Dec

31

Evangelical Minister Rick Warren is Begging for Money

Posted on December 31, 2009 at 3:03 am by Madrigal Maniac Under National | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


This from an AP article in The New York Times.

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren who gave the invocation at Obama’s inauguration is begging parishioners at his Southern California megachurch to cough up $900,000 before Jan. 1 to keep the parish out of the red…

… He asks parishioners to donate before the new year to keep the Orange County church out of debt…

… A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release financial details, so it’s difficult to put the $900,000 shortfall in context.

Two thoughts come to mind.

One. You have a megachurch that is in Orange County. A megachurch in a county that is one of the most affluent in the country. Why would you need money?

Second. Your asking for 900,000 dollars but you will not release your financial records. I’m sorry, but if I am a parishioner or just a supporter I want to see where the money has been spent before I pony up.

Maybe the church is in financial trouble due to Bush fighting two wars while giving the country a tax break. A tax break that largely benefited people like those that live in Orange County. Not to mention his administrations lax regulation on financial institutions and business which resulted in our current economic crisis.

Or, it could be a typical money grab by a religious charlatan who preaches poverty while living a life of luxury.

In Central Ohio, Rod Parsley comes to mind.

The religious right has been critical of Obama’s stimulus efforts that most economists have said staved off an economic disaster. I wonder what they would say if he decided to spend some of that stimulus money to save Warren’s Saddleback Church.

Source: Calif. Megachurch Pastor Asks for Urgent Donations

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Dec

31

John Hicks Emotional Speech at his Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Induction

Posted on December 31, 2009 at 2:06 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, State | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


John Hicks is an Ohio State football legend. It is often forgotten by many just how great of a college football player he was during the early seventies. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. The last lineman to do so. He won the Lombardi Award, the Outland Trophy, and was a first team All American.

John Hicks is certainly a man of class.

Sources:
Legend, John Hicks, emotional introduction to Rose Bowl hall of fame
John Hicks (American football)

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Dec

30

Columbus Public Health Offers Free H1N1 Vaccine for Everyone

Posted on December 30, 2009 at 11:41 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


CPH H1N1 Flu Clinics – By Appointment Thru 311

Columbus Public Health is offering appointments for the following clinics (held in CPH auditorium):

Tues., Jan. 5 from 4 – 7 p.m.

Thurs., Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. – Noon and 1:15 – 4 p.m.

Appointments for CPH clinics are made by calling 311 (or 645-3111)

H1N1 flu vaccine is now available to everyone who wants to be vaccinated, regardless of age (6 months and older) or medical condition.

Map powered by MapPress
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Dec

30

Mt. Vernon Teacher John Freshwater Continues to Lie

Posted on December 30, 2009 at 10:28 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Today, former science teacher John Freshwater was caught in another lie. Type “Freshwater” in the search box to view posts about some of his other lies.

Freshwater is the teacher fired by the Mt. Vernon school district for teaching creationism and burning crosses into students arms. By state law he is entitled to a hearing before the firing is final.

Today he said he could not remember using Lego blocks to illustrate a scientific point. However, when being interviewed on a radio program, he remembered a lot.

David Millstone, an attorney for the school district here then played an audio tape of an April radio program in which Freshwater described using Lego blocks to show that cars, buildings and other structures cannot build themselves.

If you mixed up the blocks for years, the likelihood that they would become something tangible is improbable, Freshwater told the show’s host, Dr. Patrick Johnson of Rightremedy.org. He compared the blocks to human cells and said that the odds of a random combination of cells becoming an eyeball are “slim to none.”

So Freshwater used the blocks to illustrate that humans were created by an intelligent design and not the product of evolution. Why did he lie? Because if he admitted he taught creationism it would undermine his defense.

Source: Freshwater says he can’t remember Lego experiment

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Dec

30

Petition Against Michael Vick Winning the Ed Block Courage Award

Posted on December 30, 2009 at 12:45 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


I recently posted here about Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick winning the NFL’s Ed Block Courage Award. I thought it was an insult to the award.

Today, I received this email from Maria, the Outreach & Communications Coordinator at Change.org. She saw my post on Vick being given the Courage Award and pointed me to a petition on their site started by one of their members. It’s a drive to have Sam Lamantia, the CEO of the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation deny Vick the award.

You can sign the petition here.

I believe Vick has the right to work in his chosen profession. He served his debt to society. But the thought that by a unanimous vote his teammates gave him a courage award is repulsive. Michael Vick willingly created abuse. Ed Block fought against it.

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Dec

24

My Last Furlough Day. Citizens of Columbus, Your Welcome

Posted on December 24, 2009 at 1:16 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 3 Comments 


Even though it’s Christmas Eve, I would normally be working at this time of day. But I am being forced to take a furlough. Which is a nice way to say I am sitting at home writing this post while losing a days pay of work.

My city decided I should take five days off without pay to balance the budget.

I have conflicting thoughts.

One. Citizen needs are going unmet. As a social worker I am concerned about the needs of my clients and today I am not available.

Two. I get four days off in a row!

Three. For the first 23 years of my working career, I worked in the private sector. For the last eleven I have been a public servant. I must tell you, being a public servant has been more rewarding, but more challenging. Public servants are not valued by many even though we create value.

I have seen the incredible work that public servants have provided. I have also watched some of these same people clean out their desks as funding for helping has gone away.

Just once, I would like to hear someone answer this call.

Public: Thank You.

Public Servant: Your welcome.

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Dec

24

What! Michael Vick Wins a Courage Award

Posted on December 24, 2009 at 12:11 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 4 Comments 


Eagles player Michael Vick was voted the Ed Block Courage Award by his Philadelphia teammates despite the fact that he maimed and killed thousands of dogs. Just because he was allowed to play football again and make millions after serving a prison term does not make him courageous. It makes him lucky.

All 32 NFL teams select a recipient.

To give him an award named after Ed Block is an insult. Block fought in General Patton’s Tank Corp and won a Purple Heart during WWII. He received a master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 1937, worked in the U.S Space program, and was Head Athletic Trainer for the Baltimore Colts from 1954-1977. He died in 1983.

Reflecting on all of his contributions to society, his greatest may have been his efforts to prevent child abuse.

This from the foundations web site.

Above all, he believed in the rights of children, no matter how hurt or handicapped, to be exposed to the good things in life. He was outspoken on the subject of child abuse and he practiced what he preached until his dying day.

What is most disturbing are Vick’s comments after it was announced he had won the award.

“I’ve overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear,”

Really? You overcame more than the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? More than the family members who have lost a loved one in the World Trade Center attack? More than the dogs you mutilated? More than the children who were subjected to the abuse that Ed Block was trying to prevent?

The only thing you overcame was a prison term directly related to your own sadistic behaviors.

You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn’t do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I’ve been through, situations I’ve been put in…

I would argue that at least 95% of the sensible people in this world would have never been involved in an activity so vile as dog fighting to begin with.

“It was a big obstacle proving I’m worthy of a second chance…”

I am a Social Worker who is all about second chances. Vick got his when after serving his debt to society he was allowed to return to his chosen profession. You don’t deserve an award for that.

His comments seem to indicate that his previous statements and actions were the result of a well crafted campaign by his lawyers and public relations people. Based on these unscripted statements, it appears that Vick believes he was courageous in the face of insurmountable obstacles. Obstacles he created for himself. Obstacles created out of cruelty and cowardice.

While I find this hard to believe, his coach said the vote was unanimous amongst the Eagle players. Vick said it was not. In an effort to show his humility and remorse he said he did not vote for himself. Ed Block fought against abuse while Michael Vick sought to inflict it. If Vick wanted to honor the principles of Ed Block and show true humility and remorse he would have declined the award in the first place.

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Dec

19

Garfunkel & Oates Video on Medical Marijuana

Posted on December 19, 2009 at 1:21 am by Madrigal Maniac Under Miscellaneous | Print This Post | Email This Post | 7 Comments 


I was turned on to Garfunkel and Oates by a Pho post which I can’t find on his site.

If you’ve read this blog at all you know I’m a Social Worker with a scope of practice that includes addiction.

One of the arguments for smoking marijuana that makes me laugh the hardest is that it has medicinal properties. It does. But, in most cases there are other medications that work better.

Here’s an example. I had a phone conversation with a client who said he smoked marijuana because he had glaucoma. Indeed, cannabis does help ameliorate the symptoms of glaucoma. However, there are eye drops you can use that are not illegal, have no carcinogens, and actually work better than marijuana. When I told my client this, he said he couldn’t afford the eye drops. When I pointed out he could afford the weed, he hung up the phone. The fact is he just wanted to get high and the glaucoma was his rationalization.

Just today I was giving a lecture and during the section where I talked about marijuana a participant shouted out “I smoke marijuana and it helps cancer patients”. I asked if he had cancer. He did not.

I would have greater respect for the vast majority of medicinal marijuana proponents if they would just admit the obvious. They just want to get high legally.

Hell, make it legal, I don’t care. Just know that it has 20 times the carcinogens of a cigarette and because it is not water soluble, it sits in the receptor sites of the brain making the brain work harder than normal. That’s why marijuana smokers move slooooow. Because it is sticky and not water soluble it remains in the brain for up to six weeks. So, the chronic marijuana smoker is affected even when they are not euphorically high. Thus, they get a condition called amotivational syndrome. I nice psychological term to say they don’t do shit.

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Dec

17

Columbus Wants to Give Back Money to Clean Up Casino Site

Posted on December 17, 2009 at 9:05 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, State | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


There have been rumblings by Central Ohio politicians regarding the “constitutional” casino and it’s placement in the Arena District. Now it looks like the rumblings are growing stronger.

The city of Columbus stopped talking the anti-casino talk and started walking the anti-casino walk this week when it decided to stop payment of state-approved Clean Ohio funds being used to clean up the property earmarked for an Arena District casino.

The Other Paper

I posted previously here regarding the state inadvertently paying to clean up the hazardous waste site for what they thought would be used for condominiums, retail space, and a small park. The money went to Plaza Properties and came from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund. But Penn National swooped in and negotiated rights to the site from Plaza Properties under the stipulation that issue 3 passed.

The city’s position is that because the grant was approved for a use other than what is now intended, the city should return the bulk of the grant money to the State of Ohio.

Last year, the Ohio Department of Development awarded a $750,000 Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant to demolish the tool factory and clean up pollution from more than 70 years of manufacturing on the brownfield site.

The Columbus Dispatch

The Ohio Department of Development gives the money to the cities and not the developers. So, the city can give the money to clean up the site back to the state if they want to. Plaza Properties position is that the city approved the grant and what happened to the land after that is moot.

It appears, the City of Columbus and Plaza Properties are the main players in this fight. Evidently, goodfellas Penn National will sit this one out.

“This particular issue is between Plaza Properties and the city,” said Penn spokesman Bob Tenenbaum. “Could it get in the way of the casino development? No. We did not require Plaza to deliver a clean site. Given that, if it requires further environmental cleanup, it’s no different than any other investment in infrastructure improvements.”

The Other Paper

So, the casino may still be on track and the refund of grant money to the state may be an empty gesture by the city. Still, the city petitioned the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund on a good faith basis to improve the neighborhood. What backroom negotiations were going on between Plaza Properties and Penn National are unknown. It appears this land cleanup had nothing to do with ethical business, but everything to do with greed… Greed and a “constitutional” casino.

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Dec

11

Freshwater, Mt. Vernon Teacher Lies Again

Posted on December 11, 2009 at 1:33 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Today in a hearing to try and save his job, John Freshwater finally testified. Freshwater is the Mt. Vernon Ohio science teacher accused of using a device to burn crosses into students arms, of having religious materials in his classroom, and of promoting Christianity while criticizing other religions. Freshawater was fired by the board, but by law he has the right to a hearing.

Type Freshwater into the search box for more information on the case.

Here’s the initial lie.


Early on Freshwater did admit he used a device on students arms to show them how static electricity works. However, he denied they were burned or that it was a cross.

The device had instructions that clearly said it was not to be used on humans.

Today, Freshwater’s first defense was that he was unclear about what his superiors expected from him. There appears to be clear evidence that they had told him what they expected from him. They told him to remove the religious materials from his classroom. The administration expected him to follow the constitution and the first amendment. I am certain they did not expect him to burn crosses into students arms.

“No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” The Constitution.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The Bill of Rights.

His second defense is that … evidently there are two different bibles.

“That’s my workplace Bible, not my devotional Bible,” he said, explaining that the Bible served as inspiration but is not the one he regularly reads.

Is he saying the workplace bible is not as important because it’s used it in the workplace, while his devotional bible is the one that tells the real story? Don’t they both say the same thing? One may mean more to Freshwater due to sentimental reasons, but the message to others is the same.

Finally, Freshwater just blames everyone.

He blames the school board and the agency that conducted the investigation. In the end he should just blame himself. I like Christians because they do good work as do many other religions. In the end, I like The Constitution and the Bill of Rights more. They protect the right of citizens to believe whatever they want without government intrusion.

Source: Mount Vernon teacher accused of burning crosses in students’ arms testifies

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