A (literal) gift from heaven: Chocolate

Today is Valentine's Day, and I have lingering hints of dark fudge in my pallette. So, rather than discussing some of the cool origins of this (once again) Pagan holiday, I thought I'd do a quick post about one of the delightful treats which millions of people (mostly women) are enjoying today, and one which traditionally accompanies the festival in America: Chocolate.

Meso-Americans first harvested chocolate from the cacoa leaf nearly 3100 years ago; it's name being rendered as "xocolatl". According to the University of Pennsylvania Field Museum, for most of its history, chocolate was consumed in its liquid, heated form, as hot cocoa. This delectable treat (also significant in Meso-American religious practice) has an interesting Mayan folk origin. According to the the Nuhuatl, cocoa beans were brought to earth by theft. The responsible deity was the feathered serpent god of agriculture and creation called Quetzalcoatl. Much like Prometheus stealing the gift of fire, Quetzalcoatl descended to Earth from the heavens on the beam of a morning star, and bundled with him was a cocoa tree stolen from paradise.

For something as sinful as chocolate to descend from heaven is both ironic and delightful. So, ladies, enjoy your stolen treats from paradise, and time with the loved ones who gave you this small slice of heaven.

This is how you change the image of Muslims?

Holy. Shit.

In Orchard Park, NY (Buffal0), Mr. Muzzammil Hassan, walked in and reported to police that his wife was dead. Hassan then confessed to beheading his wife, Aasiya Zubair Hassan, after she filed for divorce. Disturbing, disgusting yes. But here's where the irony comes in place.

Mr. Hassan was the founder of Bridge TV, a muslim-focused television station founded with the stated purpose of improving the public image of muslims in America.

I'm guessing this is a setback, huh?

This is going to end well

America's favorite mercenaries...I mean private security firm, Blackwater, has decided to ditch its name, for the odd appellation of Xe. Pronounced (Zee).

This is going to end well, I'm sure.

Well, no more brilliant ideas from him anymore...

The founder of the Taser passed away today at 83, having lived a much fuller life than the thousands of persons "accidentally" killed by his portable electrocution devices.

I luvs me some torture....

In the "no shit" department, the ACLU has gotten its hands on unredacted documents which set forth that the U.S. ..pay attention to this next part... tortured human beings to death.

For the two page, unredacted docs click here.

Another Day; Another Taser Death

This time, the suspect was resisting arrest. Does anyone else miss the good ole' days of cops just kicking your ass?

Paging Mr. Milk Carton

Meet public doofus number one. His name is Lane. Lane Kiffin. Otherwise known as "Lame Kittens." He coaches college football at the University of Tennessee.

The most notable thing about Lane is his smoking hot wife.

Well, that and his big mouth, writing checks his ass can't cash.

Tasers: Cops are out of control

The tasing of people has simply gotten out of control. The most recent death, in Brisbane Australia, was the result of police forcing a 16 year old boy to either be tased or to lay in the road and be detained. His skull got crushed by a motorist, and he died horrifically. Perfectly rational people do not lay down on a speeding motorway unless they are afraid of being killed in another manner. This is one such case.
It is absolutely time to recognize that these are lethal devices, to ONLY be used as an alternate to deadly force. In the past five years, over TWO HUNDRED people have died as a result of having tasers' 20,000 lethal volts course through their bodies. Contrast that to the deaths-by-cop from service weapons; it's about 600 per year. It seems a small number, about a 1:15 ratio. But, that's still 6% of police deaths from a supposedly "safe" method of detaining people.
Among the more egregious instances:

1. Cops tasing a man who was trying to leave an E.R...with a baby in his arms...who had been waiting in the E.R. for hours and wanted to get treatment elsewhere for the child.
2. Babies being tased when cops miss...happens more than you think.
   
3. The above sickening tale.

And other excesses. Would a cop shoot at a man holding a baby for the simple fact of trying to leave an E.R.? Doubtful. This is another example of a psychopathic police personality, in an increasingly authoritarian police mindset,