffrey joined host and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins to discuss why he believed rolling back net neutrality rules was a good decision.  Like many of his right-wing counterparts, Jeffrey argued that net neutrality never really existed because tech giants like Facebook and Twitter have suppressed conservative voices. He went on to draw out an analogy to self-driving cars.

Okay, all of you fucking idiots out there – net neutrality is not about your personal sense of persecution. People will still be able to shun you. They’ll still be able to ban you. That would be because no one likes you. Go eat worms.

“This may seem an odd comparison, but I think it’s a real one, that we’re moving, Tony, toward automated cars, for example. And in the regulatory world, there’s the debate over how they’re going to regulate these automated vehicles. But you can imagine the control over our lives the government would have if they could remotely control our vehicles, which they may in fact someday be able to do and I think we have to think about that,” Jeffrey said.

“It doesn’t get discussed a lot but it’s going to happen,” Jeffrey said. “Down the road at some point automobiles are going to be automated and someone is going to be in control of the infrastructure that directs how those automobiles move.”

Jeffrey then painted a scenario where the government takes control of self-driving cars to prevent anti-choice activists from being able to transport themselves to protests.

“Imagine that the government is doing something outrageous like legalizing the killing of unborn babies and a lot of people want to go down to the Washington Mall one day a year and make it known they’re sticking up to the right for life, but the only way they can get through to that Mall is by getting on a transportation system that’s controlled by the government,” Jeffrey said.

Last time I looked, Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land, which means abortion is legal. Supposedly. As for the rest of your moronic scenario, Mr. Jeffrey, what is it we have now? There’s no governmental oversight of roads; there’s no licensing system for driving; there’s no speed limit; there are no regulations in place concerning automobiles; no one regulates trains, planes, subways, or traffic, and so on, right? Right? Oh, wait. Yes, there’s a fucktonne of regulation in regard to transport, that’s why transportation has its very own department in the government! Golly, guess you learn something new every day, don’t ya, fellas? So far, transportation systems don’t seem to have interfered with you nosy, judgmental assholes in the least.  Pity.

And then we have self-styled “prophet” Sundar Selvaraj, who is still on Jim Bakker’s show, who has come up with quite the tidbit:

Selvaraj recounted how, a few years ago, “the Lord Jesus appeared to me about the False Prophet who is mentioned in Revelation, chapter 13 and then very simply and very clearly he said, ‘The present Pope Francis is the prophesied False Prophet.’ And then he went on explaining to me the many things the false prophet will do, and then later on, I did some research and I found that whatever the Lord Jesus told me what what exactly Pope Francis has already begun to do.”

Selvaraj said that on the day that Pope Francis met with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres in 2014, “a meteor flew very close by earth and NASA nicknamed the meteor ‘The Beast.’ So that confirmed what the Lord revealed, that the False Prophet—the beast that is mentioned in Revelation 13—is the Pope.”

So, NASA has confirmed Selvaraj, who confirms Jehovah, who confirms that Pope Francis will lead the world into worship of the antichrist, if that lazy dude ever shows up. If Lance Wallnau hears about this, it just might wreck his little crush on Steve Bannon.

Via RWW: Oooh Scary Cars of the Future!  The Pope is Evil, a Meteor Said So!

Love of Porn! Sexual Anarchy!

Frothy fanatic Kevin Swanson has the answer as to why the people of Alabama failed Roy Moore so miserably – porn!

Swanson, who interviewed Moore on his program earlier this year, told his audience that Alabama was among the states where people spent the most time on the website Pornhub in 2016, which lead him to conclude that it was no coincidence that Moore lost because “that state probably has significant sexual problems, especially since Doug Jones is so in favor of sexual perversion, transgenderism and homosexuality. Evidently, the state of Alabama must have a problem with sexuality. It’s obvious.”

Somehow or another, this wasn’t any sort of a problem when you thought Moore was going to win. Doug Jones is so in favour of people. People who come in all shapes, sizes, colours, and genders. Mr. Jones has the radical notion that they are all human, and deserving of the same rights automatically consigned to the straight white male person contingent. It is true that the people of Alabama did, in the end, have a problem with sexuality. Specifically, they had a problem with Roy Moore’s sexuality. It’s interesting how that troubled people enough to get out and rock the vote, but it doesn’t seem to trouble you at all, Mr. Swanson.

“Unless there is a spiritual awakening,” Swanson added, “I think these conservative states are going to become liberal in their moral values within another five, 10, or 20 years. If the fathers are doing pornography, the kids are going to turn into homosexuals. The fathers will hide their sin and the children will come out of the closet with it.

People will come out of the closet whether or not their parents might indulge in porn. That would be because sexual orientation is not caused by, or swayed by porn. Of course, you’re the idiot who thinks Disney movies will turn a whole generation of sprogs gay. (Frozen). Swanson also thinks that the death penalty is appropriate for queer folk.

By the way, the top porn search word in Alabama and Mississippi is ‘lesbian.’ So another indication that the father’s generation is dabbling in porn, the children’s generation will go head over heels for some of the most egregious sexual crimes that men ever engage in.”

Lesbian porn has always been popular. It’s interesting that you focus solely on men, Mr. Swanson. Women and non-binary people watch porn too. As for the most egregious sexual crimes men engage in, that would not be watching porn. It would be things like rape and sexual assault. Like the sexual assault of a 14 year old young woman by a man in his 30s. His name is Roy Moore. Just getting your froth back on track here.

Via RWW.

Speaking of frenzied fanaticism, the Family Research Council has a special prayer going out:

“Lord, you ordained use of ‘the sword’ for national security and police protection a core role of civil government. You created the two distinct, biological sexes as fundamental to life and decreed that sexual anarchy is a serious sin with profound consequences to individuals and society. Lord, intervene! Prevent our military from further weakening and our society from further sexual anarchy via the godless indoctrination of our troops. Guide and govern our leaders in all three branches of government. You are our Judge. You are our Lawgiver; and You are our King; it is You who will save us!”

Sexual Anarchy! That sounds kinda fun.

Uneffingbelievable.

Sheldon Whitehouse: MUST WATCH: Republican @SenJohnKennedy asks one of @realDonaldTrump’s US District Judge nominees basic questions of law & he can’t answer a single one. Hoo-boy.

“Hoo-boy” does not begin to cover this. At all. I wanted to reach right through the screen, and space-time, to insist on answering the questions with a yes or no. Absolutely no other words allowed. I’m a 60 year old artist in rural nDakota, and I know what a motion in limine is, because Law & Order. So, do I get to be a judge?

Then there’s just the waste. The waste of time. The waste of money. The waste of brain cells in indulging this farce.

Via Twitter.

Cedar.

A woman holding a dove stands in a vesica with six doves in its border. She wears a red tunic, a blue mantel and has a brown hood. The whole scene is surrounded by an exquisite frame. There is extensive commentary on this image.

Text Translation:

Of the cedar and the sparrows that nest in its branches When the words ‘cedar’ and ‘Lebanon’ are placed together, it is in a good sense. As Solomon says in the Song of Songs: ‘his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars’ (5:15). Lebanon is a mountain of Phoenicia at the northern limit of Judaea. Its trees surpass the timber of other trees in height, appearance and strength. By Mount Lebanon we can doubtless understand excellence in virtues. It stands at the northern limit of Judaea, to prevent the Devil from entering by means of temptation the minds of those who are sincerely praising the Lord. Its trees surpass others in height, appearance and strength, as every faithful soul surpasses others in the exalted nature of its desire, the splendour of its chastity and the strength of its constancy. By the cedar we understand Christ. He is the tall cedar of Lebanon, similar in form to the hyssop which, although it grew tall, was made humble.

Sparrows are preachers. Their fledglings are those born of the word as it is preached. Their nest is a place where there is peace of mind. Build your nest in the cedar, therefore, if you are one of those who, by living at peace, have not given up hope of eternal bliss. There are those cedars of Lebanon which the Lord planted. They represent the rich of the world. Sparrows represent the heads of monasteries; fledglings are their disciples. The nest represents convent buildings. Sparrows nest in these cedars, because spiritual rulers place their convents on the estates of the rich. There the sparrows call ceaselessly, seeking food from God. Let all those who wish to be filled with the word of God as with food, seek their nourishment from him. Day and night the sparrows call out, like those who pray with all their heart to God on behalf of their benefactors. Their minds at peace in the midst of the world, they care for their wings, the wings of contemplation, on which they seek to fly to the cedar as swiftly as they can. They fly around the trees of Lebanon, because they wish to know of the life and behaviour of spiritually eminent men. From this timber of Lebanon we read that Solomon made himself a chariot (see Song of Songs, 3:9), as the Church was made from illustrious and untiring men. Again of the cedar There are those cedars which the Lord did not plant. He did not plant them of his own will, he did not extend their number out of desire. ‘Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up’ (Matthew, 15:13)

These cedars of Lebanon are the rich and proud. Gyrfalcons and hawks nest in them that is, birds of prey. They make nests there as robbers build strongholds on the estates of the rich. Their fledglings are their accomplices or henchmen. These birds hide in the the cedars in order to catch their prey, as robbers are empowered to commit crimes by evil rulers. But ‘the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon’ (Psalms, 29:5), that is, he will destroy the rich of the world, some by repentance, some by vengeance. The Lord will break some by repentance as he will humble the calf of Lebanon. He will humble them like the calf of Lebanon (see BSV, Psalmi, 28:6; NEB, Psalms, 29:6), in imitation of the life of Christ, making of each rich man a calf fit for sacrifice, who will mortify his flesh and carry his cross with Christ. He will break others by vengeance because they will be kept for eternal fire. Many profit from the felling of the aforesaid cedar, as when Christ with his death redeemed the world. ‘Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit’ (John, 12:24). Therefore the felling of the cedar represents the death of Christ. Truly, many benefitted from the death of Christ; by descending into hell, rising from the dead and ascending into heaven, he gave to the dying the hope of resurrection. For what good is there in living afflicted by distress and in dying at the end, if hope of resurrection does not follow? And what good is resurrection unless it is agreed that immortal man lives on without endless punishment? Likewise, when the cedar which the Lord planted is felled, it is of great profit, because it is transferred to the dwelling-place of eternal bliss. But if the cedar which the Lord did not plant is felled, it, too, will be of no little use, because the tree which bore no fruit in Lebanon, that is, in this secular world, may, when it is felled, support the weight of the building in a temple of the spirit. What I have said applies only if you cut down the pride of the cedar with repentance. If, however, you cut it down with vengeance, you consign it to the fires of Gehenna to be reduced forever to ashes.

Folio 33v – the palm tree, continued.De cedro; Of cedars.

Frigg’s Day Mood.

Architects – Doomed.

Remember when hell had frozen over?
The cold still burns underneath my skin
The water is rising all around me
And there is nothing left I can give
All these tears I’ve shed
I saw the wildfire spread
You said you cheated death
But heaven was in my head
They say the good die young
No use in saying what is done is done
‘Cos its not enough
And when the night gives way
It’s like a brand new doomsday
What will be will be
Every river flows into the sea
But it’s never enough
And when the night gives way
Its like like a brand new doomsday
No matter what they say
It’s like a brand new doomsday
The embers still glow when I’m sober
The gold in the flame burns brighter now
I have to rebuild now it’s over
Maybe now I’m lost I can live
Souls don’t break they bend
But I sometimes forget
I have to do this for you
And the only way out is through
Death is an open door
Words the prophets said
Still swimming through my head
Now theres no stars left in the sky
‘Cos this well will never run dry
What if I completely forget?
What if I never accept?
‘Cos when you fade away
Its like a brand new doomsday
They say the good die young
No use in saying what is done is done
‘Cos its not enough
And when the night gives way
It’s like a brand new doomsday
What will be will be
Every river flows into the sea
But it’s never enough
And when the night gives way
It’s like like a brand new doomsday
No matter what they say
Its like a brand new doomsday

“Dear white people, have babies.”

Tim Gionet, aka Baked Alaska. Screengrab.

Poor Tim, he’s just stunned by Moore’s loss. And of course, all those people of colour who rocked the vote. The solution? Have babies! (White ones only, please.)

“I don’t mean to be a dick here, but what is going on with the non-white voters? I mean, what is—if you care about MAGA, if you care about Trump, if you care about ‘Make America Great Again,’ if you care about the good MAGA candidates, it’s mostly white people who are voting for these people and the non-whites are, and I’m not saying all, but I’m saying a large, almost 90-percent, are not voting for the MAGA candidates,” Gionet said. “What is going on?”

Sigh. People with actual principles went out and voted. People who thought that being a raving fanatic and drooler over young women was not fit for office. This must be breaking news to you, Tim, but all manner of white people do not care about ‘maga’ or about the Tiny Tyrant, unless you count wanting an impeachment as caring. Trump acts as if there was no choice but for him to endorse Moore, but that’s not true. Any person with an ounce of integrity would have clearly stated they could not, and would not endorse such a person, in spite of party lines.

Gionet agreed with what a viewer named “Joey” posted on the chat server, that the election results in Alabama were “like a black-lash.”

How adorable. :near-fatal eyeroll:

“Dear white people, have babies. This is not working out very well, OK? Just look at it racially—and I agree, judge people by the content of their character—but look at it racially. Look what’s going on,” Gionet said.

Why on earth do idiotic white supremacist scum always resort to this? What do you think that will do? It seems you morons don’t realize that the decision to have children is a serious one, which requires substantial resources, and is a lifelong commitment. All that said, children are people, they aren’t little robot slaves, and they come with minds of their own. Oh my! You’re also advocating moar babies in a perilous time, with job uncertainty, a lack of healthcare, and no safety nets. Don’t be surprised if people don’t run out and start the baby making. Speaking of, Tim, why don’t you have a passel of white babies?

“I like to think that it’s not sad a lot and that, ‘oh, we can all get along,’ but when I see results like this it definitely makes me sad. It makes me think that—I’m going to pull up this map again,” Gionet said, while putting a demographic breakdown of the 2016 election on his screen. “It not only happened here, but it happened in Trump’s election. I mean, you people who are not white honestly should be thanking white men. You should be thanking white people for having Trump into office, because this would not happen without white people.”

That is not endearing me to white people, and thanks is not what I have in mind.

“If it was just men who voted, it would be overwhelmingly Trump, overwhelmingly conservative. So maybe women shouldn’t vote. I think we maybe need to take away, just take away the vote from women, because here’s what the map looks like for only men and here’s what it looks like for only women and it looks a lot better when it’s only men,” Gionet said. “Either white people are going to have to play more identity politics and group together, not because we don’t like other people but because we need to form some sort of coalition to win. Because we’re the only ones—look at this—we’re the ones that are picking the right people.”

My, my. From where I sit, you’re picking all the wrong people – fanatics who want to illegalize people, who want to usher in end times, are pro nuclear war, deny climate change, and think sexual assault and rape is okey dokey, along with much more. All those people are concerned with personal power and how well their pockets are stuffed, nothing more.  Also Tim, y’know not all white men are conservachristian idiots. You really don’t have much reason to be secure in that assumption.

There’s much more at RWW, including a video of two clips, because as noted: the original broadcast, which lasted more than three hours.

Victor Ehikhamenor / Kehinde Wiley / Omer Ba.

Victor Ehikhamenor, I am Queen Idia, the Angel of Kings, 2017. Copyright the artist, courtesy of Tyburn Gallery.

Kehinde Wiley, Fishermen Upon a Lee-shore, in Squally Weather (Zakary Antoine), 2017.

Omer Ba, Amazone-Behanzin, 2017. Courtesy of Hales Gallery.

From a European perspective, the affirmation of cultural identities on display in these shows is important in London as it is anywhere in the world. There’s a dangerous lack of strong political opposition to the rhetoric of the far right just now, and the contribution of artists is vital to broadening and enriching the context in which significant debate and action can occur. Ba, Ehikhamonor, and Wiley aren’t interested in sloganeering, or in producing pre-digested protest art; instead they’re asserting their presence and cultural sovereignty, and reminding us that the climate of xenophobia in Europe is nothing new.

Kehinde Wiley: In Search of the Miraculous  is on view at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, through January 27, 2018.  Omer Ba: Supernova is on view at Hales Gallery, London, though December 9, 2017.  Victor Ehikhamenor: In the Kingdom of this World is on view at Tyburn Gallery, London, though January 20, 2018.

You can read much more about these artists at Garage.

Trump: A Sackcloth and Ashes Doorway.

Cilices were originally made from sackcloth or coarse animal hair so they would irritate the skin. Other features were added to make cilices more uncomfortable, such as thin wires or twigs. In modern religious circles, cilices are simply any device worn for the same purposes. Source.

Given the compleat mess of conservachristians in recent political theatre, all the “prophets” are falling back on their old standby, Trump the Saviour. Today we have Sundar Selvaraj, Jim Bakker, and Mark Taylor.

Slevaraj said that Trump “will sit in sackcloth and ashes” and lead America in repentance “because he is God’s man to stand in the gap for this nation.”

Okay, can anyone picture the Tiny Tyrant in a hair-shirt tunic thoroughly dusted with ash? Perhaps if it was a designer hair-shirt (the softest of hair) with the ashes of his enemies! (The Tiny Tyrant sitting in the ashen fallout of nukes doesn’t count.)

“God has chosen him to stand as like the king of the nation,” he said.

Oooh, King. Has anyone told the Tiny Tyrant yet? He can start planning his crowning ceremony, and lie about the crowds all over again! He can start a war with Britain in an attempt to claim the crown jewels or something.

“And because of his God-fearingness, he becomes now a doorway for God and the angels to come through into this nation for one purpose: to cleanse this nation of all the filth, of all that mess, so that God can pour out His spirit, His Last Days powers of the age to come, upon this nation so that this nation will once again become a God nation.”

So…basically, the Tiny Tyrant will be a sewer for all the godwater? How apt. One thing, are you going with the last days shtick or no? Hard to tell.

Later in the broadcast, Bakker ranted that “we have a hunting program going on to destroy the president of the United States and no one is stopping it! The very person God has given to our nation to save our country is being hunted to be destroyed.”

Given all the gunnuts in this country, I’m sure any hunting program would be advertised half to death. The NRA would be all over it. You mean the investigations, Jim? That’s not a hunting program, it’s an investigation, because your saviour is fucking criminal.

Moving on to Mark “I am too a prophet!” Taylor:

For his part, Taylor proclaimed that God will “clean out the news media” and raise up millionaires and billionaires who will create new media outlets that will “be captivated” by Trump and finally restore truth to this nation, which will result in Trump’s overwhelming re-election.

Lighten up on ass kissing, Mr. Taylor. Millionaires and billionaires don’t need to be ‘raised up’. I’d say media is already over-captivated with the Tiny Tyrant. Many of us are sick to death of seeing that face plastered everywhere, every day. Oh, the truth. I think we can all live without your very Nineteen Eighty-Four version of the truth.

“The army of God will have victory after victory after victory,” Taylor said, which means that Trump’s second term is guaranteed. “When people see the good that the country is coming in to right now—the prosperity, the jobs, the economy, whatever the case may be—there is going to be no doubt he is going to sail right in for a second term.”

The army of god? Okay, are they going to be outfitted in hair-shirts and ashes? Was Moore’s recent loss an example of the victory after victory after victory business? I can live with that kind of victory. Whatever the case may be is about right. Everything and everyone is getting fucked right into the ground, Mr. Taylor, and it’s starting to dawn on even the most idiotic who has brought all this about. I don’t think Holy Hair-Shirt Donny is going to get yet another chance to continue destroying all good things.

Via RWW, there’s video for both: Sundar Selvaraj, Mark Taylor.