Here be NERDS

JCPenny, you’re doing it right

In contrast to the horrible from earlier today, check out this fantastic Father’s Day ad from JCPenny featuring two real life, non-demonic gay dads:

Read the whole deal at Joe. My. God.

Apostolic Truth Tabernacle stomps over the line of human decency

After watching this hateful video, recorded at the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Indiana, I feel so much rage that I’m about ready to explode. If you haven’t seen it: 

I wasn’t able to make it past the 0:23 mark (right about when the crowd starts cheering). Even though religious hatred towards the LGBT community is nothing new, this here is a new level of awful. There’s few things that will make my rage face explode more than using some poor kid, who’s too young to know what he’s saying, as a mouthpiece for intolerance and hatred. God help the poor kid if he turns out to be gay. God help his friends if any of THEM turn out to be gay.

I actually wrote the ATT an e-mail (using their online contact form) after encouragement from Dan Savage on the Slog. Here’s what I had to say:

Dear sir or madam,

I recently viewed this video from your church: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iRNbC-aSFLc

I am shocked and appalled that you allow this conduct to go on in your church. You are spreading hate and intolerance with these actions. What’s even worse is that you’re sending the poor gay kids in your community - kids who never chose to be the way they are, and have done nothing and WILL do nothing to hurt you - a very clear message: you’re going to hell, and we couldn’t be happier about that.

I cannot believe that followers of Christ would allow such awful things to be said and celebrated in God’s house. Jesus preached tolerance and compassion. What’s in that video isn’t spreading the word and love of God, it’s preaching hate and loathing to a group of people who are in no way a threat to your, your congregation, or the word of God. 

You’re giving Christians everywhere a bad name with your intolerance and bigotry. You should be ashamed of your conduct, and you should know that good Christians are feeling ashamed to be affiliated with you. May God have mercy on your souls.

I encourage you all to do the same.

And to be clear, I don’t have a problem with Christians, or religious folks in general. I have a problem with bigots and assholes using their faith as a shield for their intolerance and hatred. 

/rant

This is a video interview of three women who were meth addicts, and are now sober. It’s a companion piece to an four-part series by Rosette Royale, called the “Gravity of Abuse.” 

Here’s an excerpt:

Anywhere. He could be anywhere.

Around the corner of the apartment building where they live. Across the street at the construction site where he works. At the nearby bar where he sometimes goes for a beer. She looks around, nervous. What if he sees her?

But she can’t wait. Not anymore. She tightens her grip on the baby stroller and heads off into the night.

She has a plan: make it three blocks, to the shelter for women and children. Borrow someone’s cell phone, call 911. She tried to dial the number back at the apartment, but he yanked the phone out of her hands and broke it to pieces.

She zooms the stroller down the sidewalk of South Othello Street, heading west toward Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, a busy intersection in a diverse, yet gentrifying, south Seattle neighborhood. On her right, an abandoned lot and taco truck, on her left, an unfinished luxury apartment complex. By this time of evening, heading on midnight, hardly a car drives by; the light rail station sits empty. She’s all alone.

Read the full text of Chapter One: Honeymoon Phase.

Friday Battle Jams: “Immigrant Song”

We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!

Sweet Siren Voices

Confession: I adore the Wailin’ Jennys. 

On those dark shitty days, the Wailin’ Jennys remind me of what’s good and beautiful in the world. Have a listen, and see if you don’t agree. 

Brilliant: ‘Gendered Marketing Really Gets On My Tits’

As we all know, life as a women is spent mostly worrying about being bloated, and shoving endless tubs of yoghurt into our faces in an effort to remove said bloat. Women bloody love yoghurt. Other things women bloody love: salad, ryvita, muesli.  The only things that make our banal existence worthwhile are grabbing a glass of chardonnay with The Girls, and that secret bar of Galaxy chocolate we’ve got stashed away in our secret hiding place.  You know, the one we like to take out & felate from time to time.

But sometimes I think advertising marketed at men is even more patronising than advertising marketed at women.  Every single product consumed has to somehow be a tiresome test of your masculinity. CAN YOU EAT THIS THING EVEN THOUGH IT’S FUCKING MASSIVE?? CAN YOU LIFT THIS THING EVEN THOUGH IT’S IRRITATINGLY CUMBERSOME?? HOW MANY BLADES DOES YOUR RAZOR HAVE??? ONLY FOUR?! WHAT A WUSS, MINE HAS SEVENTEEN. (Read on)

Gendered Marketing Really Gets On My Tits

source: Reddit.com