Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go..................................


Number Five:  Shawn Porter, a 32 year old Volusia County, FL man recently arrested for ordering marijuana at a Burger King drive through. 
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Porter and another man drove up to the Burger King on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona about 10:30 p.m. and said they wanted a "blunt and some herbs" -- slang terms for marijuana.  The cashier said she could smell marijuana coming from the car, so she jotted down the vehicle's tag number and description and called the Sheriff's Office.

Man Arrested For Ordering Weed At A Burger King Drive Through

Talk about having it "your way".  Hey, man, can I get a Whopper meal and......................uh......................a dime bag of grass?  Unbelievable.

Number Four:  Oakland Raiders linebacker Roland McClain arrested for all sorts of assault charges, with the kicker being that he held a handgun next to a man's head and fired it off right next to his ear. Along with that, McClain was arrested for discharging a firearm inside city limits, third-degree assault, menacing and reckless endangerment after being given time off by the team to attend his grandfather's funeral. 

The San Francisco Chronicle has the details ...

The victim, whose name was not released, told police that he got into a fight with Jerradius Willingham Wednesday night. The victim told police who had responded to the call that he crawled to his car after the fight, and then McClain put a gun to his head while he was lying on the ground, police said.
"The victim reported that he begged McClain not to shoot him," a police news release said, "and that McClain took the gun away from his head, held it next to his ear and fired it."

Raider Linebacker Arrested On Gun Charges

First, a Doug Disclaimer.....................I am a HUGE Oakland Raiders fan and have been since early childhood.  That being said, this type of behavior is abominable!!!  McClain is being paid a king's ransom to play a boys game, and he acts in this type of way?  I grow increasingly annoyed with professional athletes, especially NFL and NBA player, who seem to think that they are above the law.  You are grown men, making huge sums of money, living in posh homes, and driving exclusive cars.  You aren't gangsters.  Grow up, and act like the adults you supposedly are.

Number Three:  An unidentified Franklin County, PA man who robbed a wheelchair bound Salvation Army bell ringer. 

Bell Ringer In Wheelchair Robbed

come under fire for failing to properly discipline the other players who were allegedly involved; the Eagle-Tribune reported on Tuesday that two of the players who have been accused of leading the hazing incident were allowed to try out for the basketball team on Monday, an act which would directly contravene Andov
You read it correctly, friends. This twatwaffle stole a donation kettle from a wheelchair bound bell ringer. A. Wheelchair. Bound. Bell. Ringer. I realize that all of the dirtbags come out of the woodwork during this time of year, but this is a new low, isn't it?

Number Two: David Fazio head coach of the Andover (MA) high school basketball team, some of whom's members have been implicated in a disgusting hazing incident last summer.
According to the Andover Eagle-Tribune, two of the team's younger players were coaxed into participating in a "game" called ookie cookie, where one of the players was forced to eat an Oreo cookie covered in semen. One of the students who reported the incident was among the two forced to play the game, while the other who was hazed has reportedly transferred to another school.
The Andover head basketball coach, Fazio, allegedly reported the incident as soon as he learned of it, alerting authorities as early as Nov. 11 of a potential hazing within his team. Still, he has since er Public School policy which alleges that all students involved in hazing will face levels of discipline that vary from suspension to expulsion.

Basketball Hazing Incident Sparks Outrage

What the hell should I say about this, friends and frenemies?  It is sick.  It is twisted,  It is demented.  Whatever happened to making the freshmen wash the upperclassman's jocks?  Things that used to be relatively innocent have morphed into repulsive things like this.  I just don't understand it.

Number One:  A small Kentucky church has chosen to ban marriages and even some worship services for interracial couples. The Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, located in Pike County, made the vote in response to a longtime member who is engaged to a man whose birthplace is in Zimbabwe,    The small congregation, which usually hosts about 40 members each Sunday, held the vote after longtime member Stella Harville, brought her fiancé Ticha Chikuni to church with her in June. The couple performed a song together at the church in which Chikuni sang "I Surrender All," while Harville played the piano.  Chikuni, 29, who works at Georgetown College, is black--and Harville, who was baptized at the church but is not an active member, is white. Dean Harville, Stella's father, said he was told by the church's former pastor Melvin Thompson that his daughter and her fiancé were not allowed to sing at the church again. However, Thompson recently stepped down and the church's new pastor, Stacy Stepp, said the couple was once again welcome to sing.

Kentucky Church Bans Interracial Marriage

I say it week in and week out......................  I don't make this stuff up.  I just report it.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Another Bullied Teen Dead

Well, dear readers, I have been on a bit of a self-imposed hiatus due to the death of my father as well as having to devote a great deal of time to my studies.  However, a recent tragedy in my home state of Indiana has prompted me to speak out again.  It is my intention, at this point, to add new posts to this site at least three times per week for the foreseeable future.

In October of 2010, fourteen year old Jamarcus "Marcus" Bell hung himself after enduring constant taunts about his race, his perceived homosexuality, and his emotional problems.  As you will see from the attached links, there were many issues that need to addressed here.

Indiana Teens Suicide Raises Questions About Bullying

Did School District Miss Bullied Teen's Cries For Help?

Superintendent Says School Acted To Prevent Bullying

Folks, here is another teen who was mercilessly tormented by his classmates.  And why?  Because he was black?  Because he was assumed to be gay?  Because he had mental health issues?  A combination thereof?  Why do any of these things matter?

I am not even going to address whether the school district can be held culpable in this young man's death.  I shall leave that up to the attorneys.  Instead, I should like to address the issue of bullying those perceived to be "different" or "weak".

I realize this is a long time problem.  I myself was bullied from time to time, especially during my middle school years.  Yes, I was a bit of a nerd, but that didn't justify the behavior of the bullies.  The result of my boorish treatment is the strong, opinionated, confident person that I am today.  Fortunately, I had a core group of really good friends that served as a support network for me.  Unlike young Mr. Bell, I never considered suicide, but that doesn't mean that the emotional pain wasn't real.

My question, dear readers, is this.  Why do people (and make no mistake about it, this type of behavior is NOT isolated to teenagers) behave like this?  If they are so ignorant and immature that they have issues with minorities, gays, bookworms, and so on, why can't they just be left alone?  Why must certain groups be singled out for torment and harassment?  Are the bullies so emotionally and mentally weak that they have to somehow redeem themselves by pouring milk all over the girl who is "too school for cool's" lunch tray?  Do they have to prove their worth by throwing pieces of metal at a black kid, who may or may not have been gay, as they did to Jamarcus Bell?  Must they hurl insults and slurs at those who they think are inferior to them?

Why does this continue, and, more importantly, why aren't concrete steps being taken to stop it?  In the age old question, where are the parents?  Yes, teachers and school administrators can play a huge role in preventing the next Jamarcus Bell, but children are conditioned by their parents to behave in certain ways.  Why don't parents and other responsible adults intervene when they observe bullying, and why aren't cases of bullying investigated more thoroughly?  As you read in the attached articles, Jamarcus Bell endured years of bullying, yet virtually nothing was done to stop, and punish, the bullies. 

This is my plea to the responsible adults and teenagers out there.  First, make a pledge to not engage in this type of behavior yourself.  Also, if you witness bullying, step in to stop it, even if your own child is engaging in bullying.  Take all reports of bullying seriously.  Don't just accept bullying as a rite of passage.  I guess in a nutshell what I am asking you to do is stand up to bullying in all of its forms.  Will you stand with me against this scourge on society?  I sincerely hope you will.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go.....................................

Number Five:  Green Bay Packers linebacker AJ Hawk who took it upon himself to display his middle finger toward his own bench after sacking St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford last Sunday.

Hawk Flies The Bird

On the other hand, was it an obscene gesture?  It could also equal the number of sacks Hawk has had in the past two years.

Number Four:  Chivas midfielder, Marco Fabian, who after scoring his third goal in a 5-2 win over Tecos in a Mexican Premiere Division football (soccer) match, staged a mock execution of teammate Alberto Medina in "celebration". 

Marco Fabian Stages A Mock Execution To Celebrate A Goal

While this action would not be funny or acceptable anywhere, in a nation that suffered 15,000 recorded murders last year, it is unconscionable.

Number Three:  Susan Sarandon who recently referred to Pope Benedict XVI as a "Nazi".

Susan Sarandon Calls The Pope "Nazi"

You know, folks, I do advocate for freedom of expression, and Ms. Sarandon has every right in the world to call the pope, or any of the rest of us, anything she likes.  However, my concern is that the careless use of Nazi allegations, accusations, and analogies serves to lessen the horror the Third Reich and the Holocaust. 

Number Two:  Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, who has been charged with two counts of domestic assault.  Details of Cook's arrest are not currently available.

Vikings CB Charged With Domestic Assault

I hate to be too accusatory about this when the man has just been charged, but he is being held without bail.  I can only assume the incident was serious in order to warrant that type of action by the judge.  So.................I've said it before, and I'll say it again.................  NEVER, EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON A WOMAN OR A CHILD IN ANGER!!!!!!!!!

Number One:  We have a three way tie for the top spot of dishonor this week, friends.  The top twatwaffles in this installment are:  Thomas Gregory, 47, Eddie Wright, 49, and Linda Ann Weston, 51 of Philadelphia, who are alleged to have held four mentally disabled people in a filthy basement with no food and a bucket for a toilet.  It is thought that the captives' social security checks were being stolen by the alleged perpetrators.  The crime is now thought to extend well beyond the City of Philadelphia.

Mentally Disabled Held In Dungeon

Anyone who reads this column, knows me personally, or both will attest to the fact that one of my biggest causes, along with gay rights and first amendment issues, is the exploitation of the weak by the strong.  This case is textbook example of just that, and I find it utterly repulsive. 

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Pat Robertson Promotes Lies About Mental Illness

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand why Pat Robertson insists on telling the same old lies about mental illness, specifically depression. News reports today discussed a large increase in the use of antidepressant medication in the United States.

Large Upswing In Anti-Depressant Use In America

Is this good news or bad?  Is this healthy?  Well, those would be logical question to ask, and one would hope that a fact based thoughtful discussion would ensue.  It would seem that "fact based" and "logical" are beyond Robertson's grasp. 

Observe:

Robertson Blame Rise In Antidepressant Use On People Not Believing In God

Where shall we begin?

Lie:  We will take a Prozac and share a "happy moment".

Fact:  Antidepressants are not "happy pills".  Antidepressants effect brain chemicals, specifically serotonin and norepinephrine, in order to assist people suffering from depression from experiencing the severe, persistent low moods and sadness that can be crippling enough to affect the person's ability to function in both personal and work settings.  They do not prevent normal sadness and anger.  They do not prevent a person from feeling anything at all, and they most assuredly are NOT happy pills.

Lie:  The message is "stay stoned".

Fact:  One does not get "stoned" on antidepressants.  They do not have intoxicating effects.  They are not narcotics, nor are they street drugs or alcohol.  When they are prescribed, it is to build them to a therapeutic level in order to achieve the desired outcome as outlined above.

Side Note:  "What are some other antidepressants?  I don't know." 

You obviously don't know anything about depression or the medications used to treat it either.

Lie:  Having "blessings" is a reason not to suffer from depression.

Fact:  Depression, nay, mental illness as a whole, affects people from all walks of life from all around the world.  One can realize that one has a good life and still be depressed.  Depression is not flawed thinking, nor is it a refusal to understand that one has positive things in one's life.  Indeed, it is an imbalance in chemicals within the brain.  It is oblivious as to whom it afflicts.

Lie:  To paraphrase, if you don't have God in your life, you have no hope; and that is what leads to depression.

Fact:  Mental illness does not care if one is pious, a heathen, or something in between.  The most devout can suffer from mental illness just as the most ardent non-believers.  Wealth, social status, education, religious affiliation, gender, race, sexual orientation, or anything else of this nature has no bearing on the likelihood of having a mental disorder.  No one suggests that cancer strikes those who don't believe in God more that those who do because it doesn't.  Mental illness is exactly the same.

Lie:  "They use this term 'self-medicating'".

Fact:  Self-medicating occurs when someone uses a substance (ie alcohol or OTC medication) to try to alter the way one feels.  One gets antidepressants by prescription only.  By definition, this is NOT self-medication.

Friends, mental illness has, for hundreds of years, carried a stigma.  The mentally ill were thought to be possessed by Satan or demons.  They were locked into what were essentially dungeons and subjected to unspeakable abuse and maltreatment.  They were subjected to ice baths, shock treatments, straitjackets, isolation, lobotomies, and inhumane restraints.  The mentally ill were thought to be morally weak or criminal.  They were thought to merely be seeking attention or using "insanity" as an excuse to commit offenses against society.

Mental illness is no different from physical illness.  It strikes without warning.  It doesn't care about your lot in life.  It is not a source of shame or embarrassment.  It is not an effort to seek attention or an excuse for bad behavior.  It is an illness.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Sadly, Robertson's comments only go to further the stigma and negative baseless stereotypes.  His remarks could be dismissed on face value if he did not have thousands of followers who believe his every word, no matter how inane.  We must treat the mentally ill with unconditional positive regard.  We must not believe the nonsense that is being promoted by Pat Robertson.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Limbaugh Shows His Ignorance Again

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand how Rush Limbaugh can continue to show his ignorance of the world around him, but continues to have untold thousands of followers.  I present for your approval the latest example. 

Recently, President Obama ordered 100 US troops into Central Africa for the express purpose of assisting in the capture of the Lord's Resistance Army's (LRA) leader Joseph Kony. 

US Troops To Assist In Seeking LRA Leader Kony

The LRA is well known for committing atrocities such as mass murder, mutilation, rape as a weapon, and conscripting child soldiers in and around Uganda for well over 20 years.

LRA Background

Here are some examples of their handiwork:

For the record, these were some of the less graphic images available.

It would seem that the LRA and their barbarousness are well known to everyone except Limbaugh as he defended the LRA and essentially told his listeners that President Obama was sending troops to Africa to "kill Christians". 

Limbaugh Defends LRA

Limbaugh Listeners Defend LRA

Really, Rush?  Are you so clueless about what is happening in Africa that you actually believe what you said, or you just that desperate to disparage President Obama, who really doesn't need any help in looking badly of late?  Yes, the LRA professes to be Christian, just like al Qaida profess to be Muslim, but neither is a true representation of their respective faiths.  Are you so blind to what is actually happening in Central Africa that you use this issue to unjustly criticize the president?  Are your listeners so clueless that they believe the nonsense that you spewed over this matter? 


Perhaps, Rush, a better thing to do would have been to explain to your audience that the LRA is not representative of Christianity, that they are criminals and barbarians, and that as the moral compass that we fancy ourselves, America should play a role in eradicating this vermin from the planet.  There is a time and a place for partisan politics, but this is not it.


Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.

Remembering Dan Wheldon

As most of you know, two time Indianapolis 500 champion, Dan Wheldon was killed in a horrific crash during the IndyCar Las Vegas 300 on Sunday. 

Dan Wheldon Dies In Fiery IndyCar Crash

Dan Wheldon Remembered

True race fans are fully aware of the danger inherent to the sport.  For the record, by "true race fans", I am not referring to those who attend the Indy 500 for no reasons but to see how much beer they can drink and how obnoxious they can be.  Indeed, I am referring to those of us who attend races, watch races on television, follow the championships, and who know and respect the drivers.  Despite the massive improvements in safety over the past 30 to 35 years that I have followed this sport, the risks involved in strapping oneself into a guided missile with wheels, some of which are capable of speeds in excess of 300 mph (483 km/h), are always in the back of everyone's minds from the fans to the crew members to the officials to the drivers themselves.

That being said, events like those that took Dan from us far too soon are still shocking and sobering.  I read a clip earlier that said "Everyone in IndyCar died a little with Dan".  Dare I take this sentiment further and say that every race fan worldwide died a little bit as well?  The world of motorsport is a little darker, and it was a black day indeed.

As for me, I cheered Wheldon when he took car owner Michael Andretti to Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  It was the first time an Andretti had been in Victory Lane since 1969, and Wheldon went on the win the IRL championship this season.  I rooted against him when he drove for rival Chip Ganassi, but the respect and admiration never waned. I cheered him again when he captured his second Indy 500 this May. He raced hard.  He raced clean.  In a sport known for prima dona drivers and cookie cutter interviews, Wheldon was a breath of fresh air and a man who always  took time to genuinely interact with fans, myself included.  He was a class act.

Racing lost a true champion and a good man.  A young family lost its husband and father.

Dan, please give our love and respect to Ayrton, Roland, Gilles, Mark, Ricardo, Wolfgang, Gordon, Jovy, Scott, Jeff, Greg, Tony, Paul, Bill, Pat, Eddie, Swede, Jerry, Adam, Clifford, Dale, Kenny, Neil, Davey, and countless others.  Like them, you will be missed, but never forgotten.  Rest In Peace, Dan Wheldon.

Godspeed.

Twatwaffles Of The Week

And away we go..................................

Number Five:  An unidentified Eastern European man who decided he would get out of a speeding ticket by claiming police brutality after punching himself in the face.

Man Claims Police Brutality After Punching Himself

There was only one problem with this brilliant plan.  He was being video taped while sitting in the police cruiser.  Utterly amazing.

Number Four:  An unidentified man who repeatedly stabbed a New Haven, CT tattoo artist because the assailant was unhappy was the work the tattoo artist did on his girlfriend.  The tattoo artist escaped and was treated for minor injuries.

Tattoo Artist Stabbed Over Alleged Shoddy Work

I know that tattoos are supposedly forever, but so are lengthy prison sentences.  Perhaps a better plan of action would have been to sue the artist for the money to pay for a cover tattoo from another artist versus trying to kill the guy.  Just a thought......................

Number Three:  Catholic Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese, who along with the diocese itself, have been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of failure to report suspected child abuse by a priest.  The prosecution alleges that Finn "had reasonable cause to suspect a child may be subjected to abuse" by Father Shawn Ratigan, a priest from Independence, Missouri, who was indicted in August on 13 counts related to child pornography. Finn "had reasonable cause to suspect a child may be subjected to abuse due to previous knowledge of concerns about Father Ratigan and children".  The reasonable cause allegedly includes pornographic photos of underage females.

Kansas City Bishop Indicted On Child Endangerment Charges

You know, the faithful often say that they separate their religion from the flawed humans who practice it, and that does make sense.  That being said, how does a man of the cloth rationalize having this type of knowledge about a member of his diocese and not notifying the authorities?  The Catholic Church has taken a well deserved savage beating over this issue during the past several years, and this is one more blow.  Disgraceful.

Number Two:  We have a tie for number two on the dishonor roll this week, folks:   Ausar Allah-El and Serenity Sol-El who were recently arrested in New Orleans on charges relating to abducting their now five year old son two years ago after losing custody of him in Los Angeles.  The boy was found undernourished and weighing 38 pounds, Los Angeles County authorities said Tuesday.  He and his parents are believed to have been living on the streets in New Orleans.

Five Year Old CA Boy Found Malnourished Two Years After Abduction

The parents had lost custody of their son after Los Angeles County officials made "repeated attempts" to help the parents care for their son and found the boy suffering "from numerous medical conditions that could have been prevented with the proper care and medication," the statement said.

"His parents refused to provide the child with necessary medical appointments, dental exams, occupational therapists and ophthalmology appointments," the statement said.

Asked why the parents allegedly did this, Parker said, "Apparently, they have some type of belief that affects what they feed him and what type of medical care that they will allow him to receive."

Ladies and gentlemen, my view is that freedom to believe what you like ends when you endanger your child.  Agreed?

Number One:  Charlie Post, 33, of Lower Burrell, PA, who gunned down police Patrolman Derek Kotecki outside a local Diary Queen.  Kotecki was dispatched to the area to apprehend Post after he fired shots at his boss at a local motel earlier this month.  Post was also killed in the incident, but it is unclear if he took his own life or was killed by responding officers.

Police Officer Killed Outside Dairy Queen

It sounds like the shooter had mental health issues, and that certainly needs to be taken into consideration.  However, there is nothing more tragic that a public servant losing his life in the line of duty.  Please keep the officer's family and friends in your thoughts.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.