Wisdoma

There is a story that sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican”, according to the Holy See’s chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth.

Father Amorth apparently became an exorcist in 1986, and has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession.

That’s a lot of demons.

Since the Times Online in London, where the story came from, was too lazy to consider what was being claimed, let us help them out.

70,000 cases over 25 years is 2800 per year. Working 365 days a year, that is 7.7 cases per day, every day, for 25 years.

Of course, ‘dealt with’ does not necessarily mean a full-bore investigation and exorcism – although Father Amorth is an exorcist and not an investigator.

Either the math is wildly wrong, as in 70,000 is too high a figure – or maybe the Vatican needs more exorcists as it appears to be a losing battle.

According to the article, anything bad that happens is the work of the Devil.

But more importantly – WHERE ARE THE EXORCISMS OF THE PEDOPHILE CATHOLIC PRIESTS? Surely if this is the work of the Devil, a top priority would have been exorcising the Devil out of priests.

Sooo, right smack in the middle of a huge public discussion about health care, insurance costs, bills in Congress to regulate costs and providing health care, and demands by the President, the tone-deaf idiots at Wellpoint, owners of Anthem Blue Cross, decide to raise insurance rates in California by up to 39 percent. Let’s call it honestly – 40 percent.

Does the company have a death wish?

Now, it has no rate increase. My prediction – it never will get anything more than a token increase.

Publicity is now trained on this company and its billions in profits. It had a 50+ increase percent in profits during the last year – a year when supposedly the country was in the great recession.

In February 2009 Anthem Blue Cross in California had to reinstate a couple thousand members and pay a one million dollar fine. Why? Because it was dropping subscribers once they got sick and had expensive care.

And of course the California Insurance Commissioner is publicizing 700 recent legal violations by Blue Cross, and that fines of up to $10,000 per violation will be sought. That is $7 million in potential fines. Here’s hoping Wellpoint gets whacked. Another prediction: lots of lawyers are looking for potential angles to sue.

But that is nothing comparing to the whacking the company is about to take in Congress. If a bill is passed regulating health insurance at the national level, Wellpoint Anthem has only itself to blame. Instead of laying low they have pointed a huge bullseye on their back.

One of the best shows on television used to be Big Love, a quirky show on HBO about a fundamentalist Mormon family (read polygamy) trying to navigate the breach between compound life and the real world.

The characters were real. Interesting. Likable.

This year, it’s a different show. Just a few of the mashed together story-lines and themes after only three episodes:

* Gay sex everywhere. The leader of the compound is gay. So is a receiver. Anal sex in the family.
* Incestuous desires in the family.
* Gambling and running a casino.
* Drinking alcohol.
* LDS Church bashing.
* Guns.
* Digging up dead bodies to cover-up a murder.
* Intentional lies to the real Mormon Church.
* A polygamist running for public office so he can expose his family’s criminal lifestyle.
* The family creating their own church.
* Extortion … and crazies everywhere.

An out of control mass of ridiculous story-lines that is beyond silly. Just plain stupid.

Why the change in tone?

Last year the Mormon Church had an issue with one of the episodes. A complaint I felt was premature and ultimately wrong. There is also the current highly publicized political debate in California and warfare between the Church and the gay community.

Big Love is created by two openly gay guys from Hollywood. Looks to me like they’re now trying to hurt the Church. Ultimately, they’re just hurting the show.

It just keeps getting uglier and uglier for Tiger Woods.

Seems like we’ve lost count of the number of bimbos he’s been with.

Now there are reports of x-rated photos.

There is an absurd question being floated of whether Tiger will play golf again. (Yes, he will.)

The first sponsor has dropped him – with more to follow.

All we’re missing at this point is Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. I can’t believe they would miss a publicity angle in this high-profile spectacle.

It wasn’t that long ago American Idol hit ratings gold with Adam Lambert – a cool and edgy performer taking different, unique, fun, interesting, and entertaining new perspectives on songs.

Ring of Fire – Wow
Mad World – Wow Wow

Like them or not, there was no denying Lambert’s talent.

Suddenly, Adam Lambert was hot.

Was he gay? Probably. But he refused to talk about it because it had nothing to do with his performances and the personality he was trying to express.

Then American Idol ended. There was the tour where all the Idols, except Adam Lambert, would spend time signing autographs for fans waiting hours after the concert. Adam Lambert was straight to the bus.

Now, with a few songs out and a first album one wouldn’t know this was the same person.

Cool perspectives on songs? Nope. Very, very boring – anyone could be singing – songs. Heard them on the radio? Nope. If a song is lucky enough to crack the Top 100 for one week it immediately dies and disappears.

Now, of course, the only thing anyone, including Adam Lambert, wants to talk about is being gay. It’s no longer about the music.

His flaming album cover didn’t help either. While Adam Lambert surely racks up a couple hundred thousand album sales – that is from pre-orders BEFORE anyone heard any songs, before anyone saw the album cover, before the sex stunts at the awards show, before Lambert decided that being gay was more important than being a musical talent.

Fame is fleeting. Lambert is talented and certainly deserves a second shot, a second album to redeem his American Idol aura which led to his initial fame. Otherwise, it will soon be back to backup theatre roles – or maybe he can cash in as a gay porn star.

Sadly, though, do you think Lambert realizes what is happening?

Update: 12/10/9 – Once again, Adam Lambert’s latest song touched into the Top 100 last week and is gone this week. Now that the pre-order numbers are done, album sales are tanking. Given all the incredible hype and free media publicity (that even the Idol winner Kris Allen has not received) – this is really embarrassing.