Several things I feel like saying

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Item 1: Losing My Religion

Section A:

Video of law enforcement officers shooting a homeless camper in New Mexico has made the rounds of the talks shows (I guess), the Internet and certainly some "Christian news" outlets. There's my issue.

These "Christian" media sources have no problem in showing a video in which a real man is shot with real guns and dies a real death. Regardless of the expressed opinion, if there is one, these media outlets are showing a very real death.

Kids see this.

And yet, seeing a video of two people having sex is harmful, degrading, evil, destructive, ruinous, dangerous and will lead to all kinds of immoral and illegal behavior.

Section B:

Pat Robertson has suggested that atheist women were possibly raped or otherwise attacked and now have demonic forces driving them away from God.

I guess he forgot about that whole "Free Will" thing.

Conclusion: If I relied on man for my faith in my Creator, I'd be a rabid anti-theist.

Item 2: Freedom Reigns, just sometimes reigned in.

Section A:

Hobby Lobby is suing to prevent the Abominable Care Act from forcing the company to provide abortion services as part of the health care plan. Company owners say it violates their religious principles. In SCOTUS hearings this week, the Supremes seemed to come down hard against the ACA and in support of Hobby Lobby et al.

Given a lot of thought to this.

As an employer, I expect certain behavior from my employees. As long as what they do in their off time does not affect their job and how they do their job, I don't care what they do. In that regard, their health insurance is their business.

As an employer, whatever I provide to my employees should be something I control. I control the wages. I control the climate in the office. I control the building. I control the tools they use to do their job. While on the job, I control my employees, i.e. they do what I tell 'em. If they don't like my instructions, they can find another job.

In short, if I pay for it, I control it. If I am being forced to provide, out of my pocket, health care coverage (and I hugely object to this), then I should have the right to decide what that coverage is.

If the employees wish to pay for their own health care coverage from their pocket, I don't have a say in what they get for such insurance. They can get whatever they want.

Section B:

It appears Russia and the US are headed to talks over Crimea. The current US liar in chief and President Putin (every time I hear his name I say POOOOOTIN'!)  are at odds over this.

Every time I hear this argument over Crimea I think of Adolf Hitler and these words penned more than 200 years ago: "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Conclusion: Individual rights are the most important.

Item: Twisting A Chain Of Logic

Section A:

MA posted a challenge on her FB page. To wit: If anyone can prove pink unicorns do not exist, she can use that same chain of logic and reasoning to prove God does not exist. I replied that as soon as I figure out how to visit other dimensions (which SCIENCE! says exists) and manage to send back an intelligible report, I'll let her know.

In the shower last night I figured out a way to prove invisible pink unicorns do exist. Empirically prove it.

Here's how:

Invisible. Find a person blind since birth. Since they cannot see, everything is invisible to them.

Pink. As the person can't see, colors are a moot point. But for this experiment, get a bucket of pink paint.

Unicorn. Get a Rhinoceros unicornis.

Dump paint on rhino. Introduce rhino to the blind person. HUZZAH! Proof an invisible pink unicorn can exist.

Section B:

This year's $1000 Find the Ant contest has reinforced, in me, the fact that most people cannot communicate unless that put massive thought into it. Because of this and if the ant is not found by Friday, I'm thinking about letting the ant hunters ask me a question. Normally hunters get to have a clue explained OR get a new clue by Friday.

As quite a number of the ant hunters apparently don't pay attention to what I say, I like the idea of them asking a question because I pay VERY close attention to what they say. I can just imagine the consternation Friday when someone asks:

"Will you tell me where the ant is?"

To which, I reply, "Yes," and walk away because the question was answered and they have an hour before they get to choose another hint, explanation or clue.