What Price Blogging?

Dear friends, editors, journalists, truck drivers, sanitation district maintenance men, anybody:

Am I the only person who reads my blog? Are so many people busy blogging that there are no actual readers out there? Are the “comments” posted really fiction, making it seem like people are reading the blogs? Is there a blogger Mafia I’m not aware of, so that if you want your blog read, you have to pay for the privilege? Is my site so irrelevant and boring that people yawn in the middle of the second sentence and anxiously click back to the previous site (like How to Get Rid of Those Ugly Warts! on AOL)? Is my grammar crappy? Should I go back to wearing a hairpiece? Should I have a picture of my cat watching me blog?

Come on, someone, gimme me a sign of encouragement. For me, blogging’s not easy: I’m not fast enough and I’m not hooked up intravenously to the news media. How can some people do it every day? Maybe there are paid “ghost bloggers” or modern day Agnes Gooches glued to screens and keyboards. After all, people like Anderson Cooper and Oprah couldn’t possibly keep up their blogs by themselves could they? I consistently search for the timeliest news on the topics of religion and politics, hoping to be the first one to post about it so that Google Blogs will show me first. So far, it hasn’t happened. Either the last three months have had no news and the Religious Right has ceased to exist, or I’m totally missing something.

Blogging has become a race to post, a competition to see who can blog the fastest. Who can blog the wittiest and most scathing. Who can blog the most self-righteous attitude. Who can snag the most readers for advertisers. Soon there will be a veritable sea of bloggers: on trains, in speeding cars (we haven’t as yet passed a law against blogging while driving, but give it time), on the gondolas in Venice, on the backs of elephants in Thailand, on the trading floor of the New York stock exchange and in preschools everywhere.

Today, there are an estimated 75 million bloggers around the globe. A scary figure? No. This is scary: it still leaves 6 billion future bloggers to announce their angst and frustration to the world; 6 billion people to tell us their opinions, their highs, their lows, their how-tos, their warnings, their politics. Everyone will be blogging. Why hasn’t God started blogging yet? Certainly all his followers seem to be falling into line. Maybe He’s too busy reading everyone’s blogs. No, He hasn’t read mine yet, because I think I would know. Lightening hasn’t struck me – yet.

So here I sit pounding a keyboard instead of feeding the cat.

Why do I bother? One answer: to prove that I exist. I blog, therefore I am. When someone – anyone – comments on an article, I feel more alive. I feel connected to the rest of the world. Most people who blog feel that their personal selves are out there and, as a consequence, they are real. Autobiographies are too burdensome and it’s not kosher to publish more than three in your own lifetime. With blogging, you can spit out tiny pieces of yourself, one day at a time. And blogging is addictive: you feel that when you cease to blog, you cease to exist.

Blogging just might be the true meaning of life.

In the near future I will be conducting a “Dan Vojir’s Blog Blitz” with a special, particularly offensive anti-religious post to see if ANYONE out there is reading what I have to say. I give it a two-comment response. I will then thank those two who stumbled upon it before I give up blogging completely.

On the other hand…


Dan Vojir

Lincoln, Augustine and Bible Abuse

Last night I had the unique experience to question author and scholar Garry Wills about two of his most notable (but diverse) subjects: Abraham Lincoln and St. Augustine.

I stood in front of his autograph-signing table, nervous because I didn’t have his Pulitzer prize-winning title Lincoln at Gettysburg on hand to sign.

“Just one question, please, ah, Lincoln and Augustine…and original sin,” I blurted, hoping he would somehow know what I meant.

“Do you mean if Lincoln believed in it?”

“Well, yeah.” I felt like an awkward teenager.

He shook his head with determination.

“NO. I don’t.”

So there you have it: the Great Emancipator and champion of equality didn’t believe “equal, but born in sin” like biblical literalists or “Father of the Church” St. Augustine (who actually thought literalists were stupid).

The point is: some people use the Bible as a weapon. They did it to protect slavery. They shot verses against abolitionists with deadly aim. They abused Jews and women throughout history. From “a servant shall obey his master” to “man shall not lie with man as with a woman,” literalists have fashioned vitriol out of verses for purposes of power and hatred. Bible Abuse is twofold: it abuses both humanity and the Bible itself.

Today is “Bloggers Against Abuse” day.

Bible abuse is real.

Stop the abuse.

Jerry Sanders Uncovers the Evil Heart of SIN Diego

9/20/09

Hurry! It’s time for the televangelists, bloggers and Coultergeists of the country to rev up their engines: the Mayor of San Diego outed his own daughter and proposed same-sex marriages! He was visibly shaken when he performed this act of equality and justice, catching people completely off guard. Well, some people:

“Oh, look, he’s crying gratuitously!” laughs Coulter.

“That’s only because he’s drinking a lot of water, Ann,” says Dinesh Souza.

“And Pat Robertson just texted me that God would smite the homo-hugger with a meteor,” says James Dobson.

“I’ll dub the city Sin Diego from now on. That’s witty enough, isn’t it?” Coulter chimed in.

“Yes, but can a whole book be gotten out of this drivel?” asked Dobson.

“If we can prove that Sanders was having an affair with a stewardess in an airport restroom, then it can be a bestseller, but a short public announcement alone doesn’t give us much to go on,” says Coulter.

“Let’s hire an investigator into Sanders’ past, I don’t want to miss this chance,” said Souza, “Yep, no doubt about it. With Larry Craig on the hot toilet seat, we need a diversion. Besides he's just a mayor. He's expendable. Put a couple of Regent University law students on his case after we nail him. That'll make him feel better while getting that closet Democrat out of the way. Can I have your rolodex, Jim?”

“Sure, just don’t look at the other names.”

Hey, you KNOW they’re going to give this one their best shot. Stay tuned…

LARRY CRAIG - How will he rate on the (new, improved and extended) Scandal Scoreboard?

Way To Go Mr. Potato Head!

But You Don’t Get Into The Hypocrisy Hall of Fame (yet)

Senator Larry Craig’s shenanigans in a Minneapolis airport are helping to continue his party’s time-honored tradition of hypocrisy. His voters must be sooo proud of him. We must all remember just how difficult it is to maintain family values while cruising public restrooms. The Republican constituency of Idaho will obviously erect a statue in his honor in Boise: “He kept our families safe from people like…him.” On the scandal scoreboard, Craig gets a whopping 10 points!

Some esteemed members of the HHF:

Paul Crouch, Trinity Broadcasting Network – gay sex scandal brought out of the closet by a lover employed at TBN.
Jimmy Swaggart of “I have sinned” fame was enshrined in the HHF by virtue of his winning the Best Actor Award.
Jim Bakker – you name it, he did it – an all around HHF athelete!
Ted Haggard – has his own separate exhibit, complete with erotic photos of the hulking Mike Jones and the bag of meth.

But does Senator Craig have the stamina to be included in the HHF? The competition these days is (pardon the expression) stiff: take a look at some of the ones competing for the Hypocrisy Hall of Fame:

January 3, 2006

Reverend Dr Lonnie Latham was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail by members of the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. The misdemeanor charge was that of "Offering to Engage In An Act of Lewdness," a charge carrying penalties of up to a year in jail and a US$2,500 fine. Reports sourced to a police department spokesman said that he had propositioned a plainclothes police officer for oral sex in an area of the community which had been the subject of public complaints of cruising related to male prostitution.

"I was involved in a prayer ministry in that area, and I had a dialogue with police," he said, according to the website of the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. "The officer made many suggestions."

What's the name of that ministry, Lonnie? Restroom Revelations? 12 points!

October 6, 2006

Congressman Foley’s e-mails made public.

Mark Foley, a six-term Republican congressman from Florida, championed the protection of children from sexual predators. Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, he often spoke out about the need to catch pedophiles. In July, he attended a signing ceremony at the White House for the Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. "We track library books better than we do sexual predators," he had argued in support of the bill.

Apparently we DO track sexual predators fairly well, Mark. It may take us some time when they have an ”Rep.” Or a “Sen.” In front of their names, but we can smell ‘em. 10 points, Mark.

Aug. 23, 2007

The preacher husband of televangelist, Juanita Bynum, who has won a national following with sermons about women's empowerment will be charged with aggravated assault and terroristic threats following a confrontation in which he left her badly bruised, Atlanta police said.

A televangelist with sermons on women’s empowerment being strangled by her preacher husband? This “inspiration” for women is definitely “inspired” when it comes to hypocrisy. Way to go, Juanita!! 15 Points!!

July 10, 2007
Senator David Vitter (Republican, LA)

“His brand is Southern social conservative, a defender of family values, morality and faith who once said no issue was more important than protecting the sanctity of marriage.”

So who knew? Apparently a lot of people in both Washington and Louisiana. But since you’re only on several lists of madams, your accomplishments are quite common. Only 5 points. Great hypocrite, but not very imaginative.

July 11, 2007

Orlando Sentinel: Republican Rep. Bob Allen of Merritt Island, whose district includes a large swath of east Orange County, was arrested for soliciting a male undercover police officer for sex in a Titusville park restroom.

In the taped statement that was tossed out Monday, Allen said he was just playing along because he was intimidated by the undercover officer, who he described as a "stocky black guy," and that he thought he was going to be robbed.House Speaker Marco Rubio stripped Allen of his legislative committee appointments, saying he could "no longer effectively serve the people" of his district. Police also said Allen indicated he had $800 in his car.

So, while denying he’s a “john”, the revered lawmaker made himself guilty of racial profiling. And, believe it or not, it only gets better:

Hours after state Rep. Bob Allen was unceremoniously stripped of his legislative-committee appointments Wednesday, he said he is perhaps "the most misunderstood guy on Earth."In the weeks since his arrest July 11 on a charge that he offered to perform oral sex on an undercover police officer and pay him $20, he has made comments that offended two of Florida's largest minority groups -- Hispanics and blacks.On Wednesday, he told newspapers he felt he was being considered guilty even before his first court date -- as would happen in a totalitarian government such as Cuba. Allen, R-Merritt Island, spent part of the day explaining he wasn't comparing House Speaker Marco Rubio, who made the committee assignments and is Cuban-American, to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

O.K., Bob, YOU WIN!! How many guys can manage all of that hypocrisy from sitting on the john waiting for a “john”? 20 points!! The Republicans in Orlando are truly blessed! The Hypocrisy Hall of Fame now has a brand new resident!

Technorati Profile

Another Lions' Den

This is a VERY scary video. Thanks to Rick Perlman of Common Sense and to Max Blumenthal who produced the video and went into the LIONS'DEN to do it!



I'm sure that if the convention had been held at the Creation Museum, some people might have been wearing Pebbles and Bam-Bam costumes. We can only hope that ourcountry's Jews are sensible enough to see through this situation: according to Revelations, only 144,000 Jew will make it to Heaven. The people like DeLay who can't wait for the End Times seem VERY happy that a number of innocent (but non-converted) Jews and Gentiles will burn in hell.

As Karen Armstrong said (The Battle for God): "...other reformers in our own day [Fundamentalists] have also evolved a religion in which the love of God is often balanced by a hatred of other human beings."

Sophistication Ain't What It Used to Be!

A Tale of Two Water Fountains

Back in the days of Jim Crow, gas stations across the South always had two water fountains: one labeled “white” and the other “colored”. Now if a modern-day segregation took hold, what would be the labels of the same two drinking fountains?

From TPM Café: (http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com)
7/12/07

Hindu Chaplain Rajan Zed, a Nevada resident, gave the opening prayer in the Senate at the invitation of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). As he began his remarks, two protestors interrupted the proceedings, asking for forgiveness from Jesus Christ for the “abomination” of failing to pray to the “one true God.” (The sergeant-at-arms had to restore order.)

Religious Right groups have been agitating against the Hindu leader’s prayer since it was announced. The Rev. Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association has asked his members to complain to their senators about the invitation.

One astute comment:

Talibangelists

Sending 'em to jail will only fuel their feelings of persecution. They can all live their Revelations just like John did when he wrote the wackiest chapter in the bible. Little do they realize that their beloved GOP acts more like the Romans than the Christians.

Fundamentalism makes people crazy.

And the Christian Right’s Spin:

Theology has moved from the church house onto the floor of the United States Senate, and has been arrested.The falsehood of Hinduism was eloquently challenged yesterday by those who know the truth that sets people free - Jesus. We pray that their lives will inspire many to do the same and call our nation to repentance and to return to the God of our fathers. May the hallowed halls and chambers of the Congress of the United States of America never again entertain the false religions of this age.

History is repeating itself in the above incident, but I can’t exactly put my finger on the exact moment.

For me, the most frightening point about the Senate protest is that it could just as well have been an assassination of the Hindu Chaplain. Yes, parts of Christianity are leaning that way. In fact, we may soon see a rise of Christo-fascism, where everyone who’s anyone swears to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Currently, we are witnessing Christian leaders who openly vilify the First Amendment because it allows for freedom of religion. “One Nation, Under a Christian God ONLY” might yet be approved as an amendment to the Amendment. And those two fountains?

“Why, he sure didn’t look like no heathen to me, Herb, so of course I let him drink from the ‘Christians Only’ water fountain!”