What a Difference a Day, errr, Month? Makes?

Tags

AFA, astrology, Bryan Fischer, DADT, dinosaurs, evolution, gay rights, Glenn Beck, GOP, homophobia, Huckabee, Media, Obama, Palin, polling, right wing extremists, Romney, science, Tim Pawlenty, voters

Well, slap me with a wet noodle. You remember me? Mad woman. Not literally mad, as in certifiable, but angry mad, ready to dump a sitting president and turn the page? Yes, you do remember.

Well, it’s hard to admit that at 60 years old, I’m still an idiot a lot of the time. Moreover, I spent some under grad years studying the fine art of politics as well as living through lots of political times. You’d think I would know better.

It appears that the brilliance of Barack Obama once more is most apparent to most of the people. This has not happened over night, and certainly isn’t a result only of the speech of a life-time in Tucson. The polls were edging upward before then.

But, things have changed, and one can but cast a bemused look upon Republicans who are looking at empty hands and wondering, “has it indeed slipped from our grasp once again?” Riding high in November, the GOP is beginning to mutter. To be sure, nothing is set in concrete yet, and given the fickleness of the public, it would be unwise to assume that “it’s in the bag” for 2012. Not at all.

Still, one has to be amazed at the resilience of the President. Today, he beats Romney and Huckabee in mock match-ups and slaughters the grifter, Palin. The big switch is the Independents who have moved to the Obama column. This poll straddled the Tucson tragedy, and has some impact but doesn’t include the speech given by Obama. There is only a 6 point differential between those who think we are on the right track-wrong track, down from a 24 point differential a couple of months ago. Obama’s approval rating has moved up to 53%.

We shall see what the future holds. But clearly most of us who were ready to move on were simply wrong. Obama has played his poor hand extremely well, and has accomplished much in the lame duck session.

The GOP will have a tough time selling a “NO” or repeal everything scenario I suspect with voters. The polls, dang ’em, just keep getting in the way of the agenda.

***

Speaking of agenda, the Extremist Right didn’t take civility on as a mantra for long. Once they realized that nobody except them viewed the President’s speech as a chastisement of the Left, they went back to their usual ranting. One, I”m told, said, “but the President must have been pointing to the Left, there is nobody on the Right who needs such a chastisement!”  Delusion lives on it seems in the rock heads of the Extremist Right.

***

Proof that nothing changes, Tim Pawlenty, who on Jon Stewart, the other night, refused to agree that there is something new in the vilification of Obama that has not been present in American politics before. Stewart suggested that painting the President as  Hitler, as a Socialist, as not an American, and as not a Christian didn’t reflect true beliefs but were being used as political ploys by certain GOP members and sympathizers. Pawlenty continually feigned ignorance of Stewart’s true meaning and kept pointing out that there was vitriol on both sides.

Now Pawlenty has appeared with Bryan Fischer, of American Family Association fame, and claimed that he would re-institute DADT if president. It’s not so much that he said this, bad and deluded as that is, but that he appeared with hate-monger Fischer at all. Fischer is a virulent homophobe, one who decries giving the Medal of Honor to a “defensive” action instead of a killing hero. As to DADT, Fischer has vowed to over turn it and has claimed that McCain would lead their forces. McCain has repudiated any such notion.

Pawlenty, who for a moment, suggested he would not have acted as Palin, seems unwilling to stand up for any real principles, but again, simply plays to the lowest common denominator of the Republican base. His chances of being the nominee are nil.

***

Efforts are underway to induce Fox Noise to fire Glenn Beck. Jewish Funds for Justice submitted a 10,000 name petition to the News Corp, calling on them to end their association with the hate-mongering extremist. I admit that we try to watch Beck from time to time, just to see, but frankly, after ten minutes, it’s so awful you just can’t. He parades a slew of pseudo-scientists, historians, economists, etc., to “prove” his wacky mean and dangerous conclusions, all to a live audience of nodding automatons. It’s surreal.

The petition included some of the more egregious accusations of Beck, which makes references to Hitler some 400 times in eighteen months. His comments are widely regarded as anti-semitic and a distorter of the Gospel. For instance he claims that social justice issues are a perversion of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

***

Don’t know if you heard this, but the darn earth moves. Okay, so you probably knew that. But it moves in relations to the stars, and THAT is a damnable thing. If you are into astrology. Which I’m not, but still. I’m an Aries, and so is the Contrarian. At least we were. I don’t know what he is, being an April 8. But me? I’m a April 15, and that now makes me a Taurus. I don’t like it. I am trying to figure out who to complain to. Is nothing sacred?

***
Warning: the following may be hazardous to the mental health of closed minds. Others read on. A new dinosaur has been found! A small guy, but pretty darn mean. Read all about Dawn Runner, who hails from Argentina, at PBS’s Rundown Blog. He’s most primitive.

Related Articles

• Pawlenty, Stewart spar over rhetoric (politico.com)
• Whatever It Takes (talkingpointsmemo.com)
• Tim Pawlenty Wants To Return To The Days Of DADT (lezgetreal.com)
• Jon Stewart To Tim Pawlenty: ‘Why Is The Right So Fearful Of Tyranny?’ (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
• From Palin to Pawlenty, GOP Presidential Prospects Grapple With Arizona Massacre (politicsdaily.com)

Just Think: Ponder THAT!

Tags

Calvin & Hobbes, fear, loneliness, other, philosophy, psychology, Recipes, sociology, turkey, voters, worry

It’s been a dark and gloomy time since yesterday. I think I saw the glint of the sun for about 32.7 seconds at 9:07 am. That was it. Intermittent rain, never very hard, dashed in and out throughout the day and night.

There’s been no more rain yet today, but gloomy it tis. You know the kind I mean. Everything is leafless, grey-brown, boring. A chill wind, wet-damp everywhere. The beasties are all tucked into their lairs awaiting a call to pee or better weather.

I’m snuggled in too, none to excited about making pork chops, mashed taters and gravy and some kind of veggie. But I will. It’s a day for watching football and pondering things.

What kind of things? Dunno, haven’t pondered them yet. But I’ll link up as I find stuff worthy of the word. Trust me. I know you do.

First up I was led to this lovely post by Roger Ebert. Seems he blogs. Thomas from Living Next Door to Alice gets the H/T for this. Ebert’s post is about being an outsider, no matter how defined, and loneliness. It’s a powerful post. He wrote in response to hundreds of comments on an earlier post found here.  I think I’ll pop Mr. Ebert’s blog in my reader. You may want to as well.

***

America, she is a fickle woman. I just read a poll that suggests that voters are already having “buyers remorse” about electing Republicans and giving them the House. We have, as I’ve said, rather short attention spans.

Keeping on a theme of thoughtful ponderful ideas, we offer Big Think (catchy huh and on point!) and an analysis of a worried electorate and how Obama understands it, but has yet to give up on rationality as the key to tapping into the psyche of the average joe.

Actually this piece is a perfect companion to my post Fundamentally Futile, and says it way better than I did.

The real arrogance comes in clinging stubbornly to the belief in the supreme powers of reason. Smart people need to be smart enough to realize that our smarts can only get us so far.

This is well worth your reading.

***

I ran into a blog on cooking. Big deal, tens of thousands of them. I went, I saw, I was convinced. I’ve brined the last two turkeys, and have been thrilled with the results. I now understand that using one of those roasting bags works just the same, and saves all the mess of brining. So, I’m going to try it. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

PS: I searched another blog with the same raves. This person compared a deep-fried turkey to the oven bagged one, and found them equally moist and tasty and the bagged one was hugely easier.

***

I long to be a writer of note. I long to write searingly honest raw gut-wrenching words of who I am inside, deep inside. I offer a glimmer now and then, but then retreat out of fear and perhaps some loathing. Don’t we all loath ourselves just a little? Don’t we all delight in believing that our hidden ugly places are not so bad. That yours are as bad if not worse than mine? That we could share our pain and our arrogance at one and the same time, if only we were courageous enough? I ponder being searingly honest like I imagine Hemingway was or Plath, or Williams, and then I chuckle and figure I’ll be about as honest as Bill Watterson, hiding behind Hobbes. Go figure.

***

“Isn’t it sad how some people’s grip on their lives is so precarious that they’ll embrace any preposterous delusion rather than face an occasional bleak truth?” (Calvin)
“It’s not denial. I’m just very selective about the reality I accept.” (Calvin)

“History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That’s why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.” (Calvin)

“It’s not the pace of life I mind. It’s the sudden stop at the end.” (Hobbes)

God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.
Right now I am so far behind that I will never die…(Calvin)

***

Time to ponder. Time to think about starting to work up the menu for Thanksgiving and the list of stuff to shop for. I haven’t decided upon a dessert. I want something easy. I want something insanely good. Any ideas–please let me know. What are your go-to recipes for Thanksgiving? A plus is that I already have enough cornbread in the freezer for the dressing. It’s a weird recipe, with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. But delicious.

I want to do something with shredded brussel sprouts and then saute them? Any ideas about what herbs or additions? Lemon juice and djohn mustard with parsley? Help me out! Or jalapeno and brown sugar glaze? oooh, I like that idea!

I always carmelize pearl onions. I always make some fancy cranberry sauce with orange segments and pecans or something. I always do green onions and radishes and olives and sweet pickles. I have the rolls already in the freezer from a week ago–bonus!

I have a squash on top of the fridge. I roast that. Mashed taters and gravy. Hmmmm, am I missing anything?

The dessert–come on and tell me what to make!

***

Happy Saturday. Go Iowa! Take a nap. Eat gravy. Have a brownie.

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• Tucson restaurants: Thanksgiving dining, to-go, roasting, tamales (circleoffood.com)

Let It Be A New Day

Tags

911, Alvaro Uribe, Asteroids, astronomy, Cedar Rapids, Columbia, Detroit, Facebook, Flint, fundamentalism, Georgetown, GOP, Iowa, Islamic faith, journalism, Muslims, Qur'an, religion, right wing, tea party, tolerance, urban renewal, voters

Praise be to whatever Goodness speaks in your heart this day! In response to hatred, there is love being expressed, tolerance overflowing and men and women of good will gather in friendship.

A couple of important notices:

First, for those living near the environs of Cedar Rapids, IA, please take note that an interfaith “Day of Remembrance, Unity and Respect” is scheduled for 9/11 at 1-2:30 pm at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, 2999 1st Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA. Members of the Islamic faith, Judaic faith, and Christian faith will gather for a few words and prayer. Please come if you can to show your support for tolerance, and unity in recall of our time of tragedy.

If you cannot attend, please consider this Facebook call for unity and tolerance. Dr. James McGrath has created a FB page called, “read the Qur’an day.” Please go and sign up. We cannot remain silent in the face of the hatred being expressed by a tiny minority. We must speak out. We are a nation of immigrants. Tolerance is what defines us.

I caught this over at National Catholic Reporter. Fr. John Dear, SJ, has written a post on the sad but true fact that what can only be described as dictator, Columbia’s former president, Alvaro Uribe, has accepted a teaching position at Georgetown University. Fr. Dear has a good history of both Uribe and Georgetown’s questionable dealings with the American war machine in the past. This is truly sad to hear. I certainly don’t deny that Uribe has a right speak his piece about whatever, but I surely think there were better choices for teaching our youth than one who has had such a close connection to warlords and other murdering types.

I was born in Flint Michigan and lived a considerable number of years in Detroit, so I know of what I speak. Both are ugly decrepit cities and nothing much can save them I suspect. Both largely grew to magnificence (or some semblance of that) through the age of the Automobile, now both rust away as the heyday of automotive power wanes.  The Boston Globe has an interesting article on how these declining cities deal with this. How to downsize? (Note: recently Detroit decided to go forward with wholesale demolition of old neighborhoods long abandoned–thousands of homes are involved so I understand) A truly innovative look at a problem.

To those of us who pay attention, the Teapartiers have always been an anomaly. A conglomeration of mostly uninformed folk, who rant about “our freedoms” while having little or no clear thinking about what the Constitution says or means. Ironically they are often “for” things that are in-opposite to long-standing constitutional norms. In essence, they are often willing to eviscerate the Constitution in the name of upholding it. DeWayne Wickham at USAToday has a great article about the new KnowNothing Party.

Oh and before I forget, let my say this: This refusal of most of the “high-ranking GOP leadership (read Palin, Boehner, Gingrich et al) to condemn the Qur’an burning is disgusting and amounts to an endorsement. They are willing to allow their hate spewing followers to believe they favor it rather than have the guts to stand up for what is right. So much for ethics. But then who ever assumed they had any?

And we see that John Sidney McCain is criticizing the President for allowing the tax cuts for the rich to expire. Oh but, darn, McCain voted against them when Bush proposed them? How to reconcile this old fart? Just another one of your vengeful acts isn’t it John? You hated Bush for beating you, and you hate Obama for beating you. You need to go sit in your chair and muse about the dust bunnies in the wind.

If I hasn’t come to you yet, it will. Which came first: the insipid vapid (id words you see) moronic lack of intellect of the average American, thus requiring constant feeding of irrelevant nonsense, OR the increasing laziness of the journalistic working man and woman, who has traded actual journalistic skill for a few tips from Entertainment Nightly. Huh? Well, D-Cap tackles this one.

Christian Beyer is a fine writer and thinker and knows fundamentalist Christianity from the inside. See his blog entry today: It’s time for Christians to declare jihad against Fundamentalism. Just an excellent read.

Sad to say, but perfectly predictable, the right-wing and GOP are using the upcoming 9/11 date to raise money and spread hate. They have been doing it for years, and plan to continue it seems.

Ya know there is just plenty of crap to worry about. I worry a lot about that seething mega volcano just waiting to erupt in Yellowstone. That will take most all of us out. I worry about the state of our magnetic field, without which we will all be toast in days. Well, now I gotta worry about asteroids again! I thought we had that one all taken care of with an array of telescopes all searching for any misdirected balls of iron. (Jupiter with its super-massive gravity well is largely to blame–just so you know where to direct your ire.) Turns out NASA which runs this safety program is RUNNING OUT OF MONEY.

So I figure, we should perhaps set up a citizens brigade or something. You can leave your name and number and the night you would like to take your watch. Don’t push. Sharp eyes and a pair of field binoculars are required.

What’s on the stove: chili today. Oh I know it’s early, but I was hungry for some, and I made it really good and hot, and with some fresh corn bread. HA!

Related Articles

• Islamophobia After 9/11: Enough, Already (beliefnet.com)

What’s Up? 07/12/10

Tags

beliefs, death penalty, Election 2012, evolution, fairness, information, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, Sarah Palin, voters, wisdom

It was a so-so weekend. Rained some, didn’t rain some. Watched the soccer final which was awfully boring.

Last night we had a bit of a treat. We located (I think on the science channel) a rerun of the old Cosmos series with Carl Sagan. Carl was one of those heroes of mine. It was weird and fun to see how much astronomy and astrophysics has progressed. Still, he had a wonderful way of explaining difficult subjects that was understandable.

This first piece is scary for sure. More and more people are starting to think that if the stars align correctly, Sarah Palin might be unstoppable. Shudder, and get your passport ready. One person argued, (it might have been Andrew Sullivan–the link is embedded in the link I’m giving you) that she can use the “that woman is an idiot” to her benefit. After all, she can say, look what the so-called intellectuals have done–two wars, a nearly destroyed economy. Maybe just plain old average people like me can do a better job. The National Interest gives a scenario. As I said, keep you passport close at hand.

If you are interested in wisdom as perhaps an abstract entity, then you might want to take a look at the review of Stephen S. Hall’s new book, Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience. Professor of philosophy, A. C. Grayling gives his opinion in an excellent review. More and more science claims to be on the verge of telling us why we are the way we are in every respect. More and more we are, it seems, at the mercy of much that we have little control over.

Along a similar vein, The Chronicle looks at the issue of whether there is a basic instinct for fairness in the human person. Reflecting on how anger seems often triggered by claims of unfairness, it is an interesting proposition. Are we fair minded from birth? Hint: the research involved capuchin monkeys and cucumbers! Now that ought to heighten the anticipation! And they did some tests on humans too!

The first official execution in this country was for an alleged traitor. The second and third were Quakers who had not left as banishing Massachusetts had ordered them to do. (We hadn’t yet got to “freedom of religion” of course). A morbid subject perhaps, but Last Words of the Executed by Robert K. Elder, documents something important that we might learn a great deal from. Read the review at the NYTimes Review of Books.

—“What time is it? I wish you’d hurry up, I want to get to hell in time for dinner.” (John Owens (AKA Bill Booth), executed for murder in Wyoming on March 5, 1886).

When asked where he wanted to be buried, Charles Birger, convicted murderer executed in Illinois on April 19, 1928, joked: “A Catholic cemetery because that’s the last place the devil would look for a Jew.”

Our country is at based in some part on the belief that an informed citizenry will ultimately make the best choice. Given that we have the ability to acquire knowledge better than ever before, many of us wonder why we seem determined to make the worst choices over and over again. The GOP has become expert at exploiting the “know-nothing” by design mentality of their followers. They are first to prove that lies do work.  We might get some answers from political scientists who say recent studies show that people, even when exposed to truth, cling to the misinformation they want to believe in. This is so far the must read of the day.

Sneakin’ A Peek at ALIENS!!!

Tags

African American, conspiracy theories, Elena Kagan, GOP, immigration, Left, Nazism, Politics, poverty issues, SCOTUS, socialism, South Carolina, voters

At great peril to moi, I have put my sanity on the line for you.

I mean, day in and day out, I link you up to bewitching sites that offer up all manner of intellectual tidbits and naughty amusements to keep you in the know.

But, there are days, when little strikes my professional palate and I, horror of horrors, have nary a thoughtful philosophical insight to prod you with.

What to do? Well, I determined that it was time to return you, kicking and screaming if I must, to the real world. This ladies and gents is why we continue the good fight. For the enemy is all around. It nips at our heels and smacks its lips in anticipation of destroying our right to freedom.

Yikes, that sounded a bit teabaggerish did it not?

But frankly, although they claim freedom as their aim, in reality they would have us adhere to a set of principles defined by them as “Judeo-Christian” in origin. I say origin, since they have interpreted it in their own selfish fashion to support what makes them comfortable in their homophobic, work ethicy, racist, bigoted symbolistic way. And just in case you weren’t aware, the use of Judeo is only offered as lip service since we all know the only good Jew is one who is trying hard to bring about that Armageddony thingie by which the Christian Kingdom of God will descend.

So, with no little trepidation and packing on of extra undies (Depends, I need Depends!), I have with military precision entered into the realm of the nuttier than a fruitcake and retrieved a few symbols of their insanity. All so, you will be renewed in your vigilance, and ever ready to defend our way of life.

Victor David Hansen lambastes the Obama administration for its failures to uphold the law on immigration and swears we are on the verge of civil insurrection.

Other states and even cities are now marching in lockstep to boycott Arizona. Meanwhile, the president of Mexico recently blasted Arizonans from the White House Rose Garden, no less, apparently counting on the president of the United States to go along with this demonization of one of his own states. All this is eerie; it has a whiff of the climate of the late 1850s, when the federal government was in perpetual conflict with the states, which in turn were in conflict with one another, and which often appealed to foreign nations for support.

Jonah Goldberg informs us that it’s just our imagination that the poor are suffering more today than before. Why HDTV’s and IPods and all that junk are coming down fast! The only real areas where costs are going up?

So, what has gotten more expensive? According to St. Lawrence University economist Steven Horwitz, there are only four areas that have become more expensive over the last century as measured in their “labor price”: housing, cars, higher education, and medical care. With the arguable exception of a college degree, all are marked with wildly improved quality. And the main reason for rising medical and college costs (and to a lesser degree housing costs) is that the government has distorted the market by “helping.”

Abigail Thernstrom is all agog over the fact that South Carolina recutelicans nominated a BLACK man to run in the November elections for Congress. See, she says, we are so reformed her, not a bit of racism in us! But then she said this:

The site [the candidates] also contains a video of Scott talking to voters. Not a trace of a southern accent — in sharp contrast to the state’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Nikki Haley. Indeed, just listening to him, not knowing his color, one might think he was a northern white. His race- and region-neutral voice will likely be an asset should he seek higher office in the future.

Thomas Sowell tells us that democracy is being destroyed apparently because Obama is reaching out to Americans who have often not participated in the political process. They are dangerous says Sowell:

When Adolf Hitler was building up the Nazi movement in the 1920s, leading up to his taking power in the 1930s, he deliberately sought to activate people who did not normally pay much attention to politics. Such people were a valuable addition to his political base, since they were particularly susceptible to Hitler’s rhetoric and had far less basis for questioning his assumptions or his conclusions.

Pete Winn reports that over 800 Orthodox Rabbis say Elena Kagan is “Not kosher” and thus not fit to sit on any court.

. . . that she will function as a flame-throwing radical, hastening society’s already steep decline into Sodom and Gomorrah,” the rabbis said in the statement. [. . .]We’re waiting for the more courageous, decent senators – whether it’s a (Sen.) Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) or a (Sen.) Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) or a (Sen.) Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) – we’re looking for them to stand up and filibuster this embarrassing endangerment of a nomination,” Levin said.

And WND tells us what the sneaky left has really been up to!

Indeed, today in the age of Obama, millions of Americans are “waking up” to the stealth infiltration and subversion of their beloved country and are appalled at what they see: Not only is their government in the hands of the left, but virtually all of our nation’s major institutions – from the public education system to our colleges and universities, from the news media to the entertainment industry, from the unions to our major philanthropic foundations, even many of our churches – have also been captivated by this same destructive ideology.

Phew, I but scratched the surface and I think I’m contaminated, so I got hose off now with plenty of vinegar and baking soda. My eyes burn and I’m feeling queasy. I am hoping that a strong dose of Rachel Maddow or Keith will revive me. But if you see a VOTE REPUBLICAN sign at my drive, well, you know I’ve paid the ultimate price. Be kind. Kill me quick!

Emasculation Was Not My Intent

Tags

astronomy, biblicists, capitalism, Catholicism, dining, food, fundamentalism, galaxy, John McCain, Karl Marx, males, testosterone, universe, Vatican, voters, YEC

I didn’t know what to make of this at first. Studies show that men who voted for McCain saw their testosterone levels fall when they found out he lost.

I feel, as you might expect, some responsibility for this. After all, I spent several months last year dragging out all the dirt on this dishonorable human being, assuring all that he was the worst possible candidate for president. And that woman (God how I hate that Sarah is of my sex), only added to the bonfire of reasons to vote for Obama.

It seems that my blogging rhetoric has worked to sissify, feminize, or otherwise reduce the beer swilling, rump scratching tendencies of some American males. I literally turned them into wusses when they realized that a sane and articulate human being was headed for the White House.

Of course, I don’t take all the credit. I’ll give some to Daily Kos, Huff Po, and all the other liberal bloggers, as well as due credit to Keith Olbermann, and that woman of the day, Rachel Maddow. But I do take some.

Okay, so my impact was statistically minuscule, less than the diameter of an atom. But still, I am in the company of those that did? Com’ on–please validate me!

Which makes it all the more remarkable that McCain still has a public forum at all. And he does, even though, as is pointed out, he really is a cipher these days. He holds no important committee chairmanships, has no legislation of note, has very little in the way of any constituency at all, and he is still pretty much hated by the loud-mouth swill that purports to speak for the Rethugs these days.

That public forum is the Sunday news shows, where McCain is called upon time and time again to give his two cents worth on various topics of which he is ill-prepared to pontificate upon. In other words, he was a dud and continues to be one when it comes to intellectual prowess on any subject except perhaps himself and his glorious history with the Vietnamese.

***

This next head scratcher comes from the Vatican. It seems that Karl Marx has been quoted by the Vatican as having some rather good criticisms of capitalism on balance. He is being re-appraised as are people like Galileo, Charles Darwin and others. All, initially slammed as too frightening in their approach, and thus anti-biblical, are now being embraced as the Church enters into a more mature understanding of itself, God and the Church.

Course Catholics see this as nothing more than not throwing out the baby with the bath water, something all intelligent beings do.

Here, the Vatican, like many other groups, are trying to reconcile the normal defense of capitalism with the alienation and strong income disparity that has resulted worldwide between the titans of industry and the vast majority of the rest of the world’s people.

Still these reassessments are coming fast. Only last year Galileo was resurrected as being accurate in his claims about the earth revolving around the sun, and only last February did the Vatican categorically declare that Darwin and ensuing evolutionary theory are not in the least incompatible with faith.

None of this will sit well, (the matters relating to Marx at least) with the extreme right wing of the Roman Church, which steadfastly has little or no interest in social concerns for the masses, seeing  government solutions as “socialistic” in orientation.  They prefer, like many on the extreme right to let “private” charity make its usual small dent in the problem, and at least salve the consciences of the faithful in their efforts to do the “good works” demanded for personal salvation.

***

Which takes us to the bible. You missed the connection? Well, no matter, travel forward. Madpriest has an excellent little rant on the far right and it’s penchant for dissembling into fantasy as it clings to what it wants to believe in the face of objective reality staring it in the face. Yes folks, I’m not the only one who finds the biblicist illogic maddening in the extreme and exceptionally self-serving and blinders created.

He says in part:

“People who believe that the Bible is totally the word of God. . . are deluding themselves and, as members of many minorities over the centuries will testify, this can lead to injustice and the infliction of pain on others (the exact opposite of what we are called to do in the teaching of Jesus Christ).”

That is the message here. It’s not that anybody cares what bilge anyone wants to believe, it what they do with that information that makes the difference. And the biblicists do work to harm society at large in their quest to protect their personal needs theology. It causes really harm and pain, and exactly the opposite of what God and Jesus intend.

***

Segueing perfectly this time, The furthest and youngest galaxy cluster has been announced as found by NASA. It is some 10.2 billion light years away, meaning the light we see now, originated from the system 10.2 billion years ago. Bad news for the YEC’ers.

Scientists don’t expect to find more, since this about stretches the limit time wise when sufficient time exists to pull these clusters together. If more are found, then scientists will be back at the drawing board rethinking things no doubt.

Observatories from around the world joined together in making this discovery and confirming it.

***

Which leads to food. Well of course it does. Science means thinking and thinking makes me hungry. This should be obvious.

I know, I know, you’ve read all the bilge above just to get to the good stuff, and here it is.

What are the 10 worst dining trends of the 21st century to date?

Oh you must have your own list, but in case you don’t–not being part of the intellectual effete arrogancy of the left,  so much maligned by the intellectual effete of the right, then do read on. Sure to be the topic of choice at the next cocktail party. And appletinis are SOOOO not in this year folks.

First on the list of has beens and never should have beens:

10: The bloomin’ onion  (aww shucks there goes the Super Bowl fare)

   9: Molecular gastronomy (your guess is as good as mine.)

   8: The $40 entree (I thought Applebee’s “two for twenty” was just about right)

   7:  The communal table (thought this happened only at church)

    6:  Proudly obnoxious fast food (read really really calorie and fat laden)

    5:  Knee jerk online reviews (sounds like a lot of whining to me)

    4:  Foam (did somebody forget to wash the soap off the pans?)

    3:  The menu as book (too much information makes us squeamish)

    2:  The chef as media whore (If you are talkin’ you ain’t cookin’)

     1:  Deconstruction (separating your peas from your taters)

Feel free to add your own ideas. I personally think that the chef at the Chinese Wok at the grocery store should use better containers to house the entrees. They leak all over the paper bag and are a mess when I am spooning them into the containers for reheating for dinner.  Just my number one peeve. I don’t mind the deconstruction of my rice from my entree however. I like to mix them myself.

Short Takes on the Day, 10/17/09

Tags

Catholicism, Charles Grassley, crazy Republicans, dancing with the stars, death panels, elephant dung, frogs, GOP, health care reform, Michelle Bachmann, nuns, Sarah Palin, Tom Delay, voters, Women's issues

Some weeks ago, it was announced that the Vatican was going to conduct a “review” of American Catholic religious women. One part is understandable, of the 59,000 nuns in the US, 70 is the median age, and there are only several hundred who are in their 30’s. Something is definitely wrong in the world of women religious. This is a laudable goal to find an answer.

The other part of the investigation is to determine just how out of sync some women religious are in the area of same-sex issues, women’s ordination, and various other ecumenical endeavors. It is in a nutshell, a witch hunt to uncover heresy and unorthodoxy within the ranks of the various orders.

While it is not unusual for people within faith communities to leave because the faith does not conform to their beliefs and ideas of church, it is rather unusual for a denomination to conduct an investigation aimed at ferreting out those who aren’t in full agreement with dogmatic pronouncements. There is as I understand it no particulars on how women who are not in theological conformity with be dealt with.

I at one time spent an appreciable time with women religious and I can easily imagine their reaction to this “investigation.” If I know my sisters, they will meet the delegations with unfailing hospitality and continue to do exactly as they feel compelled to do by the Gospel. No excuses, no apologies will be offered. Read an excellent piece on the subject at Religious Dispatches.

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It really does defy understanding. How can a functional walking, talking human being actually believe that any American president would be promoting a health care system that involved the “culling” of the old and useless and letting them die? I mean seriously, I get the insane GOP desire to destroy this presidency and regain the upper hand by virtually any means, but certainly they can’t expect traction on this issue? Right?

Wrong. A recent poll suggests that fully 1/4 of the GOP actually believes that this is in the bill, and the desire of Democrats. Which I guess tells you just how bizarre its base is. I’d have never thought that Chuckie “da Grass” Grassley would succumb to this absurdity, but indeed he has. And this in the face of the fact that he voted yea for similar provisions that existed in the medicare bill when it was introduced way back in LBJ’s day. Those pesky carbon copies. Rethugs continue to disbelieve in paper trails. I guess they are so fond of shredders they think everybody does it.

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And I big YEEEHAWWW, ala Howard Dean for this one. I mean “they are coming to take me away, haha heehee to the funny farm,” echoed in my head as I sat watching ABC’s GMA unveil the newest group of Dancing with the Stars contestants. What group of mostly has been entertainers would be joined by a variety of athletic types? It was almost too good to be true, when the final name was announced.

None other than. . . .(drum roll, and appropriate trumpet flourishes please). . . . Tom “the Hammer” Delay. Indicted and thrown out of Congress for his cheatin’ ways, Tom is da man to beat when the new season starts. We are falling down laughing excited.  Can Sean be far behind? Or Newt?

And I shamelessly stole the picture which was brilliantly photoshoped from Mock, Paper, Scissors, which is a terrific blog and you should visit it regularly.

You know, one gets to thinkin,’  I bet you can find just about anything lurking in the Republican Party these days. It’s a cornucopia of perversions! OOOOh I just can’t wait until Tom, sans shirt, does the Pasa Doble. No need for no death panels, old ladies will be dropping like flies.

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Oh, another, another you say. The GOP burps up another hairball. Any time Michelle Bachmann wants to give us a tour of her chaotic mind, I get all tingly.

Seems she’s coined a new word–being “palinlized.” And she expects it to start happening any time. It means that now that Sarah has stepped aside (in your dreams Michelle) the media will be coming out to beat her up as the heir apparent.

Heir apparent to utter crazy? Yes indeed, except that Michelle also wants ya all to know that she was Sarah before Sarah was Sarah, meaning she’s been certifiable for a few years longer than the Wonder Moose from Alaska.

Speaking of which, I was on Sarah Facebook page and leaving “corrections” to her drivel, when I was oddly required to give up a cell phone number in order to leave a comment? Odd wouldn’t you say? I didn’t comply of course, not wantin’ to hear “ya know” in my ear at 3:30 in the morning one day.

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I work hard to bring you the important stuff. And so, here I am again, digging through the dung to find you the story. It seems that some researcher (all scientist types do the most amazing things) was poking around in elephant dung and guess what?

He found frogs. Yeppers. He was looking for seeds and stuff to determine food choices, but found him some frogs. Seems frogs find pachyderm poop nice digs. They invite a plethora of other distinctly joyous living things such as termites, centipedes, spiders, and scorpions to share the apartment with them too.

So, I got to thinkin’ that Republicans should be checking their toitoi’s when they poop, to see if frogs have taken up residence in their innards. Technically, its probably not the case that the frogs inhabit the butts of the elephants, but given the friends they keep, one can’t be too careful.

It  probably would be a good idea if you know any reasonable Republicans (assuming as we always say, if there be such a animal) you not let them read this blog. It’s soooo depressing I would think from their point of view. If they read, remove all sharp objects from their vicinity.

With that, we bid adieu.