Maybe I should build an ark...

After four or five years of drought conditions, the Florida Panhandle is getting drenched with rain this year. Last week, we managed to get through a whole two days without rain. Now, storm bands from T.S. Bill have been dumping even more rain on the area. We were already pretty soggy here to begin with.

My roses aren't doing so great now with all this constant rain. Well, at least I don't have to run my sprinklers.

Anti-Anti-American

Column of the week:

Dinesh D'Souza: 10 things to celebrate - Why I'm an anti-anti-American

(Via LGF.)

A little reminder...

For all the folks who have recently moved to MT, please be sure to turn on your option to ping Weblogs.com and Blo.gs. BlogRolling uses pings to Weblogs.com to determine if your site has been recently updated.

To do this, in your MT control panel select Weblog Config | Preferences | Publicity / Remote Interfaces / TrackBack. Then check both blo.gs and weblogs.com. Then click Save.

Blog Watching the Easy, Modern Way

This is probably nothing new to most folks, but it's new to me. After reading about RSS aggregators on Rodent Regatta, I decided to give SharpReader a try. I added all of the blogs on my blogroll with feeds to it, and it looks like it's going to make keeping up with things a lot easier.

Brightly Smug

Here is the funniest commentary yet on all this "bright" nonsense. (Via Andrea Harris.)

And speaking of smug, I feel a song coming on...

Upcoming Film: The Passion

The Passion is the already-controversial Mel Gibson-directed film on Jesus' crucifixion. Barbara Nicolosi of Church of the Masses has seen a rough cut and has a review. Saying that she liked the film is an understatement:

The Passion is a stunning work of art. It is a devout, act of worship from Mel and his collaborators - in the way that Handel's Messiah and Notre Dame were artistic acts of worship in previous times.

Barbara also answers a few questions about the film and notes that Protestants like it too.

(Via Amy Welborn.)

Let them eat...nothing!

You know, I recently read a blog post -- by an American -- that ranted on and on about how evil and greedy America is and how other nations are so much more caring and generous when it comes to taking care of their own people and sending aid to Third World countries.

Well, after seeing this item by Andrea Harris, all I can do is shake my head at such Amerikkka-sucks-and-everyone-else-is-pure-and-unselfish nonsense.

It seems that a bunch of protesters would rather see poor people starve than eat bio-engineered foods. You see, these foods must be bad because some eee-vil American corporation developed them. Never mind that these foods, such as golden rice, will feed hungry people and give them proper nutrition. And it seems that the oh-so-compassionate EU has banned this type of food -- but not because of any genuine concern for the well-being of the poor.

Update: NRO's Deroy Murdock has more on this. (Via Sasha & Andrew's Roundtable.)

Iranian Freedom Watch

Since I rarely read Andrew Sullivan anymore, I didn't see this item until I read about it over at Reverend Mike's. I think it's a wonderful idea:

Here's my proposal. On July 9, as many blogs as possible focus on the struggle for freedom in Iran. It's the anniversary of the pro-democracy protests that have been going on for years. I'll devote the week after July 4 to this issue, culminating in July 9...Many people have theorized about the power of the web to bring about change and the young generation in Iran must know this as well as any group of people. So let's try and use it - if only to send a symbol of solidarity with those resisting the theo-fascists who have wrecked Iran for three generations.

Rev. Mike then issues a challenge:

Andrew has started the ball rolling, and a number of secular blogs have picked it up and run with it as well. I'm game. How about the rest of you Christian bloggers? If two or more of us blog something in Jesus' name, what might happen?

Well, I'm game, too. I would love to see the Iranian people overthrow the mullahs and have a true democracy. And while on this subject, Rev. Mike also links to this list of Iranian blogs at Blogs of War.

Anti-Christian Bigotry

Dean Esmay has a couple of posts where he tackles the issue of anti-Christian bigotry. While Dean is not a Christian himself, he is sick of people thinking it is somehow enlightened to sneer at Christians:

There's also a certain type of person--some of them are friends of mine--who enjoys "baiting" Christians, just to provoke them into arguments and mock their faith. Alas, in my youth, I was sometimes one of those people. [...]

So let me be very clear: if you're one of my friends who enjoys baiting or mocking Christians, I hope you realize that I think you're being a titanic jackass when you do that, and that I wish you would stop it.

He also refers to a previous post where he says that the infamous Landover Baptist Church parody site is a hate site. Now, I've known Christians who thought that site was funny and weren't offended by it. However, I am offended by it and I do find it hateful. It seems that the site didn't used to be quite as harsh and mean-spirited as it is now. I think they have lost sight of being simply satire and have become a bitter diatribe instead.

Clarification: Acknowledging that a form of bigotry exists and not liking it does not mean that you intend to whine, play the victim or attempt to silence someone. If you don't like Christians, fine. If you think the Landover site is a hoot, fine. You have that right, just as I have the right to think that people who mindlessly bust on Christians all the time are jerks.

Harry Potter Indifference

It seems like everybody in the Christian side of blogdom has something to say about Harry Potter, pro and con. For the record, I've never read a Harry Potter book nor am I interested in reading one. However, I have nothing against anyone reading a Harry Potter book. If you think Harry Potter books are bad, you may as well put away those Tolkien books or Lewis' Narnia books as well. That also means no watching The Wizard of Oz, no reading of fairy tales (or viewing Disney movies based on those fairy tales) and no reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie on TV Land.

That's all I have to say on this subject...

What Is Tolerance?

"Tolerance" and "intolerance" are words that have been thrown around so much that they've just about lost their meaning. Cam Edwards takes a look at what tolerance really is...and isn't.

(Via Lynn S.)

I hated Maude too...

Darn that Lileks! Now I've got that stupid theme from Maude going through my head. And you know, I never realized what one of the lines from the song was really saying until I read this Backfence column:

Joan of Arc had the Lord to guide her / There was a sister who really cooked

Pee. Yoo.

Yes, Maude...the strident, 1970s Norman Lear liberalism, the thoroughly whipped husband, the Maudewear™ and all the charm of Madame Defarge.

Just for bringing up Maude, Lileks deserves this Photoshopping of his picture over at JunkYardBlog. And I don't feel as guilty now for laughing at these Fark desecrations of that same pic.

Why the West Is Successful

Some would say that the West got successful through oppressing the weak. According to Dinesh D'Souza, this isn't the case. (Via Outside the Beltway.)

While on this subject, locdog and Joshua Claybourn also have some great posts defending Western culture.

Update: Joel Fuhrmann has more on this subject. He makes a really good point here:

If colonialism is the cause of third world poverty, then why is the US so rich today? After all, we were a colony too, about the same time as many other countries were. The cause of third world poverty is obviously something other than colonialism by itself -- I'd say bad government and bad economic systems, by the very governments in control of the poorest countries.

Black Soul Choir

Here's a song that reflects my current mood about things:

(I would post an MP3 of this, since I have ripped a bunch of songs from my CD collection to play in Winamp. [That's what you see in my playlist on the sidebar.] But I don't want to get unceremoniously tossed off my host, so I can't do it. Sorry about that.)

Jane Roe's Reversal

I had heard the other day that Norma McCorvey, the "Roe" in Roe vs. Wade, was going to make a big announcement today. Well, here it is: she is suing to overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision. McCorvey, who is now pro-life, regrets her part in that decision and says that she was used:

Seeking an abortion at the age of 21, McCorvey made up a story that she had been raped. She was put in touch with two attorneys who aimed to challenge the Texas abortion statute.

"Plain and simple, I was used," she said. "I was a nobody to them. They only needed a pregnant woman to use for their case, and that is it. They cared, not about me, but only about legalizing abortion. Even after the case, I was never respected – probably because I was not an Ivy League-educated, liberal feminist like they were."

I'm rather pessimistic as to whether McCorvey will be successful in pulling this off (although I hope I'm wrong). However, this should be an interesting case to watch. Maybe it will get some people to think differently about abortion.

(Via Relapsed Catholic.)

Update: Well, it looks like my pessimism was justified. McCorvey's request to reopen Roe vs. Wade has been dismissed. (Via Joyful Christian.)

Boycotts

I've always been kind of skeptical about the effectiveness of boycotts. However, I may have to rethink my opinion. According to MCJ, the U.S. boycott of French goods has worked.

A few quick links...

Here are a few quick links to some great posts:

• Ben Domenech has a few words for the Class of 2003. He dispenses with the feel-good platitudes that most commencement speakers use and tells the truth with a combination of causticity and grace.
• Eve Tushnet doesn't think much of the wedding industry (and I agree). She also has an extensive pro-life reading list. One of her suggestions is Enemies of Eros by Maggie Gallagher. I have this book and have skimmed over it, but I've never gotten a chance to read it.
• Susanna Cornett takes on an increasingly embittered Maureen Dowd.
• C.G. Hill and Rachel Lucas both post about how the Council of Europe is about to adopt a proposal that will demand "right of reply" for any person or organization criticized on the Internet. While this would only apply to Europe, it's pretty alarming that something like this would be passed.
• Andrea Harris takes a look at TV news and the things they don't tell you.

Blogrolling

I finally decided to try out BlogRolling for maintaining my blogroll. The free service only allows one blogroll, so I had to differentiate the reciprocal links using italics. They also come first in the blogroll. If I like this service, I may upgrade to the pay service in the future.

BTW, if you have blogrolled me and I don't have you in my blogroll, please post a comment here and let me know so I can add you.

Martin Luther Movie

It looks like a movie about Martin Luther is coming out this fall. I have to echo Mark Shea's sentiments: "Sure hope this doesn't suck."

Drudge and Paglia

Found via Relapsed Catholic: this lengthy but interesting interview of Matt Drudge by Camille Paglia. Here are a few notable items...

Drudge disses bloggers:

In the end I really don't care what I'm called, as long as it's not blogger.

Ouch.

Drudge on Iraq:

I was actually very on the fence on the war. It put me in a difficult position. If you've noticed, I thought I did a pretty clever job of at least sharing with readers what the U.K. Mirror, the Independent, all these antiwar outlets were doing. Probably it was perceived as just mischief-making, but it reflected my own lack of clarity about the war issue. I don't have to be clear, though. I'm not a politician.

On being pro-life:

Oh, yeah. I'm a prolife conservative who doesn't want the government to tax me. There are issues that I'm so frightened of—1.2 million abortions a year scares the hell out of me. Oftentimes when I see these superstorms forming, you know, sometimes—I wouldn't be honest if I didn't think it was retribution. I also am opposed to big government. Now, you would argue: Well, how could you support a government interfering with the rights of a woman over her own body? But I would argue: No. That all life is sacred. Abortion is the issue that really motivates me.

On Condoleezza Rice:

Oh, she's a powerhouse! But the DNC has a dirt file on her that is really thick. Think of The Contender, or those other movies that have warned what happens when a female candidate has some dirt she'd rather hide. And I wouldn't be surprised if Democrats used it.

Hmmm...

I've been reading Drudge since 1995. I'm kind of surprised he has such disdain for bloggers, since blogging embraces the same sort of DIY attitude that Drudge has. Perhaps he feels threatened by it...

Also, Paglia is always fun to read, even though I strongly disagree with her on a lot of things.

Rebuilding Iraq

Bene Diction has a must-read post about the things that are being done to rebuild Iraq and provide relief. Someone who was in Iraq on behalf of Operation Blessing tells about the conditions there and the things that are being done to help the Iraqi people. This account was first posted at Fructus Ventris. Here's a short excerpt:

The medical standards at the hospitals are 30 years behind. The doctors told us they had no outside information available since Saddam came into power, and he confiscated all the western medical texts. I carried in 15 up to date medical textbooks, which were gratefully received, and I was told that the doctors would all read them. These were 3 inch reference books! And I bet they *will* all read them cover to cover!

If you wish, you can donate to Operation Blessing, since there is still so much to be done.

Another one leaves Blogspot...

Joel Fuhrmann's Right Left Whatever has made the move off Blogspot and on to MT. Welcome to the MT army, Joel!

Christians and Gays Revisited

Mark Byron has some thoughts on this earlier post of mine. He disagrees with my statement that homosexual orientation (as opposed to behavior) is not sinful. Mark's take on this is very interesting.

(Mark also does a great job rebutting some totally off-topic trolling that took place in the same post.)

Understanding America and Americans

LT Smash explains three important guidelines for understanding Americans:

Living With America

What kind of blogger am I?

Fun and spunky, you link, there for you are! This
is all fun and games, and you do what you
damned well please!


What kind of blogger am I?
brought to you by Quizilla

(Via Patty.)

You know what I hate...

I hate it when I trackback to a post and, just after I change the post to "Publish" and click "Save", I notice that I've got a misspelling or typo in the heading or in the first few words of the post. I immediately change the post, but my embarrassing error stays in the other blog's trackback window for others to snicker at. Ugh!

Charity and the Role of Government

I was just reading this post over at Mac's place. Mac had some, um, differences with some folks in this post. Here's what I posted in Mac's comments:

I think people are failing to see that there is a difference between governments and individual people.

Governments represent people. All the people, not just Christians. And not just Christians who follow your particular interpretation of Christianity.

Saying that you believe gov't handout programs have gotten out of hand is not the same as saying you are against helping the poor. All you are saying is that it's the calling of each individual (whether they be Christians or not) to help the poor...that it's not the government's job. If a person doesn't want to help, well, they may be a jerk, but that's their right.

This is why we have a non-establishment clause in our Constitution. It is not up to the government to fulfill someone's idea of Christian charity. The Christian religion is not the state-approved religion. No religion is. And I'm grateful for that.

If someone wants to give to the poor, let them do it of their own volition, and not because they've pawned the job off on the gov't.

And I would like to add: I'm not totally against welfare programs. I do believe there should be a safety net to help those who have fallen upon hard times to get on their feet again. However, if you think that our welfare system is not being milked for all it's worth by those who don't want to work, if you think there aren't people who scheme to stay on the system as long as they can, if you think the system hasn't become a way of life for some, then I have some oceanfront property in Nebraska to sell you.

That being said, I think that it's a shame that so many Christians have decided to abdicate the responsibility of taking care of the poor to the government.

Update: Lee Anne Millinger has left some excellent comments on this post (she says things so much better than I can) and has expanded on her thoughts in this post on her blog.

Update 2: Joel Fuhrmann also has some thoughts on this subject.

Two New Skins

I've got two new skins. They're both pretty similar..."Peach Pinup" and "Pink Pinup." They both use Vargas pinup art. I'll be adding them to the gallery soon. In the meantime you can find them on the sidebar.

I think I'm going to have to give this skinning thing a rest for a while. I've got twelve already. I've got some stuff to do around the house that's a lot less fun, but more necessary.

"Movin' on Up" Watch

The Brazos de Dios Cantina has moved to a sparkling new MT site. Drop in and say hello!

Update: Common Sense & Wonder has made the move, too!

I'm speechless...

I think Patty may have found the most bizarre thing I've ever posted about in this category. I won't describe it...you'll just have to read and see for yourself:

Boong-Ga Boong-Ga

Questions about WMDs - Part 2

Instead of updating my previous WMD post, I decided to start a new one. Here are some more blog posts about WMDs and whether we have found sufficient proof of their existence:

• Bill at Thinklings comments on this Mona Charen column. Charen reminds us that Iraq did indeed once possess these weapons -- even the left's beloved U.N. has confirmed this. She is also inclined to believe that these weapons are well hidden and that the will eventually be found. She ends her column with this:

  The capacity of Bush' opponents to believe the worst about him -- even if it means giving the benefit of the doubt to Saddam Hussein -- is staggering.

  [InstaPundit]Indeed.[/InstaPundit]

• Jeffrey Collins links to this Kathleen Parker column. Parker brings up a concern that not many have commented on. As Collins puts it:

  What does worry me is Parker's last point; if we can't find them, does that mean they were given to someone else? If so, what are the chances of that someone else using them?

• Chris Regan at JunkYard Blog believes Saddam may be winning the propaganda war:

  ...We decided to settle on the WMD reason primarily because we first decided to go through the UN while building up our forces. This strategy then allowed Saddam to disperse his WMD to Syria, while importing all the terrorists and Fedayeen that threaten us with counterattacks even now. It's also allowed the Democrats to now launch a parallel post-war counterattack in the media.

  Had we used Salman Pak as our primary cause for a clear war of self-defense on a terrorist state, we wouldn't have had the UN and the French to damage our power and prestige. Then the American people (and Turkey) would have also jumped onboard much faster. The warplan was very different for that political track, but the Pentagon had a plan, and we then could have had a measure of strategic surprise in our attack timing.

  Unfortunately, the NY Times put that leaked plan on the front page, hoping to force us to abandon it or get our troops killed in larger numbers. That was treasonous, and it's a shame people got away with it.

My final thoughts on the WMD question (at least for a while)...even if they do find them, the usual suspects will never admit that they're wrong. They will either cook up some nutjob conspiracy theory and say that Bush planted them, or they will spin the information in some other way that makes America out to be the source of all evil in the world.

Update: Dean makes some great points about why we went to Iraq and the relevance of WMDs:

Given all that, I couldn't possibly care less if the entirety of the "WMDs" discovered in Iraq amount to a squirt gun and a bottle of Chlorox. It's like breaking into John Wayne Gacy's house and finding out that there's only one kid's shinbone in his crawlspace, and not dozens of children's corpses. Who the hell cares?

Also, Joshua Claybourn links to a poll that, if accurate, would indicate that the WMD question is not a big deal to a majority of the American people. He also recommends this William F. Buckley column: Who Screwed Up?

Update 2: James Joyner at Outside the Beltway describes our failure to find WMDs as "a colossal embarrasment that can't be glossed over."

Update 3: Dean has some predictions about Iraqi WMDs.

Update 4: C. Dodd Harris weighs in on the WMD issue as well.

I'm a real dog...

What Common Breed of Dog Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I always thought greyhounds were really cool dogs.

(Via Vessel of Honour.)

Pure Poetry

Here's one of the more coherent poems Rob's Amazing Poem Generator came up with for my site:

LilacRose dot nu
Skins Change the whole reason
you to disastrous results.
Apply your
Animal Personality? brought to post.
I did lie and deftly refuted.
Posted by susan b.
at God.

(Via King's Kid.)

Forgiveness or CYA?

I'm not Catholic, but a lot of the Catholic blogs I read have been following the child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. I've been reluctant to comment on the scandal because I don't want my comments to be construed as Catholic-bashing. Also, I almost feel like it's not my place to say anything...like I'm an outsider butting in on a family problem.

But Maripat (who is Catholic) at Right We Are has basically summed up my own thoughts about the scandal in this post. Cutting deals with those who enabled the abusers is inexcusable.

It seems to me that the Catholic hierarchy was so anxious to practice Christian forgiveness (or, more likely, practice some CYA) that they ended up forgetting about justice. They have coddled and enabled child abusers, allowing them to claim more victims. The Vatican has been reluctant to hold those who covered for the abusers accountable.

Forgiveness is wonderful, but it doesn't mean you throw justice and common sense out the window. A murderer can be forgiven for his crime, but it doesn't mean you let him back on the streets to kill again. He still has to account for his crime, and society still needs to be protected from him. The same goes for the abusing priests and their enablers.

But I think that maybe I'm being too charitable in saying that all these cover-ups are the result of a wrongheaded idea of Christian forgiveness. It is far more likely that the hierarchy was just trying to keep up appearances and keep a lid on the situation. Either way, it's a disgusting betrayal.

Justice needs to be done. No more cover-ups, no more deals.