“Believe In A Kind, Loving God - Or We’ll Kill You”

That’s the message in a new Christian-themed video game. “Believe in a kind, loving God, or we’ll kill you.”

In the game Left Behind: Eternal Forces, your mission is to battle the anti-christ, and in order to do this you must build an army by converting others to Christianity, and killing the ones who either refuse to convert or get in your way. And because they’re trying to give you the message that killing human beings is wrong, you have to have your character pray or else you’re going to lose some game-points.

I have so many problems with this - I don’t know where to start.

For example - what message is this game sending to those who play it? (Like, it’s ok to kill humans in the name of Christ - all ya gotta do, man, is just say a little prayer and your murders are forgiven.) As a non-Christian, it scares me when I hear a message that promotes a “do anything it takes” to convert people to Christianity, especially if that includes murder.

Jeffrey S. Frichner, the president of Left Behind Games, claimed, “The game itself is just a great game. People of other faiths could play it and not know it’s Christian.” I just don’t see how this is possible when your main antagonist is the anti-christ and your mission is to convert people to Christianity. The game is chalk full of biblical references and vignettes, and can lead you to Christian message-boards. He, himself, even admits this is a lie by saying the game was designed to evangelize, “in a way which is very respectful, not Bible-thumping.” (Really? Respectful?)

There are many of us with problems with this game. In fact, some Christian groups have been trying to petition Wal-Mart, trying to get them to pull the game off their shelves, saying that the message of the game (either convert or kill non-Christians) gives totally the wrong message, especially on Christmas.

Especially on Christmas? (As opposed to any other day of the year?)

But … here’s my question. What if this game was designed by Muslims? Or, what if this game was designed by Atheists? Convert people to Muslim, and kill the ones you can’t convert. What would Christians think of the game then? (What would the Department of Homeland Security think of the game then?)

I don’t know - either way - doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Chicago Takes (It All) Off … For Charity

I rarely get excited over charities … but this time I am going to make an exception.

The fine folks at TPAN (Test Positive Aware Network) are getting ready for a special event called Chicago Takes Off - a strip show … for charity!

Under the artistic direction of Dance for Life founders Keith Elliott and Todd Kiech, Chicago Takes Off promises to over-expose the best assets of Chicago’s dance community, elevating the “Strip-tease” to an art form. Chicago’s dance and performing arts community will donate their time and “many” talents to create this sexy celebration of life.

It looks like it’s going to be an awesome show. (Check out the pictures from the kickoff party!)

Chicago Takes Off will be held on Saturday, February 10 at the Park West. Tickets range in price from $50 to $250 and are available online.

All money raised will go to benefit Test Positive Aware Network, and be used for HIV and AIDS education. TPAN is a unique, peer based service organization that provides support services to clients with HIV or AIDS as well as providing HIV/AIDS educational services as well. TPAN also publishes Positively Aware magazine.

This year (2006) the agency received a major setback, losing over a hundred thousand dollars in government funding. So, this new fundraiser will hopefully go to help eliminate some of the strain the agency has faced this year.

I am often amazed when I hear about HIV Services or Programs from other cities. New York is one of those cities that has, quite often, really amazed me. I usually end up thinking, “Why can’t we do something like that in Chicago?”

One such example is Broadway Bares - a yearly fundraiser in New York. I’ve always wanted to go … but, New York is so far away. Why couldn’t they do something like that here? Well … now, I guess they are.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Hate Crimes…

Today, I received the following comment from my blog post: 2005 Hate Crime Statistics -

I still dont get the hate crime thing. If you take away the violence/crime part you end up with thought crime. do we really want to go there? a crime is a crime.did someone intend to kill you.. that is a crime..
WHY they wanted to? who cares.. if they DO kill you.. you are dead… and all murdered people should be avenged EQUALLY. gays do not get MORE rights. I rarely hear about gay on gay crime but from what i have read its even MORE heinous crime than straight on gay. why is that?have a nice day go straights! Comment by kent j — December 11, 2006 @ 9:49 am

Hate crimes are about more than just someone beating someone else up, or someone killing another person. Hate Crimes, by their very nature, effect more than just the victims - they effect entire groups of people. The physical and emotional damage caused by hate crimes impacts entire communities, races, genders, or ethnic groups (or whatever group to which the victim(s) belong. Hate crimes are about more than just interpersonal violence - they are about intimidation - they’re about power - and they’re about disrupting communities and violating civility.

As to the notion of “thought crimes” … yes, I do want to go there. If you take the violence and crime away from a thought - you’re left with just a thought. (Not a thought crime.) Nobody is talking about getting arrested because they thought something. That’s just downright silly.

The reasoning (or, the motives) behind crimes has always been an important factor to consider:

Suppose Person A has just killed Person B - Person A is guilty of first degree murder, right? Well … no. In order to figure out the answer to that question, other factors need to be taken into consideration. What if Person B was trying to kill Person A and was killed in self-defense? That’s not even a crime. What if Person A killed Person B accidentally? That might be a manslaughter charge, or in some cases, a crime-less accidental death.

The degree of violence has so little to do with it - it is barely worth mentioning. Does a person who stabs someone five times get a lesser sentence than someone who stabs someone ten times, under the same circumstances? Nope. It doesn’t work that way.

What none of this, so far, has taken into consideration is the impact hate crimes have on society in general or the group to which the victim(s) belonged. If someone’s actions terrorizes a group of people, why should that not be taken into consideration? More social resources (provided by politicians, law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, etc) are needed to deal with the aftermath and implications of hate crimes - why should these issues not be taken into consideration either?

Another silly notion if you really think about it is the comment about how gays shouldn’t have any more rights than anyone else. First off, homosexuals aren’t the only victims of hate crimes. Hate Crimes also effect people of various nationalities, genders, races, and religions. I have a feeling people would look at you funny if you said, “No special rights for blacks!” hunh? Or, “Jewish people don’t deserve more legal protection than gentiles.” So, why does it make it ok to say that about homosexuals?

Secondly - nobody is saying that anyone has any more rights than anyone else. It’s about saying what’s right or wrong in the eyes of the law - and victimizing someone solely because of certain factors (such as sexual orientation) is wrong. Trust me, it’s just as much of a hate crime if a heterosexual was assaulted because he was straight than a homosexual who was beaten up because he was gay. They’re both the same.  Nobody has any more or less rights than anyone else.

Anyway, kent - I hope you have a great day too. Not sure what to make of that “go straights!” comment, but … that’s ok. I don’t have to know where you want to go, but if you need help setting up a car-pool, just let me know - ok?

How Big Is Your … Um … Condom?

I tend not to believe stereotypes, especially when it comes to penis size - although that’s not the kind of thing I normally spend that much mental energy on. As a man with big hands and big feet - I am constantly asked if it’s true what they say about guys with big feet … and it’s not. We don’t all become clowns.

I don’t know if any of these stereotypes have ever been put to scientific tests… but then I found this news story from the BBC news service that … well, it puts an interesting spin on the old stereotype notions.

Seems guys in India are complaining that their condoms are too big.

A survey of over a thousand Indian men concluded that condoms made to international standards are just too big for them. Over half of the men measured as part of this scientific study, by the Indian Counsel of Medical Research, found their penis was considerably smaller than the international standard for condom size. In fact, 60% of the men measured were three to five centimeters short.

They also found that one in every five times a condom is used, it would either fall off or break.

Now, beyond the obvious psychological issues associated with penis size, there’s an even bigger reason this study was important.

India, currently, has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Condoms are an important part of the fight against the spread of HIV. If a condom falls off, it can’t prevent the spread of HIV.

So, they’re calling for a bit of change in India, in making condoms of various sizes available in more places and more ways.

But the bottom line is that a huge cock isn’t all that important. It’s not the size of the tool that’s important, but how the tool is used. It’s not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean. It’s … OK, you get the idea.

Do Pretty Girls … An Update

The same day I posted my last post - Mythbusters: Do Pretty Girls Fart? - a kind of funny thing happened that … well … let’s just say we can use it for additional evidence.

I found this story on the BBC News website: Flatulence Leads US Jet To Divert.

Here’s the story (I can’t make this up): A female passenger on an American Airlines flight had a medical condition that made her rather flatulent. Now, that can be rather embarrassing in a small metal box like an airplane - so she decided to carry on some safety matches (which are not against TSA rules, unlike … well … nail clippers). Whenever she would fart, she would strike a match, which she thought would mask the smell of her intestinal gas.

It’s not been reported whether or not anyone complained about the smell of her cutting the cheese, but they did complain about the smell of sulfer - causing the airplane to make an emergency landing in Nashville. All passengers were forced to evacuate the airplane as it was searched. The culprit was caught, but released by the FBI once it was determined she had “no malicious intent” but was simply trying to cover her body odor.

The farting passenger was allowed to take another flight.

What is not clear is whether or not she was still allowed to carry matches or if someone slipped some Gas-Ex into her coffee before the flight.

Mythbusters: Do Pretty Girls Fart?

Found this on the Internet … it probably needs no introduction, but…

Just in case you didn’t know - Mythbusters is a show on The Discovery Channel that puts popular myths and urban legends to scientific tests. It’s always fun and interesting to watch … but for some reason, I don’t remember seeing this one on The Discovery Channel…

So, let’s find out what happens when the Mythbusters crew tackles the urban myth - do pretty girls … you know … pass gas … cut the cheese … have attacks of flatulence … hang out near barking spiders … you know …

Do pretty girls fart?

Only In America

At first I thought they were kind of funny. Then I thought some film student just had too much time on their hands. But, then I thought … Maybe, just maybe … It’s a good example of social commentary. No. I am not talking about paparazzi videos of Britney Spears Crotch.

I’m talking about a few movie trailers on YouTube.

The “Scary Mary” trailer of Mary Poppins is one example. Take a few clips from the film, throw in some scary music - and the trailer makes the movie look more like The Exorcist or The Omen than The Sound of Music.

And then there’s the Harry Potter and the Closet of Secrets trailer … that makes Harry Potter look like good movie competition for Brokeback Mountain.

Or, how about the new Shining trailer … the one that makes Stanley Kubrick’s movie of Stephen King’s The Shining look like a heartwarming story of a boy in search of a father figure.

Yes - these kinds of things are kind of fun to watch. We all probably know that Mary Poppins isn’t a horror flick, Harry Potter is not a gay love story, and the Shining … well, that movie scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

But, what if we had never even heard of those movies before? Would we want to see those movies after watching the (fake) trailers?

It just got me thinking about all the stuff we see on the evening news. There’s a myth or urban legend floating around that says the evening news is supposed to be unbiased and fair to both sides of a news story. Maybe when Barbara Walters was a budding journalist - that was the case, but that notion seemed to fly out the window a long time ago.

In fact, lately it seems like the evening news is nothing but opinion.

Case in point. Gwyneth Paltrow recently made a statement to some Portuguese newspaper - and before long, it was all over the American press how Gwyneth was Anti-American … how Gwyneth went on an America-Bashing spree. Whatever she said must have been real bad, to cause this much fury … right?

Finally I watch the news to learn that all Mrs. Paltrow said was that she preferred living overseas because the Brits tended to be a little smarter and more cultured. But, all the promos were promising me information on why Gwyneth hates America … why Gwyneth thinks Americans are stupid … why she dislikes the American culture so bad. But, she actually said nothing of the sort. Not at all.

I felt bad … mostly because I thought she had a good, valid point. America - the country that made Borat the Number One movie for how long now … the same country that gave us such memorable films as Talladega Nights or Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle … the same country that unleashed Beavis & Butthead into the world … and yes, the same country that went ballistic when the President got caught getting a blog job … that made such a big deal over Janet Jackson’s left tit and Britney Spears naked shaved crotch getting out of a limo … and …

So what if someone thinks America is dumb. I’m sorry - I love America - I love being an American - but we’ve done some pretty stupid things over the years, and American Culture … oh, don’t even let me go there.

Gwyneth, my friend (can I call you that?) … I totally understand and can relate with what you said. I’d live in Brittan too if I could … (and not just because I’m a sucker for a guy with an accent, either…)

All this just makes me wonder … why I even watch TV? I don’t believe the news is telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth … so … how the heck do we really know what’s going on in the world.

Un-American Arrogance In Biblical Porportions

On November 28, 2006, the American Family Association released an Action Alert urging the public to show their outrage that an elected official wants to take his oath of office on the Holy Book of his religion. Gasp! The Shock! The Horror!

The AFA quotes Dennis Prager:

Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison’s favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress. In your personal life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison, America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath. 

This is not, nor has it ever been, about anybody’s “favorite book”. If I were elected to congress and wanted to hold my hand over a Harry Potter book or Eragon - I would understand if people started to look at me funny and start to complain. The placing of the hand over the Bible, or any other Holy Book is one thing - Harry Potter, quite another.

Belief in, or acceptance of, the Bible has never been a requirement to hold public office. If it were, Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the Founding Fathers would probably start to roll over in their graves. It’s un-American.

America was built on the concept of freedom - and one of those freedoms is the freedom of religion. I, as an American Citizen, am free to choose whatever religious beliefs I wish to follow. If I want to pick up a bible and head to church - I am free to do that. Or not - it’s ok. If I want to pick up the Koran and become Muslim - I have that right. If I want to become a zen Buddhist, or practice Judy-ism (the gospel according to Judy Tenuta)  … it’s all good.

But, if I want to force my religious beliefs on anyone, force them to use materials from my religion in their activities - that is Un-American!

America is not only interested in one book. We are interested in a lot of things. The Bible is ok. But Harry Potter is a better seller. I hear Stephen King has been selling a lot of books lately too. And just think how well a book of Britney Spears crotch shots would sell - it’d put Madonna’s Sex book to shame!

But, I’m getting away from myself here.

This reminds me of something quite similar. It’s the image of someone swearing on a Bible in a courtroom that the testimony they’re about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Sounds familiar, right?

When a Muslim is to testify, and they place their hands on a Koran - it’s apparently no big deal. When a child, who is too young to know what the Bible is or what it represents is to testify, he doesn’t put his hand on anything - the judge usually just asks them if they know the difference between the truth and a lie and then ask them to promise to tell the truth, and it isn’t a big deal. When an atheist testifies in court and dosen’t put his hand on a bible, it’s still no big deal.

How, exactly, is this any different than what’s going on here?

And how, exactly, is forcing elected officials to place their hands on the Bible (and not the Koran) not in direct violation of the Establishment Clause?

… Today Is World Aids Day!

Today is World AIDS Day!

Get Informed. Wear or buy something Red. Learn about HIV and AIDS!

It’s hard to believe, but HIV and AIDS has been around for twenty-five years. In some ways, it seems longer. In other ways, it seems like it all started just a few years ago.

Over the past 25 years, we’ve learned a lot about HIV and AIDS. In 1981, we knew next to nothing about HIV and AIDS. Today - we still don’t know everything, but we know a lot more. We may not know how to cure this disease, but we understand a lot more about how to treat it. There are many medications being produced and new ones are coming out every year. We also have more and better ways to treat AIDS complications.

Twenty-five years ago, AIDS barely gave you enough time to say goodbye. Today, people are living much longer.

While some pretty amazing advances have been made - there is still a long way to go. And it doesn’t all fit under the category of medical research.

I am amazed at how often I run across someone who either doesn’t know how to prevent the spread of HIV - or doesn’t care about it.

I am also amazed at how there is still a huge stigma attached to HIV.  I still hear, occasionally, how HIV is God’s punishment for unhealthy lifestyles such as homosexuality, illicit drug use, and sex-working.  AIDS is no longer a “gay disease” … and it hasn’t been for a long time. Record numbers of African Americans, Latinos, and women in general are getting AIDS - is that god’s punishment for being Black, Hispanic, or Female?  And what of the children? What could they have possibly done to deserve God’s wrath like this?

While we have medications available to fight HIV and AIDS, not everyone is able to get them. As I blogged recently, people stuck on the waiting lists for these medications are dying because … well … only just because they’re just on the waiting list.

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the AIDS crisis in Africa, thanks in part to people like U2’s Bono or Oprah Winfrey. People like them have done extraordinary work, and I don’t want to sound like I am ungrateful to them for that is definitely not the case. While it is true that, in many ways, the AIDS situation in Africa is much worse than it is here in the western world, when you speak of nothing but the AIDS crisis in Africa, it makes it sound like there are no problems here.

What they haven’t talked about much in the mainstream media much is how emergency housing funding for people living with AIDS has pretty much stopped. They haven’t talked much about the organizations set up to help clients with HIV and-or AIDS losing their funding either. Most AIDS Service Organizations have lost a good chunk of their federal funding - for example TPAN lost over a hundred thousand dollars in funding. Clients are not getting the services they need in order to survive because the money just isn’t there. (And yet, how much money are we spending per day in Iraq?)

We need help. Lots of help.

So, what can you do?

The biggest thing is educate yourself about HIV and AIDS, and urge your friends to learn something about it too.

Sometimes, even the littlest things make the biggest difference. Call your local AIDS Service Organization and ask about volunteering opportunities. Maybe you can answer phones, or help serve lunch or deliver lunch - for those with the biggest needs - a friendly smile can make the biggest difference.

Yes - today is World AIDS Day.

The World needs it.

I’m Sorry, Britney Spears, But…

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day.

Part of me had expected to wake up today and see this fact posted all throughout the blogsphere … I expected to see major stories on the morning news … but, no. What do I wake up to?

Well, I woke up to Britney Spears Crotch. Why? Who knows? Maybe she wants to make a statement that it’s ok for women to go free-balling while wearing skimpy miniskirts? Was she just too waisted to realize the cold air blowing up her coochie was trying to tell her something. Or was Britney Spears’ shaved privates a political statement? (Look, World! No More Bush) Did Sex-Tape-Scandal-Queen Paris Hilton ask her to do it? Is this a publicity stunt - Britney Spears stars in new Leave It To Beaver movie to be announced tomorrow?

It’s sad … on so many levels. I don’t know where to start.

Maybe I’m not like you - but I really don’t want to see the Britney Spears Beaver Shots! At least, not today.