Saturday, September 5, 2009

The Pagan Census

Merry Meet and Merry Greet,

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, but things have been very busy for me the past couple of months. I just wanted to drop by and throw in a quick line for the Pagan Census being held by James R. Lewis and Henrik Bogdan. You can find it here.

Look for changes to appear here. I am currently working with the runner of progressivepagans.org to start running this blog via their website and also start helping them run the website. When this happens, expect a lot more posts, and a lot more information coming from the progressive pagan community.

Until next time, keep checking back here every so often for an update on that project and others that I have going on in my head right now.

Blessed Be,

LibPagan

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Same-Sex Marriage and Pagans

Merry Meet again,

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have been extremely busy with school and work and everything. I know I have spent a lot of time going into politics, and not that much into the religious aspect of this blog. So today I am going to combine both of them into one.

First of all I would like to that The Wild Hunt for the idea for this blog. It is something that I feel very strong about, seeing as I am bi-sexual with a proclivity towards males. Anyways, here goes nothing enjoy the ride, and please forgive me if I rant a little bit throughout this post.

This story come from The Des Moines Register . It is about Toni Heard and Michelle McBride of Omaha Nebraska, two Wiccan lesbians, who have been together for 11 years.

In 2007, they had a handfasting. They still wanted to get married in Iowa for the legal reasons, even though their marriage wouldn't be recognized in Nebraska.

One of the things that is commonly touted around by the right-wing Christians is "Religious Freedom". What about those traditions that do perform same-sex marriages? They use the argument of religious freedom to scare people into thinking that the homosexual community is infringing on the rights of them. It is only a way for them to maintain their control over people. That is what it is all about, control. I personally believe in equality in all areas of life for the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Transgendered community.

I think Jason over at Wild Hunt summed it up properly when he said, "Either grant same-sex couples the same legal marriage rites as opposite-sex couples, or completely remove 'marriage' from the purview of governmental oversight. Create a one-size-fits-all civil union and let the individual churches, synagogues, circles, groves, and fellowships decide who can or can’t marry within their tradition." I agree full-heartedly. That is what we need to do. Completely stop calling it marriage for both Heterosexuals and Homosexuals. Let marriage continue to be for the Christians. That way those of us of alternative religions can call it what ever we want to call it.

As I said at the beginning of this post that I feel very strongly on this topic. I am a resident of California, and I will tell you straight up that I voted against Prop 8, which for those of you who don't know about it was about whether California would define marriage as between a man and woman. You know what. Call it whatever you want, but as I quoted Jason saying earlier the government should just drop marriage, and give civil unions more power. Let civil unions have all the same legal rights as marriage has currently. Have it be, legally, recognized in every state of the union.

Anyways, that is all I have got to say for the time being.

Blessed Be

LibPagan

Friday, April 10, 2009

Ebert v O'Reilly

This is an editorial that Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun Times the other day.

"To: Bill O'Reilly
From: Roger Ebert

Dear Bill: Thanks for including the Chicago Sun-Times on your exclusive list of newspapers on your "Hall of Shame." To be in an O'Reilly Hall of Fame would be a cruel blow to any newspaper. It would place us in the favor of a man who turns red and starts screaming when anyone disagrees with him. My grade-school teacher, wise Sister Nathan, would have called in your parents and recommended counseling with Father Hogben.

Yes, the Sun-Times is liberal, having recently endorsed our first Democrat for President since LBJ. We were founded by Marshall Field one week before Pearl Harbor to provide a liberal voice in Chicago to counter the Tribune, which opposed an American war against Hitler. I'm sure you would have sided with the Trib at the time.

I understand you believe one of the Sun-Times misdemeanors was dropping your syndicated column. My editor informs me that "very few" readers complained about the disappearance of your column, adding, "many more complained about Nancy." I know I did. That was the famous Ernie Bushmiller comic strip in which Sluggo explained that "wow" was "mom" spelled upside-down.

Your column ran in our paper while it was owned by the right-wing polemicists Conrad Black (Baron Black of Coldharbour) and David Radler. We dropped it to save a little money after they looted the paper of millions. Now you call for an advertising boycott. It is unusual to observe a journalist cheering for a newspaper to fail. At present the Sun-Times has no bank debt, but labors under the weight of millions of dollars in tax penalties incurred by Lord Black, who is serving an eight-year stretch for mail fraud and obstruction of justice. We also had to pay for his legal expenses.

There is a major difference between Conrad Black and you: Lord Black is a much better writer and thinker, and authored a respected biography about Roosevelt, who we were founded to defend. That newspapers continue to run your column is a mystery to me, since it is composed of knee-jerk frothings and ravings. If I were an editor searching for a conservative, I wouldn't choose a mad dog. My recommendation: The admirable Charles Krauthammer.

Bill, I am concerned that you have been losing touch with reality recently. Did you really say you are more powerful than any politician?

That reminds me of the famous story about Squeaky the Chicago Mouse. It seems that Squeaky was floating on his back along the Chicago River one day. Approaching the Michigan Avenue lift bridge, he called out: Raise the bridge! I have an erection!"

Finally, someone let's Billo have it. It is honestly about time. Anyways, just a quick note working on a blog about the ties between the Pagan holiday of Ostara and the Christian Easter. Should be up sometime tomorrow.

LibPagan

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Tea-Party

Again, let me apologize again for time in between posts. My Internet as of late has been spotty. Tonight I am going to do something a little different. Last time it was a blow for blow with El Rusho.

Tonight, I am going to be taking about the "Tea Parties" that are being organized all around this country. I will let you know that throughout the past couple years, I have been very active in the political scene. I have been to plenty of rallies, protests, et al. So let me get this out first, I am in no way shape or form against protests or organized gatherings. I think that they are great for the democracy that I and so many other people I know love.

What gets me the most about all of this is the fact that during the Bush era of government, and largely since the 60's, those that go to protests are generally considered hippies, or political activists for the left.

But what definitely is scary though is the type of people that are going to be going to these tea parties. They have been considered a huge gathering point for those on the right. Everyone from Rush to Beck have been supporting them for the past few weeks. They have also been getting a lot of support from Neo-Nazis and other right wing fringe groups.

In my own personal opinion,this could turn really violent., the Klan is not known for being very civil at gatherings. I have been to protests for the Iraq War almost every year since it started, and most of them have been pretty civilized and peaceful until the police got involved. I have been tear gassed plenty of times at seeming peaceful benevolent gatherings. My only question is will these protest, even if they are turning somewhat hairy, will the police step in at all and control it, or will they just sit back an partake in the violence?

I don't know the answer to any of that, but it has been on my mind all day. Anyways, who am I to say that they can't gather peacefully, after all it is their constitutional right. Wait a minute, one of the main issues that they have made a big deal is the fact about a "Obama Gun Ban" which would go against their second amendment right because they don't like their right being infringed upon.

Where were they when our previous president's Deparment of Justice said in a series of memos that torture of suspected terrorist was ok? Where were these people who like their rights when the NSA was given full permission to perform warrant-less wire-tapping on American citizens living on American soil? Wasn't that an infringement on our civil rights? Wasn't both of those taking away our first amendment rights? When were they going to stand up those rights being taken away?

Here is your answer, THEY WON'T! They actually view those infringements as necessary to control terrorist attacks on Americans. Wait a minute, I can think of two different terrorist attacks on American soil since 9/11. One is the Beltway Snipers, and the other is the Anthrax attacks. Both of which took place after 9/11 under Bush's watch., but then again Bush kept us safe for the past 8 years.

Anyways, all this is getting my head hurting, and I haven't drank in a couple nights. I think I am going to go grab a Guiness and get going to bed.

LibPagan

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sorry for the delay

Sorry for the delay in between posts. I have been extremely busy the past week or so because of everything going on with my car to coming out of the closet to the Marines. Anyways, I just wanted to hop on here for a moment and let everyone know that I am still alive, and that expect a post sometime tomorrow, depending on whenever I decided to wake up.

LibPagan

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Right-Wing nuts and more

So I just got done reading an article on Politico.com about how today they released their "blueprint" of a budget. As usual, per GOP policy it seems as of late, House Minority Leader Rep John Boehner (R- OH) was giving the speech about it. Ironically it was entitled, according to Politico "A New Era of Responsibility". LOL!

If you have forgotten, it was under 6 years of Republican Control that got us into the current economic mess that we are in right now. It was Republican tax cuts, it was frivolous spending by the Bush Administration on a needless war in Iraq. It was the fact that middle class was shrinking the whole time Dubya was in office that got us into this mess. Conservative degregulation of Wall Street and the Banking Industry was what got us super-corporations like AIG.

On another note just got done reading about Boss Limbaugh's three hour laughfest today. How can anyone stand even listening to him for 10 seconds let alone the whole three hours. I would like to thank the great people over at Media Matters for giving a transcript of his show, and also a quite enlightening synopsis of every hour. Some of the highlights of his ranting and raving today where as follows, I'll only include one from every hour I don't want to cover Limbaugh or any of these right-wing lunatics to much I just want to keep them honest:

Hour 1:

Conspiracy Theory - He had Dick Morris on the show today. The Conspiracy Theory here is the fact that Morris thinks that President Obama "wants his plan to fail...so that he can make the case for bank nationalization and vindicate his dream of a socialist economy"
(if you click on the text it brings up a video between Morris and Hannity)
The whole crazy part of this was that of course Boss Limbaugh agreed whole-heartedly about that.

Actuality - Again this is the usual Limbaugh hoping that the President fails. Wow this guy is completely off his rocker, or maybe just on too many perscription pills. Even during the worst of the Bush years I nor most of the liberal community, that I know of, actually vocalized that we wanted the President to fail. No most of us wanted his policies to fail, but these right-wing smear machine talking point lunatics actually want and probably pray that Presdident Obama falls flat on his face and fails. How can they be so ignorant, what nevermind they are Rebulicans, the smae people who told everyone who critized Bush to shut up and deal with it, after all he was President at the time.

Hour 2:

Earth Hour - Today, for some reason or another, he was on an enviromental kick. Naturally he was all about how global warming is false, and here's what the Boss recommended for everyone to do:
"I urge all of you, especially those of you who are stealing your electricity by short-changing the meter, fire 'em up -- Saturday night, 8:30. They chose 8:30 'cause daylight time -- of course, it's still -- it gets dark by 8:30 -- fire 'em up! I mean, fire up every light you've got. Go out and drive your car and turn the headlights on after you've turned every light on the house -- in the house on and the outside. Just fire it up.

Go out and rent spotlights. Go out and get some lights and light the buildings where the lights have been turned off. Somebody's got to make up for the electricity not being used."

So basically he told people that are already stealing electricity, to use more electricity, and that he himself is going to turn on all his lights.

Not only does he not stop there, he goes on to say, "[W]e know that when the lights go off on a power failure, nine months later, bam-o! We've got more human beings and more abortions, depending on who got pregnant." So Limbaugh suggests that in nine months from Earth Hour there is going to be another Baby Boom.

Actuality, again - It was difficult for me to type all that. I am a Pagan, I worship the Earth and Mother Nature. This man just sat there for a whole hour, indoors mind you, and just blasted everything that I stand for and believe in. There is hard scientific fact that proves that Global Warming is real, and it is a danger to Humanity as we know it. I am sorry I take great offense when someone just is so ignorant to the truth. I don't think from looking at pictures of Rush that he has seen the light of day for more than the couple seconds it takes for him to walk from his car to his chair behind the "golden microphone". Honestly, how can someone be that ignorant?

I need to calm down, I've got to remember the Threefold Law, and I think that if I would of continued on that tear, that I would of violated it.

Hour 3:

Sexism and more - Boss Limbaugh starts the thrid and final hour, thankfuly, with his usual amounts of sexism that is normally prevolant throughout the show. This time is is aimed at MSNBC's news women saying, "the two info babes -- oops -- the two anchors, the two women went into a rant". From there he went into a little rant about how women love men in expensive cars. He finishes out this bout of sexism with Snedley, his producer saying something about "ugly women". Limbaugh had to correct him saying, "there are no ugly women", maybe, according to the Boss, on his show at least.

The next major section of the show again was dedicated to the enviroment, and "smart meters". Before I go any farther I will explain the basic concept behind a smart meter. Like your current meter for electricity it measures how much electricity you use on a monthly basis. It is a digital meter that can "capture information about how much power is consumed, but also when and at what price, so utilities can better manage distribution and consumers can look for savings by doing some chores when energy is cheaper, like at night." (WSJ.com) You know a good concept, but according to Boss Limbaugh, it is another attempt at Orwellism/Socialism/Communism/any other -ism he can through at President Obama.

He finished the final hour as he began it with yet another sexist remark saying, "[Y]et, his approval numbers anywhere from 57 to 65, depending on where you look." According to Boss Limbaugh, "What are we to conclude? They know he's lying through his teeth, and they still support him. It just means this -- what women have always known: 'Cheat on me, just don't tell me about it.' "

Actuallity - Again I have to watch myself from getting to worked up over this, it would be stupid of me to get bad karma by covering and exposing the lies of Boss Limbaugh. Anyone with any kind of decency wouldn't say anything sexist like Boss Limbaugh said, let alone having the final hour of his radio show basically full of sexist remarks. This goes beyond me being a Pagan, this goes to the core of being a human. Sexism is wrong. In my opinion sexism is right up there with racism. They are two of the stupidest things that someone can think. They are completely ignorant, and just plain evil. It saddens me that this man gets so much press coverage when he makes remarks like this, but there has got to be someone somewhere to keep people like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck in check. There has got to be someone who tells people about their lies that they spew on a daily basis.

Anyways, expect more later tonight. I don't have anything going on tonight, and will be finding other stories as I surf the internet tonight. I hope that the next post will be something a little bit more upbeat, a little bit more happy. Expect something along the Pagan/Wiccan front.

LibPagan

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cantor Watched Britney Spears Concert During Obama Presser, Landrieu Denies Rumors

Cantor Watched Britney Spears Concert During Obama Presser, Landrieu Denies Rumors

Posted using ShareThis

Media Matters

Following is a link to a great site, and one that I am going to be getting some of the information I use on this blog, MediaMatters. It is a site that uses the right wing smear machine's own words against them. I love the site, and if you are reading this I think that would will also.

Enjoy,

LibPagan

Welcome

Hello Everyone I am LibPagan. I am going to basically be going over exactly what I am going to be doing here on this blog. I will be covering the national media. I will tell you right now, I am a Progressive. I will also be covering different stories that I find throughout the day that may have to do with modern day Paganism/Wicca.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way here's a little bit more about me. I am 20 years old, currently enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, and hate every moment of it. Ever since I have been able to register to vote I have been a registered Green Party member, I think that comes from my paganism. I joined the Marine Corps to "get out and see the world", well, the only place I have really seen in the desert in Twentynine Palms, CA. I love it out here though. I have a lot of free time to be able to post here on this blog, and even more time to be able to sit online and read about the right wing smear machine. I have been interested into Paganism for about 6-7 years now, and have been a practicing "witch" for about the last 5. I am not part of any tradition. I would view myself more as a Wiccan really that anything else. Anyways, great to have you a long for this ride, and enjoy every moment of it because I know that I will.