Episode 37: Inciting A Tarot Riot

Episode 37 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast finds us Inciting A Tarot Riot! Today’s show is a special hour-long interview with Liz Christy of Lizzie’s Logic the blog. (LizziesLogic.blogspot.com) She schools us on tarot history, lore, magical practice, how-to’s, and a whole lot more.

Liz has been kind enough to offer to answer any questions, so email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com if you’d like Liz to perform a reading or simply answer your queries!

Make sure to enter this month’s swag draw to win the Kelley Armstrong or Marjorie M. Liu books BEFORE THEY HIT STORE SHELVES!

Please continue to vote for the show on Podcast Alley, vote, subscribe to, and rate the show on iTunes, join the TwitterRiot by following me @IncitingARiot, enter the Swag Contest through a donation or purchase of swag through the CafePress.com swag shop, take a gander at my articles on Examiner.com, and send your questions, comments, gripes, or complaints to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Home Page: http://www.IncitingARiot.com

Podcast Alley: http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=86829

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Project Pagan Enough: http://www.incitingariot.com/p/project-pagan-enough.html

The Question is Whether Gods Die?

This is a quick poll of sorts. I have been pontificating over a few ideas of deity, as I do on occasion, and I want to get your feedback as I write my next article on the subject.

Here's the gist: Do the gods die? Are the gods born? Do they have a finite amount of time to reign? These kinds of questions might help to rationalize and bring together ideas of dualism, polytheism, and pantheism. Or, at least, they might in my head.

Without going too deep into my logic, so as not to sway your responses, let me know what you think! Are the gods of history basically deified kings and queens that reigned for a time and then went away? Or, do they change their faces and identities to keep up with the times? Are they eternal and immortal or fixed and have a fate of their own.

Comment, tweet, or - preferably - email your responses to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Mexico likes what's going on in Arizona & Lesbians Can't Get Dick

This case just isn't going to end anytime soon.

A U.S. judge temporarily blocked the most controversial parts of the law from going into effect. The sections put on hold would allow police to investigate "the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested" and to arrest anyone they think might be subject to deportation, and would make it a crime "for an unauthorized alien to solicit, apply for, or perform work."

Apparently, Mexico is taking the initiative to 'ensure that the rights of Mexican nationals are not violated.' I'm sure all you lovely Rioters have several thoughts about this not-surprising development. Comment, Tweet, or email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com.

In stupid daytime TV cohost news: Elisabeth Hasselbeck - that font of conservative eloquence - alluded on Tuesday's episode of the View that lesbians that come out later in life do so because, as she says, "All the older men are going for younger women, leaving the women with no one." Because, you know, if you can't get dick, you're forced to enjoy the vadge. Yes, it's crude, but come on... She actually said lesbians are lesbian because they can't get a man!

Her entire uneducated rant is caught in video form, which you may view below.



Speaking of the View, President Obama taped his appearance on the well-watched show today, making him the first sitting president to appear on a daytime talk show. The episode will air tomorrow (Thursday), and I'm eagerly anticipating what will be/was said. I'm sure Mrs. Hasselbeck will put on a good show of pretending to be polite. It will be interesting to hear if he comments on the Shirley Sherrod debacle.

Thought I was going to gloss over that story, Rioters? Never fear. Check out the latest episode of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast for my take on the Sherrod case. Oh wait. I need to finish recording that show.

One last thing: I JUST FINISHED the Kelley Armstrong book Waking the Witch. My full review will be out soon! All I can say is that I hope you've entered the swag draw for this month, because this is a book you'll want to win!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Lazy Day, definition of. And newsy stuff...

Today was the epitome of a lazy summer day, and I liked it. I worked like mad yesterday to clean my house, pay my bills, balance the checkbook, and veritably got my ducks in a row so that I didn't have any responsibilities today. I woke up not necessarily late but not obscenely early. I went for a jog outside, went to the gym, enjoyed the hell out of the pool, and I piddled around with my blog. Oh, and I nearly finished Kelley Armstrong's new book Waking the Witch, which - by the way - you can win by entering this month's swag contest!

I think this was necessary, and it was a good reminder to me that my days off can - and SHOULD - actually be OFF DAYS! Too many times we fill our days up to the brim, and we set aside the things we'd rather do on our days off, because we feel bad. We feel bad about not doing the chores and mundane daily tasks that keep our lives running. Sure, I could head to the gym for 2 hours, OR I could make sure all the laundry and dishes get done. I could try out a new running trail or go browse around my favorite store, or I could balance the checkbook and pay the bills.

As I get used to this new work schedule of mine, I am hammering out what looks to be the beginnings of a routine. I like routine. I like it because I can work with it and around it. I am not someone that does well getting the things I need/want to get done completed when left to my own devices. Without some form of set schedule to go off of, I seem to scramble to keep my head above water. Anybody else have this problem? Sure, it might make me conformist, but I like my box. I get the irony of loving boundaries while championing the tearing down of convention and conformity.

Hypocrite I may be, but I accept it wholeheartedly.

In verbal dumbassery news: Sarah Palin - that font of unending blog material - invented the word 'refudiate' in a tweet regarding the mosque being built near the Twin Towers' remains. I covered this story back in May of this year. Her tweet went as follows: 

Ground Zero Mosque supporters, doesn’t it stab you in the heart as it does our throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, please refudiate.

Presumably, the former half-term Alaskan governor meant to use the word 'repudiate,' which means 'refuse to accept or be associated with.' While I appreciate the fact that the formerly relevant politician recognizes that not all Muslims are evil terrorists, I disagree with her sentiment - if not her grammar. Why should it stab a Muslim through the heart to have a house of worship built? I'm patriotic, and I don't get the outrage.

Also, after the post was deleted (of course she would delete it), she then compared herself to Shakespeare with this gem:

NPR's Wait..Wait...Don't Tell Me radio show made the humorous observation that Mrs. Palin does share two things with the Bard:

1. They both quit their jobs halfway through.
2. Half of the country doesn't get what the other half sees in him/her.

I must say, I agree.

In Presidential appearance news: Barack Obama will be making an appearance on The View on Thursday. Set your DVRs, because this should be good. Will Elisabeth shut the hell up, or will she unleash her conservativeness all over him? Will Sherri be able to contain herself, or will Michelle Obama have to pull Ms. Shephard off his lap as she screams, "Be my babydaddy!" Either way it goes, it will make for one hell of a show.

That's it for now, folks! Remember to comment, tweet, or email your feedback to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Hey Rioters...

Notice anything fun and different about the blog? Take a look around and tell me what you think of the new layout. Hope it's easier to use! All feedback is appreciated.

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

A Man's Financial Abortion

A recent TIME magazine article has been getting a good deal of press the last week. The article by Nancy Gibbs, titled 'A Man's Right to Choose?' discusses whether or not a man has the ability to decide not to have a child. If women can choose abortion, the pill, etc., then why can't men definitively say no to an unwanted child?

This whole thing highlights the double standard that many men feel exists in the abortion debate. It's a woman's right to choose: Life or 'Choice'. It's a woman's body, a woman's uterus, a woman has to go through the actual 9 months + labor, and a woman is the one who is supremely inconvenienced if not utterly derailed personally and professionally by the pregnancy. But, what about the guy in all this?

Mel Feit, the Director of the National Center for Men (yes, it's a real organization that 'fights for equal rights' for men), says that they are launching a campaign to have women 'share reproductive rights with men.' It's a project they're calling 'Roe v. Wade...for Men'. So sayeth their website:

More than three decades ago Roe vs. Wade gave women control of their reproductive lives but nothing in the law changed for men. Women can now have sexual intimacy without sacrificing reproductive choice. Women now have the freedom and security to enjoy lovemaking without the fear of forced procreation. Women now have control of their lives after an unplanned conception. But men are routinely forced to give up control, forced to be financially responsible for choices only women are permitted to make, forced to relinquish reproductive choice as the price of intimacy.

Basically the point is that if a woman has an unwanted pregnancy, she has the right to get rid of it. Despite your views of abortion and the sanctity of life, those are the facts of law as they currently are in America. However, think about this: If a man gets a woman pregnant, and she doesn't want to have an abortion, he is automatically financially responsible for that child forever. Whether he wanted the child, the abortion, or not, he has no recourse. He cannot force the woman to have the abortion, but he cannot also absolve himself of the financial obligation.

And I understand the arguments against this notion. It takes two to tango. The man is equally responsible for the creation, so he should be responsible for the life. Blah blah blah... But, it's not always true. The woman gets the choice to opt out, but not the man?

I think there's an obvious and valid point to be made here. If a girl knows her guy doesn't want a baby, or probably can't afford a baby right now, and an accident happens, it should be solely on her if she wants to keep it. If she decides she's ready to be a mother, but he's not ready to be a father, he should get an out, too. Shouldn't he?

Feit argues that within a short window of time after discovering an unplanned pregnancy — he has proposed a month, but thinks a week might even be more appropriate — a man should have the right to terminate his legal and financial obligations to the child. "I'm not talking about fathers opting out of obligations that they've committed to," Feit says. "I mean early in pregnancy, if contraception failed, men should have a choice, and women have a right to know what that choice is as they decide how to proceed."

Still, Feit has been surprised by the response he's gotten so far. "It doesn't break down along traditional gender lines," he says. "We're getting so much support from women." The men divide roughly half and half between those who support what he's doing and those who say essentially "be a man; accept responsibility." "Women seem more supportive, which is very surprising and gratifying. They say maybe this is fair, men should have some say, some choice. I'm getting more support from women than I anticipated." He is the first to say that these are not easy questions. So sometimes just asking them is the right place to start.

So... What do YOU think Rioters? Should a man have an equal right to choose? Or, are guys screwed if the girl decides she wants to keep an accidental child? This doesn't count if the guy was committed to being a father and then decided later he wanted out. This would be, as the article states, an accidental pregnancy at its earliest stages. Comment, tweet, or email your responses to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

How to Get Superpowers (Reader Response)

I got an email from a new reader of the blog who asked the following:

Hey...
Hopefully you have the answer to my question I have yet to figure out....I been led in many directions towards learning more about spirituality.....The Psychic Eye store....The Bohdi Tree store in west hollywood....but I never had time to go....all i really want is more knowledge about what i have to do to gain more supernatural powers....I looked into wicca... (ehh too much stuff to buy) Im more of an old soul...so im into old urban legends....Like I would love to have body transformations....have animal like powers....psychokenisis....be cursed to be a vampire...or something! I want to gain more power....psychically and mentally....I tried reading and researching books but nothing came to me....I was hoping to actually meet someone who has knowledge about what exactly to do....or how to go about doing it.....
So can you help me?

No, I didn't insert the ellipses into the sentence. That's how it was written. Obviously my first instinct is to call this a fake and not respond, but then it occurred to me that - given the audience for the new pagan media - it might very well not. Besides, my mother always taught me that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Thus, I am going to provide a few different methods for obtaining superpowers in an attempt to answer the email. Here we go:

1. If you have any natural gifts - i.e. you know who's calling before they answer, your mood effects the weather, when you want it to rain a pipe bursts in your bedroom and floods it for three days - nurture them. Have a friend hold up playing cards for you to guess which one it is. Jump off your roof until you can remain airborne. The best athletes didn't make it to the major leagues on raw talent. They had to practice. So whatever you're good at, work at it. Just, please, don't come to my house and try to fix my leaky faucet. Actually, come to think of it, you probably shouldn't be a plumber at all until you get a handle on that psychokinesis.
2. If your siblings have active powers and yours is more passive, you should practice extra hard. You and I both know that they wouldn't get to use their flashy, magical powers if you hadn't had the vision that told them where the bad guy was. In fact, they should be grateful that you even deigned to let them in on your awesome psychic abilities in the first place!
3. Urban Legends are really cool, but not everybody gets to automatically have an urban legend written about them, let alone get the accompanying superpowers. Now, I might get in trouble for saying this, but you might want to go on a killing spree. Cheerleaders and small children seem to work best in this instance. Then, when their parents find out and they come to lynch you, you'll gain the ability to come back from the dead for as many sequels as Hollywood can pinch out of moviegoers or walk through dreams or. 
4. Likewise, if you've been picked on your whole life for not being pretty enough, cool enough, or an all around dweeb - which, I'm guessing, might be the case - don't let it go. Don't act on it yet, but don't ever let it go. In fact, let it keep building inside you...oh, I dunno, like a burning flame. Then, get all of those people that picked on you together in one room. Now, you'll need some items for this particular ritual, but your local butcher shop should be able to help you. When you pour the pig's blood on you, make sure it covers your face. And don't go using any corn syrup; your powers will know the difference. Then, when you're doused, let all that rage shoot out of your eyes. Try and make stuff burn. Pyrokinesis is better than no kinesis at all, I always say.
5. If you want to be cursed, then just ask. I have no problem cursing the living daylights out of you, but you have to follow the Dark Rede when doing so. "Bide the Superpower laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust. If it harms none, get a signed permission slip first...er...bust." (See how it rhymes? It must be true!) Just be specific about the kind of curse you'd like me to do. I haven't done a vampire one yet, but maybe another Rioter has! It can be a group effort. We can all curse you!
6. For animal powers, the easiest way I've found of obtaining them is to get bitten by something. Another werewolf, a radioactive spider, perhaps some sort of Old One/Cthulu style thing. If you happen to have access to a Chupacabra, that would probably work. But, get creative! Think outside the box. WHAT kind of animal powers do you want to have? I don't know that anybody has channeled hummingbird powers or slug powers! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to melt whenever you wanted to with just a little salt? I'm sure it would come in handy for the rest of us when doing Number 5! Whenever you figure out which powers you want, find that animal, stick it in a box of uranium until it's nice and radioactive, and let it bite you. That should do the trick.
7. If reading and researching are too much of a hassle, then try books on tape. There's this guided meditation book you can buy from Barnes and Noble. If you just rewrite and rerecord it a bit, you could use it to gain more magickkkkal powers. In fact, a lot of them typically already bestow you with powers, but you might want to add a caveat to them. Something like this, "And when I wake up, this will not be a total crock of shit, and I will not have wasted $19.95 + tax on another useless magic book. This will work, and I am now Merlin's chosen butt buddy." You know...or something else of your choosing. Remember! Magic works best when you write it yourself!
8. What has always worked for me in the past is to find some ancient civilization's lost amulet/talisman/Ark of the Covenant. There's typically either a reward of magical powers, or the amulet/talisman/Phoenix-Feather Wand grants you superpowers. Either way, it's a win-win situation, because you get to be the hero and have your pick of the village virgins, AND you get awesome, ancient, badass powers!
9. When none of the above have worked, and you're going about your daily life powerless and ultimately a complete waste of flesh, then what you need to do is find an old bookstore. Like, a really old one. One that looks like it's been there for 500 years or more, and you should probably also ignore the actual age of this country and focus more on aesthetics. To get there you need to be chased by either bullies, crack heads, gang members, or one of the Scooby Doo villains. Once there, you'll meet a really old shopkeeper whose name inexplicably correlates to an ancient wizard/witch/historical figure. This person is NOT the ancient wizard/witch/historical figure, despite every bit of evidence to the contrary. They will give you a book or a talisman that will either grant you superpowers, allow you access to another world where you have superpowers, or they will tell you a story about how you're the last descendant in a long line of people with superpowers and you will immediately begin to have majjjickckqal experiences, despite never having had anything like that happen to you ever in your life. (Like the ability to make paragraph-long run-on sentences.) 
10. If all else fails. If the old man in the bookstore is just some perv that hangs out in the children's section. If your werewolf won't go into the uranium tank. If you've never been picked on in your life, and $19.95 + tax is STILL too much to spend, then I have one last thing to try: jump off a bridge. Repeatedly. Chances are you'll fly or you'll fall at the exact speed and height to open a wormhole. Presto! The ability to both fly and create wormholes all in one drop! Now, you'll probably want to try this several times, but don't be discouraged by a few broken bones. These are superpowers after all! If you just wanted some piddly little regular powers, all you'd need is a few blackout contacts and anything written in latin. Then you're gold.

Rioters, I hope this has helped. Remember that I am always here to answer any questions, comments, gripes, or complaints you may have. I care about each and every one of you, and I want to see all of you achieve your superpower goals! Let me know how it works!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Constance Settles; School 'Capitulates'

Constance McMillen - the lesbian teen whose school repeatedly discriminated and humiliated her over taking her girlfriend to prom - has finally reached the end of her legal battle with the Itawamba County School District. She has received a $35,000 settlement, along with attorney's fees. So... Yeah! Right?

It seems that Constance isn't quite finished being a media target. The website LifeSiteNews did an interview with the American Family Association's Director of Issue Analysis Bryan Fischer that is being reprinted and sourced by several blogs and news agencies. In the interview Fischer decries the Itawamba County School District for 'capitulating' - or giving up/giving in; surrendering - to the 'demands' of a mentally unstable teen. Or, as he says it:

They have done Constance no favors by giving in to her demands, because they are assisting her in accepting a lifestyle that is destructive.

I don't know that this girl ever demanded anything except to be treated with the same dignity that every other teenager wants at 17. She wanted to go to prom with a person of her choosing and wear what she wanted. That's every kid's right. Now, you can take three guesses what kind of website LSN is and why they would want to talk to anybody at the AFA about this matter. I'm not blind to the skewed nature of this viewpoint, but it is a curious thing to see what is being circulated around the interwebs concerning this case.

Here are just a few of Fischer's 'qualified' observations and remarks:

• The decision amounts to “homosexual activists shaking down rural taxpayers for 35 grand."
• "It's a shame that the school district capitulated, because their capitulation in the face of the homosexual agenda in the end is going to mean that every high school in America is going to have to let transvestites in full drag attend their senior proms."
• By not engaging the court battle, said Fischer, the district "compromised the ability of every high school in America to defend natural norms of sexual expression."
• Fischer expressed frustration that Otoswmbada school district turned down expert pro bono legal service, and instead hired an attorney "who did nothing more than negotiate the legal terms of their surrender."
• "[By choosing] to navigate their way out of this crisis, they have put every other high school in America in jeopardy," he said. "They were not thinking of the implications for their capitulation for every high school student in America."

Side note: Anybody else think that 'capitulate' was Fischer's word of the day?

There's really not much more to say about this. I think it's apparent why the guy made the misguided comments he did, but it goes to the point that we view events from our own perspectives, rarely trying to see from a different perspective. We fight for the right to equal protection under the law, but want it limited to groups and people we approve. That's not how equality works.

What do YOU think about this story? Tweet me, leave a comment, or email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com.

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Movie Review: Eclipse

Or, I could call this:

A Neato Movie About Werewolves and Vampires That Gets Severely Fucked Up By A Ridiculous Love Triangle That No 17-Year-Old In Their Right Mind Would Ever Have

Yeah, that sums up exactly how lackluster I've found the recent string of Twilight films. Movie one was slightly sweet, romantic, and quite dreamy. However, the whole over-protective boyfriend thing was a bit of a turn-off. Though, they didn't seem to play that up much in the inaugural film. 

The second went to new depths of disgust when they made the female lead completely codependent on the Vampire Boyfriend. Really? Like, really, she spent 6 months of her life as a raving lunatic, pulling her hair out and screaming at the top of her lungs, because her high school crush left town? 

REALLY?!

Now, I get that this is partly due to bad source material. I've not read all the books, but I've read enough of the reviews and enough parts of the series to know that Mrs. Meyer can't develop characters like her contemporaries. She tells the most superficial of stories and leaves us with characters that are half-finished shells, shallower than a sidewalk puddle. Whereas, if one were to compare her to another supernatural blockbuster (Harry Potter), she's not even in the same league of storytelling. Her histories and rationalities are not developed. The characters' reactions and decisions have no basis in anything other than, "Hey, I'm a horny teenager with the sense of foreboding and gloom of a depressed 45-year-old alcoholic whose puppy gets run over daily." 

However, this third film was given a healthy dose of Hollywood gloss and rewrites, rounding the edges of the choppy story. The movie was decent, and many of the peripheral characters were spotlighted, which made me happy. Truly, though, the movie's lowest points came in the unrealistic love triangle. The way Bella clings to Edward for dear life is utterly and completely pathetic. Edward's overprotective nature is in overdrive as the shirtless (YUM) Jacob insists on making everyone aware just how beautiful and perfect and special Bella is. 

No offense to Kristen Stewart, but Bella isn't that pretty. And codependency isn't pretty on anyone. Who in their right mind thinks teenagers act like this?! IN 2010! I get that the author wanted to infuse her beliefs into the books, but this is just blinding yourself to reality. I digress.

Cinematically, the film is gorgeous. The scenery is lush, and the fight scenes are great. I actually told my Partner that the movie would have been almost perfect if not for the three main characters. I actually enjoyed the vampire/wolf interaction. Despite the sparkle, I like the world that Meyer has created. The mythos is interesting, fresh even. But, I'm a fan of fantasy in general...so I'm biased. One thing I was really confused by is WHY IN THE HELL DID THE VAMPIRES TURN INTO ICE PEOPLE?! 

Did anybody else notice that? In the first two films, they were flesh and blood - when they'd fed. When you ripped off their arms, you were ripping off fleshy arms with bones and such. In this movie, for some odd reason, the vamps broke apart as though they were made of ice. Even their insides looked like solid ice cubes. Umm... Can somebody enlighten me? Is this how it's written in the books, or is that just something stupid the Hollywood folks decided to do?

All things considered, I'll give the film 3 1/2 pitchforks out of 5. It's definitely better than the 2nd film, which almost turned me off to the franchise. I'm not quite sure it lives up to the dreamy, innocent, blissful quality the first film achieved. However, it was definitely a more mature film. It's worth seeing, but don't beat yourself up if you wait for it to come up in your Netflix queue.

What did YOU think of Eclipse? Comment, tweet, or email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

PS. This movie actually made me want to see the new parody film Vampires Suck. Trailer below. Anybody else think it looks funny?

Episode 36: Inciting A Rede Riot

Episode 36 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast finds us Inciting A Rede Riot. There’s a lot of talk about the Rede: what it is, why it’s good/bad, and which one to follow. I weigh in on that issue, and I share my own version. Also, we briefly talk about part of the religion of Hinduism, because Fire Lyte sadly found out that attempting to fit a 5000-year-old religion into one podcast just wasn’t going to happen.

News: DADT survey, Arizona is getting sued, and there’s a plug in the ocean we’re all hoping holds.

Word of the Day: autocthonous

Sociology: Sex in the Montana Classroom

Spirituality: Hinduism pt. 1 (Who, Where, & When)

Tips & Tricks: Making a Rede

Music: Hush by Chris Grace

Please continue to vote for the show on Podcast Alley, vote, subscribe to, and rate the show on iTunes, join the TwitterRiot by following me @IncitingARiot, enter the Swag Contest through a donation or purchase of swag through the CafePress.com swag shop, take a gander at my articles on Examiner.com, and send your questions, comments, gripes, or complaints to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Home Page: http://www.IncitingARiot.com

Podcast Alley: http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=86829

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iTunes: http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=337689333

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Swag Shop: http://cafepress.com/IncitingARiot

Project Pagan Enough: http://www.incitingariot.com/p/project-pagan-enough.html

More DADT Drama Now in Survey Form!

The Pentagon has sent out a survey to many active duty members of the military asking their views of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. 400,000 randomly selected personnel were asked questions such as:

If don't ask, don't tell is repealed and you are working with a service member in your immediate unit who has said he or she is gay or lesbian, how would that affect your own ability to fulfill your mission during combat?

Pretty straightforward question, in my opinion. The whole of the potential effects of the DADT repeal could be summed up by this answer. However, then there are questions like this:

Have you been assigned to share bath facilities with an open bay shower that is also used by a Service member you believed to be homosexual?


If Don't Ask, Don't Tell is repealed and you are assigned to bathroom facilities with an open bay shower that someone you believe to be a gay or lesbian Service member also used, which are you most likely to do?

Apparently, the military is quite worried about your heterosexual/homosexual showering habits. There are questions pertaining to retention and readiness and willingness and all sorts of issues, but I am quite confused as to why they mention the showering thing so many times. And, I'm not alone.

A lot of critics of this survey have said that the wording of these questions leads respondents to give biased results, or presents situations in a manner that would guide the respondent to a particular answer. So, if I ask you if you're ok with gays in the military, you might say, "Sure!" But, what if I ask you, "Are you willing to shower with a gay guy in an open bay shower without any curtain or wall that would keep him from seeing your naughty bits?" What answer do you think the average soldier is going to give? And, if those are the questions that we're asking, and the way we're asking them, how willing are we (and by 'we' I mean those that are performing this supposed investigation into how to properly repeal DADT) to actually repeal DADT?

I'm not an idiot or some fanatic gay rights activist. I swear. And, I also understand the very real issues of housing and showering as well as retention, recruitment, and readiness. I am up for sending out an online survey to hundreds of thousands of service men and women to get a snapshot of the realities of repealing DADT. I don't, however, think that harping on the issues of showering, highlighting the lack of coverage in the open showers, or the other skewed language is necessary. It seems to be implying that the Powers that Be don't really want to get positive results from this survey. The vast majority of the population is pro-repealing DADT, but I'm not sure how many people would still feel that way when the focus of questioning is on the possible sexual predatory nature of gay folks.

Just because you're gay doesn't mean you find all men attractive. The same goes for lesbians. We're not going to become so filled with lust that we will slide across the wet open shower floor and hop on the happy pole to do the bad thing. We've got self-control, and, in all likelihood, we don't think you're cute. It's not a diss. Think about it. Do YOU think everybody of the opposite sex is hot and doable? Probably not. Same for gay folks. We're just folks.

What do YOU think about this survey? Comment, tweet, or email your comment to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

"Root for BP and hope for the best." & Arizona gets sued

That, my dear Rioters, is a direct quote from this article in the Los Angeles Times. It talks about how BP - the most hated company in America right now - is trying yet another time to cap the leaking oil well. This time they're attempting to fit a 'snug-fitting cap' on the top, which would direct 60,000-80,000 barrels to four container vessels.

Would this be a permanent solution? No, but it would definitely help out until the promised relief well can be finished. Of course, I'm pretty curious as to where this number of 60,000-80,000 barrels to be collected came from. My guess? BP. And if that's true, then I'm not really too keen on believing it.

However, Steve Kloor, a citizen in the area of New Orleans, summed up what everybody's feeling:

Kloor said he had no choice but to root for BP and hope for the best. "Do I have confidence?" he said. "Sure, I have to — it's the only hope I have."

All we know now is that the next step is to attempt getting that cap on, and that isn't expected to happen until Wednesday. Hopefully, I'll have good news to report by then.

In other news that has yet to play out: The federal government is suing the state of Arizona. Guess why! Yes, this news is about a week old, but I was hoping something would be worth reporting before I wrote about it on the blog. There's not.

Here's the rundown. Attorney General Eric Holder is arguing on behalf of the federal government that Arizona law SB 1070 (their immigration reform bill) is 'inconsistent with our federal constitution.' Governor Jan Brewer called the suit 'outrageous.' Opponents of the suit say this is being done for moral reasons, as this kind of legislation will inevitably lead to racial profiling - which is more a civil rights issue than a legal/constitutional one. However, proponents of the lawsuit say it is unconstitutional.

In defense of the opponents, I would like to say I don't like how the government isn't specifically detailing how the law is unconstitutional. The Attorney General seems content to merely say it is. Alternatively, from a legal perspective, I can see how not laying out your case in public is a smart legal move.

In the original article, there's a quick yes or no quiz you can take on whether you think SB 1070 is constitutional or not. As of this posting it was 77% yes and 23% no. This bill does have a lot of support around America. Many Americans are quite upset that the federal government hasn't fixed the serious problem of immigration reform. And, while the AG is suing the state of AZ, he does say he understands that immigration reform needs to occur.

"I understand ... the frustration of the people of Arizona and the concerns that they have with regard to the amount of illegal immigration that occurs....But the solution that the Arizona legislature came up with is inconsistent with our federal constitution."

I think you all know that I agree with that sentiment. However, I'd like to hear from YOU! Let me know your thoughts on immigration reform in general. Did Arizona do the right thing? Do you believe the federal government needs to hurry their ass up on fixing immigration law, or should more states create vigilante laws with potentially discriminatory practices? Or is there a secret option C you think is available? Comment, tweet, or email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com.

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Help a Podkin Out, help YOU out!

July is a brand new month, and that means it's time for my monthly begging. If you have a spare 12 seconds, could you click over to Podcast Alley and spare a quick vote for the show? It lets me know where I stand with you, the listener, as well as helps new listeners to find the show!

Also, if you have a minute extra, you can subscribe, rate, and comment on the show on iTunes! This also bumps the show up in the ranks and allows new folks an easier time finding the Riot!

One last thing: We have a little thing here at the Riot called a Swag Contest. Each month I give away a little something something. This month I have some really flippin SWEET prizes to give away. And, no, I haven't announced what they are yet. But I can tell you that I've partnered with a few New York Times Bestsellers to get some advanced awesomeness especially for the listeners and readers of the RIOT!!!!! (YES!) So, if you'd like a chance to win, click that Donate button the left and give any amount, OR purchase some swag in the CafePress.com swag shop. Either method will allow you entry into the contest. Enter two times by making a donation AND purchasing swag!

Thank you all so much for downloading, reading, and joining the Riot! I love you all, and thank you for keeping the Riot going! It's your feedback and moolah that allows me to do this.

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

The End of DOMA means...?

Rioter Rob aka Splendificus (gotta love that name) directed my attention to this article about a federal Boston, Mass. judge that recently struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Thank you in advance to Mr. S.

A quick explanation of what DOMA is and does: DOMA federally defines marriage as existing, and able to be created, between a man and a woman. This does not stop states like Idaho, Vermont, Massachusetts and the rest from allowing two men or two women from being married, but it does keep some 1,100 federal benefits away from married gay/lesbian couples. So, even if you are legally married in Vermont or Washington, D.C., and you're a gay couple, you are still denied all of the legal rights straight married couples have.

Dozens of tax breaks and hundreds of other rights - big and small - that are afforded to straight couples by the federal government are NOT given to gay (legally marrried) couples due to DOMA. Until last week.

Judge Joseph L. Tauro ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage law violates the Constitutional right of married same-sex couples to equal protection under the law and upends the federal government’s long history of allowing states to set their own marriage laws.


"This court has determined that it is clearly within the authority of the Commonwealth to recognize same-sex marriages among its residents, and to afford those individuals in same-sex marriages any benefits, rights, and privileges to which they are entitled by virtue of their marital status," Tauro wrote. "The federal government, by enacting and enforcing DOMA, plainly encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state."


What this ruling effectively does is allow those couples that are legally married in states that allow same-sex marriage to enjoy the federal benefits of their union. All of the federal benefits. This ruling does NOT, as some have claimed, end the marriage ban on same-sex marriage across the country. The states are now in complete control, they hold the keys, as to whether gay couples can marry and enjoy the benefits (including personal, state, and federal) of their union.

Of course, opponents of this legislation are coming out of the woodwork crying foul.

Kris Mineau, president of Massachusetts Family Institute called it “another blatant example of a judge playing legislator.... Same-sex marriage activists have tried time and time again to win public approval of their agenda, and they have failed each time,” Mineau said in a statement. “This is why their strategy is to force same-sex ‘marriage’ through judicial fiat, as they did here in Massachusetts and other states. [I am] confident that an appeals court, and ultimately the Supreme Court, will uphold the government’s right to define marriage, strengthening and protecting children and families.”


I would just like to point out that I truly enjoy when people advocate governmental involvement in our personal lives when they're pretty sure it won't affect them, but will - in fact - champion whatever personal cause they have. Like in the early 2000s when everyone was so gung ho about allowing the government to tap our phone lines and read our email and arrest individuals without cause, actually taking them out of the country and torturing them to get some semblance of evidence, all to stop terrorists, because, after all, what do we have to hide? Thanks Patriot Act. (#fail)

It is my sincere hope that this is a step in the right direction. Will an appellate court or the US Supreme Court through this ruling out? Well, pardon the turn of phrase, but I wouldn't rule it out. However, we are living in rapidly changing times. Gay marriage isn't the hot button issue it once was. 2 decades ago when we were begging for Don't Ask Don't Tell to become status quo, those of us that are now working, voting adults were children who didn't care. Now, we're the ones taking the reigns, and we aren't so keen on discrimination.

Times are changing, the tide is turning, and the wheel is moving. I hope that our generation is the group that overturns racist, hate-filled ideas and replaces them with an age of tolerance. If we have to legislate from the bench to get it going, then so be it. Hey, it worked for interracial marriage! It can work for us, too.

What are YOUR thoughts on the subject? Talking heads say that same-sex marriage will pass nationwide within the next decade. Would rather it happen sooner, later, or never? Comment, tweet me, or email IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Shout Outs: Mulberry Merman's Marvelous Mixtape

Rioters, have you ever heard of bands like Frightened Rabbit, MillionYoung, or Band of Horses? No?! Then that means you're not following Mulberry Merman's Marvelous Mixtape.

The Merman - also known as a sweet little New Yorker girl named Hayley - creates the most marvelous mixtapes (duh) of the best bands you probably haven't heard of. This girl's passion is music, and it extends back to her days on the radio (has EVERYONE been a radio DJ except for me?!) in college. She digs deep into the music world that exists outside of the bounds of Top 40 countdown charts and big budget music videos with machine gun bras.

For your listening pleasure, I recommend following Mulberry Merman's Marvelous Mixtape to get your fairly often-updated playlist essentials. She just came back from a 3-month hiatus, and we - her followers and devoted fans - are so grateful. Keep splashing, Merman!

In personal music obsession news: I am obsessed with a song that debuted on last week's So You Think You Can Dance. Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri is a heartbreaking song about a heartbreak that happened to, apparently, the wrong person to have their heart broken. She's the kind of person who - like Alanis so famously did in You Oughta Know - will make you immortal in a hit song. Last week, the girl had no record contract, and no music career other than posting videos on YouTube. One week later, her song is in the Top 20 on iTunes and featured on the front page.

No doubt one of those big budget albums is in this girl's immediate future. Hopefully she can write more than one good song. For now, though, enjoy Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri, and GO BUY IT ON ITUNES!!!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Putting the Pagan Blinders On

One could almost call this post Putting the [insert minority/social group you belong to here] Blinders On.


I'm not one to point fingers at one person and say they are the one cause of anything. So let me start by saying that, while I will be discussing an article from a specific blog, this post is meant to be read and understood in a generic sense.

The Wild Hunt's article on July 6 deals with the death penalty case of a man named Irving Davis, a 27-year-old man that has been convicted of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl. In Texas, the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl is punishable by either a life sentence without parole or the death penalty. For a little bit of information, this is due to the fact that if one commits a murder during or because of the commission of another felony, that murder is elevated from the classification of Murder (19.02 TX Penal Code) to Capital Murder (19.01, if I'm not mistaken). A capital felony (12.31) can only have those two punishments.

The Wild Hunt would like to argue that, because the prosecution in the case introduced evidence that the man converted to Satanism while in prison, this means the prosecution was attempting to sway the jury using religion as a base.

To his point: The judge did make statements alluding to his distaste for the very notion of Satanism. This would seem to indicate a predisposition to distrust and fear Satanism. It - as well as much of paganism - is generally feared and obscured to the general public. Although, pagans - Satanists including - seem to like on some level having secret knowledge.

Where I take issue with the article: It seems to ignore the bottom half of the original source article from the Austin-American Statesman. Davis was previously convicted of this crime and sentenced to death back in 2007. However, the sentence was thrown out due to the judge only allowing expert witnesses to testify on the defendant's behalf and not friends and family. The guilt of this man has never been in question. Also, the Hunt's article seems to gloss over the fact that Davis' love of Satanism is a brand new thing. It is repeatedly reported that his conversion is 'new.' He was not a Satanist as of 2007, and only recently converted. He has also been making outrageous demands and complaints that he was not getting what he wanted while still in prison.

While preparing for the new penalty phase trial, prosecutors learned Davis listed his new religion as Satanism after arriving on death row. Jurors were shown, over defense objections, Davis' drawings depicting satanic symbols, books removed from his cell that included "The Satanic Bible" and a pentagram tattoo on his chest. Prosecutors also introduced a grievance form that showed Davis complaining about being denied a gong, candles, chalice, black robes, a vial of blood and other items he said were needed to practice his religion.

Asking for blood for your 'brand new religion' in prison after you've been convicted of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl?! Can we just take a step back from keeping our heads in the pagan sand and take a look at how this looks to the outside world? I'm pretty sure that it would only lend itself to the prosecution's case. While I'm not saying Satanism is evil by any means, I am saying that it is a hedonistic, left-hand religion that you might not want to advertise your new conversion to in a case such as this. And, hello.... It's Texas. Land of exceedingly right-wing Christo-Republicans. How smart of a defense are you putting up if you're advertising your Satanism?

This is an issue that I have a problem with in a general sense. With all due respect to Jason at the Wild Hunt, it highlights the problem that occurs when you become so wrapped up in your social subgroup that you forget what the rest of society sees and believes. When gay folks move to the gay ghettos in big cities, have only gay friends, go to gay establishments, read the gay newspapers...then they head out of the ghetto on a field trip to straight world and are utterly perplexed why their public displays of affection aren't well-received.

I mean... PICK A MINORITY OR SOCIAL GROUP!!! When you're so wrapped up in absorbing news from only one perspective, when your friends are only part of your group, etc. etc. etc., you lose touch with the rest of the world. This is the same thing that we, as fairly left-wing pagans, supposedly despise right-wing, conservative Christians for doing. Just like it's not ok to adopt a standpoint that Christians are automatically right, it is equally dangerous to automatically assume the best of someone just because they're claiming to be some sub-sect of pagan.

This is the very epitome of hypocritical. My minority s always discriminated against and is hardly ever in the wrong. This is a great example of in-group/out-group dynamics. Remember when we talked about those? You are naturally prone to defend your in-group and assume the worst of whom you consider part of the out-group.

What we as humans and citizens of the world need to be doing is attempting to adopt a stance of balance. Take in left media, but pepper in some right. Understand more religions than just your own. Attempt to see things from the opposite side. Sometimes, when a man rapes and murders a 15-year-old girl, and has already been sentenced to death once, it might be inevitable he's going to be sentenced to death again...despite his last-minute cry of discrimination.

Leave your thoughts on the matter with a comment, tweet, or email!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

The Suffering Witch

In a recent article, I discussed my confusion over combining two distinct - and distinctly opposed - religions. While I conceded that a religion could only be added to by the inclusion of a unique spiritual path - such as paganism or Buddhism, I'm not sure two mutually exclusive religions can combine without ignoring a few things.

However, and this is a pretty big however, I never said one word about Exodus 22:18, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.' As of July 5, the previous article in question has 17 comments, and I've received even more emails about the topic. Nearly all of them mention Exodus 22:18, either attempting to educate me on its meaning or reminding me that it is part of the Old Testament and, thus, irrelevant when following Christian teachings. But, Rioters, I'd like to draw your attention back to that article... I never said a word about that verse.

I never said a word about that verse, because I know that the original language of the text refers to not letting a kashaph or kasheph, which is a rather ambiguous term. It is thought that this word is actually an intentional mistranslation by King James, who was not a big fan of magical practitioners. However, nobody is really sure. What we are sure of, when it comes to this phrase, is that it probably doesn't mean, "Hey! Let's kill Wiccans, pagans, and anybody else who is a Goddess-worshipping magical practitioner working with stones and herb gardens!"

The ancient Hebrews were scared of witches that used their powers to trick them or charge them insane amounts of money for services that may or may not have been legitimate. Specifically, necromancy, divination, speaking to serpents, and the famous 'controlling' others by use of their name, which we have discussed before.

So, while this verse never came up in my article, it shouldn't necessarily be ignored. It helps to make us aware that there are indeed verses in the Bible condemning certain types of magical practice. Again, though, these are typically relegated to necromancy, the control of spirits, certain types of divination, and anytime you're talking to anything evil. Any questions?

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Episode 35: Inciting A Karmic Riot

Episode 35 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast finds us Inciting A Karmic Riot. We’re delving into what Karma - Sanskrit for ‘action’ - is and what it is not. Hopefully, you’ll learn something new, or, at least, gain a new perspective on what it means to live your life karma-free!

News: Joe Barton apologizes to BP, Kim Jong-Il is a telepath and sandwich inventor, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal is out of a job.

Word of the Day: obstreperous

Spirituality: Karma

Book Review: Good Karma: How to Find It and Keep It by Joan Duncan Oliver

Music: Forca by Nelly Furtado

Poem: Karma

Please continue to vote for the show on Podcast Alley, vote, subscribe to, and rate the show on iTunes, join the TwitterRiot by following me @IncitingARiot, enter the Swag Contest through a donation or purchase of swag through the CafePress.com swag shop, take a gander at my articles on Examiner.com, and send your questions, comments, gripes, or complaints to IncitingARiotPodcast@gmail.com

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Home Page: http://www.IncitingARiot.com

Podcast Alley: http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=86829

Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/x-43503-Chicago-Pagan-Activism-Examiner

iTunes: http://www.itunes.com/podcast?id=337689333

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Divorce is worth HOW MUCH?

Tiger Woods' now-ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, has finally reached a divorce settlement with Tiger to the tune of $750,000,000. Or, at least, that's what some news agencies have been reporting the past week. Others are saying that Tiger Woods is NOT worth the 2-3 billion that everyone originally thought, but is only worth $600,000,000, which is still more money than I'll ever see in my lifetime.

Without several billion in the bank, you can't give your pissed off ex nearly half of it.

Now, see, usually I don't talk about gossip on the blog. I don't delve into celebrity break-ups or what someone wore to some awards show. And, I'm not going to do that here, but what I am focusing on is divorce in terms of hundreds of millions - if not billions - of dollars.

How much is infidelity worth? Ok, Tiger had sex with the entire East Coast and half of the West, and so the nearly 1 billion dollar amount might just be valid, but seriously... How much is infidelity worth these days? If someone cheats on you, doesn't it hurt like a billion dollars? Isn't there just as much pain and humiliation and emotion as if your cheater-in-question were a billionaire?

I understand divorce settlements, and I also understand how they're typically calculated. Tiger's wife had become accustomed to a particular lifestyle, and thus is allowed by the court system - and the various attorneys between the two - to maintain that lifestyle. But...if it were me...I'd want to make sure I had just enough money to get the hell away from the cheating bastard and start a new life - without paparazzi cameras. $750,000 is a much more reasonable number to do that, more or less.

What do YOU think about divorce settlements? In association with this story, many news outlets have been reporting other famous celebrity divorces in which the wife gets 1, 2, 3, or more BILLIONS of dollars, due to her husband's infidelity. Is that right? How much would YOU be asking for? Comment, tweet, or email your responses!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Happy 4th of July!

Quick note to wish all of you wonderful Rioters a safe and blessed 4th of July - if you're living in the United States. If not, then Happy Sunday!

I am hard at work on the next episode of the podcast, which will be recorded as soon as I can shoo Partner out of the house long enough to record. Cross your fingers!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte

Llewellyn's Confusing Update: Christo-Wicca?

My Riot inbox stays pretty full. You folks really keep me hopping with tons of listener and reader feedback, and I totally love it. Also, because I'm pagan and have a well-read blog/podcast, I seem to get put on all these lists. Somehow I've ended up on the 'Llewellyn's Witchy Updates' mailing list. Now, I'm not one to immediately knock Llewellyn publications. I shamelessly own a few of their titles, but I sometimes wonder exactly how far they'll go in their quest to publish absolutely any pseudo-pagan-related text.

Case in point: The Path of a Christian Witch by Adelina St. Clair. I just got an entire email from LPubs (Llewellyn Publications, but I'm just too lazy to keep typing it) regarding this new book, as well as a sample article from the author about the 'Christian Witch Wheel of the Year.' (Basically, if you've ever read the history of things like Easter or Christmas, you're up to speed on the article's contents. Every Christian holiday has pagan origins! Ahhhhh!!!!


I got this a couple of days ago, but it's interesting, because I've also recently gotten a good deal of feedback from the Twitterkin, readers, and listeners lately about being a Christian Witch/Wiccan. The term I found at good ol' reliable Wikipedia is Christo-Pagan. Basically, the name implies exactly what you're thinking: somebody decided Christianity and Paganism go together.

Now, that I can actually get behind. I am all for forging a new path, blending the old, the new, and the different. I like taking opposing ideals and finding their commonalities. Christo-Paganism is all right by me.

I is just a bit confuzzled by the Christian Wicca, though I get where they line up. I get the general idea of Trinity = Triple Deity. I get comparing the Virgin Mary to the Goddess. I get prayer = magic (though I disagree with the concept)...etc, etc, etc. I totally get it. My only question, and again I'm not knocking anything, is 'Why Christian Wicca?'

My rumination is on the marriage of religions. Typically when you are initiated into a religion, there is a caveat about only being part of that religion. Religions have laws and rules and things. Sometimes a religion has a specific law about you NOT being a part of another religion or belief system. However, in the case of marrying two spiritual paths or one religion and a spiritual path, the lines become blurred.

Putting ideas and practices from a path in with your religious tenets is like choosing to use a TI-89 calculator to do your homework, instead of the standard 10-key add, subtract, multiply, divide one. Sure, it might cost more to use this option, and you might not understand just how best to use it the first few times, but after a while it's so much easier and faster to use the calculator with extra functions. Adding to your practice with and open world view takes nothing away from a religion. And, I'm not saying being Christo-Wiccan or a Hindu-Asatru or a Jewish-Christian takes away anything, but it gets confusing.

Take the last example: if someone wanted to be both Jewish and Christian. Well, there are some basic problems with this. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the one and only, virgin-born son of God. Jews don't. In fact, they don't believe the Messiah has come at all, but that he will some time in the future. Putting aside all other facets of belief, this one law/rule/stand-by is a pretty important feature. You cannot both believe that Jesus is God and that he is not.

This is the trouble I have in understanding the marriage of two religions, especially ones in which there are specific tenets that are diametrically opposed. But, I am a seeker. I don't understand everything. I don't even understand 1/billionth of 1% of everything. However, I try. So, if you're a Christo-Wiccan, let me know how you reconcile the two. How do you get around the practice of magic or the concept of the Devil/Satan? What do you feel about sin, original sin, or apples in general? (Yes, that last bit's a joke.) In Christianity, the triple deity is male, while in Wicca it is female...thoughts? Has Mary's personality split into three? Or do you just add Sophia into the mix?

Do you know who Sophia - Yahweh's wife - is?

Let me know with a comment, a tweet, or an email!

Love and Lyte,

Fire Lyte