The Christian Capitalist

Remember how Christ always preached that charity began with Capitalism, how he lovingly reminded lepers to stop begging for entitlements and pick themselves up by their bootstraps, and commanded the dead to raise their own damn selves up without the aid of Big Government?

Well my friend, THIS traces the history of those classic Christian economic, self help favorites- and if you act now, we'll also throw in Christ's Twelve Easy Steps To Wealth and Prosperity at no extra charge (and that's one parable you won't find in your Bible)!

Making Us Accomplices To Al Qaeda

(via Bag News Notes)

This article in The Nation is one of the most enlightening thing I've read since that despicable act of murder and insanity at Charlie Hebdo. While everyone is concentrating on the obvious, the terrorists didn't even have to plan the second outcome- humanity itself will see to it that we ourselves will comply with the killers' wishes...

A Season Of Faith And Faithlessness...

Great little video, though I think it would have been better still minus the "faith plug" stuck in at end. While I most definitely believe in a higher power, the history of religion(s) preventing war and conflict throughout the world, and history is... well, let's just say they're a tad better at starting them; in fact, the case can actually be made that organized religions are also quite adept at making conflicts harder to solve.

I choose to place my trust in people whose faith comes in dealing directly with humanity: honestly, peacefully, without bias for god or country. Put your faith in that cause and one will follow in the best tenets of any major religion by default...

Happy Homeless Savior Day!

Photo: © S. Banos

Happy Holidays- as many of us ready to celebrate, headed to the church of our choice, merrily navigating our way round those damned homeless we may encounter along the way, cussing the very sight of them, rejoicing when at distance. Needless nuisances marring our way to worship the birth of Our Lord and Savior, the homeless baby boy from the homeless family no one wanted any part of...

(Thanks, Bruce!)

Know Thyself

9/21/14 NYC- Photo: © S. Banos

"A photograph should be more interesting than the subject and transcend its obviousness." 

--Jeffrey Ladd

The most succinct and eloquent definition of "fine art" photography I've yet found. Someone like John Gossage has done exactly that his whole career. Apply it to your work, see where you stand. Many of my photos serve merely to celebrate and complement the subject. Alas...

Actually, not bad for an epitaph- "At the very least, he realized his limitations."

Calvary

Mighty Benbulben lurks in many a shot throughout the background of this film- imposing, menacing, and as is so much of the Irish countryside- hauntingly beautiful, a metaphor for the tragedy and survival that is Irish history. The Catholic priest scandal is but a side note in Calvary, the courier for the larger message- humanity is hell bent on doing itself in, in every way imaginable. We refuse to learn, and yet refuse to give up. The characters in Calvary are very much caricatures of human vice and frailty, each excelling in their own chosen path to misery and hell. And they all find themselves within convenient drinking distance, a small rural community of emotional vampires in the most scenic of countrysides. 

Brendan Gleeson's Father James must somehow deal with the whole lot, all the while knowing that one is going to kill him. More philosopher than priest, he has plenty going for him, including his own veiled darkness. The story has plot flaws aplenty, yes; and the metaphors in people's clothing come on a tad too strong and obvious- but they grab hold of you nonetheless, just as life's many ugly little side plots drag us in despite our protest. And as is often the case, there's just no way of telling who'll win.

"Everybody Knows God Controls The Weather & God Is Super Angry"

Portrait of An American Politician

Bit late with this, but then, this has been an ongoing joke since Republicans purposely chose to dumb down our electorate late last century. Must give credit where credit's due- great job guys! We are the laughing stock of the world- and these are the same ignorant, arrogant bastards who will crack racist jokes about natives in "deepest, darkest Africa" and their... uncivilized superstitions.

I'm also gonna go out on a limb (and not a very long one at that) and bet the person above would have no problem cracking lesbian and trans-gender jokes. Go figure...

"Please have no leniency with me."

Said the 80 yr old nun to the judge... Hero(es), plain and simple.
(and truly Christlike).

The unmitigated hypocrisy! Not only should Homeland Security thank them for exposing such obvious lack of security, think of all the banksters who robbed us blind and didn't serve one, single day!

Conservative Christianity

Starts @ 2:48.

Barbara and Beyond The Hills

Two excellent films, both about people in urgent need to escape the backward world they're trapped in, both with very different outcomes. Barbara concerns a female doctor during the height of the cold war; although the pacing is very low key, it was fascinating watching the rather stunning Nina Hoss coolly going through her paces: planning, plotting, calculating- only to finally give in to her long buried better half.

Beyond The Hills finds us in the seclusion of an Orthodox Romanian monastery where a nun's troubled friend is about to wreak havoc on the peace and tranquility of their countryside. The film portrays what are basically religious fundamentalists, who unlike their Christian counterparts of the USA, and the Muslims of the Taliban are actually kind, good hearted people. They mean well, but that darn religion of theirs just makes 'em kinda kooky. And the results don't bode well. The film starts out very slowly, gradually building and quickening to a frenetic pace, to the point where I was laughing out loud as small hordes of nuns would scurry hither and yon from one end of the screen to the other like an antiquated Monty Python animation, their frantic, lemming like frenzy leading to the inevitable disaster. 

And although it may be a predictable result, the very end of this film is where it really shines anew as we are suddenly and ungraciously thrown from the mystical, self created world of an isolated monastery back into the everyday inanities of the modern day world.

Republicans Are Out Of Their Minds...

Out of their ever lovin'  minds... (except for the ones who actually orchestrate and propagate that madness) like evil genius extraordinaire Lee Atwater (Karl Rove's mentor- 'nuff said), who first incorporated the hordes of Evangelical Christians into the Republican fold- all the while mocking and ridiculing them behind their backs...

The Conservative Christ

AKA- Supply Side Jesus

Hate Speech Pure And Simple!

Scheduled to go up in NYC subways this Monday!?!?!?!!

And shouldn't the federal judge who ruled on it have recognized it as such, declared it as such, and banned it as such? Isn't this the worst kind of pornography? Haven't we had enough hate speech, disguised or otherwise, in this country against Blacks, Gays, Hispanics, women, Asians, Jews and Indians to last us a goddamn lifetime? Will Pamela Geller be held responsible for anyone who gets hurt or killed because she chooses to purposely incite hatred- has she apologized to or helped the victims of the anti-Muslim propaganda film which she helped fund?

"The point is any war on civilians is savagery..." - Pamela Gellar

The hypocrisy of that statement from that person is beyond any and all measure- although perhaps not beyond the measure of the thousands of Palestinian civilians (many women and children) that have been maimed and killed by very civilized Israeli tanks, planes, missiles, bombs and small arms fire both inside and outside their homes- the survivors herded into walled in camps and ghettos with no means of support... learned behavior from another "civilized" people in history.

I hope there is, in fact, a special corner of hell reserved for those who delight in the suffering of others, those who dedicate their lives to maintaining, fomenting and increasing hatred, strife and blood lust-  as if their cause was in any way noble.

Just Another Mass Shooting, Folks- Not To Worry...

Up until the latter twentieth century, whenever some homegrown, psycho non-Muslim crazy would shoot up a bunch of his fellow Americans, a few of our feckless, chosen leaders would denounce the crazed, wanton act of depravity and proclaim that we really needed to finally get all up and serious about doing something or other about all those things that shoot people and get 'em all killed. Yes, it was really, finally, and without a doubt time to really and finally do something about... 

GUNS! Until it was two weeks later, and everyone was tired, and no one wanted to talk about it (let alone actually do something about it)...

So much for that foolishness. Cause we're the god fearing, flag lovin', gun toting land of the free, and we no longer talk the crazy talk of needing less guns in this here 21st. century! Everyone now knows, if anything, we need more guns. And God loves the guns! Jesus loved his goddamn guns to death- if he a had his freakin' Uzi on that bleak and bleary Friday... no way they'd nail him to no damn cross. No Fuckin' Way! Every goddamn, god fearin' Christian'll tell ya that straight up!

We're Americans goddammit- Christian to the core. We don't get shot up less God wants it so.

Conservative Parents Everywhere!!!

You guys got kids, right? I don't have a worry, don't gotta one- I'll be cashing out in another 25 years, if not sooner... just like the fat bastard so rich he spends every day spewing ever more deluded rantings no real working person with the slightest would ever believe.

But I assume you worry about your kids- right? You know, like their well being, and future and stuff... You like, love them, right? Right? Then time to embrace the Conservative in you and start facing the fact that this planet you're leaving them is... dying!  
 

I realize you think "science" all a myth- unproven, hysterical, left wing propaganda. The Great Liberal Lie! Otherwise, you wouldn't be so preoccupied with your real religion- making money at any cost, even at the very expense of the planet that keeps you alive. Just hope the religion you go through so much trouble trying to convince everyone else you really believe in comes through and Raptures your ass on up high into the heavens you're so busy polluting with your SUVs and your non regulated, profit inducing carbon emissions- cause pretty soon there aint gonna be shit to eat down here!

Not to worry- fat man's got your back! Your kids can bet on it...

Every Bit Funny, Every Bit True...

"Loving Christians" And Their Religion Of Hate And Intolerance

If you find Christians (the people who worship the savior who commanded them to LOVE their enemy) that want to negate, humiliate or destroy everything they don't understand or believe in rather... amusing,  this site will definitely indulge your curiosity. Verily.

He's talking about the 1%, right?

MUST SEE... Holiday Laughs!

 Hurry! Hurry! Hurry...

See The United States of America at its mind numbingly hilarious best as science is reduced before your very eyes to the abject hysterical blather of religious fantasy! See a once great and innovative country reduced to the medieval machinations of magic and mayhem!   Fact or Fiction, Reality or... Fantasy- YOU will never be the same!

The first video matches, if not surpasses, anything SNL has ever done. But it's the second video that really, truly... chills. Favorite quotes from the latter:

"I think everyone should have their opinions taught," which just beat out, "I think little bits and pieces should be taught."

Think You Know Art?

Verily, I think thee not... (via HuffPo)  Wonder how he would critique her? 

Turn The Other Cheek And Make His Day!

Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Action Jesus Deluxe surrounded by his Biblical Tactical Support Team of heavily armed saints and avatars. Forget Muslims, this Holy Jesus Posse can take on Godzilla and the evil Transformers- all at once. That's right, turn the other cheek on his watch and He'll blow your freakin' ass to kingdom come- guaranteed!