Friday, April 28, 2006

Elvis, the world's smartest cow. By Jon Katz

Elvis, the world's smartest cow. By Jon Katz

I used to love the cows that inhabited the pasture behind my grandparents' house and trailer. I would stare at them, and they at me, for long minutes at a time. I've always wanted a cow of my own (and enough room and money to keep it), and Elvis seems like the kind of cow anyone would love to have around.

The problem with the United 93 films. By Ron Rosenbaum

The problem with the United 93 films. By Ron Rosenbaum

Depressing, but thoughtful and intelligent, unlike most of the 9/11 "analysis" to which we're subjected constantly. Even Brian Williams of NBC "News" used the new flight 93 movie to "remind us that we're at war." What arrogance!

Monday, April 24, 2006

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!: "the absence of faith is not faith, any more than the absence of a sandwich is also a kind of tasty snack between two slices of bread."

Response to the article by Melinda Barton on Raw Story, which I posted in my previous entry. Myers took the time to analyze the Barton piece. I probably wouldn't have come up with quite as scathing a response, as it's not in my nature (or nurture: take your pick), but I think his decimation of Barton's article is right on.

But that brings up a different sort of problem. How do you deal with the political ramifications of "secularism"? There are a lot of people out there who perceive the Democratic Party as the party of godless license, and who vote otherwise or not at all because of this perception. These are people who vote against their own economic and political interests because they fear the outcome if some godless liberal managed to take office. How can Progressives build and maintain a "big tent" if we keep having these arguments over the nature and existence of god? Republicans seem somehow to have managed to bring together the Social (read, conservative Christian) Right and the Economic Right, despite their divergent interests, yet Democrats have difficulty appealing to groups with convergent interests because of divergent social views.

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!: "the absence of faith is not faith, any more than the absence of a sandwich is also a kind of tasty snack between two slices of bread."

Response to the article by Melinda Barton on Raw Story, which I posted in my previous entry. Myers took the time to analyze the Barton piece. I probably wouldn't have come up with quite as scathing a response, as it's not in my nature (or nurture: take your pick), but I think his decimation of Barton's article is right on.

But that brings up a different sort of problem. How do you deal with the political ramifications of "secularism"? There are a lot of people out there who perceive the Democratic Party as the party of godless license, and who vote otherwise or not at all because of this perception. These are people who vote against their own economic and political interests because they fear the outcome if some godless liberal managed to take office. How can Progressives build and maintain a "big tent" if we keep having these arguments over the nature and existence of god? Republicans seem somehow to have managed to bring together the Social (read, conservative Christian) Right and the Economic Right, despite their divergent interests, yet Democrats have difficulty appealing to groups with convergent interests because of divergent social views.

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!: "the absence of faith is not faith, any more than the absence of a sandwich is also a kind of tasty snack between two slices of bread."

Response to the article by Melinda Barton on Raw Story, which I posted in my previous entry. Myers took the time to analyze the Barton piece. I probably wouldn't have come up with quite as scathing a response, as it's not in my nature (or nurture: take your pick), but I think his decimation of Barton's article is right on.

But that brings up a different sort of problem. How do you deal with the political ramifications of "secularism"? There are a lot of people out there who perceive the Democratic Party as the party of godless license, and who vote otherwise or not at all because of this perception. These are people who vote against their own economic and political interests because they fear the outcome if some godless liberal managed to take office. How can Progressives build and maintain a "big tent" if we keep having these arguments over the nature and existence of god? Republicans seem somehow to have managed to bring together the Social (read, conservative Christian) Right and the Economic Right, despite their divergent interests, yet Democrats have difficulty appealing to groups with convergent interests because of divergent social views.

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!: "the absence of faith is not faith, any more than the absence of a sandwich is also a kind of tasty snack between two slices of bread."

Response to the article by Melinda Barton on Raw Story, which I posted in my previous entry. Myers took the time to analyze the Barton piece. I probably wouldn't have come up with quite as scathing a response, as it's not in my nature (or nurture: take your pick), but I think his decimation of Barton's article is right on.

But that brings up a different sort of problem. How do you deal with the political ramifications of "secularism"? There are a lot of people out there who perceive the Democratic Party as the party of godless license, and who vote otherwise or not at all because of this perception. These are people who vote against their own economic and political interests because they fear the outcome if some godless liberal managed to take office. How can Progressives build and maintain a "big tent" if we keep having these arguments over the nature and existence of god? Republicans seem somehow to have managed to bring together the Social (read, conservative Christian) Right and the Economic Right, despite their divergent interests, yet Democrats have difficulty appealing to groups with convergent interests because of divergent social views.

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!

Pharyngula: Look, Ma, I'm a "secular whackjob"!: "the absence of faith is not faith, any more than the absence of a sandwich is also a kind of tasty snack between two slices of bread."

Response to the article by Melinda Barton on Raw Story, which I posted in my previous entry. Myers took the time to analyze the Barton piece. I probably wouldn't have come up with quite as scathing a response, as it's not in my nature (or nurture: take your pick), but I think his decimation of Barton's article is right on.

But that brings up a different sort of problem. How do you deal with the political ramifications of "secularism"? There are a lot of people out there who perceive the Democratic Party as the party of godless license, and who vote otherwise or not at all because of this perception. These are people who vote against their own economic and political interests because they fear the outcome if some godless liberal managed to take office. How can Progressives build and maintain a "big tent" if we keep having these arguments over the nature and existence of god? Republicans seem somehow to have managed to bring together the Social (read, conservative Christian) Right and the Economic Right, despite their divergent interests, yet Democrats have difficulty appealing to groups with convergent interests because of divergent social views.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

The Raw Story | The left's own religious whackjobs

The Raw Story | The left's own religious whackjobs

I don't know if I support all the contentions in this article, but I wanted to go ahead and blog it. I'll edit this post later, maybe, after I ruminate on the main points some more.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Disturbing thought exercise from Billmon

Whiskey Bar: Mutually Assured Dementia
tackles possible outcomes if the U.S. attacked Iran with nuclear weapons.

Friday, April 07, 2006

I never knew this

Alan Smithee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

one of the most prolific motion picture directors of our time.