Sunday, February 28, 2010

New Federal "Lord of the Rings " Tax Proposed

Southern Appeal has The Hobbit Tax

A Virginia Church Is Clothing Optional

Bible Belt Blogger has Virginia, a clothing-optional church

I would not expect to see this a Catholic version of this coming to a Catholic Diocese anytime soon

"Some of the biggest moments in Jesus' life he was naked," Pastor Allen Parker said. "When he was born he was naked, when he was crucified he was naked and when he arose he left his clothes in the tomb and he was naked. If God made us that way, how can that be wrong?"

Scandal- Opinionated Catholic Not Named In Top 100

of the most influential blogs that contribute to an online discussion about religion in the public sphere and the academy. (UPDATE THE ACTUAL LIST IS HERE)

Maybe Next Year!!

Sorry American Catholic but yall did not get a mention but your arch enemy Vox Nova is on the list!! I suspect either Morning Minion or Prof Henry Karson must have taken some one out to an expensive dinner. :)

On a serious note I think the list is sort of SKEWED politically a tad and leaves some important blogs out. Also it it not sort of weird how some major faith traditions are sort of left out or under represented? Maybe more conservative blogs (there are of course some on that list and good ones) are a tad unrepresented because no one in the ACADEMY pays attention to what we say.

However who knew there were so many blogs keeping track of what the sneaky "religious right" was doing!!

Further with the big American Anglican battle going on I am tad shocked that not one "conservative" Episcopal blog is mentioned since the "internets" have been critical in that fight.

Still a good list to keep handy.

Update -

It is kinda of striking how "white" this is with the occasional black blog thrown in. Where are the Hispanics and Latinos? Also where are Christian Legal Blogs like the Catholic Mirrors of Justice that I think is widely read in the Academy.

Where are the Methodists some of the most socially politico active people? Lutherans? Are they communicating by "snail mail"

British Catholic Bishops Have Woke Up- Big Political Statement Coming Up

Well thank goodness they have woke up out of the COMA. See from the London Times Roman Catholic bishops enter pre-election fray

Obama Needs to Assert The Legal Justification For Predator Drone Attacks

Kenneth Anderson has got his piece published on the need for the Obama Administration to hurry up and start making the legal case for our increased Predator Drone attacks. This piece is in the Weekly Standard. You can find the link here as well as a link to a very readable PDF of it which is nice. See Predators over Pakistan, My New Weekly Standard Essay. It is very excellent.

I really agree that Republicans and Conservatives that agree with the Obama administration on their use of Predator Drones did to urge the powers that be to move on this legal question and quick.

What appears to to be relative silence of domestic opposition on this issue we are hearing now is not only misleading and temporary but very dangerous to make wrong assumptions about if you think the Obama administration is correct. In fact by not making the case now in a forceful manner a important ability of the United States to defend itself might be hampered in the future.

It is well worth the read.

He makes these points

(1) The Predator drone strategy works

(2) Drone strikes need an aggressive defense
against increasingly vocal critics who are moving to create
around drone warfare a narrative of American wickedness.

(3) The Obama Administration has so far failed to provide a robust affirmation of the propositions
that underwrite Predator drone warfare

(4) Republicans and centrist Democrats need to make common cause in defending these
propositions.

(5) That this defense will be the American view of domestic and
international law for future administrations, Democratic and Republican.

(6) That while Obama administration increasingly relies on Predator strikes for its counterterrorism strategy, the international legal basis of drone warfare (more precisely, its perceived international legal legitimacy) is eroding from under the administration’s
feet—largely through the U.S. government’s inattention and unwillingness to defend its legal grounds, and require its own senior lawyers to step up and defend it.

(7) The Obama administration appears remarkably sanguine about the campaign gearing up in the “international law community” aimed at undermining the legal basis of targeted killing
as well as its broad political legitimacy, and ultimately at stigmatizing the use of Predators as both illegal and a coward’s weapon.

(8) The Obama administration is complacent about this emerging “international soft law” campaign against the Drone warfare and it's use

(9) Obama’s opponents in this country, for their part, likewise underestimate
and ignore the threat such a campaign presents to
national security
. That’s apparently because many on th eright find it hard to imagine that mere congeries of NGOs, academics, activists, U.N. officials, and their allies could
ever overcome “hard” American national security interests, particularly when covered by the magic of the Obama administration

(10) That the defense and justification of this policy needs to be based in
the traditional international legal doctrine of self-defense.

A good read that is not dry at all.

I will perhaps try to do the Catholic Social Justice angle on this later. Trust me the forces that try to portray Just War Theory and other matters as now absolute Pacifism have NOT BEEN QUIET on this. More on that later

Will the Internet and Twitter Go Down If U.S. Hockey Team Wins Gold?

:)

Going into overtime. I can recall Twitter grinded to a halt when the Saints big interception happened in the Super Bowl.

Update-
Sigh USA loses. But great game

American Hero Talks On The Disaster of the Obama Space Plan

Good Op Ed in the Houston Chronicle by the man that piloted the first manned Apollo mission in 1968

Yes Yes I know some Libertarians are all for this. It might put my "conservative" credentials at stake but I am pretty thrilled that FDR did giveFord motor company the main duties of producing the "bomb" or JFK gave the duty of getting us to the moon to Boeing by themselves.

New York Times Finally Notice the Black Abortion Issue

It just took a white person talking about it for them to take note!!!

Wheat and Weeds has Formerly Grey Lady Catches On

Good Catholic Stuff Is By Design Idiot Proof

I got a nice laugh out of this that was in a very interesting post.

The Ordinary Form can be extraordinarily reverent when said by a holy priest. I’ve been to such liturgies hundreds of times, and I’m grateful for every one. On the other hand, the new liturgy, with all its Build-a-Bear options, is terribly easy to abuse. The old Mass reminds me of what they used to say about the Catholic Church and the U.S. Navy: “It’s a machine built by geniuses so it can be operated safely by idiots.” The old liturgy was crafted by saints, and can be said by schlubs without risk of sacrilege. The new rite was patched together by bureaucrats, and should only be safely celebrated by the saintly.

Was the Hit Squad in Dubai Really Mossad?

Ok these questions don't appear to be tin foil hat stuff either. Intriguing!!!

See here and here.

Is the American South Really That Special?

Civil War Memory has a good post here at The Burden of Southern History. This appears to be the first post of a series that will examine the thoughts of C Vann Woodward.

I think to start out on my thoughts on this post is we can agree Southern History is a lot more complicated than most people portray regardless of their viewpoint. There is of course not one "South" and really never was.

The question posed is / was the American South really ever that distinct or did this "myth" come about as a political and social response to other matters.

I agree and disagree with some of what is in this first post however I am open.

Let me say the most glaring omission so far is the whole Scot- Irish dynamic of the South. There have been many political posts that have examined this recently under the theme of the Jacksonian belt. Though we have seen much more migration than we did last century this Jacksonian belt still I think has some significant political and cultural effect today. This same Jacksonian belt to some degree showed up in border regions and parts of Northern States where this Scot Irish presence also tended to show more southern sympathies in the Civil War.

Let me take a few parts of this.

"C. Vann Woodward notes in his seminal work, The Burden of Southern History, northerners were equally complicit in fostering such views of “southern distinctiveness.” Woodward argues that, beginning with the Lost Cause and sectional reconciliation era of the 1880s, northerners joined the South in celebrations of its regional culture and that they further embraced the idea of southern distinctiveness by portraying the South as a haven and refuge from the disconcerting corruption and rapid modernization of the post-war North."

Well I actually think there is a lot to this. In fact we see this theme in a lot of lost cause literature. Particularly among some Catholics that promote this viewpoint. We have in the background "evil" Capitalism.

I think a lot of us are unaware of how vast these changes were. Most Americans are sort of good on American history till Lincoln and sort of pick it up again around FDR. So the social and political changes that are going on here are not on our radar.

However as a comment at this same post indicates:
"if you consider the South as a nation it would be the 4th most industrial nation on the planet by the eve of the Civil War. I find this area of focus to be quite interesting and it has helped me to move beyond the standard stories of two regions that fell on opposite ends of the industrial/modern spectrum."

Well that is true. The fact that people think otherwise perhaps has to due with much of post Civil War South looking like Post War II Germany. So in a sense I think there is a huge point that could be correct here.

Lets Continue:
During the early and mid-twentieth century, Woodward writes, the notion of southern distinctiveness acquired new meaning as Americans began to embrace and promote the idea of “American exceptionalism” on a truly global scale. This so-called “national myth” portrayed America as a global leader that had never known defeat and whose foundations rested upon an eternal commitment to liberty and morality.

Woodward argues that, in order to justify this “national myth,” Americans used the South as its scapegoat for its previous moral and political failures, including slavery, civil war, and periodic economic troubles. By “dumping” its historical and moral burdens on the South, Americans thus were able to purge their own (perceived) triumphant national history of its historical baggage; such efforts, in turn, resulted in the increasing differentiation between “mainstream” America and the South and in the perpetuation of the myth of southern distinctiveness.

Therefore Woodward argues, in reality, the South is not as inherently unique as we, as a nation, have come to believe; rather, it is the South’s experiences—of defeat and of an imagined separatism—that have made it seem so distinct.

Now I don't want to get into the whole debate if American exceptional ism is a good or bad thing. I do think there is a point here. Problems that we see nationwide were and are unfairly put in just Southern terms.

However was there really a campaign to dump all this baggage on the South? It seems like this during this time period the South was held up!! The film Birth of a Nation was a big hit!! What about Gone with the Wind and about a million other films. It seems to me the South was often put in glowing terms during the first half of the 20th Century. Maybe it had to deal with World Wars and the need to come together. Now there might be an argument some "dumping " was done later but again I will have to think about that.

One other thought. The South of today is of course different from the South of the 1840, 1860, or for that matter 1940. We have had for some time what we call the New South. We have had for decades a migration from the North and Midwest of folks to different regions of the South.

The question that would be interesting to study is who affected who more. Of course this mingling effected both the Southerners and the "Yankee" transplants. The South also like the North has some some significant migration from outside the USA - Italians etc.

It does seem to me that there is still in many ways cultural, political, and religious difference we see turn up time and time again .

So perhaps to ask how "distinctive" the South is and was, we should be looking at the effects of the South on the people of this migration.

Catholic Dorms at State Colleges

Aggie Catholic has a interesting post here at "Does The Christian God Exist" Debate . To see the vids and more on the main topic of the post go there. However I was struck by this.

Below is a nice debate at St. John's Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois. They do some very nice work, and are especially known for their excellent program of theology, especially having classes in Catholic thought for credit at the University (we are working toward this here at St. Mary's). They are also known for their large Catholic dorm, Newman Hall, which houses hundreds of students in the heart of campus (another project we are working toward here at St. Mary's). They are generally regarded as one of the best campus ministries in the country, along with St. Lawrence at The University of Kansas as well as us here at St. Mary's.

Here is the description of the debate:

.....

We Catholics seem to focus a lot on what is going wrong or right at Catholic Colleges but what about Secular Universities where the vast majority of Catholics go?

I have discussed Texas A @ M in detail as a place that produces a incredible amount of vocations. I am Glad they are pointing out two other schools that should be on our radar.

I like the concept of Catholic Dorms. It would not be every one's cup of tea of course. I am not sure I would have done that. But it seems like a good idea and option.

In my home state at Southeastern University I think there was a Catholic dorm there once. I think that at places like LSU, ULL , Nicholls, and McNesse here in my State that would be a interesting idea to look at.

LSU Versus William and Mary Baseball Game Overshadowed By Alumni Scandal

LSU is playing the historic William and Mary College this weekend. To see Game one go to The Tribe Almost Feast on Tiger Meat (LSU 10 William and Mary 9) .

To the scandal that has been uncovered it involved a prominent Alumni and a "land scheme"

The Culprit

George Washington whose major was "surveying"

:)

Elektratig has Did President Washington Lie in Office?

Ok he "mislead" but some interesting history there.

Pope Benedict In Position To Reshape American Catholic Leadership

Whispers has a post on the pending retirement of Cardinal Roger Mahony. See The Countdown Begins

This last paragraph was striking

LA might be the mother of 'em all... still, it's far from the only major Stateside opening en route.With the holders of three cardinalatial sees reaching the retirement age of 75 over the next two years, and a staggering half of the nation's 12 cardinal-electors turning 80 -- and, ergo, losing their conclave rights -- within the same time-frame, the top rank of the 68 million-member US church is soon to undergo a clip of moves that, as one Vatican aide recently put it, will bring about "the greatest change we'll see in our lives."For all of it, as always, stay tuned.

There are four people whose Health I think about a lot these days . Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, and Justice Kennedy. Oh yeah and I think a lot about Benedicts!! May be live long to put this stamp on the American Church

The Tribe Almost Feast on Tiger Meat (LSU 10 William and Mary 9)

Wow what a game. Things were going along Ross was pitching a good game but the Tigers were having a hard time getting the actual runs in despite getting folks on base. THEN boom heck Ross goes from brilliance to implosion in the 5th and W@ M scores 4 runs. Alsup comes in and totally does nothing and W @ M adds 4 more runs in the 6th. It was not looking good.

Then a great comeback as the Tigers score 8 runs in the 6th to tie it and the Tigers managed to pull it out in the end.

Carl Dubois has a great inning by inning recap plus players interviews. See GAME BLOG: LSU 10, William & Mary 9 (final).

Games like this are important and the Tigers learned something about themselves. So good lessons were learned.

The double header which should be able to be heard statewide starts at 1 pm on Sunday.

A nice article here at LSU stages special comeback to down William and Mary

The Advocates baseball blog has POWER OUTAGE: Tigers stage huge rally for 10-9 victory without hitting a long ball

I will post the main MSM sports article as they come online.

Update

The Advocate has Monumental comeback lifts Tigers, 10-9

The LSU Site has a nice story up at Baseball Scores Biggest Comeback in 22 Seasons. Also note there are photo galleries up for game one on that link as well as other fun stuff

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Will the New Anglo Catholic Liturgy End the Reformation?

Well I think not but I will have some further thoughts after this wonderful article that just appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

Here is the start of it:

On a recent evening, about 60 people—ex-Episcopalians, curious Catholics and a smattering of earnest Episcopal priests in clerical collars—gathered downtown for an unusual liturgy: It was Evensong and Benediction, sung according to the Book of Divine Worship, an Anglican Use liturgical book still being prepared in Rome.

Beautiful evensongs are a signature of Protestant Episcopal worship. Benediction, which consists of hymns, canticles or litanies before the consecrated host on the altar, is a Catholic devotion. We were getting a blend of both at St. Mary Mother of God Church, lent for the occasion.

One former Episcopalian present confessed to having to choke back tears as the first plainsong strains of "Humbly I Adore Thee," the Anglican version of a hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas, floated down from the organ in the balcony. A convert to Catholicism, she could not believe she was sitting in a Catholic Church, hearing the words of her Anglican girlhood—and as part of an authorized, Roman Catholic liturgy.

And that was not the only miracle. Although the texts had been carefully vetted in Rome for theological points, the words being sung were written by Thomas Cranmer, King Henry VIII's architect of the English Reformation. "He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel," the congregation chanted, "as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever."

The language of this translation of the Magnificat, one of Christianity's two great evening canticles, is unfamiliar to many Episcopalians today, as it comes from earlier versions of their Book of Common Prayer. Yet a number of former Anglicans are eager to carry some of this liturgy with them when they swim the Tiber, as Episcopalians becoming Catholic often call the conversion. "I wonder why the phrase 'and there is no health in us' was omitted from the penitential rite" by the Vatican vetters of the newly approved rite for converts, one nostalgic ex-Episcopalian mused aloud. "Must be too Calvinist," suggested another. ...

Read it All

I really think that this will be big and will effect all Catholic Liturgy to a vast degree. For many of Catholic Converts before we crossed the Tiber we took a look at the Episcopal Church. It was with some regret that we could not have a CATHOLIC APPROVED version of that Liturgy. To be blunt the English Mass was a let down. The language a tad ordinary.

Further I guess many people my age were exposed just to the 1979 Prayerbook and one wonders (this article gives us a hint) of the wonders we shall see here.

How many cradle Catholics are going to see this and go WOW!! How many Evangelicals and others that perhaps will find this Liturgy appealing.

I have a feeling that many more Catholics that might not be into the Latin Mass might find a spiritual liturgical home here.

The Difference Between Berkeley and Our Redneck SEC Schools

You know I have a hard time seeing this happen at LSU or Bama. I saw a protest over tuition once and it was like afternoon tea. All polite and then all the students went to the bar or went to the baseball game

The only time College students in the SEC are given a little bit of slack is when SEC Coaches do slimy things. :)

Priorities people Priorities!! Learn from the South my California friends.

Irony About Those That hate the Two Party System

I was over at And So It Goes in Shreveport and looking at her links Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: The "In My Shell" Edition and noticed she had a link that is going around today. That is dealing with a new British Tea Party. Check it out.

I am not sure a Tea party will work over there. In fact we have yet to see if it will work here.

However it just occurred to me an irony. It seems that I hear a lot more Conservatives than liberals that really want a third party. I mean really want one not just saying the popular cliche- You know throw them out oh we need a third party etc etc.

However thinking about it it seems that a lot of countries(the vast majority) that have multiple parties are far more LIBERAL/Progressive/Socialist whatever than the U.S.A.


In fact I having a hard time of thinking of one country that has multiple parties where the Libertarian paradise reigns!!

So in a irony it is perhaps the people on the left that might want a third party while people on the right would want to fight for a two party system. I am sure by this time hundreds of Poltical Science grad majors have examined this topic. Maybe I will find some of their papers.

Perhaps there is no connection. However is Canada any better off because they have a workable third party from a "conservative point of view"?

Finding Saint Paul's Shipwreck at Malta

This is a pretty cool article.

Tip of the hat to Spirit Daily

Everything I Read About Turkey Is Depressing

That state of affairs has been going on for a number of years. Here is the latest worrying news.

George Bush Likes That Cheney Is Out There Fighting

Bush Speaks!!!

See George Bush endorses Dick Cheney role

Actually most of the article touches on other matters he talks about besides Cheney and all sadly all has to be reported second hand.

It should be noted that having Dick Cheney out there is not all a plus for Bush. Cheney sort of lets out in a surprising way where he disagreed with the President Bush. One gets a sense that because Scooter Libby did not get a pardon that Cheney was very upset as just one example. So Bush is likely to let Cheeny have his say and not do too much responding to it.

Science Proves Frodo Existed!!!

Neat stuff here at More Scientific Evidence on Prehistoric Hobbits

Controversy Over Mennonite College Playing the National Anthem

I don't know any Mennonites. They are sort of rare in these parts where I live.

Therefore this story is interesting to me that Get Religion looks at. See Anthem wars

The Hawaii Akaka Bill Has Serious Constitutional Federalism Problems

I am not a fan of this bill on many levels. Here are a few problems. See Federalism and the Akaka Bill

Tim Brando Blasts Shreveport / Bossier Sports Apathy

Nice column here by Tim Brando in today's paper. See Apathy damaging sports in Louisiana

Friday, February 26, 2010

Catholic Bishops Say Health Care Bill Still Unacceptable

See Bishops: Senate health care bill still unacceptable via the Deacon Bench

Because Some Catholics Masturbate Lets have Gay Marriage!!!

Heck because some Catholics Masturbate lets have have torture and in fact why don't we deport every illegal in the USA despite their situation because many Catholic masturbate. In fact I think a lot of Catholic Social Justice is up for grabs because some Catholic teenagers are masturbating!!

Who cares about the poor because it is all a facade because Catholic teenage guys are masturbating!!

See Exclusive: a final word from the heretical pastor of St. Francis Xavier . If the Churches teaching on marriage is going to be suspect because we got Catholic guys masturbating why not get rid of Just War theory.

Why should I care about the ethics of the Health Care bill when Catholic teenagers are masturbating!!! It all appears to focus on these things is wrong because how can I talk about various issues of Catholic Social Justice before I talk about Catholic Teen masturbation. So says the esteemed mind that is in New York.

The University of Texas the Mecca of College Football to Latinos?

Oh good grief. On the benfits of Texas going Independent one reason given

The Fan Base is Growing
You do not have to have a doctorate in demographics to realize that dynamic changes to the national population are taking place.
Documenting immigration studies has become a moot point in modern society. The discussion concerning the issue has reached a level of national consciousness; it fills our political spectrum on topics from housing to health care.


This year’s national census will tell us little that our eyes have not already witnessed; the Hispanic immigration community is growing, and doing so faster than any other group of people.
Politicians, media execs and academics are but a few of those trying to discern what effect such a large population migration has on a host country. As sports fans, our concerns are less fiery, and seldom extend beyond the teams that anyone—including immigrants—choose to cheer for.
But know you this: tapping into the economic power of the growing Hispanic community is something that every school in the country is trying to figure out. Why would they not? Every business from appliances to soft drinks is doing the same.


The pursuit for those dollars and the impact they will have is one of the great questions for this century. It will change many things in our lives and it will change college football, too.
Look at how the Dallas Cowboys have marketed themselves

throughout Central America, and start thinking the same thing for the college game.
Fresno State head coach Pat Hill has openly theorized about his program becoming to the Hispanic population what Notre Dame is to Catholics. He went so far as to pine about the possibility of striking a television deal with Telemundo or Univision to carry games south of the border.
If it makes sense to him, would it make a lot for sense for Longhorns?
Imagine the slogan—The University of Texas Longhorns: Mexico’s Team
.

See more at Could Texas Declare Its Independence from the Big 12?

I guess that is intriguing to think about.

Linking Sports and Louisiana Coastal Erosion

Today we read this headline. Coastal projects all lacking cash, expert declares

No one cares outside Louisiana which is strange since this is the biggest Environmental problem facing the nation.

How do we get attention. I think there should be a effort to enlist the Coaches at LSU to more importantly the Coaches and Players of the Saints and Hornets to take this on. Spread the word and adopt this cause as their own.

There will not be a New Orleans Saints or a New Orleans Hornets because there will be no New Orleans if we don't move on this quick. There will no great recruits from the Bayou Country to go play football because Bayou country will not exist anymore.

Perhaps someone would listen to Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and Les Miles, because no one is listening to the Governor or the Louisiana Congressional delegation.

So next time Brees is on Oprah or David Letterman he can give a shout out. HEY YOUR NATION IS GOING INTO THE GULF.

Enlist all the those LSU and other College players in the Big Leagues and the NFL. Get Terry Bradshaw on board maybe. Perhaps the average public will listen to them.

Heck what about the Manning Family. We could get ELI to do commercials up in New York. Maybe the New Republic will listen to him?

European Union to Put Palestinians Out Of Work

Well that is not good.

The Legality of Predator Drone Attacks

I am with many that are hoping the Obama administration is starting to really think and then put their argument out there.

A nice piece on this at Drones as Strategic Airpower and the Counter-Raiding Light Cavalry? that also hits the legal justification.

SEC Brotherhood- All Schools To Be Named After Star Wars Characters

SEC SEC SEC!!!

See The SEC as Star Wars Characters

Colonel Reb Is Crying At Southern Appeal!!





Oh I have been waiting for the legal minds at Southern Appeal to weigh in on the recent "troubles".

See Dear Chancellor Jones (looking at the comments we can hope some good ole Miss State and Ole Miss Smack will develop) and Of Leprechauns and Colonel Reb

Now what is interesting in all this if I am correct Ole Miss is still selling Col Reb stuff to which that have the trademark rights on. I am willing to bet even when there is a new Mascot Ole Miss will keep that gravy train going.

Go San Diego Chargers, Go Philadelphia Eagles, Go GOP

Well this is cool

Jon Runyan Plows Downfield
Jon Runyan, the former Philadelphia Eagle and San Diego Charger last seen coming up just short against the New York Jets' defense in the playoffs, now has an
almost clear field for the GOP nomination:
Toms River Councilman Maurice "Mo" Hill today says he will not seek Ocean County Republican Council support to run for Congress in the 3rd District.
Hill, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, who had been pursuing a bid for the GOP nomination for Congress against U.S. Rep. John Adler.
In a press release, he said he has decided to withdraw and support San Diego Charger's offensive lineman Jon Runyan of Mount Laurel.
The only remaining GOP candidate in the primary is
Joseph Rullo, a solar-energy company executive.
02/26 11:44 AM Share.

No Hate Crimes Protection For White Baptists - Sorry!!!

No matter what you think if it is good or bad to have hate Crime laws recent events in Texas are raising some huge interesting questions.

Get Religion has Hate crimes in Texas flames?

Democrats For Torture and Enhanced Interrogation!!

While everyone was focused on the Great Health Care Summit there was a little thing added to the Intelligence Bill at the last minute dealing with enhanced interrogation AKA what some folks call torture.

Goodness that provisions gives those in Catholic Social Justice circles that rant about the Bush Terror regime and the far right "torture" supporters everything they wanted.

Well it failed!!! See House Leaders stop vote to ban degrading treatment GOP wins fight to remove provision. Oh the GOP strikes again. BUT WAIT !! Do not the Democrats have a commanding majority in the House? Why yes I think they do.

Yet over at In All Things I don't See Michael Sean Winters talking about the Pelosi Terror regime as of yet. It is early of course but nada also at Commonweal.

Where is the outrage? A major part of the agenda as to this issue from these parties appears to have gone up in flames . As soon as it was noted in the bill the Democrats leadership did not want to touch that with a foot ten pole. It appears it went away with hardly fight.

Is this the same crowd that made the argument the we should not vote GOP because Bush and the Republican Congress had not somehow made abortion disappear?

Here there is no Const impediment!!

I have to think they and others will comment soon. I mean lets say for the sake of argument they have not read the news this morning. At some point this must get their attention?

Not A Good Week To Be Quoting Pat Buchanan

Perhaps it's me but with the Falkland situation again getting out of control it does not seem like a good time to talk about why we have this big Navy. Our Allies in the UK will show that why in vivid detail soon enough.

Pat quotes the misleading Stat of the USA having 716 U.S. bases in 38 countries and get this U.S. troops are now stationed in 148 countries and 11 territories. My God the USA has troops in GUAM- Horrors.

No doubt the U.S Virgin Islands are protesting American Imperialism as we speak.

Add to this that many of 716 are not bases like we think of bases. Many of these bases are within the same physical plant and some of them include things like the houses where the Head of U.S Forces in Europe stay. I have not looked at the list in some time but I would not be shocked if it included a Golf course of two.

Regardless with a expanding China surface fleet , not everyone want to ignore, along with India getting more nervous as China searches for a port near them , as well as China's adventures in South and Central America I am not sure it is time for massive cuts. Throw what appears to be a more aggressive Russian stance and well there you go.

Pat Buchanan and his supporters seem to always fail to make the connection between American military might and our economic power. Something that Adams and Jefferson learned the hard way rather quickly.

The Congress Passes the Obama Patriot Act

Well oh Well.

I am a supporter of the Patriot Act by the way. I am also glad that since I did not see a million objections on the web like I did when Bush was in the White House I take it a lot of former people objecting are fine with it now.

So now that this has been resolved. So despite my title a offer. It will not be the Bush Patriot Act or even now the Obama Patriot act. It will just be the Patriot Act since it appears after years and years of discussion on this and supposed "outrage" the majority seem to be fine with it.

Does the Obama White House See Mexico As the Model For Church and State?

I noted a few weeks ago that our Secretary of State was doing this troublesome "word change"

Now this post shows President Obama is doing the same thing. See Obama Reduces the “Freedom of Religion” to the “Freedom of Worship

Now again maybe just maybe there is nothing going on here. However both Clinton and Obama are of course Lawyers and words DO MATTER. Be sure to read the whole link at the link.

Now I am not sure if anything is up but if this pattern continues some questions should be asked.

Let me give two real life examples. In the debate over Gay marriage the response from advocates of that new regime respond "HEY THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU MARRY GAY PEOPLE IN YOUR CHURCH SO WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL". That right there shows a mentality that restricts Freedom of Religion to what is happening inside the Church. It is much more limited than Freedom of Religion.

In Mexico we are seeing this play out as the Mexico Catholic Bishops are very alarmed about some proposeded changes. This has strangely gone under the radar in the USA. In fact this is example number one of why this is dangerous as anyone that knows Mexican history knows.

Read Catholic leaders upset with proposed change to Mexican Constitution

Mexico Catholic and other Christian leaders know there is a difference
Catholic officials have called for an end to those restrictions and for a guarantee of "freedom of religion," instead of the current "freedom of worship" mentioned in the constitution, but have denied wanting to meddle in political matters.
"In one of the most extensive and comprehensive documents of the past few years, the Mexican bishops' conference affirmed, 'We understand and accept the secular state,'" said Archbishop Jose Martin Rabago of Leon, former president of the bishops' conference, in a Feb. 9 statement.
The archbishop added, "We don't want to return to the old 19th-century concept" that estranged church and state and limited the church's role in Mexican public life to "merely spiritual matters
."

We see this occuring at the same time as Mexico is dealing with the same hot button social issues we are.

What perhaps make me more concerned here is that when you look at this one cannot help but think of the new foreign policy of the United States that is seems to be in part run out of the office of Planned Parenthood.

For all the talk of American Imperalism it appears there is little concern about these developments on the left.

Again maybe nothing is up but I really wish that Faith Leaders would be pressing the White House and the State Department for clarification. In fact perhaps the Vatican Sec of State might have our envoy over and ask him if this language means something.

Tip of the hat to Instapundit

It's Game Day 1 of LSU Baseball Verus WIlliam @ Mary (Links)

Austin Ross to take the mound tonight.

:( GAME BLOG: William & Mary, LSU rained out

The first time LSU has played the second oldest College in the USA.



It will be a three day series. I don't anything anything about the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore that William and Mary played last week but W@M really slaughtered them.

William and Mary's mid week game had to be canceled this week.

Here is a little about them including their probable starting pitchers.

This strikes me as a dangerous team that will not make it a easy walk in the Park for the Tigers this weekend. One good thing going for LSU is because of the recent weather William and Mary no doubt have had even less practice time as usual pre season.

LSU Sports net has a nice overview of the game at No. 1 Baseball Takes on William & Mary

The big news that has LSU fans talking is LSU main pitcher will not be in the game. Two good places to look on this. The Advocate has Ranaudo out Friday. Carl Dubois has an excellent piece dealing with this and an audio interview with Ranaudo and the Pitching Coach. He also has a good overview of his conversation with the team doctor. See More on Anthony Ranaudo’s elbow trouble

More later!!! I will try to add some more stuff on this entry and will link live internet threads of the game (Tigerdroppings and Carl's live updates).

Updates-

The Willam and Mary 2010 Baseball Media Guide is well done and can be downloaded here.

See also Rain could affect William & Mary series

The Picyaune just put this up LSU baseball player Matt Gaudet hopes to be part of a championship this year

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Is Toyota Being Treated Unfairly?

Maybe so

If Want to Be Catholic You Got to Dance!!!

The problem with this, besides the Liturgical norm issues, is you can bet a good number of people hated it but you know had to go along. That is the problem with stuff like this. You really can't dissent from it. Also dancing is not some people's cup of tea.

A lot of people that think this would be great get nervous if a Latin Mass is anywhere on the schedule along with other services. But HECK WE SHALL MAKE YOU DANCE!!

I saw more of this stuff in the 80's where the Priest or whoever was leading (insert Liturgical CelebrationI did not seem to comprehend we did not all have the same taste as him or her. That is why we have options like the Charismatic renewal and such for people that like that.

LSU Baseball Fans Ask Who William and Mary Are?

They are The King and Queen of the Glorious Revolution (which by the way was not so Glorious or Sweetness and Light for Catholics under their rule in the Mother Country or the Colonies) :)

So basically LSU plays a three game series against the evil Baseball playing apostles of the Catholic hating Monarchs this weekend. The historic William and Mary we are playing this weekend was established by them in 1693 by a royal charter .

More fun stuff on the College of William and Mary itself and of course the upcoming series later tonight in another post.

By the way Catholic readers for those interesting this is a good short PDF that shows the fascinating history of Catholics students at William And Mary and how they brought tolerance to that part of VA. It appears until the Yankee Catholic students arrived on the scene in the 20th century Catholics were actively encouraged not to live in that town.


In 1912, a group of Catholic families considered relocating to Williamsburg. F. H. Ball was
assisting them in finding land for a church and school; however, these plans were soon
abandoned as four of the Catholic families were persuaded to leave by people who called
themselves citizens
.

The largely northern Catholic students that came later helped change the viewpoints.

FUN STUFF and a good read.

Anyway more on the game later.

Will The NCAA Go After Catholics and Baptists Next?

How is the Catholic Church's stance on traditional marriage any different from Focus on the Family?

Maybe at this point it is acceptable to treat Focus on the Family different from lets say a school affiliated with the Baptist Church. Like Samford for instance. Maybe soon we shall all be equal.

There are surely a lot of religious schools that have similar stances that are in the NCAA.

The Deacon Bench has Controversy over another Focus on the Family ad

Catholics and the Rights and Use of Animals

It would be very interesting to see Henry Karlson over at Vox Nova and Wesley Smith over at Second Hand Smoke to comment on each other pieces to see what they agree and disagree on as to this subject.

Who Is Winning the Catholic Versus Episcopal Church Convert Race?

The Episcopal Church was pretty outspoken they were going after Catholics this year and others. They started a Nationwide Convert campaign that was not so subtly aimed at Catholics.

So here are some early returns how we Catholics are doing for 2010. Where can I find the Episcopal numbers?

Let is turn our attention to the Episcopal Bishop Kirk Smith of Arizona. I am not trying to start a fight with the good Episcopalians of Arizona who are good people. Heck I link a very faithful one on here at times. But he is one of several that made some remarks aimed at Catholics this year. I have not forgot that. So that is why I am using him as a example.

The Arizona Episcopal Bishop Kirk Smith said recently: (among many other things read the whole thing)
In every congregation I visit, the number of people I receive from the Roman Church is almost as great as those new Episcopalians I confirm. During my visitation last week I received six people. That in just one week. In my entire five years as bishop, I know of only two people who have left the Episcopal Church to become Roman Catholics. The migration is clearly in our direction.

Now no doubt the Episcopal Church gets some Catholics. I mean esteemed head of the The Episcopal Church is a former baptized Catholic. The esteemed theologian Matthew Fox is a former Catholic and is no doubt blessing his local Church with the Techno Cosmic Mass.

Now the Episcopal Church has under the obligation of their Canon law complied the numbers on their flock. These numbers are the latest from 2008. You can see the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona numbers here from 1998 to 2008 as to membership.

But what about these converts that Bishop Smith is talking about. Well according to this he received 56 people into his Diocese in 2008. In 2007 he received 59. In 2006 he received 66 and finally in 2005 he received 71. Now of course we do not have the numbers from 2009. However it is striking as the TEC goes on a more liberal course year by year we are seeing a decline in converts in this Diocese.

Now as I mentioned Arizona has received a ton of migration this decade. A lot of it Catholic!! With all these supposed Catholics converting should we not be seeing a increase in conversions to the TEC in Arizona?

Now in Arizona there is not just one Catholic Diocese. It has Diocese of Gallup (which strangely takes in parts of Arizona and parts of New Mexico), the Diocese of Phoenix, and the Diocese of Tucson.

There is very new program called Catholics come home. We have some data from 2009 that shows things in the Diocese of Phoenix.

"Six months after the CatholicsComeHome.org media campaign ended, a comprehensive analysis was conducted, which revealed the average increase in Mass attendance (returned Catholics, new converts) was 12 percent, even though population growth in the Diocese of Phoenix was flat during that period. This equates to an increase of as many as 92,000 souls who came home!"

Ryan HanningDirector of Adult Evangelization, Diocese of Phoenix
Based on these 2009 statistics calculated by the Controller’s Office at the Diocese of Phoenix, with the guidance of statisticians from Arizona State University, it appears that for every $1.63 invested in television media, Catholics Come Home was able to help a soul back to their home in the Catholic Church
.

Much more on the above here. We can see from this article 700 new Catholics were received in the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix alone in 2009. Now that number should be far far bigger in my estimation. Still a impressive number and it appears things are on the upswing there.

The Diocese of Gallup is one of the smallest Diocese and takes in just a part of Arizona as well as a part of New Mexico. According to this they took in 128 people. Now I don't now how many folks of those are from Arizona. But these is not bad for a Diocese that whose past Bishop well sadly sort of went out of his mind and was talking about seeing little people. (A Tragic sad update but perhaps joyous on this later today perhaps). and who is now just getting back to stable Episcopal leadership.

So with all respect to Bishop Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona it seems he is got beat out by a man that told 911 operators that gentle little people, about 3 to 4 feet tall, and wearing Halloween masks were in his house. I am sure morale was a tad low over that among the faithful. However it does appear people have less problems with Bishops that talk about "little people" than a Bishop that has a history of criticizing Catholic Bishops that stand up For marriage.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Tuscan reported in his Feb 22 2009 memo that 484 person are coming into the Church in his Diocese. Again that number can grow but not bad.

To all these numbers it should be recalled that the Church has to deal with various past marriage issues as to all people that wish to enter. Something the TEC does not have to do. We are also an Church that is still recovering from the Clergy Sex abuse scandal that was all over the front pages for a solid two years.

Now all is not roses in the Catholic Church. There are problems. Problems in some Dioceses and not in others.

Still I have a feeling that the new direction the TEC is going is not going to help them and not help the Body of Christ as a whole. Also a fun fact. In all those TEC states I gave as to Arizona at each link you can see the results for all the other Dioceses.

The TEC Diocese of South Carolina which now appears to be under attack by the TEC itself is one of the few that showed substantial growth and not substantial decline!!! Why is that? Maybe because it is one of the pillars of Orthodoxy in the TEC perhaps?

Obama not Sticking Up For Our Ally Great Britian

This is starting to get to get serious.

Reporters Use Fundamentalist Wrongly Again (NPR)

Get Religion has Give that reader a contract!

LSU Baseball Beats Evil McNeese State (LSU 2 MSU 1)

It was a close very early cold midweek game but LSU pulled it out!!!. The Advocate has a nice story here.

Carl Dubois as excellent coverage here plus some great game day interviews you can listen too. See GAME BLOG: LSU 2, McNeese 1 (final)

Some concerning news is that LSU star piter might be taking 2 to 3 weeks off as a precaution. See Mainieri: Ranaudo won’t pitch Friday night

More on the William And Mary game later today.

Pro-Lifers Need To Really Start Sending Money to Represenative CAO of New Orleans

He is hurting for cash!!

Expect me a lot of CAO promotions on here :)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Shreveport Airport Finally Connects to the Important Places (Humor)

Now we just need direct flights to the Redneck Riveria AKA Gulf Shores Alabama and we will be set!!!

As See in Shreveport has
Direct Flights to Redneck Paradise, Now Available

Woman Twitters Her Abortion Live

Well what can one say to this. Anything I can type just seems so inadequate.

Southern Appeal has the links at Woman is live-tweeting her abortion

Obama White House Needs To Read Federalist 51

A lot of play is being given to the New York Times article today on Obama.

Ann Althouse does a good post on it. See

David Axelrod "would love to live in a world where the president could snap his fingers or even twist arms and make change happen..."

However what I really like though how she brings in Federalist 51 into the discussion of the article

But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

What wisdom. Heck we all need to be reminded of that.

During Lent Early American Explorers Wrote Pope Asking if Beaver Was A Fish

Well not really. OR at least we don;t know :)

However Aggie Catholics has funny piece on what such a letter would read like. See Capybara, Beaver, and Manatee For Dinner on Fridays of Lent?

McNeese Baseball Getting all 1980 Olympic Hockey Team Like? (LSU Gameday)

From the Lake Charles paper

In a week when the United States beat Canada in hockey Sunday, the thought of McNeese State beating defending national champion LSU in baseball isn’t so outlandish.
After all, even in their championship season the Tigers lost a game to Southland Conference bottom-feeder Nicholls State.
Cowboys head coach Terry Burrows said he’s hoping that his charges get the message.............


Guess what I suspect the McNeese team has been watching this week!!

The game is at 4 pm today because of the basketball game. I hope and pray we can catch it on the radio. Not sure because of the time if WWL is even playing it.

Carl Dubois has a nice piece up at his game day post. He talks Olympics (the miracle team victory) and his recollections when he was on the McNeese Baseball team plus other game day stuff. . If you can't catch the game he will be having good updates . See Cowboys vs. Tigers today at the Box

There should also be live thread at Tigerdroppings too.

McNeese looked pretty good last week and I suspect a pretty good game.

For LSU Pitcher Daniel Bradshaw tonight is a HUGE AND IMPORTANT GAME FOR HIM. See LSU's Bradshaw tries to bounce back tonight

LSU Baseball Historical Video (2010 Intro Video)



I get chills watching this. They are showing this at the games. WOW IF YOU ARE RECRUIT IN THE STADIUM and see this.....

Go to you tube for the full screen (click on vid)

Fourth Circuit Does Not Publish Important Second Amendment Case

I don't understand it either. THERE IS A TON OF mischief and deprivation of rights that occur because of this.

See The Second Amendment and Domestic Violence Misdemeanants

Do Jews Really Care If Christians Think They Will Be Right In the End

Rubin disposes nicely of what I find to be the more stupid arguements on why Jews should be distrustful of Evangelicals.

It appears to me Israel does not.

The New Missile Defense Agency logo Has A Problem


You know I am not going to lay this at the door step of the Obama administration yet. I suspect they don't design these logos. Yet was anyone thinking that was in charge of this!!
Oh and the TIN FOIL HAT CROWD will go to town big on the Islamic Crescent looking thing too.

Cardinal Francis George Speaks To 12,000 At BYU (LINKS)

I am going to spend some time updating this entry through out the day. To say this is historic is a understatement. The religious and political aspects of this is huge. It will take time for the secular media I suspect to catch on to this hard hitting address and it's impact.

Here are a few links

From the Mormon Times MMO: Cardinal’s speech set tone for LDS, Catholics and Mormons, Catholics must defend religious freedom, Cardinal says

Catholic News Service has an article here.

The Salt Lake Tribune has Cardinal tells BYU: We must work together for religious liberty

When the VIDEO comes online I will link that. Also when I can find the actual full text I will link that also. More later. Look below for updates.

Updates
The BYU Student Newspaper has Divided in doctrine, united in vision

This Salt Lake TV Station has about a short video here.

Hell Has Frozen Over- Louisiana Tech To Play Grambling In Football!!!

For all my fellow TECH grads cue all our ULM friends that will go "So La Tech will Play Grambling but are Scared to play us" and other nonsense.

The Shreveport Times has a good article on this historic event at Grambling, La. Tech to meet in first Port City Classic

This game will be played in Shreveport at Independence Stadium. If I was a Tech fan I would be getting tickets AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I think this game will sell out and GRAMBLING FANS will be buying them up quick.

A few observations and what I heard on local sports radio yesterday.

Grambling fans are of course pumped!!! Though I really think Grambling needs to stop calling everything a "Classic".

Tech fans reactions are mixed. The first thing you hear is "Oh GOD what if we lose". It is bad enough to perhaps lose to a Non Division I team from the middle of Arkansas but a loss to Grambling who is just three miles away would be DEPRESSING. We would never hear the end of it. Tech should win but there is the RISK.

It seems a lot of business folks in Lincoln Parish are not pleased. WHY ARE WE SUPPORTING SHREVEPORT!! Well the fact Louisiana Tech as a DIV I school will never never play at Grambling. Grambling wants room for it's fans so Shreveport was the best place.

I think this is a win win!! I suspect Tech fans will get pumped for this game. Also in these economic times Louisiana schools need to be supporting each other. Also Louisiana Tech does not have to write a check for a non DIV I school (or whatever we call it nowadays).

It also gets the fan bases in the Shreveport area and in the Dallas area of both schools really excited. WIN WIN.

Again Tech fans get your tickets early because I really think this game will sell out.

God Punishes Celebrity Cruise Line With A Plague

:)

Father Z has Post hoc ergo … wellll… maybe not so much.

Catholics United Is Attacking Mary Landrieu on EPA Regulations??

Between the Lines has a lot more on this at Landrieu right to ignore group's corrupted policy view and gives some good commentary.

The Catholic United Campaign against Landrieu is here

In case you are not compelled to click on the links (you should :) ) CATHOLICS UNITED is a progressive political organization that has no affiliation with the Catholic Church.

Head of Episcopal Church- Don't Read Stuff On the Internet!!

MCJ has the latest at LITERACY TEST

Catholic Cardinal Attacks UK's Labour Government

Fun Stuff and needed too. I think the Pope's trip to the UK is going to be REALLY INTERESTING.

Damion Thompson has Cardinal tells Gordon Brown: your government has systematically and unrelentingly attacked family values

LSU Architecture Student Has Bad Day And Causes Student Panic

An interesting day in Baton Rouge yesterday. (A Link to Pics at the Link)

The University student who caused an uproar Tuesday when he drove a car into the Quad before parking it and throwing out a random assortment of items including a large sling blade and a gas can, posed no threat to the University community, said Sgt. Kevin Scott, LSU Police Department Spokesman.After being located by police, Storm Erie was voluntarily taken to the hospital with no visible injuries, and he is now in medical care, Scott said. Scott described the architecture sophomore as “incoherent,” but said he had no visible physical injuries.

Erie’s sister, Skye, said he has a medical problem the family has been struggling with but did not elaborate on the problem and chose not to comment further.There are currently no charges filed against Erie, but Scott said charges will likely follow the ongoing investigation.Although the incident ended with no injuries, many witnesses criticized the response from LSUPD, claiming it took more than 10 minutes for police to reach the Quad, a claim Scott refuted.

Witnesses and police said University student Storm Erie drove a blue Mercedes along the sidewalk around Middleton Library, down the steps at the front entrance and through the Quad, nearly hitting multiple students before parking on a grassy area in the middle of the quad.“He drove down the steps at the library, honking his horn and almost hitting people,” said Kandice Tyler, psychology junior, who witnessed Erie drive his car into the quad. “I really thought he was going to start shooting or something.”

Erie, accompanied by his dog, began throwing the contents of his vehicle onto the ground in the Quad.A dirty pair of rubber boots, a half-empty bottle of wine, a large wooden sling blade, a djembe, a four-sided lugwrench, a skateboard, a wooden chess set, a sweater, a pair of shoes, landscaping bags, a flashlight and a small mug littered the ground behind the car.He also propped up a set of blueprints along the back of the running car.“

He was a real scraggily white dude — he was either crazy or on something serious,” said Michael Fernandez, sociology junior. “He walked up to me and said, ‘I just want to shake your hand.’ I asked him what he was doing, and he said, ‘Blueprints, man — come check out these blueprints.’”Architecture junior Jeremy Bunner, a classmate who saw the situation, said the blueprints were from an annual architecture competition.

“We spent a lot of time and effort on them,” Bunner said. “Maybe he was just proud of it.”

Fernandez and other witnesses said Erie threw CDs into the air before attempting to jack up his car.He also placed a large gas can on top of his car before moving it to the top of a nearby garbage can.

The can contained barely enough gas to fill the bottom, Scott said.Joe Rhodes, a graduate instructor, said he called the police for the second time and instructed students to stay away from Erie when he took the gas can from the car.

Rhodes and other witnesses said Erie then put his dog on a leash, picked up his backpack and walked to the Art and Design Building, leaving his car and its contents in the middle of the Quad.

Rhodes followed Erie into the building, where he said Erie shook hands with an unidentified student who handed Erie a small electronic device and left. Rhodes said he instructed people to leave the building.“I was thinking, ‘This is how memorials get built,’” Rhodes said.

Scott later confirmed Erie was carrying a radio amplifier which matched Rhodes’ description of the object. Scott could not confirm where Erie got the radio amplifier.Thomas Sofranko, professor and associate dean of the architecture program, said he was alerted to a commotion in the main lobby of the Art and Design building and found Erie and his dog wondering around the lobby.Sofranko said he was unaware of Erie’s earlier actions in the Quad and recognized him from the college.“I said, ‘Storm, what is going on.

Do you need to sit down?’” Sofranko said. “He looked distraught.”Sofranko said Erie followed him back to his office where they talked before police arrived.Sofranko declined to explain what Erie said because it was “private.”Rhodes called the police again with Erie’s location.Scott said LSUPD arrived shortly after and searched Erie.

He had no drugs in his possession, Scott said.Police accounts of how long it took for officers to reach the Quad contradict several witness statements.Scott said it took police three minutes to arrive in the Quad after receiving the first calls, according to radio records, which he said cannot be released until the investigation is complete.Rhodes vehemently disagreed with LSUPD and said it took more than 10 minutes for police to arrive in the Quad.“From the first time I called — and the operator said I wasn’t the first one to call — it was 20 minutes until they found him,” Rhodes said. “He was in the Quad for more than three minutes.

He was in the Quad for at least 10 minutes.”Police didn’t reach the Quad before Erie went to the Art and Design Building.“I am irate,” Rhodes said. “The University has failed the students. There was no message, and there was no expediency. It was the most amateur response to an emergency situation one could fathom.”Scott said the situation did not appear threatening initially because of different perceptions.“Initially, it was dispatched as a non-threatening situation,” Scott said. “Initially, it came in as a car parked in the Quad.”Scott said no emergency text messages were sent because initial reports of the event did not present “an immediate response from the community or on an immediate threat to life.”Scott said Erie’s family took custody of the dog.

Jews Starting to Fear Life In Sweden

This is pretty incredible given the History of Sweden and the Jews.

The Germans Are Getting Annoying At the Olympics

We are in Wednesday of the last week and the Germans are still right behind us in the medal count. Will they ever go away!!! We need to put some distance soon.

I think it is interesting South Korea is doing so well. I never think of South Korea as a snow country as so much of my view of South Korea is shaped by the TV show MASH.

It got very cold on the TV show MASH but yet it never snowed (on the set in Southern California) so therefore I don't think it snows in South Korea.

Why Most People Ignore Episcopal Bishops

Tip of the hat to Red Stick Rant.

This is a pretty devastating piece by an liberal Episcopalian that really wants to see his Faith Community succeed . See Sunday Jeremiad: Petty Prophets of the Blue Beast

He has four "cyber-theses" he nails to the the virtual door

1. Nobody cares what you think while your tiny church is falling apart.

2. American Episcopal bishops have so spectacularly screwed up their relations with Africa that they are in no position to lecture secular leaders on international politics.

3. In the contemporary world the job of the clergy isn’t to provide political leadership. It is to help laypeople grow into better, wiser political leaders.

4. The Blue Social Model isn’t the Kingdom of God.

Interesting read.

Of course certain Catholic Dioceses around the world should take heed of this too. There are lessons.

Masons Want Top Open EU Office To Counter Religious Influence

Masons in Europe are sort of different from Masons in the United States. An interesting article here at Freemasons keen to open office in EU capital

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

John McCain Looks In Good Shape

Bad news for the 24/7 John McCain haters I suppose.

Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki Is A Huge LSU Fan

I mean look at those shorts. Can you imagine any guy wearing that in public if he was not a LSU fan. Where can I get those.

Who knew that the Love of LSU might had spread to the West Coast and maybe Japan.

Tip of the hat to Tigerdroppings.

I Sense A Wave Of Off Color Jokes Coming (Women , Seaman, and Subs)

The Corner has a interesting development at Pentagon to Push for Women on Submarines

Jews Up In Arms Over California Senate Race

This has really exploded the last few days. See Tom Campbell and Israel

I have not explored really if this is true, half true, or false. I guess I might do some of that tonight. But this seems to have gained traction the last few days.

However we better get this cleared up because in the General the California Jewish community could go nuts over all this and thus bite us GOP folks if Campbell gets the nod.

Why Church Architecture Really Matters

A nice post here First Things. See A Word About Church Architecture

Bow Before Mighty LSU- LSU Baseball Ranked #1 in 2010

As we continue to investigate possible McNeese monkeyshines. See McNeese State People Spreading Lies About LSU's Mike The Tiger? we have news!!

We are NUMBER 1- No not Number 1 in unwed births, No not Number 1 in pollution, no not number one in jobs leaving a State, No not number 1 in STDS!!

No LSU BASEBALL is Number 1 and I suppose we can be all thankful for that.!! (Unless of course you go to TULANE)

Details here.

Carl Dubois has a piece up also on this at COLUMN: No. 1 ranking; does it matter?

Well I guess it really does not matter but it makes the recruits and especially the Alumni happy that send in all those donations!! So it matters there. It also get those Wednesday night games more packed (Heck every dollar counts). It is also better than being ranked #25.

However in the big scheme of things of IF THE TIGERS GET BACK TO OMAHA perhaps not.

I mean last year the Georgia Bulldogs were rated #1 and pretty high in other polls. What happened? The whole world got to witness their program implode on a Biblical level as they descended into Baseball hell during the season and the end result of not even a REGIONAL INVITE!!

Supreme Court To Hear Major Religious Liberty Case in April

Southern Appeal has the details and link at Religious Liberty’s Battle of Hastings

McNeese State People Spreading Lies About LSU's Mike The Tiger?






Who is this Lake Charles idiot? Is he a secret McNeese Fan?

Why is he writing letters to schools up north about our precious Mike and spreading lies? I smell something fishy. We better put guards around Mike the Tiger when McNeese Baseball come to LSU on Wednesday. Is it a just a bizarre twist of fate this Lake Charles guy is spreading this propaganda just days before the big game? We need a inquiry. Who else is he sending these letters too? What is really going on here!!!!


We see this in the publication THE MANEATER the student newspaper of the University of Missouri.


Letter to the Editor:
Questionable methods of Mike the Tiger's vet
By Sky Williamson, Lake Charles, La.
Published Feb. 23, 2010


Dear David G. Baker, Mike the Tiger veterinarian,
Well of course you would not admit to giving drugs to the tiger. Who would it makes LSU look like a fool. I was told by a veterinary student that the tiger was given drugs each time that he was forced to be dragged around the stadium for human entertainment. The drug of choice from what I understand was Prozac! Anybody that would give any animal a drug like this just so that he can be caged and dragged around the stadium has no morals or values and that is why you choose to deny this.


As for you bragging about the 4 million dollars that was spent on his "habitat" I wonder how stupid you think humans are. For 4 million dollars you could have made Mike a habitat that resembled his natural habitat but instead you spent millions on making it "look" pretty instead of giving the tiger a more natural setting. Let's not forget though that you said and I quote "Mike's health and happiness is our utmost concern at LSU"......

You also say that "his quality of life is excellent". Do you really believe that? If so you may want to take a little time to better educate yourself on how to make a tiger's quality of life excellent. I know that being in the wild would be best for him he is a tiger after all but I also know that is not possible for a captive tiger. So where do we go from here? YOU choose to have a captive tiger than you choose to give him or her the best quality of life possible. This goes much further than a 4 million dollars enclosure that looks pretty.


LSU has a reputation to uphold and you know that is why you would never admit to giving this tiger drugs. Maybe now that it has been brought to the public's attention it will stop but then again maybe not this has been going on for many years!


Since you are the vet for Mike the Tiger at LSU and from what I understand you are also the vet for Michael Sandlin's tiger at Tiger Truck Stop. If you feel so strongly that Mike the tiger's situation is so perfect then can you please comment and tell us how you feel about Tony the tiger's situation at Tiger Truck Stop? I would have to assume since you are the vet for Tony that you condone him living in a small enclosure in the parking lot of the truck stop with no quality of life at all?


I guess like with everything else it's not about heart and soul it's about money!






Hmmmmm

Is JFK President? The Marcellos Family Is in the News!!

Fun times in New Orleans. Right Hand Thief has Just say no to drug kingpins

My mothers Uncle and my Great Grandfather knew the famed Carlos Marcellos by the way. Fun guy!!!

We sort of had a nice pool table business (cough cough ) slot machine business in the Natchez area. We were not a mob family by the way but needless to say you did not supply this entertainment without getting the approval of Carlos. If you did you might be LITERALLY under the Hill at the famous Natchez Under the Hill.

Blast from the past.

Preacher to the Pope For Lent Interviewed

Great Interview!!! Da Mihi Animas has

Interview With Preacher for Papal Spiritual Exercises

Liberal Episcopal Bishop On the Unspoken Problem

That is the TEC has not really made a sound theological case for a good bit of the changes we have seen the last decade.

Which if you got to think is pretty much a scandal. When I think of the TEC one of the first things that pops iinto my mind is the FAMED UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH AKA Sewanee. That one the most educated faith communities as to Clergy has let this slide is sort of an indictment.

MCJ has the story at DIOGENES. Let me add besides scripture one also needs to make the case from TRADITION.

Part of the problem here is if the Anglicans are going to discuss this are going to have to deal with the other elephant in the room. That is exactly what do these Sacraments do if they are Sacraments at all? What we see here is the famous Elizabethan Compromise become utterly useless and in fact is now causing major problems.

You really can't easily discuss it because then it touches on all other sort of matters.

We see this weird not too satisfy defense of such subjects in all Faith Communities including Catholic. In the end it seems the argument that is made would be more relevant in a Con Law Ccass. I hate to inform people but the Equl Protection Clause is not found in Scripture or Holy Tradition.

Europe's Version of Roe Versus Wade?

The Volokh Conspiracy has the details at Europe’s Roe v. Wade?

My gosh if this happens expect the Vatican to explode!!

The New Orleans Saints Flag At the Indiana State House


Sports Radio Guys That Are Insecure With Their Sexuality

I have been watching the Olympics a good bit. I love the Winter Olympics!!! However we have a problem. Millions of American men are having to stay in the "closet" as it were to a crucial part of the Olympics.

That is the issue of Figure Skating and yes ICE Dancing!!! It is ok to admit you like the Hockey a, the skiing and of course the curling but boy talk about these two sports and it is a different story.

Why? Because it has guys in it!! There seems to be a underlying tone that if you like this you might be gay or something to be blunt.

When did this occur? I don't recall this attitude in the 90's. This might be more a Southern Radio Sports radio guy thing. I don't know. But it is annoying. Everything comes with the intro boilerplate - "I was watching the Olympics last night But of course not the ice skating which I would never watch and if I watch it is because the mean ole wife or girlfriend MAKES me watch it after which I take a long shower to decontaminate myself blah blah blah"

First why would guys not find this enjoyable to watch. The girls are in most cases pretty HOT. Also I suspect most guys also are thinking, but don't admit, as to the male ice skaters the same thing they do as to male cheerleaders they see on the sidelines at football games.

That is BOY I WISH THAT WAS ME. Can you imagine getting to hang out with attractive women all the time?

Also many of these guys were former Hockey players and such. Very man like sports!!

Why if a guy is graceful and athletic then some people get all nervous? You think you can jump around and throw a girls all over the place without breaking your leg?

So yes I know that according to reports 60 percent of the Olympic viewership is female. This demographic loves all the Ice skating and Ice Dancing stuff. However I highly suspect most guys get so nervous of what people will think that they are LYING to the Neilson folks. We see this happen in politics as to polling about controversial candidates all the time.



So today get on the radio and tell the mostly male radio guys we exist!!!