Sharpton Blasts Woods for Lack of Mistress Diversity‏

Can't tell you how many times I've found this kind of deceitful, misleading propaganda in my e-mail inbox. In case you haven't seen this email or one of the many similar to it, I'll present it here in its entirety before I comment further.

Sharpton Blasts Woods for Not Having a Black Mistress!















The Rev. Al Sharpton held a press conference today to blast Tiger Woods for the lack of diversity among his mistresses. Sharpton claims that the lack of African-American women among Woods’ harem will have a negative affect on the black community, specifically poor young black girls.

“Why is it that a man who calls himself black can’t bring himself to cheat on his wife with a black woman?” said Sharpton, speaking to a group of supporters in Harlem . “What does it say to young black girls everywhere, when you pass them over? Shame on you Tiger Woods! What would your daddy say?”

Sharpton, who has long championed taking black women as mistresses, said that today’s black athletes need to stop neglecting black women when it comes to extramarital affairs, and should follow the examples of positive black role models such as Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr., both of whom cheated on their wives with black women. Sharpton also stressed that cheating with African-American women would help the black community financially by giving black girls the chance to sell their stories to tabloids and gossip magazines.

(Now if all that wasn't enough ~ wait until you read this next quote.)

Added Sharpton, “I’m not asking you to not cheat on your wives, I’m just asking you to give back to your own community.”

Needless to say this e-mail is a complete and utter fabrication.  A Hoax!  Oh why am I being so polite?  It's a F*cking Lie!!

As near as I can tell, it originated from a spoof website known as Celeb Jihad.  Since then it's been picked up by a dozen or more websites.  Most of which present it as a joke, but wouldn't you know, there are a few right-wing political websites that try to pass it off as fact.  Now of course it's become a viral e-mail.  An e-mail that is actually being taken seriously by some. (Granted these are usually people with a Sarah Palen type mentality, but that unfortunately seems to be about 23% of the population ~ scary isn't it?) 

The real question here is why are so many people readily embracing and believing this story?  Why are some people, always ready to believe anything negative or disparaging they read or hear about the African-American Community? And why do they so eagerly and gleefully send this e-mail to everyone they know?

I can't help but think it's because it reinforces their own prejudices and stereotypes.  Perhaps it's a way for them to justify and rationalize the hate they harbor in their hearts.

The irony here, of course, is that so many of these people claim to be Christians and isn't this supposed to be the Christian Season that celebrates Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men?

  - Just Thinking...

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at  eddieoreilly@hotmail.com  and your comment will be posted.

"Letting Go of God"

Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God" airs this month on Showtime.

Perhaps best known for her performances on Saturday Night Live (1990-1994) Julia Sweeney is a successful American Actress, Comedian and Author. Here she chronicles her journey of faith from a lapsed Catholic recommitting to the church, to Buddhist, to New Age Mystic, and finally agnostic/atheist whose philosophical transformation upsets her family and friends. This is a lighthearted (sometimes hysterical) look at a very serious subject. It's a fascinating and extremely entertaining one-woman stage show that follows up her critically acclaimed "God said Ha".
The remaining December schedule includes...

On Showtime Showcase: Thursday, December 10 at 7:55 AM Eastern.
and also at 8 PM Eastern that same night.

On regular Showtime: Saturday, December 12 at 10 AM Eastern.
and again on Wednesday, December 16 at 10:15 AM Eastern.

On Showtime 2: Thursday, December 17 at 1:40 PM.

If you're unable to catch it on Showtime may I strongly suggest you rent or buy the video. This show gives new meaning to the words "Must See".

Here's a 17 minute excerpt...



Please feel free to comment and thanks for reading.

Photo Blogs for Newborns - What a Wonderful Idea!

My Niece Sara and her Husband Michael have created a photo blog for their newborn baby Emily Anne . It's a very clever idea, they post once a week with lots of photos and updates about Emily's progress. Baby Emily is now 39 weeks old, and so far, every week of her young life has been documented. It's really quite beautiful. I don't know if they'll have the time or energy to keep this up, but I hope they do. Because one day, this will become a remarkable and cherished keepsake. Here's a link if you want to check it out...

http://smbeattie.blogspot.com/


Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at  eddieoreilly@hotmail.com  and your comment will be posted.

Religious Absurdities

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down an animal cruality ordinance for the City of Hialeah Florida, in 1993, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah , the Court legalized the practice of Animal Sacrifice for religious purposes.

The Afro-Cuban/Caribbean religion known as Santeria, who was the Plaintiff in the case, rejoiced as animal rights activists despaired.

Contemporary mainstream Religions (Catholics, Christians, Jews and the like) renounced the Court's decision, lest they risk being associated with such barbaric practices. The fact is though, ever since animal sacrifices (for religious purposes) were made legal some 16 years ago, more and more mainstream religious sects have been returning to there ancient rituals.

Here we have Rabbi Shea Hecht from a synagogue in Queens, N.Y., who demonstrates to an NPR news reporter how to swing a chicken.

"You take it by the wing," explains the Rabbi "You put one wing over the other wing. See? And you swing it over your head like this."


Hecht holds the bird, waves it three times above his head, and says the prayer of Kapparot aka Kapparos, depending on heritage.

He prays that his sins will be transferred to the bird and he will escape the divine punishment that he deserves. The prayer is centuries old, and countless Orthodox Jews recite it every year in the days before Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.

Hecht says waving the chicken isn't the point of this ritual. "The main part of the service," he says, "is handing the chicken to the slaughterer and watching the chicken being slaughtered. Because that is where you have an emotional moment, where you say, (preferably in a New York, Jackie Mason style dialect) 'Oops, you know what? That could have been me'."

While the hands of the authorities may be tied when it comes to religious sacrifice, New York City has given fines for leaving public places a mess and looking like a slaughterhouse, with blood and dead chickens all over the place.


You see the sacrifice of animals is nothing new. It's occurred throughout history in nearly every religion and every culture around the world. From Europe to Africa, from Asia to the Americas.

Most sacrifices were performed to appease angry Gods or to ensure prosperity. Sacrifices were also used to predict the future and of course to wash away sins.

The whole concept is very much supported by "The Holy Book of Hear Say" (a/k/a The Bible). Some of you might be familiar with the story of "Legions". It seems there was this man who lived near a cemetery and as a result had "Legions" of Evil Demons possessing him. God cast out the demons into a nearby herd of pigs. Those pigs, wild with demons, ran off a cliff and killed themselves therefore shedding blood and resolving the man of his sins.

This is very much the same way that Christians believe it was necessary for Jesus to die and shed his blood for their sins to be resolved.

Just Thinking...

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Thanks for reading!

Rita's Special Day

On this day I think of Mom - Rita T - My Mother Dear.
My biological Mom - without whom, I would not be here!

When all is said and done - she's the one who did me right!
Always there to care for me - Morning, Noon and Night.

It wasn't always easy, since I was one of four.
But one way or another we never were ignored.

Love that's true, and unconditional - is what it's all about.
When it came to My Mother's love - there never was a doubt.

My dad although he meant well, seldom could provide.
So Mother always had to work - if we were to survive.

Sometimes things got pretty rough, but she knew just what to do.
Mom was really pretty tough - and she always - saw us through.

Forever putting family first - as her own needs were set aside.
Making any, and every sacrifice, so the rest of us could thrive.

Unaware of her own heritage and not knowing who she was;
Mom was surely ever mindful - being adopted has its flaws.

She didn't let it get her though, her courage was forthright.
Facing down every challenge - so determined - yet polite.

Whether at the Wool Bureau - or in Fashion and Design;
Mom took over mid-town, and in Manhattan was sublime.

Already in her 60's, when she studied marketing at night.
At Bergen Community College. She was really quite a sight.

Always there to nurture me - mentor and support.
My mom never failed me. She never came up short.

Mom didn't try to smother me. She let me test my wings.
She trusted and believed in me, and let try new things.

When it came to my being gay? It's true, she shed a tear.
But then she said she loved me, - and told me not to fear.

How very insightful and perceptive, - My Mom turned out to be.
Explaining she had always known - and was waiting just for me.

You see Mothers are the first to know, - they have very little doubt.
But, they wait for you to tell them so, - they wait till you come out.

So Thank You Mom, for your Love, Support and Generosity.
And know that I won't soon forget, all you have done for me.

So now that the ides of of October - once again are here,
may I say Happy Birthday Mom and Have a Wonderful Year!


Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

"ROAD TRIP"

I'm leaving on a "Road Trip" tomorrow. I'm driving up to the Garden State and New York areas.

"Garden State" - Somehow that sounds so much better than saying "New Jersey". I don't know why New Jersey has such a bad reputation, parts of New Jersey are actually quite beautiful. And, the garden grown tomatoes are some of the best in the world.

But if you've never lived there, the only thing most people know of New Jersey is the City of Newark. And the only thing most people See of New Jersey, is the trip from Newark Airport to midtown Manhattan. A brief section of the New Jersey Turnpike, that is littered with oil refineries, processing plants and power companies. It's definitely a "Sight" and a "Smell" to behold!

Anyway, I'm planning on seeing both family and friends up there. I'll be away for a few weeks, but I will have my laptop with me. So I'll be in touch via e-mail and my blog. Not sure how much time I'll have, but I'll try and keep posting.

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Tara's Special Day

Today's the day - Tara's Day.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

My other mother Tara and my very special friend.
She was always right there for me and ready to defend.

She made it look so easy. You know she really did.
So nurturing, loving and caring, always ready to forgive.

An inspirational influence - a force not to be denied.
Her enlightened humanist values, on which I still rely.

How can I hope to explain, or even possibly impart,
how Tara welcomed me in - and opened up her heart.

She loved me as her own - and treated me as such.
Now I'm forever grateful and love her back so much.

My Other Mother Tara and Matt my Special Dad.
Plus my Other Brother Gary. I was indeed a lucky lad.

The World's Fair and Freedom Land, Coney Island and Jones Beach.
Cherished youthful experiences that were well beyond my reach!

A parachute jump, a fun house romp and a roller coaster thrill.
A true "Cyclone"[1] experience - that lived up to its bill.

The Rockettes at Radio City and the great shows on Broadway,
Christmas in Rockefeller Center, with everything on display.

Shopping days in midtown, something I'll never forget.
We were great friends to Mr. Macy and the 11 Jewish Vets[2]

And then there was 1400[3] - and the Highbridge Neighborhood
a loving and unique experience that only we understood.

This boy was in a wonderland, that Tara helped provide.
Good friends, times and memories; We hoped would not subside.

So with overwhelming joy and love. I remember in this way.
My Other Mother Tara - who was born upon this day.

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

[1] The "Cyclone" is the most famous attraction in all of Coney Island, and one of the most famous wooden roller coasters in all the world.

[2] E.J. Korvettes was a popular discount department store located on Fifth Avenue and 47th Street in midtown Mahattan. Urban legend had it that E.J. Korvettes stood for 11 Jewish, Korean Veterans.

[3] 1400 University Avenue in the Bronx, was a five-story walk-up, where we all lived, worked and played.

Just Thinking About Abortion...

I actually wrote most of this as a comment to a recent "Pro-Choice" blog post by KAYLA

http://idunnouu.blogspot.com/2009/08/abortion.html

I thought I would share it here as well...

If Men Could Get Pregnant - Argument Done!

No doubt about it, if men were having the babies, abortion would not only be legal; It would be a "Religious Rite"!

The male-dominated religions of the world would create special prayers and rituals for the "Holy Sacrament of Abortion"! Priests, Rabbis, Ministers and Muslin Clerics would be performing abortions (for a fee of course) on a daily basis.

And, if women were to dare challenge a man's Sacred and God given right to an Abortion, - Well! isn't there something in the "Holy Book of Hear Say" (a/k/a The Bible) about Stoning Insolent Females? :)

Now please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I'm in favor of abortion. No, not at all! In fact, the whole idea of it makes me rather uncomfortable; but who am I to say, what a woman can or can't do with her own body?

Or any of us for that matter. I'm not real fond of tattoos either ( Callif ) but it's not like I want them outlawed or something, in fact (I'm loath to admit this) sometimes, on occasion, they can actually look kind of sexy. http://callif.blogspot.com/2009/06/161803399.html

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Thomas Jefferson Quotes...

I recently received one of those viral e-mails.

This particular e-mail, by using selective quotes, tried to imply that if Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he would be aligned with contemporary neocons and right-wing fundamentalist christian conservatives. Needless to say, I couldn't help but respond.

So, I thought I would share that response, as a new blog post...

Hi,

While I admit to being surprised, I am also pleased that you sent me this e-mail featuring quotes by Thomas Jefferson. A man whose scholarly intellect I have long admired. Even if some of his best ideas may have come from the Magna Carta circa 1215, he and his colleagues showed the wisdom to adopt and embrace them.

Which is not to say that I'm completely on board with all of his thoughts, teachings and philosophies, but I do have a great deal of respect for the man.

I was especially happy to see one of my favorite quotes...

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on, would save one-half the wars of the world." -- Thomas Jefferson

I remember reflecting on the wisdom of that quote when George W. Bush led us into two wars and yet insisted on lowering taxes not once, not twice, but three times. The only President in the history of our Republic to lower taxes while committing us to war. The consequence of which was to spend the entire budget surplus he inherited and turn it into a massive new deficit.

Yet Republicans still claim, with a straight face no less, to be Fiscally Conservative.

The fact is, true health care reform, with a public option, could be paid for a few times over with

what we spend on unnecessary wars.

The irony of this, of course, escapes them. (much like Bin Laden did)

It seems to me, the choice is clear...

Health Care or Warfare,

The Common Good or The Common Destruction?

Anyway, I digress. (as usual)

So back to Jefferson.

As anyone who has ever read the Jefferson version of the Bible, or "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" as it is formally titled can tell you, Jefferson was a bit of an agnostic, if not an atheist, as well as a pacifist. Jefferson believed Christ to be a peace loving man, and a wise & moral teacher. He saw no evidence however to support the notion, that Jesus was the son of God.

Now, please permit me to share some of my favorite Jefferson quotes.

Thomas Jefferson on war...

"I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Conquest and or war with other nations is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government." -- Thomas Jefferson

"If there is one principle more deeply rooted in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest." -- Thomas Jefferson

"I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The most successful war seldom pays for its losses." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The spirit of this country is totally adverse to a large military force." -- Thomas Jefferson

"War as an instrument, is entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson on poverty and the distribution of wealth...

"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson on God, religion and such...

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, 'if there be one', he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion and question the existence of a God." -- Thomas Jefferson

"I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition ,Christianity, one redeeming feature. They are all alike, founded on fables and mythology." --Thomas Jefferson

"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God." -- Thomas Jefferson

"In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty." -- Thomas Jefferson

"If God is just, I tremble for my country." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced 1 inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half of the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and terror all over the earth." -- Thomas Jefferson

"I'm for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one religion over another." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson on books and reading...

"I cannot live without books." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital." -- Thomas Jefferson

This - as opposed to George W. Bush who once famously said "I don't really like books, I guess that's because I hate reading".

Thomas Jefferson on the censorship of books... (Sarah Palin, please take note)

"I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson on big corporations...

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson on hate, intolerance, individual freedoms, homosexuality, and what we now call alternative lifestyles...

"I never will, by any act, word or deed bow to the religious shrine of intolerance." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Taste cannot be controlled by law. We must resist at all costs any attempt to regulate our individual freedoms and to legislate our personal moralities." -- Thomas Jefferson

And, of course, then there's this...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." -- Thomas Jefferson

It's perhaps worth noting , I have installed "Quote of the Day" gadgets on my Google home page.

So that every day I'm greeted with quotes from, among others, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein.

I also, as you may have noticed, have installed an "Atheist Quote of The Day" gadget on this blog page.

What fascinates me is how often The quote here is from, among others, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein.

Just Thinking...

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Hate, in The Name of God!

The President speaks to children and says work hard and stay in school.

So this is controversial, what's the next controversy - the golden rule?

Apparently so, for weeks now Pastor Steven L. Anderson of the "Faithful Word Baptist Church", in Phoenix Arizona has been leading his congregation in prayer. Each Sunday they pray for the death of President Obama. As he explained to CNN he doesn't really care how the president dies, it could be of natural causes or however the Lord sees fit. "Read your Bible", he commands "The Lord is a Vengeful God".

A week or so ago Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) told a town hall meeting that the GOP still needs to find a "GREAT WHITE HOPE". ( Seriously, she really said that!)

"Republicans are struggling right now to find the great white hope," said Jenkins. "I suggest to any of you who are concerned about that, who are Republican, there are some great young Republican minds in Washington." As examples, Jenkins mentioned Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Then of course we have, "The Birthers" a thriving birth obsessed fringe of very "White" mostly Fundamentalist Christian Psychos who still insist that Obama is not an American Citizen. Even though Courts across the land including the Supreme Court of the United States have repeatedly, summarily and unanimously rejected the movement's theory.

There can be no denying it, these people are Hateful Racist Bigots who are desperately seeking a way to get the "Black Man" out of the "White House".

So is it any wonder that when all else fails, they will gather in their White Anglo Christian Church's and pray to a Non-Anglo Semitic Jew Named Jesus, that The President Should Die!!!

And people ask me why I'm not religious.

 - Just Thinking...


Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Thanks for reading!

A Few More Thoughts About The Kennedy Boys

My friend Billy sent me an email today. It was a kind and gentle reminder that I've been neglecting my blogging. He's right of course, I haven't posted recently. His email and the fact that someone even bothered to notice my absence was perhaps just the inspiration and motivation I needed.
"Haven’t heard from you in days!", Billy wrote, "You haven’t updated your Ted Kennedy blog yet. His death was a real blow, even though it was expected, it really was the end of an era, an empire, an age of optimism and naïveté."

- Yes indeed it was Billy, indeed it really was. The end of an era and the loss of innocence. Or did we still have innocence left to lose?


Forgive me please, but once again - I do feel so inclined
to express some thoughts in meter and of course, in rhyme.

Was our Innocence ours to lose, or was it long since gone
way back when we first lost Bobby and Dear Brother John?

I don't know why it is and I don't know how to explain,
but ever since then, nothing seems to be quite the same.

Have I just gotten cynical, grouchy, cantankerous and old,
or is something palpable happening, that really needs to be told.

It was to a hopeful generation that the torch had been passed,
but what happened to our optimism? - Why didn't it last?

The "Edmundian" Forensics were my High School Forté,
when I wrote and delivered speeches that I remember 'til this day.

The competition was fierce - Oratory and Debate.
My pinnacle achievement - First Place in New York State.

"The Prospects For My Generation" is what I then spoke of,
So full of Piss and Vinegar; and Peace and Hope and Love!

Is it just my imagination and fond memories that persuade,
or were the sixties truly special and a uniquely confident decade.

We went to the Moon on July 20th, nineteen sixty nine,
but it wasn't Alice Kramden's foot that stepped out so sublime.

An Astronaut named Armstrong, fulfilled the Kennedy Pledge,
and it was his "Giant Leap for Mankind" that then gave us the edge.

Anything seemed possible and perhaps it truly was,
we seemed to work together and have a common cause.

Yes we had some hard times and we often disagreed

but we cared about each other and one another's needs.

So we created Medicare and then even Medicaid

it truly was remarkable, a benevolent decade.

The Kennedy's believed that health care was Not a privilege but a right,

so Ted diligently pursued this - working hard both day and night.

Now that they've all left us, does not their legacy implore,

that we find a way to do this - and give a little more.

Limbaugh, Beck and O'Reilly would surely disagree

but Limbaugh, Beck and Bill O' don't care about you and me.

Greed has taken over, you see it everywhere

let's all look out for # 1 and never, ever share.

You say that it's the deficit and we simply can't afford

but one way or another - we can always afford a War.

Maybe it's time we got our priorities in order people.

Just Thinking...

Please feel free to comment below or you can email me at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.

Thanks For Reading!

Ted Kennedy is Dead!

Knowing that I have a busy day planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) I tried to go to bed early tonight, well early for me anyway.

So I'm lying there, trying to drift off to sleep while listening to the radio softly playing in the background. It's late night Tuesday or actually early Wednesday August 26, 2009 at about 1:30 a.m. when I hear the news. "This is just in, and as yet unconfirmed, but ABC NEWS is reporting that Senator Edward Kennedy is Dead at the age of 77. "

I immediately sat up with a start. I felt a surprising sense of Shock and Overwhelming Grief. I say surprising because it's not like we didn't know this was coming. We all knew he had "Inoperable" (aka Terminal) Brain Cancer but Wow what a sense of Sorrow and Loss I'm feeling right now.

Truly the end of an era, the last, of the Kennedy Boys Is Dead!

I'm sure I'll have more to say about this in the days to come, but I'm going to try and go back to sleep right now. I just wanted to post something in the meantime.

Sometimes - lately, it seems like the world is changing to fast for me.

    Just Thinking...

Please feel free to comment below or email me direct at eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.