I just received another “action alert” from the FRC (Family Research Council) urging me to contact Indiana Governor Mike Pence because The “fix” being forced through by legislative leaders actually guts Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and empowers the government to impose punishing fines on people for following their beliefs about marriage. Furthermore, Mr. Perkins says we should Urge him [Governor Pence] to protect people like florist Barronelle Stutzman, bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein, and wedding photographer Elaine Huguenin by vetoing this “fix.

Okay, I can’t take credit for the title of this post. It’s from this article at DailyKos by @jmbar2. I think his proposal is an excellent idea and have already emailed my Congressional representatives. Note that I have fired several thousand rounds from pistols at a firing range in my home town. Ranging from .22 calibre to .45 magnum (albeit mostly 9mm). I’m not afraid of guns per se. I am afraid of yahoos who think a gun enhances their masculinity.

In this video Brian Keith Dalton, aka “Mr. Deity”, talks about the Chapel Hill murders of three Muslims by Craig Hicks who self identifies as an atheist. This video is part of Mr. Dalton’s “Way of the Mister” series. Here he points out the hypocrisy of those who blame the violence on New Atheists, none of whom call for violence, while defending (or apologizing for) adherents of religions which do explicitly call for violence against believers of other religions (or no religion at all):

Can you even imagine the response of the USA right-wing if Democratic party members had undermined a Republican president in a negotiation with a foreign government? Calls for impeachment would have been their mildest response. The Rude Pundit explores the topic in a way that I can’t improve upon. So go read his article on the subject. The sooner we marginalize GOP congressional representatives like Tom Cotton the better. These assholes really need to get a job better suited to their abilities such as shoveling shit in a horse stable.

This is the last day of the Cinequest film festival and is the day they have encore screenings of films deemed particularly good. I managed to exceed my goal of 30 films. The express line pass (which costs an extra $100) was really useful for only two screenings this year, and three last year, so I’m not sure I’ll make that investment next year. Film #29: “Factory Boss” tells the story of a factory owner and his workers in China.

If you’re an atheist read my review of film #28 at the bottom of this article. This is the last day of regularly scheduled screenings. Tomorrow is encore day where the films deemed especially good get an additional screening. This year has been fantastic. I’ve heard a few people give negative reviews of some films but as I mentioned in my previous article I’ve been fortunate this year to have seen only two films I would not recommend seeing.

What a fantastic film festival. Perhaps I’ve simply been lucky because by this time last year I had seen two movies I should have walked out on (1 of 5 stars) and several more that were merely bad (2 of 5 stars). Yet this year I’ve only seen two disappointing movies and none that I would walk out on. In fact I’m surprised at the number I’ve rated 5 of 5 stars that deserve broad release.

It had to eventually happen: Today a self-centered asshole sat in front of me and decided he absolutely had to listen to something with his phone screen lit after the lights dimmed right up to the moment the film started. After I threatened to have him ejected from the theatre he called me a couple of names but turned off his phone. Sigh. Some people really need a proctology exam conducted using their phone.

Wow! More than halfway through this film festival. Of twenty films only one disappointed me and even that one didn’t make we think about walking out before the end of the movie. This is a very different experience from last year. Film #18: “Crescendo! The Power Of Music” tells how a music education program started in Venezuela in 1976 has affected the lives of USA students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New York, New York.

Film #16: “Shorts 3 – Lessons Learned” contained several short films that were disquieting. But that’s not only okay it’s what I want from this type of collection of short films. There was only one real clunker in the collection (“Piss & Vinegar”), a couple that are okay, and several gems (“Dead Hearts”, “Itsy Bitsy Spiders”, “Slap”). I rate it 4 of 5 stars. Film #17: “Dirty Beautiful” is “Pretty Woman” as interpreted by the same dude who wrote the Bible’s “Book of Revelation”.