Mobtown Shank

Question O' The Week: Today's Luddite

When you hear about a person who isn't online at home or who doesn't have a personal computer, what do you immediately assume about that person?

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LAST WEEK'S WINNER IS: - there was no winner
You have 1 week stop by Atomic Books to pick up your prize or it will be returned to the Shank prize pool.

We'll announce this week's winner on next week's Question O' The Week.

Prize for this week's best response: a t-shirt courtesy of our friends over at Neil Gaiman's Never Wear.

GodWatch: Satan's Involvement In The Gay Agenda

Meet Maryland Bishop Harry Jackson.

He thinks:

“Gays have been at the helm of a fourfold strategy for years, but the wisdom behind their spiritual, cultural, political, and generational tactics is clearly Satanic.”

So does this mean, since the "wisdom" of gays is Satanic that Satanists are part of the supposed "gay agenda"?

Are all Satanists gay? Are all homosexuals Satanists?

I'm confused.

Source.

BillO Hearts Michelle

Bill O'Reilly had recently met first Lady Michelle Obama. And on his show this week, he talked about how "impressed" with her he was. He said, “The President and First Lady were very gracious to me. ... She’s charismatic, articulate, and beautiful.”

So when right wing talk show host called him on his gushing, he called her a Kool-aid drinker.

INGRAHAM: I’m gushing over your gushing last night about the Christmas party. I’m still trying to get over that.

O’REILLY: Wait, a minute. I’m going to call you — I’m calling you out on this. [...] I thought she was very nice at the party. [...] You are a blind ideologue who even if somebody’s nice to you, won’t admit it because you’re talking about a Kool-aid drinker. [...] You have an IV attached to your arm on the Kool-aid.

Maybe BillO realizes he can't beat Beck on the right so he's starting to track center?

Source.

Actual Unemployment In Detroit Hits 50%

Officials in Detroit say the actual unemployment rate in their town is at 50%.

Officially, Detroit's unemployment rate is just under 30 percent. But the city's mayor and local leaders are suggesting a far more disturbing figure -- the actual jobless rate, they say, is closer to 50 percent.

As many have noted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which culls federal unemployment data, does not account for all of the jobless in its widely-quoted national unemployment figures. Among those omitted: part-time workers who are looking for full-time jobs and frustrated job seekers who abandon their job search altogether.

(For some context, the official national unemployment rate is 10 percent, but the "underemployment rate" is 17.2 percent.)

Detroit city officials argue that, when workers who are underemployed are added to the calculation, the number of city residents who are out of work is close to one in every two.

Source.

Courtney Loses Control Over Francis

17 year old Francis Bean Cobain is now no longer under the guardianship of mother Courtney Love, but Francis has also gotten a restraining order against the former Hole front woman.

Source.

Baltimore's Legendary Copy Cat Building Sold To Developer - UPDATED

In the city's attempts to develop north Baltimore, creating both a supposed "arts district" along North Ave. and a retail wasteland in Remington (where Anderson Automotive is currently planned to be replaced by a battery of big box retail stores), we find this piece of sad news from The Baltimore Sun.

A Charles Village landmark, the "Copy Cat" building at 2443 N. Charles St., was sold at auction Tuesday to a father and son development team, Carl and Steven Verstandig. Their bid at the auction, handled by Alex Cooper Auctioneers, was $365,000 plus a 5 percent buyer's premium that brought the total price to $383,250.

The Verstandigs, who have a company called CityWide Properties, said they plan to restore the exterior and renovate the interior. They said possible commercial tenants include a restaurant and a barber shop.

CityWide Properties owns several currently vacant retail properties in Hampden.

So while the city is creating an arts district just a few blocks away, the sale of the legendary Copy Cat Building means a bunch of artists will be evicted to make way for a commercial development.

It's also interesting to note that the Sun references the $65 million development plan in Remington too. So it's safe to say that The Copy Cat Building is the first casualty of the Remingon Lowes development.

Source.

UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun called the Charles Village building at 2443 N. Charles St. "Charles Village landmark, the 'Copy Cat' building". The building they are referring to, however, is not the same legendary Copy Cat Building that most Baltimoreans think of when they hear the name "The Copy Cat Building." That Copy Cat Building is located on 1501 Guilford Ave.

GodWatch: 7 U.S. States Where Atheists Are Not Allowed To Hold Office

There are 7 states where it's illegal for Atheists to hold office - including Maryland.

- Arkansas
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas

But then there is Article 6 of the US Constitution, which states:

"...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

And, it also states:

"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."

So these 7 states are not just horrendously religiously intolerant, they are unconstitutional.

Source1.
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Question O' The Week: Divorcing Reality

Who tends to be more divorced from reality - writers or musicians? Explain.

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LAST WEEK'S WINNER IS: ANGELA.
You have 1 week stop by Atomic Books to pick up your prize or it will be returned to the Shank prize pool.

We'll announce this week's winner on next week's Question O' The Week.

Prize for this week's best response: a t-shirt courtesy of our friends over at Neil Gaiman's Never Wear.

Today's Shank Pick: Double Dagger, Talk To Animals

Saturday, December 12
DOUBLE DAGGER
PONYTIAL
ESCSTATIC SUNSHINE
VIDEO HIPPOS
All ages. Doors 3:00 PM, show 4:00 PM.
Floristree. Baltimore.
Snacks will be available.
Each band will play two, brief sets separated by an intermission of video shorts.

TALK TO ANIMALS
LAMBO WHITE
TEN ELEVENTHS
11PM. The Golden West Cafe. Hampden, Baltimore.
1105 W. 36th St.

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Have an event you think the Shank may be interested in? Email us.

Republicans Have Unleashed Their Frankenstein

What is it that Tea Baggers really want?

Control of the Republican Party, of course.

At least according to Matt Kibbe of the astroturfing organization FreedomWorks. He admitted as much on Hardball.

KIBBE: The better way to do it is to take over the Republican party. Frankly, that‘s what our goal is. We need to replace the Republican establishment with fiscal conservatives that are actually willing to cut spending.

Where do moderate Republicans go from here? Into hiding?

Source.