News: Pastafarians in the Ozarks

Pastafarians in the Ozarks not only got coverage in a news report, the TV reporter even said, with a straight face, that we believe that global warming is caused by a deficit of pirates. You'll want to see the video.

What Would Jesus Steal?

Televangelist Oral Roberts's son, Richard, is living well at the university his father founded according to a lawsuit filed by three professors. They claim that Roberts used school resources to back a local political campaign, a violation of state and federal law. It also claims that Roberts used the university's jet to transport his teenage daughter to the Bahamas and that Roberts' wife, Lindsay, has been sending hundreds of late-night text messages to underage males who were using phones at the university's expense.

Fundies and Our Future

I recently received the following comment from a friend:

I used to believe that people were going to evolve spiritually and intellectually but now I think that we reached a peak and are now devolving. It's sad that life has made me so cynical but then again Bush is in office.

Fundamentalists of all religions are breeding like rabbits while progressives are having few or no children. This doesn't bode well for the future.

Perhaps we should welcome global warming as a method of thinning the herd.

I'm Joining the Apathetic Party

I'm not alone in my disappointment with the new Democratic-controlled Congress. In spite of their success in the last election, they haven't grown any new bones in the void where their spines should be.

My disaffection was enhanced when I read of Robert Redford's observations when he received the Kennedy Center honor in 2005. He said he spent the evening hobnobbing with Washington's elite:

"Here were sworn enemies, the leaders who beat the shit our of each other all day in public, but the minute those doors closed for the state dinner, the daggers went away and it was one big happy family. I saw former Republican Sen. Bill Frist weaving through the tables, and he came over to Ted Kennedy and started massaging his shoulders and laughing like they were the oldest buddies in the world. Everybody was crossing the aisles and chuckling, and I said, 'Oh, I get it! It really is just a game.'"

Unfortunately, we the people, are the pawns in this game.

We recently watched the documentary, "Maxed Out" and I noted that when Congress voted to remove bankruptcy as an option for Americans burdened by debt (a huge give-away to the credit card industry) I noted that the Democrats who opposed the bill were women and people of color. Perhaps they aren't as quick to forget their principles after joining the exclusive club of lawmakers in Congress. This is not to suggest that all women or all people of color have retained their ethics, but I believe there are few people in Congress who haven't sold their souls.

Don't be tempted to vote for Joe Biden in the primary - he voted to eliminate bankruptcy - he's a secret member of the club.

I'm contemplating whether to return to the Green Party. Maybe I'll just join the apathetic party and stop voting.

Sexy Saudi Women

Two Saudi women were detained last week after they sprayed members of the Saudi state vice squad with pepper spray. Male agents from the Commission for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice routinely patrol Saudi streets, fining or detaining any woman who is unaccompanied or insufficiently swathed in a burqa. In Jeddah last week, commission official Muhammed bin Marshoud Al-Marshoud said, "two members of the commission were attacked, cursed, and sworn at by two women who were blatantly dolled up," (which means that the two women were wearing makeup).

The women were released after they aplogized for calling the agents "terrorists". The incident was front-page news in Saudi Arabia.

Next they'll be wanting to vote. It's a slippery slope from eye-liner to ballots.

Zombies for Christ

Warren Jeffs, fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was found guilty for forcing a 14-year-old girl to marry and have sex with her husband. She and her husband were first cousins. This event reminded me of an email I received D.K. recently citing the following article:

Mormon Sect's Polygamy Causes Most Of The World's Fumarase Deficiency Cases: Polygamist Community Faces Rare Genetic Disorder

Those stories of inbreeding and mental retardation are true. A sect of Mormons has the largest population of fumarase deficiency in the world. A rare disorder that until recently was unheard of is cropping up in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.

Those two towns are the home bases of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a break away group from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The group is composed of many of the descendants of Joseph Smith Jessop one of the founders of the communities, and his wife either of which could have carried the gene.

The disability is caused by an enzyme irregularity that causes severe mental retardation brought on by cousin marriage.

"Arizona has about half the world's population of known fumarase deficiency patients," said Dr. Theodore Tarby, a pediatric neurologist who has treated many of the children at Arizona clinics under contracts with the state.

"It exists in a certain percentage of the broader population but once you get a tendency to inbreed you're inbreeding people who have the gene there, so you markedly increase the risk of developing the condition," he said.


It has become common enough among the group to be nicknamed "Polygamist's downs". The condition causes not only severe mental retardation but also unusual facial features, brain malformation, and epileptic seizures.

The two towns make up the community of about 10,000 people who shun outsiders. They broke away from the Mormon faith 72 years ago over their views of polygamy. About 85% of the residents are the blood relatives of two men, John Y. Barlow and Joseph Smith Jessop.

"There aren't any new people coming in. It's a closed door and that gene just keeps getting passed around," said Bruce Wisan, a court-appointed accountant overseeing a trust of the sect's assets.

They avoid all forms of media. The women dress in conservative 19th century clothing. They marry young and marrying a cousin is common practice.

"The disease itself is very rare in the rest of the world," said Dr. Vinodh Narayanan of Arizona's St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute. Doctors worldwide had only studied about 10 cases just a decade ago.

"Once you get people within in the same community marrying, then the chances grow of having two people carrying the exact same mutation."


The community doesn't believe that the children affected with the condition suffer because of inbreeding. They think it's in the water. They are wrong but with outdated theories which as that the disease will continue to crop up in town.

D.K. comments:

OK, you ... with the more scientific bent will probably conclude that we have finally stumbled upon the religion gene here, the one that makes you stupid for god. I wouldn't be so prejudiced to confine it to one religion, but will generously apply toward all religions. Equal opportunity!

I'm thinking I would like to check Mitt R's genealogy for a Barlow or Jessop ancestor (maybe both, that would be beautiful). This would knock him right out of the game & would personally feel good. The man seriously creeps me out!

As I'm sure I've stated previously many times, this whole polyg community along the AZ border is being paid for by you & me. The mothers & children are on numerous govt aid programs, due to being classfied as "no father households" (because as you know, god told them to plural marry, just don't do it legally). So here is another multi-million $$$ extortion: extensive environmental & water testing (because they believe it MUST be the water, could not possibly be due to the fact that many of them are marrying their half-brothers & half-sisters).

BTW, I see these people EVERY trip to the Wal-Mart & Costco. The kids are slack-jawed & vacant-eyed. They have no spark of life. I've smiled at them & even made little kid small talk ... no response, none whatsoever. Zombies for Christ!

Doesn't "foo" in french mean "crazy"? ! ?

ps, there are many articles on this subject being published over the last month going into some detail about how there were only 10 cases of fumarase WORLDWIDE until this little polyg pocket was discovered.

Have a foo-free day! ~~ D.K

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