What Do You Get The Man Who Has Everything?

What do you give the man who has everything?

You let him shoot you in the face and then apologize on television for inconveniencing him.

(I need to look that up. Did that happen on or around Dick's birthday? Interesting theory. Christ, I'm clever.)

I know, it's old news, but fuck, some things just never stop being funny.

Digging His Own Grave

Right now, I'm listening to a live stream of Scott Roeder's murder trial.

If you didn't know, Roeder is the domestic terrorist who shot Dr. George Tiller in his church last May.

First, the judge ruled that Phill Kline could not testify for the defense. He said that he would allow Roeder to argue his beliefs as motive but that he would not let a public figure lend credibility to those beliefs.

Good goddamn ruling, judge.

Then came the opening statement from the defense.

I could not believe that I was listening to Roeder's attorney and not the prosecutor. He talked about how Roeder stalked Tiller.

He described how Roeder had to kill Tiller at his church because he had no other option since Tiller's clinic and home had security.

Now, Roeder is on the stand himself, digging his own fucking grave.

Rot and choke on a dick. I'm going back to listen to more.

Holy shit he just said that he asked Jesus into his heart watching the 700 Club. This, of course comes as no surprise.

Dr. Tiller, once again, thank you for the lives you saved and sleep well.

37 Years And Countless Lives Saved

This picture isn't the best, but the purple wristband says "Trust Women 5-31-09" That was the day that Dr. George Tiller , a woman's health care provider was assassinated in his church. It's funny that the trial of his killer starts on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Thirty-seven years ago today, the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion. They ruled that the forth amendment's guarantee of privacy extended to what happened between a woman and her doctor.

Since then the attacks on that ruling have been relentless. What's at stake isn't just a woman's right not only to choose, but the right to make this choice in the only place it should be made: a doctor's office.

Regulations meant to subvert Roe have made abortion all but inaccessible in some parts of the country.

A reported rise in treatment for girls who have tried 'do-it-yourself' abortions that have gone wrong has gone up alarmingly.

This fight is far from over. Roe was only the first step and it is far too early to celebrate.

We are pro-choice because we are the ones who respect the sanctity of life.

Grief and Low

Last July, the night after I got back from my grandma's funeral, Low was playing at the Record Bar in Westport. I know I already mentioned this in the tag of my last post, but I'm doing a whole other post now.

Anyway, standing by myself at the back of the bar, listening to Mimi Parker was the most healing thing I could imagine.

This seems timely because a couple of my friends lost loved ones this week. I love you guys and I'll see you when you get back.

Pigs Are Pigs Are Pigs Even North Of The Border

And for the record, we black out the faces of victims, not perpetrators. Suspects aren't entitled to anonymity even if they are cops.

We'll see if we can do some research and find mug shots and names for the pigs responsible for this girl's death.

Ashley, I'm so sorry. Sleep well.

And in case anybody cares, I'm listening to Long Division by Low.

I saw Low at the Record Bar the night I got back from my grandma's funeral this summer and for some reason, it was the most comforting thing in the world.

The capacity of music to soothe grief is amazing.

At 35, I thought I had lost the ability to be surprised by things like that.

Goddamn Mongols! More Civil Than The Lone Star State

Mongolian's President Tsakhia Elbegdorj has suspended his country's death penalty, which makes him officially more progressive than Rick Perry.

President Elbegdorjsaid that continuing to execute people degrades a country's dignity.

In his first year as President, Elbegdorj has already commuted the sentences of three men sentenced to die.

This is not a complete victory, however. Elbegdorjsaid has suspended the death penalty. He has yet to abolish it altogether.

Roseann Rife, a spokesperson for Amnesty International said that, "It's a very important first step towards abolishment. he mentioned in his speech that while this is an important step for him, the country also has to then move forward to implementing its laws to make sure it becomes fully abolished in law as well."

To give you an idea, world-wide what countries still use the death penalty, the breakdown looks something like this.

Last year, Mongolia executed one person.

China executed more than 1,700.The United States executed 111 people.

North Korea executed 15.

Fuck, it looks like North Korea is more humane than Texas, too.

By the way, the state of Kansas is talking about suspending the death penalty because it costs too much. We are talking about the state murdering people and the only way people are willing to consider putting an end to it is to help the economy.

I know I sound cynical and smart-ass much of the time, but in all seriousness, that simply breaks my heart.

Willing To Torture

No surprise, it's now a scientific fact. We just can't goddamn wait to torture people.



A Psychology Professor at Santa Clara University has repeated the Milgram Experiment of the sixties. Remember that?

That was where the subject was told to push a button that would shock a person for every wrong answer they gave to a test.

The goal of the experiment was to find out whether people were willing to go against their conscience and inflict pain on another person because they were told to.

Of course they were.

At 150 Volts, the subject hears reactions like, “My heart is starting to bother me,” and “Let me out.”

At this point, 70 percent of the subjects were willing to continue administering the shocks.

In my opinion, and the good professor said this too, the difference between the seven and the three was accountability.

If you're being told to do something, you can defer the responsibility. You're not the bad guy.

It was a test. The scientist told me to do it. The University told me to do it. It's a study. It must be okay. I'm just a guy pushing the buttons. Surely the people running the test know better than I do.

Only three out of ten will say, "No. I'm ultimately accountable for what I do and fuck you but no."

The study ended just before the electricity reached lethal levels because the administrators just didn't want to know what percent of the population at large was willing to kill somebody just because they were told to.

Start with an unfamiliar and surreal situation, like war and throw in amoral, sociopathic leadership.

Then the bad behavior increases in small increments. Before you know it, you have a generation of monsters.

This sheds very sad light on situations like Abu Grahaib, what continues to happen at Guantanamo Bay, and the actions of the seven sexual predators with badges and guns working for Sheriff Tim Swanson of Stark County, Ohio.

This explains how police officers can act like sociopaths and then go home, play with their kids and sleep like babies at night.

When the atrocities you commit are 'on the clock,' there is disassociation. You're not the one doing it. It's your job and you're just a tool.

Just like the people in the study pushing the button. It's just how the test is run. Surely they wouldn't have you shocking people while they screamed and sobbed for help if they didn't know that it was all okay.

That responsibility, the determining between right and wrong belongs to those above us, not to us ordinary people. That's the dangerous mindset that we have been lulled into.

That is what religion, our education system and our government have drilled into us. There are rules that we follow even if it means ignoring our conscience.

And don't forget human nature. We have to come to terms with the fact that each of us, every single puppy-loving, 'i'-dotting-with-a-heart, cutie pie, 'Hello Kittie' backpack wearing, outwardly innocent, quilted flowered Bible cover toting one of us has a sadistic streak. Without exception.

Science prov es it. 70 percent of the population are willing to torture someone else.

Ultimately, the people who consider themselves accountable for their actions are more likely to do what is right.

But those who blame the situation or their circumstances, making it easy to defer that responsibility, can and do commit abuses. Orders or no, we do what we do. And we are responsible.

And if anyone cares, I'm listening to:

Politically Motivated Swift Action & My Favorite Muppet Made Out Of Meat

Rush Limbaugh has said that President Obama's quick response to the tragedy in Haiti is politically motivated.To be fair, Limbaugh's ideal President is one who lets people drown and starve and fester and die of thirst for days and days before sending any help at all, so he's not really used to efficiency.

Rush, you are clearly the product of the sloppy seconds of a man with down syndrome sneaking into the window and having a good 'yee-haw' with your sleeping mom while your dad went out for a post-coital Slurpee.

Did they have 7-11s back then?

Anyway, Rush, I know you'll want to point out how the left pretends to be all sensitive and tolerant and here I am making light of the mentally challenged.

I also know that pretending to be indignant is your favorite thing in the world. So consider that my gift to you.

Your mother sucks cocks in hell,

Joshua Lucht

P.S. If I haven't already banned you from the BatCave, consider yourself out of the club. We don't want you playing our afterlife reindeer games.

I'm Rod Jetton, Bitch

Rod Jetton's attorney made a good call today when he appeared in court in his client's place to enter a not guilty plea.

The last time Jetton made an appearance, he wore a hoodie with the words, "Jetton-gotta-keep-his-ho's-in-check," and moved that all charges be dropped on the grounds that, "safe words are for fags."

Study: 2,002 suspects died in police custody over 3 years; half were killed by officers | SouthCoastToday.com

Study: 2,002 suspects died in police custody over 3 years; half were killed by officers SouthCoastToday.com

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