Did You Know….
….that if you type "failure" into a Google search the first result you get is the official White House biography of President George W. Bush? (Hat tip: The Corner)
Unbelievable.
Grand Theft Principles
Can I break with my conservative brethren again?
We constantly berate liberals for their lack of principles (and rightly so for the most part), but how can we maintain a straight face when we talk about "smaller government" that regulates and investigates video games?!?
Guilty pleasures
In recent discussion on this blog, it has come to light that I have an extensive knowledge of 90′s Pro Wrestling and enjoy an artistic kung fu movie or two. Because of this knowledge, it has been insinuated that I am, in fact, a “dork” and a resident of “dorkdom.” I dismiss those charges based on the current facts because wrestling is (or was) basically mainstream and the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon type movies are more intellectual than dork.
I do not dismiss the fact that I am, indeed, a dork. But my dork status comes from a whole host of different reasons. To vouch for my residence in dorkdom, I give you my guilty pleasures:
In defense of low voter turnout
This has to be one of the biggest no-no’s in all of politics. Saying this will automatically get you labeled as an arrogant elitist, but I am going to say it anyway – low voter turnout is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it may even be a good thing.
Dirty Southern Politics
I hate being fooled. I despise seeing Republican after Republican campaign for “family values,” as they cheat on their wife or engage in numerous behaviors they seek to condemn publicly. The most recent one comes from just a few miles away from my house (well it started there, but it didn’t end there.)
The story involves a dairy farmer turned politician, an affair, a pick-up truck and SLED (State Law Enforcement Division) revoking the handgun priviledges and police powers for a jilted lover.
Screwtape’s second letter on the Blogosphere
My dearest nephew Wormwood,
Why do you insist on twisting my helpful words into an attack against me? Do you honestly think you can go to our lord with an accusation against me? You know good and well that I did not equate myself with our father below in my last letter. I sense pride may cause your downfall before it brings about your vermin’s fall. Nevertheless, I do want to see you achieve victory in this matter. I have heard that the Enemy sees a lot of potential in this one. Hopefully we can keep the potential unrealized.
In doing my research for this letter, I see your subject now has two blogs – one for his personal struggles and triumphs and a group effort to discuss faith in the culture. Why did you let him do this? This expands his (and His) influence even more. He is blogging less and less about trivial matters and more and more about that hideous faith. We must undercut the Enemy’s efforts and one way is to twist His virtues.
Two Books From B&N
I love finding decent books in the bargains section of Barnes and Noble. This week, I found the followign two volumes, for $4 each.
The Essential Neo-Conservative Reader, published in 1996, is an interesting edited collection of essays from the founders of the neo-con movement – 1960′s liberal intellectuals that had problems with the pro-Marxist extreme liberalism of the time. The author argues (in his late 1990′s timeframe) that these intellectuals formulated a doctrine that was not anti-government programs, like the conservatives of the day, but were critical of the left in their overly simplistic view of government, castigating liberals for:
"ignorance of the complexity of social action and teh embedded wisdom in human systems, a lack of resolve in confronting evil, a laissez-faire attitude toward human virtue, and an unwillingness to defend the critical ideas of American civilization from its discontents….
In the past several yeras, the neoconservatives have perceived a moral decline fuled by a militant secularism pervading the culture. Seeking to retrieve the notion of public virtue they deemed necessary for civilization, they neoconservatives turned to th esource of those values, religion. Consequently, they developed a defense of religion in the pu8blic square that incorporates all who share the Judeo-Christian heritage." – p. xv.
I also picked up a copy of Tim LaHaye’s 2000 publication, Mind Siege, in which he raised the alarm that secular humanism and its five basic tenets (atheism, evolution, amorality, human autonomy, and globalism) are enemies of man and God. I’m not sure if it’s any good, and based on the amazon reviews and his somewhat anti-intellectual track record, it might even be a waste of $4. But we’ll see, maybe I can glean something good out of it.
It’s all God’s fault
In a column for the Guardian, Polly Toynbee illustrates the peril that awaits Christianity in the very near future.
Who does Toynbee blame for the terrorist attacks in London? Not really mass murdering terrorist, they are just pawns of an evil “God” and religion of all kinds.
Jihad is For Idiots
In view of these…repeated acts of terror, the incitements against all things Western, Jewish and Christian in who knows how many mosques in Britain and the U.S., the teaching of seditious ideas in radical Islamic schools funded by our ‘friends’ the Saudis, and the refusal of most Muslim communities to assimilate and learn the language, history and practices of their host countries, why do Britain and the United States continue to allow such things to exist within their borders? Unless we are prepared to accept continued terrorist attacks as ‘normal’ because of some sick understanding of tolerance and pluralism, we had better do whatever is necessary to root out these radicals and to forbid any more from entering our countries.
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Jihad is for cowards (or insert your favorite epithet)
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Because you desire to kill, you show that your father is not Abraham, but Satan. – Jesus
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Those who force their women to cover themselves betray their own lack of self-control
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Jesus said "the greatest among you shall be the servant of all." What does your prophet say?
Political Implications of the SCOTUS Confirmation Vote
This Associated Press article speculates on the possible impact that 2008 Presidential aspirations may have on certain Senators’ votes when Judge Roberts nomination comes up for vote both in the Judiciary Committee as well as the full Senate (hat tip: Rich Galen). While the article is somewhat interesting it misses what I believe is the bigger story: the 2006 Congressional Elections.
Democrats will be under tremendous pressure from constiuent special interest groups to vote against Judge Roberts. However, Bill Nelson (D-FL), Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Kent Conrad (D-ND) are all in situations where they may need to vote to confirm Roberts in order to appease a growing conservative electorate in their states and ensure their re-election.
Meanwhile, Republicans Lincoln Chaffee (RI) and Olympia Snowe (ME) have both angered conservatives with their centrist voting patterns. Chaffee in particular may face a primary challenge from a more conservative Republican and may feel he needs to vote for Roberts in order to appease conservatives. Ohio’s Mike DeWine, who was one of the Gang of 14 who forged the deal that temporary halted judicial filibusters may also face a conservative challenger next spring and may vote to confirm Roberts to appease conservatives.
I have my doubts that Presidential aspirations will matter much in this confirmation vote. The only question remaining is how much Democrats will fight Judge Roberts’ confirmation which appears to be more inevitable with each passing day.
Thankfully not another 7/7
It appears that terrorists have failed in their latest attmept to murder innocents in London. They were reportedly able to set off up to four bombs in the London transportation system again, but this time the bombs failed to cause the damage and deaths that the blasts two weeks ago did.
House of the Flying Daggers – review
Did you ever wonder what would happen if you threw Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 24 together in a blender?
No? Me either, but I found out last night when I watched House of the Flying Daggers.
Local church gets terrorism scare
A non-denominational church in my old home town of Greenville, SC, Redemption World Outreach, had an unusual service this weekend. They are one of the largest churches in the largest city in SC, so they see some strange things, but nothing like this.
Sunday morning a “young man of Arabic descent” came to the sanctuary and demanded to give the congregation “a word from Allah.”
Supreme Court and the WWE
When I was younger (high school and college days), I was a huge pro wrestling fan. I watched it on every time I got a chance, went to friends houses to watch the pay-per-views and even read all the gossip on the internet.
I loved the plot twists, the storylines, the crazy moves and stunts. It was pure escapism.
Is it just me, or did yesterday and all the rumors about the the Supreme Court nomination not seem an awful lot like the lead-up to Wrestlemania?
Analyzing the Roberts SCOTUS Nomination
After watching the SCOTUS rumor mill all day, I’m pleasantly surprised that President Bush decided to nominate Judge John Roberts to replace Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court.
The President wisely took advantage of his bully pulpit to present his nominee directly to the American people in a televised speech that, for once, all the networks carried. Although the rumor mill had been suggesting Edith Clement or even Edith Jones was going to be nominated, the President went against the conventional wisdom in nominating Judge Roberts rather than another woman to replace Justice O’Connor. The President also calmed fears of conservatives who were afraid that he would nominate Alberto Gonzales to the Court. In fact, the media again showed themselves to be totally out of step with reality in their reporting of the rumors surrounding this nomination.
Not so fast on Clement
As I said earlier, no one knows for sure who Bush is going to nominate. The buzz seems to be shifting away from Edith “Joy” Clement to a “last minute switch” by Bush.
No one is going to know until Bush makes the announcemnt tonight. So enjoy all the last minute speculation that will amount to nothing in a matter of hours.
Flip-flop jab
In an innocuous story about some female athletes wearing flip-flops to the White House, we have what has to be one of the most blatent cases of media bias.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – review
Forgetable family fun – that would be how I would describe Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I went to see the movie with my wife on Friday. At several points I was laughing out loud, but when we went out to diner afterwards I couldn’t remember what those points were.
Supreme Court Rumor Mill (UPDATED)
Three prominent conservative blogs (RedState.org, National Review and Powerline) are saying that all signs point to Edith Brown Clement as the next Supreme Court Justice.
The Evolution of Altruistic Love?
One of the hardest things for me to do as a Christian husband is to love my wife “as Christ loved the Church.” It is a difficult thing to love someone else that sacrificially, but not an impossible thing. Which begs the question: if evolution is true, then where did altruistic love come from?
