The Week in Crazy

If one reads deep enough into the news, they can find true lunatics on a daily basis. Some live in the interstices of society, lurking on street corners or at the local internet cafe, others are in positions of considerable power. The chicken-egg questions that emerges is did these characters always exist or did they emerge from the black slime of the modern 24-hour news cycle spectacle machine? Hard to say, but here's a few entrants to the equation ...

Family Research Council is freaking out that yoga is being considered by the military as a way to keep soliders calm and mentally fit and try to address the fact that one a day on average is committing suicide at the moment (Salon). Their problem? “What a coincidence–so does faith! Unfortunately, the military seems intent on driving religion out and replacing it with wacky substitutes,” head Tony Perkins  said on his morning radio program. “They’ve added atheist chaplains, Wiccan worship centers, and now, meditation classes. But none of them are as effective or as constructive as a personal relationship with God. Unfortunately, though, it’s mind over what matters–and that’s faith.”

Last week, a Tennessee weapons instructor released a You Tube video in which he threatened to "start killing people" if Obama passed gun control legislation (isn't this a crime of some sort? Intergalactic stupidity if nothing else?). Actually, it turns out the man, James Yeager, is an ex-police chief, protective services contractor in Iraq and owner of two companies that provide tactical weapons and training to police and military units. Oh wait, this was an economic argument about his self-interest? Sorry, that's obviously okay. Unfortunately, he's not alone as everyone from The League of South white supremacist group, to Muslim-bashing Florida preacher Terry Jones to Montana anti-government "Patriot" leader are threatening the government and even arguing assault rifles are the only way we can protect ourselves against government tyranny (Salon).

A story last week claimed that a girl threatened to kill herself last week because Justin Bieber smoked pot (Twitchy). While the story turned out to be a fake, there have been numerous girls that have threatened bodily harm to themselves over his dating patterns, haircut changes or other centrally important news to to the future of humanity. Of course, having to listen to Justin Bieber songs for an hour or two might be enough for me to consider ending it all.