Example of a Legotown

The Hilltop Children's Center, a private school in Seattle, is teaching its students that private property ownership is evil. After the "accidental" destruction of a Legotown the class had put together, teachers decided to capitalize on an opportunity to illustrate the inequities of capitalism (hypocrites).

"Our intention was to promote a contrasting set of values: collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation," so say the Marxist teachers.

For a few months, Lego's were banned from the classroom and were not returned until the students agreed to a few guidelines laid by the Communist sympathetics. The guidelines included, "All structures are public structures" and "All structures will be standard sizes."

The students in this class may have agreed to the terms, but does that mean they agreed with philosophy? Or that the principals work? I don't think so. These kids just wanted their toys back.

Here's my question: Do teachers have the right to teach/push their own political agendas or party affiliations onto their students?

LEGO Ultimate House Building Set

Last week it was reported that in Italy, a judge ordered a 13 year-old girl to have an abortion. This week, M&C is reporting on a teacher from Italy who cut off the tongue of a 7 year-old student who was acting unruly. The teacher claims it was accident.

"Pull out your tongue. I'll cut it, and you'll no longer talk,' the 22 year-old substitute teacher was quoted as telling the child.

The child, who unfortunately obliged, has had the piece of tongue stitched back on and is now too scared to return to school. The teacher, however has been placed on suspension.

Suspension!?

I don't know what type of scissors Italian grade school classes are using, but I remember the ones in my classrooms. I was lucky if those thick monsters things would cut through construction paper, let alone a part of my body. This had to be absolutely excruciating for that child. Accident or not, why isn't this horrible woman in jail?

The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide

Oh, American Idol, why have you forsaken me?

Antonella Barba was a name that most people weren't familiar with (except for the millions who have tuned in to The Fox Network's "American Idol" this season). Just last week, various images of Barba were leaked onto the internet from an anonymous source (no, I don't know where they are) and she has been thrust into the media spotlight. According to MSNBC, "the pictures include one of four women posing topless at the beach, their hands covering their breasts, and others of a woman engaged in a sexual act."

While friends and family of the Idol hopeful have vehemently denied that Barba is in fact the women in the pictures, there has been no official statement from either Barba or Fox. Plenty has been said, however, in Fox's action (or lack there of.) Remember Frenchie Davis? Davis was an Idol fan favorite up until the day show producers had her disqualified from the competition after it came to light that she had previously been involved with an adult website. So why hasn't Barba met the same fate?

The difference - Antonella Barba isn't a "plus sized" figure.

So just what message is American Idol trying to send?

American Idol - The Best & Worst of American Idol ( Limited Edition )

Myspace is making headlines yet again but this time it isn't because of an underage girl being lured away from her computer. Instead, the tables have turned on the social networking giant as it find itself in the media spotlight for following through on its obligation to remove images that contain any kind of nudity, are sexually explicit, or show extreme violence.

About two weeks ago, Melissa Rocks received a message from a Myspace Help Administrator explaining that an image of her breastfeeding her baby had to be removed for one of the reasons listed above. Rocks, who continues to re-post the image in question and is facing complete deletion, has gained a large following of breastfeeding advocates who are supporting the rights of mothers to nurse their children. The argument here is not whether or not women should be allowed to breastfeed wherever they choose (because they should), it is about whether Myspace made the right decision in removing Rocks' picture and on this issue, I agree with Myspace.

Before I start receving extreme amounts of hatemail, let me just state that I think breastfeeding is the absolute best thing for a baby. I also feel that nursing mothers are not given enough slack in regards to nursing their babies in public. As long a mom is making an honest effort to be modest and not just letting her entire breast be exposed to the public eye, then I say give them a break. However, in this situation the image does show a slight bit of outer nipple area which I think Myspace has appropriately interpreted as a violation of their image policy.

Unfortunately, Rocks (a self-proclaimed breastfeeding warrior) and over 5,000 people like her have turned this entire situation into an opportunity to climb atop their soapboxes and declare impunity for all oppressed nursing moms in this nation. Please, nurse your babies and nurse them often. But if you're going to do it in public (or post it on Myspace) be modest and cover up.

Earth Mama-Angel Baby Breastfeeding Support Kit, 1 kit

Christianity is doomed!

After purposefully living the last eight years of my life for my God who sent His Son to die for my transgressions so that I may have an everlasting life full of true unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness (that's a really long prepositional phrase), James Cameron comes along and blows the top of my faith.

Cameron, the director of "Titanic," along with his companion Simcha Jacobovici, have put together a new documentary that proves once and for all that Jesus did not, in fact, resurrect from the dead (What!?) and also had a child with Mary Magdelene (yes, like in that movie.) You see, 27 years ago archeologists discovered a 2,000 year old cave with 10 stone caskets inside in Talpiyot, a town just outside of Jerusalem. A location that is far separate from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus' tomb was originally thought to have been.

After just 20 years (five years ago), experts were finally able read the names on the ten tombs. Jesua, son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Mathew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua (that's only six (the other four probably make this argument less convincing.)) The Cameron team have coupled deductive reasoning with biblical studies, attempted DNA samples on the bodies in the tomb to show that Jesus' extended family AND son were all buried next to him.

Wait, isn't physically impossible for an unpreserved body to withstand decomposing into absolutely nothing after 2,000 years? Perhaps (yes.) But DNA samples could still in theory exist on residue left behind (I'll have to look that up on Wikipedia.) But didn't it also say in the gospels (and later backed up in Jewish non-Christian historical accounts) that when Jesus' tomb was found empty, the only thing left behind were the traditional cloth bandages he was ceremoniously wrapped in? And couldn't these possible DNA samples from the new "real" tomb have existed only because because those bandages had absorbed blood and other bodily fluids from Jesus? (He was after all severely beaten, crucified, and then also stabbed in the side.)

SO. . . wouldn't that mean that Cameron can really only prove that both Mary (his mother), Mary (the other one), Mathew, Jofa and Judah (the son of a man who was also named Jesua) were all buried next to Jesus' already empty tomb? (Sure, that's a good point.)

Well then. I don't think I'll be losing any sleep at night over this.


Mere Christianity

The rumor mills have been spinning out of control since Britney Spears spent 24 hours in a rehab clinic and then shaved off all her hair. Spears checked herself back into rehab yesterday, this time at the Promises Residential Treatment Center, but has already checked out this morning.

The UK's "The Daily Mail" is reporting that a reliable source claims Spears shaved her head because of concerns that she had lice. So why the frequent trips to rehab? Well, this morning on "The Adam Carolla Show," Danny Bonaduce made a comment regarding drug testing and hair samples.

"If drug tests [with urine samples]are like a road map you can unfold and look at while you're driving, hair is like GPS."

After a little research (although I consider Bonaduce a leading expert in all things relating to drugs or alcohol) it turns out there is some truth to that analogy (metaphor?). Iterestingly enough, hair follicle testing can go back 6 months or longer and show any controlled substance used in a sort of timeline. Consequently, the longer the hair, the further back in time a lab can look.

Could the former mega-pop star have shaved her head to avoid positive test results? I'd like to see William of Ockham figure this one out.

*Update* Britney flipped out on some photogapher last night in a fit of rage. Photos can be seen at x17online.com (but the video footage can be seen here!)

Romanian priest, Daniel Petru Corogeanu and his followers from the secluded
Holy Trinity convent in northeast Romania

Daniel Petru Corogeanu, a Romanian preist, was sentanced to 14 years in prison for the death of Sister Maricica Irina Cornici. Sister Cornici, 23, believed the devil was talking to her (she was being treated to schizophrenia.)

Corogeanu, along with four other nuns, attempted to exorcise Cornici by chaining her to a cross (we all know that isn't how you exorcise demons.) After several days without nourshment of any kind, the "possessed" nun died of dehydration, exhaustion, and suffocation.

According to Roman Catholicism, a possessed person must exhibit one or more of the following traits: speaking foreign or ancient languages of which the possessed has no prior knowledge; supernatural abilities and strength; knowledge of hidden or remote things which the possessed has no way of knowing, an aversion to anything holy, profuse blasphemy, or sacrilege. Clearly, claiming to hear voices is not listed. Also, "Of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications," sites only the use of prayers, blessings, and certain approved invocations listed in the 84 page document. Crucifiction is not one of them.


The Vatican's Exorcists: Driving Out the Devil in the 21st Century

A judge in Italy ordered a 13-year-old girl from the town of Torino to have an abortion because the parents of the girl are opposed to the pregnancy. The father of the unborn child (a 15-year-old boyfriend)in this case also had no right or choice in the matter because the law states in Italy that minors must defer the decision to their parents. But what if the girl in this situation was opposed to abortion?

The girl has required unspecified treatment when she threatened suicide and went into a frenzy after the abortion. This story has set of a firestorm of bloggers commenting on both far ends of the spectrum. Should this girl have had the right to choose to see a doctor and decide on her own whether or not to keep the baby? If so, she would likely have felt tremendous pressure for her parents to choose to abort anyway. Parents that are willing to have a judge order an abortion for their own daughter who is already in a lost, confused, and pivotal moment in her life would surely have threatened to disown her, throw out of the house or some other sort of ex-communication. What 13-year-old girl stand a chance against in that situation?

Other comments I've read have pointed out that the parents will end up with the financial obligation if this baby is born so they absolutely should have a say in the decision. By that reasoning, could you set precedent to order other abortions based on what is or is not economically viable?

Worst of all is this girl who, for whatever reason, was unable to make decision responsibly but then denied acceptance, love, sensitivity, and a second chance.

If you would like to hear more about my thoughts on abortion and whether as Christian I'm Pro-Life or Pro-Choice (you'd be surprised), please visit this link to my radio program at BlogTalkRadio.

This video is not comedy related. In fact it isn't funny at all. It's a heartfelt clip that really helped illustrate for me how real Love works and how to make it through the times in our lives when it seems we are completely lost in despair or suffering alone. It isn't really long and I have a feeling you will really enjoy it. Either way, I'm sure it will bring on the comments. Don't worry, it isn't "evangelical" or "preachy." Just watch.


RAIN

Wow.

One day following her less then 24 hour stay in Eric Clapton's Crossroads Centre in Antigua (rehab), Britney Spears returned to American soil late yesterday and shaved her head (click here for pics and video). Spears then headed to a tatoo parlor in Sherman Oaks, California for some ink (got a tatoo).

I believe, that just like the moon has a gravitational effect on large bodies of water here on Earth, Ana Nicole-Smith had a metaphysical effect on the female psyche. Smith's death last week caused a paradigmal shift that has greatly upset the delicate balance between women and normal behavior. Already, we have seen Sharon Stone act out on German benefit auctions and now this. I expect that we shall see much more bizarre behavior until balance has somehow been restored again (perhaps if Hilary Clinton becomes president? (cold shiver.))

In the Feb. 16 issue of US Weekly magazine, Paula (not a terrorist) Abdul finally sets the record straight on the rumors surrounding her odd (to say the least) behavior on "American Idol."

"There have been 100 million lies about me," she says. "I'm squeaky clean. I've worked my ass off my entire life. Being involved in the show causes people to question everything."

With her often incoherent run-on sentence style contestant critiques and her quirky body movements, it is easy to see how these sort of rumors could circulate. However Abdul has offered up some irrefutable logic to help support her defense.

"Just look at my 20-year career." Abdul points out. "Tell me someone who is into partying or doing drugs that could have done that."

The 20-year career Abdul is referring to is one with over 4 hit albums all going gold and platinum (her first album 'Forever You Girl' went platinum 8 times over) with over 15 hit singles. Clearly with a career in the entertainment industry as phenomenally exceptional as that, drugs and alcohol just could not have beenn a part of her life. Just ask the Stones.




Paula Abdul - Greatest Hits

Gay teammates may try to kiss him if he makes these faces on the court

Tim Hardaway of the NBA told Sports Talk 790 The Ticket yesterday that he hates gay people.

"Well, you know, I hate gay people.I let it be known I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States, I don't like it."

Earlier today, Hardaway had a telephone interview with Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami and apologized for his remarks.

"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake."

Yes, it was his mistake but the mistake he's admiting to is the fact that he annnounced his bigotry to the nation, not that he feels sorry for his point of view. Hardaway is meerely asking for what they call on the playground as a "do-over." When we all know full well what he really needs to make things right is to apologize sincerely by also admitting how wrong he is and to check himself into the Wonderland Center rehabilitation clinic.

Gay Life & Culture: A World History

Finally, the man who brought the words truthiness, wikiality, and wikilobbying to the forefront of American pop-culture, is rewarded with something far more gratifying than Peabody Awards, or Emmy's. Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's, "The Colbert Report," was awarded his very own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor called, "Stephen Colbet's Americone Dream."

The frozen treat with its vanilla ice cream, fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and caramel that announced today made me wonder what other prominent figures deserve their own ice cream flavor and what that flavor would be. So I leave this mission to you all, my readers. Submit your Celebrity Ice Cream Flavor ideas to chaseblogger@hotmail.com and I will feature your suggestions next week in the follow up post to be titled, "Chaseblogger's Celebrity Ice Cream Flavor Challenge." (Here is a helpful resource.) Prizes to be negotiated.

Sharon Stone was in Berlin yesterday hosting the Cinema for Peace Gala. Her behavior was strange to say the least. Not only did she reportedly spend the evening making out with Richard Gere, but also referred to the audience as "naughty little Germans" several times followed by low purring sounds into the mic. (Watch the clip here.)

Clearly, there is need in the market for people who aren't afraid to tell mega-celebrities what is and is not acceptable behavior in society. There are certain idioms that everyone considers odd and spurn awkward and uncomfortable moments for all. While Farrah Fawcett is only living celebrity that I think of who inhibits all of those idioms, Sharon Stone is trying her best to take that pole position.

Diane Sawyer scored an exclusive interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During the interview, Sawyer directly asked Ahmedinejad about his Iran's involvement with supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons. Not only did he flat out deny this claim, but he also made a few interesting claims of his own.

"We shy away from any kind of conflict and any kind of bloodshed, and we will be sad by such. We are opposed to any kind of conflict and as we have said repeatedly we think the world problem can be solved through dialogue, the use of logic and a sense of friendship. There is no need for the use of force."

For a man who has made several public statements regarding Isreal's pending destruction, the fall of western civilization, and the fact that Iran is prepared and willing to attack any and all nation's who will oppose them, he sure seems to be disillusioned as to how you bring those sort of claims into realization. Surely he doesn't intend on using friendly dialogue to bring the "zionist nations" to their feet.

Also, Ahmedinejad noted that it is spring weather in Iran, and hoped that it would soon be spring all over the world. Over the weekend, The Gaurdian reported that the U.S. will able to strike Iran's key nuclear facilities by spring.

Hi everyone!

SO last night I hosted another show over at BlogTalkRadio. I was anxious but also very excited because I was finally to get a chance to talk at great length about Scientology (something I pretty much consider a hobby now (and something my wife just can't take anymore) I don't know where to put the period now so I'll put it here.)

The system is still counting but it looks like so far it has counted up 28 live listeners from last night. That's alot compared to the 7 I usually have. And already 29 people have downloaded the podcast that is available. It was a great time and I tried to keep it light, informative and honest. Please, if you are going to be at your computer for the 60 minutes click here to listen! If not, you can download it here!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! (three exclamation marks!)

Chase

Anna Nicole Smith was rushed to the Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida after collapsing today at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It was there that Smith was officially declared dead.

Between her epic law suit with her former in-laws over a large inheritance, a paternity suit involving her new born baby this year, the death of her oldest son also this year, and a recent law suit she filed again the makers of the TrimSpa diet pill, there is no doubt that Smith's life was a crazy mess. Saddest of all, is the story of her baby. A child who is left behind in this ordeal, never to know her mother and perhaps never to know her real father. My heart and prayers to go out her.

For the record, I call overdose on prescription medication.

Friday, February 9 at 10pm (Pacific (that's -8 GMT for nerds))

Most people who know me personally, know that for a short period of my life I became obsessed with Scientology. Not that I was interested in joining, but that I was constantly reading up on its founder's history, how it was started, what it is, how it works, what they do, and what the rest of the world thinks about it. Now, nobody dares bring it up when I'm in the room and they dread when it pops up in the news.

I've finally decided to get all this off my chest in my upcoming radio show - All About Scientology. It will air on Feb 9 at 10pm pacific time which is a Friday. So if you are curious about Scientology, or know friends who have brought it up to you, now is your chance to have it explained simply in a way that is easy to understand and remember (mostly.) I'll also give out links to resources that I will make available and as always I welcome anyone who will be listening to call in with their questions or comments.

This one may be one of the best I ever do.

Thanks for listening,

Chase
www.myspace.com/chaseblogger

Olympia, WA -

Initiative 957 was filed this week by same-sex marriage advocates which would require straight couples to have children within three years or the marriage will be annulled. The initiative would also limit marriage only to couples who were able to provide proof that they are able to have children. Any marriage that falls outside of those guidelines would be "unrecognized" by the state.

“If same-sex couples should be barred from marriage because they can not have children together, it follows that all couples who cannot or will not have children together should equally be barred from marriage," said WA Defense of Marriage Alliance organizer, Gregory Gadow.

If I were to consider this seriously even for just a second, I would say that I see the proverbial "slippery slope" within. I believe that were an initiative like 957 to become state law, who's to say that other interest groups or even the state government couldn't start trying to determine which couples are fit to have children? Maybe statistics indicate that children raised under certain demographics do not succeed. Or that kids raised by parents who have a history of drug, alcohol, or other such problems are more prone to repeat the same behavior later in their adolescent/adult life.

The Defense of Marriage Alliance has filed this initiative as an obvious act legislative retaliation over the state Supreme Court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage last summer. This group wants to see all people of any race, religious, or sexual orientation be able to get married freely without restrictions from the state. Their first step toward changing the minds of the majority who oppose them is to introduce legislation that will restrict their rights to marry. I think Gadow needs to rethink his strategy.

The I-5 exit 119 in the Olympia area is littered with supporters for 1st Lt. Ehren Watada - including actor, Sean Penn (video here). Watada is at a court martial today for his refusal to go to Iraq and fight in a war that he claims is illegal and immoral.

"All we can hope is that it makes people think," and "Him going to jail would just be one more man suffering for nothing," said Penn in an uncharacteristically tacky mustache.

Watada, who has men under his command, ignored order to go to Iraq and instead requested to be diployed to Afghanistan (a war he says he not opposed to) while his soldiers (the men he has sworn to stay by) left without him. What do these actions speak about Watada's character? He could still oppose the war while upholding his obligation and commitment to fight along side the men and women on his team who count on him. Did they get the luxury of staying home and garnering massive media and celebrity attention? No, they remained brave, followed orders, deployed to Iraq, and ulitmately grew in character.

And they wonder why the Muslim Extremists hate America.

It has been all over the news recently, that Paris Hilton neglected to pay her storage unit bill. As most know, storage unit companies are authorized to auction off the contents of the units with delinquent accounts to offset the past due bills. Most unfortunately for Hilton, this was the case with her unit.

What kind of miscellaneous and unimportant items would the hotel heiress stash in a storage unit? You'd be surprised. Amidst the empty prescription bottles for Valtrex (the herpes medication) and various previously unreleased sex tapes, was a video of the Hilton sisters dancing it up at a party. The video (which is being pulled down from sites all over the internet (but still available here)) has Paris on tape making harsh derogatory comments toward Jews, Gays, African-Americans, and others.

There are many different perspectives to this situation. Paris Hilton could be a complete idiot who intentionally let her belongings become confiscated, sold, and exposed knowing that another sex scandle coupled with the revelation that she too could be a raging bigot would keep her in fiery all seeing eye of the media. Another way to see it would be that Hilton is a complete idiot who really can't manage any responsibilities and neglected to pay a $200-something bill to her storage unit company and ALSO neglected to show up at the auction and buy her private belongings back. Either way, I think the world would be one step closer to peace if Paris Hilton never the graced the front of a website, tabloid, or t.v. screen ever again.

A year-old video tape was released Tuesday of Sofia Salva being arrested by Kansas City Police after they saw her affixing a fake temporary tag on her back windshield. The story is drawing a great deal of media attention (mine included) because Salva, who was almost 4 months pregnant at the time, had told the officers several times that she was pregnant, bleeding, and needed to get to the hospital. Her requests were blown off and the following day Salva gave birth to a extremely pre-mature baby that died immediately afterward.

The spin on this story is that the police officers did not take Salva's pleas for help serious and caused her to lose her child. When Salva requested that Officer Melody Spencer check her for blood to prove she is having an emergency, Spencer replied with, "It's called a menstrual cycle."

Salva tried again.

"I'm bleeding, I swear to God."

"I don’t doubt that you’re possibly bleeding, but you got a lot more problems with us," said Officer Kevin Schnell.

Here is where the spin breaks down.

Women have been having miscarriages with little to no problems on their own since the dawn of human-kind. If Salva had made it to the hospital, her baby still would not have been saved. Her body was already terminating the pregnancy and even if doctors were to deliver the baby sooner, it was definately not developed enough at almost 4 months to survive.

With outstanding city warrants for mistreatment of children, trespassing and bonds that add up to $4,600, I think it is evident that Salva was most likely not taking care of her pregnancy and was doomed to lose this baby (which, from the look of things, may be a blessing disguise.) The officers involved here could have handled the entire situation with more care or tack, but I don't disagree with the overall outcome of the arrest made.

Job well done, KCPD . Job well done.

Last night the ratings machine now known simply as "Idol," shared their audition experiences from L.A. I was fortunate enough to watch a man who called himself X-centric crawl around the floor like a panther while making broad swiping motions at the camera and hissing and growling. It was all worth it though to hear our favorite judge say, "Dawg," one more time. It might seem like the Dawg Count is a wash - but mark my words - once they hit the live shows, it will have the potential to be a great drinking game.