2013 Mother Of All Stories

"One Third of Americans Reject Human Evolution"

This should be the mother of all stories to end 2013. Just saying "2013" (pertaining to the present year we live in) sounds so futuristic, it begs one to believe that people's understanding of reality must be so advanced, yet one third of America's adults reject evolution... Even though the unenlightened numbers has gone down, that's a helluva lot of ignorant people roaming around in oblivion. No wonder we have the likes of Phil Robertson preaching unmitigated baloney to whomever (mostly those in the one-third % cretin group.) will listen and who pathetically, lives life with their eyes closed.  I know that sounds cruel but there is no excuse for these numbers. thinkingblue

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” ? Martin Luther King Jr.

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” ? Harlan Ellison

More Here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/30/

More Here: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/11/seven-evolutionary-reasons

In Memoriam: A Look Back at Some of Those We've Lost in 2013

2013 Look Back At Celebrities We've Lost During the Year from thinkingblue on Vimeo.

3 Cheers For Bigotry

Article Here: http://www.politico.com/story/

I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but I always thought the practice of bigotry was something to be frowned upon in an enlightened social environment. It shouldn’t matter where exercised, within the territorial ignorance promoted by groups like the Ku Klux Klan or in the mind, heart, and soul of religious practitioners; it should not be acceptable behavior. But, it appears that here in America it has become some sort of badge of honor. Therefore, if you believe in social justice, you are now an outsider but if you believe that certain human beings do not deserve the same rights that are awarded everyone else (via the Constitution of the USA) you’re in.  According to those in favor of the Phil Robertson’s (Duck Dynasty) school of thought, groups that have been deemed unacceptable, deserve ridicule and scorn and should be considered pariahs (and maybe eventually stoned to death, if they could get their wish) among their own people. thinkingblue

Also Duck Dynasty Intolerance

PS: Below video (Phil Robertson's Bigotry Sermon) should be considered irony but Phil Robertson, believes he KNOWITH OF WHATITH HE SPEAKS, therefore he becomes an inspirational force amongst the ignorant, and that makes him dangerous.

Thank goodness, the video creator knew exactly how to handle this moron's words andIt Is A Hoot!

Duck Dynasty Proves Americans Are Drifting Further Away From The Art Of Critical Thought.

Intolerance: (noun) lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.

Before The Duck Dynasty Phil Robertson’s pathetic HATE RANT, I knew very little about this show, except for the Duck Dynasty merchandise (made in China) planted all around the weapon’s department of Walmart, which is a sorry “Reality” that Bullshit sells so well in America! Come on, 200,000 signatures on a petition to defend the likes of this, I can’t think of any better descriptive words than, unenlightened ASSHOLE, (Phil Robertson)… It was bad enough that he marginalized a large segment of our population with poison words like:“Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong. Sin becomes fine," Robertson told GQ's Drew Magary about immorality. “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men ... Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

But, he couldn’t just stop with his vile bashing of those who were born with a predisposition (gene) that would result in a preference upon puberty, for the same sex. No way, old Phil also DON LIKE THEM who are born with a dark skin pigmentation (Human evolution caused by higher amounts of UVR – those living close to  the equator nearer to the sun) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin_color)

and he says so with this quote: “I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person," Robertson is quoted in GQ. "Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.” (Could a crock of shit get any bigger or smellier?)

{{Before the civil rights movement of the 1950s, Jim Crow laws enforced a system of subjugating African-Americans in the South by upholding racial barriers for years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The cultural climate in the Southern states was one of "disenfranchisement, segregation and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence," History.com notes.}}

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/phil-robertson
-black-people_n_4473474.html

I’m sorry, all this fame and fortune gained by bigoted celebrities should be looked upon as a great sadness for our country, it is a Tell-All about how ignorance is sanctioned as a normal behavior. And, as long as those on top of the heap like Fox News, Right-wing Talk Radio, Religious Right-wing politicians and bigoted clergy, (etc.) promote this kind of thought (or lack thereof) we will remain a dumbed-down society where IGNORANCE IS BLISS! thinkingblue

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ae-network
-executives-messed-duck-dynasty-article-1.1557868

Alan Turing, Too Little Too Late

Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10536246/Alan-Turing-granted-Royal-pardon-by-the-Queen.html

So sad that our human existence must include bigotry; Alan Turing was but one life among so many that perished under the harshness of mass prejudice. History is full of accounts of those who used their intelligence to further humanity’s survival yet succumb to man’s ignorance.  I am glad the powers to be pardoned his name but IMHO it is Too Little Too Late. thinkingblue

PS: So glad I learned about the fate of Alan Turing in May and uploaded this bio to youtube. It is even more pertinent now that we learn about this remarkable human being who suffered the abuse of ignorance.

Alan Turing pardon should apply to all homosexuals, say campaigners

5 Soldiers Killed, Hardly A Word Mentioned

Looking at the images of these young faces brings an indescribable grief that begs denial but no, it’s real and they are gone.

When I realize the overwhelming heartbreak and sadness caused by wars that in too many cases, have been authorized out of greed and passion for game (especially the Iraq war waged by Cheney/Bush administration --we all know Cheney was the one in charge-- a war that had been a dream of the neoconservatives long before that dreadful day occurred), I feel the regret that a persistant open-minded inquiry of WHY was not of uppermost concern to every citizen when the question of going to war with Iraq (and also, I believe, Afghanistan) had materialized with so many false assertions.

These two wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) had culminated from the shock of 9/11, which eliminated collective objectivity, an occurrence that happens after a tremendous shock (or confusion).

The picture of these five service members losing their life in a trumped up war, is more than sad, it’s abominable.thinkingblue

Thanks to Jeff Parson for posting this on Facebook.

PhotoBucket Image

Article Link: http://www.kansas.com/2013/12/19/3187709/moran-5-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan.html

Image From This Site: Jeff Parson's Facebook

Families Of Fallen Troops Denied Military Death Benefits Because Of Government Shutdown
Families of fallen troops are being denied military death benefits because of the government shutdown.

Over the weekend, the relatives of at least five U.S. military members received the heartbreaking news that their loved ones had died protecting their country while on duty in Afghanistan.

Within three days, the government was supposed to have fulfilled its promise to give $100,000 to these grieving families -- a "death gratuity" that is supposed to help cover funeral costs, as well as immediate living expenses until survivor benefits kick in. According to USA Today, the money is also supposed to cover family travel expenses so that they're able to meet their loved ones returning home for burial in flag-draped coffins at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Unfortunately, the government has been unable to fulfill this promise because of the shutdown, leaving the families high and dry during this vulnerable time.

In a media release Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed that it has suspended death benefits to families of fallen troops.

"The [Defense Department] does not currently have the authority to pay death gratuities for the survivors of service members killed in action," the release said, adding: “Secretary [of Defense Chuck] Hagel assured the service leaders that he would work closely with them to address these challenges, and support the service members and families impacted by these disruptions."

South Florida Tea Party Rebranding Try

South Florida Tea Party trying to rebrand themselves... SAY WHAT? Rebrand themselves from what? Once a racist always a racist...
they just can't help it.  thinkingblue

• Tea Party Group Uses Racist BioShock Infinite Propaganda on Facebook Page

• Tea party group posts racist image to Facebook

• The group no longer wants to be associated with "certain organizations that have the name 'tea party'"

• National Liberty Federation Facebook

Rand Paul’s Christmas Gift To Working Americans

Every time I hear Rand Paul calling unemployment benefits a disservice to workers… I despise his ideology that much more. thinkingblue

Rand Paul, is at it again, trying to sell his Ayn Rand ideology to America. Well here, in Ayn Rand’s own words… This in essence, is what Rand Paul so ignorantly, believes in. thinkingblue

From a L.A. Times column of 1962.
Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, holds that:
“Reality exists as an objective absolute—facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.
“Reason (the faculty which identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses) is man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival.
Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.
The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. It is a system where no man may obtain any values from others by resorting to physical force, and no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. The government acts only as a policeman that protects man’s rights; it uses physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or foreign invaders. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church.”

But Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are the best introduction to and dramatization of her philosophy.

The Saddest Christmas Image EVER!

thinkingblue

The Saddest Christmas Image EVER!

Newtown

Connecticut

Massacre

One

Year

Later.

When a Man Calls Abortion "Killing the Unborn"

It all started with this facebook entry and an unthinking man's response to it.

If only human males could get pregnant, I doubt that they would use terminology like "kill the unborn" when referring to abortion. A thoughtless and cruel remark describing abortion and a woman’s right to choose. If these men could experience a ‘critical thought’ moment that would help make them understand the severe anguish a woman will go through after finding out that some trivial act like a "one night stand" or a brutal one like "RAPE" resulted in fertilization. Moreover, without the choice to obtain a legal, safe abortion her dilemma can become a nightmare. (Even with legal choice she will not be spared grief because of living in a cold unthinking dogmatic society such as ours.) I swear if I had a magic wand, I would thump it upon any man’s head who would audaciously twaddle the words… “KILL THE UNBORN” and give his body a womb that has just started the process of gestation after a “one night stand” with an acquaintance or stranger (which men seem to enjoy immensely).

thinkingblue

War on Wombs

http://www.thethinkingblue.com/waronwombs.html

How to Defend Pro Choice Beliefs
Edited by Laura, Rob S, KnowItSome, Flickety and 26 others

1. Explain that even if abortion was illegal, it would be impossible to enforce such laws. The procedure used in performing abortions is identical to the procedure used to investigate bad pap smears. This is how abortions were covered up in the past.

2. Explain that abortion laws, such as the one mentioned in Roe vs. Wade, were not about the moral implications of abortion. They were about safety.
Modern Medicine and Sanitation practices are relatively new medical concepts. Doctors were literally using medical instruments to remove infected tissue and then using the same equipment to perform abortions. Women were dying more frequently from physician performed abortions than from self-induced abortions. The law overturned in Roe vs. Wade did not outlaw abortions, only doctors performing them. The Supreme Court ruled that the reasoning behind the law was no longer valid (The law was written before sanitary practices were instituted.)

3. Try and find a middle ground with the other person. If they say abortion is wrong in all cases, try and find a case in which they agree it would not be wrong. Cases of rape, incest, and cases in which a birth of the child would kill the mother are often good middle grounds.
Try and stretch the middle ground. If they agree that cases of, say, rape, would be fine for an abortion, ask if it would be okay if the woman received an abortion if the fetus was not going to live after birth, and she knew. Generally, just try and find more ways in which they agree abortion should be allowed.
Continue to push different cases. The person with whom you are debating should realize, after they've agreed to a few scenarios in which abortion would be allowed, that maybe abortion isn't as horrible - after all, it deals with legal, emotional, and physically traumatizing events. If they don't realize this, mention it, but only after they've agreed on a few cases in which abortion should be allowed. If they think war can justify murder of adults as the lesser of two evils then why not abortion?

4. Mention the mother's well-being. Ask if they believe the birth of an unwanted child to a young, promising woman would hinder her life. They will agree that it will; it is obvious. They might mention, at this point, that if the woman didn't want to have a child, she shouldn't have had sex. Mention cases of rape, leave it at that.
Ask about cases in which the mother could be seriously harmed by the birth of the child, or even killed. This is also something good to mention when you are trying to find a middle ground with whomever you are discussing abortion with - even the most die-hard Pro Life supporter normally will agree that abortion should be allowed in cases in which the mother will be killed by giving birth.

5. Emphasize the magnitude of damage to children of being born to parents who lack interest in their parental responsibilities to such an extent that they will harm the child physically, emotionally, or both during its upbringing.
If they mention giving up the child for adoption, simply counter with the fact that orphanages worldwide are overflowing with too many children, and it would very possibly be even more damaging to the child to be left in an orphanages for eighteen years, which happens to a very large portion of children given up for adoption. Read some of the biographies of people who experience this pain and how often creates great distress in their adult life; Marilyn Monroe is a good example.
Dropping a mention of the homeless rate is also a good idea for defending abortion. There are too many people in the world to force parents to have children when they are nowhere near ready, or when there is only a mother.

6. Ask them to consider the following question: if we cannot decide at what point life actually begins, can we decide at what point life ends? If they cannot answer, talk about brain death, and how doctors pronounce a patient dead when the brain stops sending pulse signals to the body. Ask them if they know when the brain actually begins to send signals. The answer is eight weeks into pregnancy. Use this argument to show that since life ends when the brain stops, shouldn't life begin when the brain starts?

7. If they insist that life begins at fertilization, point out that up to two weeks after fertilization, that clump of cells could split up into identical twins. Where did the second life come from?

8. If they insist that life begins at fertilization, ask what they think about cloning? Assuming that human cloning takes place - probably a matter of time - no fertilization takes place at all, the new person has the exact same genetic information as the "donor", yet they are clearly distinct individuals.

9. Remind the person that pro-choice people are not "pro-abortion" - they understand the gravity of the decision and none of them think abortion is all sunshine and puppies. But they also realize that legal or not, there have always been unwanted pregnancies and a demand for abortion, and when abortion is not legal it does not stop happening, it just becomes a lot more dangerous and even deadly. Being pro-choice means wanting to keep abortion safe, legal and rare.
Ask them to consider societies where abortion was illegal such as Communist Romania and watch the film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. The same rate of women attempted to have an abortion, but maternal mortality rates and child abandonment rates soared.

Tips
Be polite. Just because you disagree with the other person's opinion on abortion, don't interrupt and shout at them. Calmly explain your point, and allow them to do the same.
Make sure your arguments can be supported by logic and/or scientific evidence.

Warnings
If you mention religion too much, be prepared as this may turn in to a never-ending argument.
Pro-lifers use extremely graphic images usually of late term abortions which are not a considerable proportion of all abortions.
Don't expect to change anyone's mind in five minutes. If you feel very strongly about this, then they probably feel just as strongly about their own opinions. Allow them time to think about it, and never push too hard. Pushing will only cause the other person to feel antagonized, and you will get nowhere.
Understand that this is a very touchy issue for most people, and that it can break friendships, and cause grudges. Stay away from "hot button" issues such as abortion if you feel it may cause a fight or create a rift between two people.How to Defend Pro Choice Beliefs
FROM THIS SITE: http://www.wikihow.com/Defend-Pro-Choice-Beliefs

Limbaugh Rants Against Pope Francis

Rush Limbaugh’s only interest is to himself, he could never understand a person who can dedicate his life to others; Rush Limbaugh commits his life to greed and how much he can make off his incendiary rants (mainly belittling others).

 For him to judge Pope Francis is unadulterated gall. How much more do we have to take from this fool, this coward who hides behind a microphone? I hope someone turns his mic off for good so he can go back under the rock from which he came!thinkingblue

The Forgotten Ones

The Forgotten Ones

Children are the same no matter where they live. The photographers who captured these images have learned this and that is why these pictures are so poignant. Please “like” on facebook if you belong to this Social Network and look to it whenever you cannot handle the sadness that comes with the realization that those who are the most vulnerable, endure the most pain. Suffer the little children across the globe. thinkingblue

The Eyes of Children around the World
191,744 likes · 57,144 talking about thisThe Eyes of Children around the World

Thanks to the great photographers whose sensibility allows us to appreciate human nature. Steve McCurry, Mitchell Kanashkevich, Eric Lafforgue, Thomas Tham, David Lazar, Olivier Follmi, Walter Callens, Alex Peplaw, Claude Renault...

https://www.facebook.com/TheEyesOfChildrenAroundTheWorld