The report that Pope Francis will jaw-jaw the UN over "emissions" (if accurate) is not too surprising to anyone who's familiar with the Jesuits.
They're called "Jebbies" for a reason; it's a term which has a connotation calling to mind the slightly daft but loveable uncle you entertain every Christmas. You politely listen to his rants and excuse yourself from the room, rolling your eyes.
Over the past 50 years, the Jebbies have written popsicle-music for the liturgy, lost about 70% of their numbers, and--locally--attempted to quash a non-PC discussion in a college classroom.
So yah; the Pope says stuff that Jebbies say. Meh.
Wisconsin native. "The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."--GKC "Liberalism is the modern and morbid habit of always sacrificing the normal to the abnormal" --G K Chesterton "The only objective of Liberty is Life" --G K Chesterton "A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
The Big Gummint Grinch
(Since the totalitarian tendency is genetically Grinch, redundancy resounds in that title.)
Anyhoooo....
It appears that the trans fats pushed on us by FDA in the 1980's are now ....well......Nevermind!
Early next year, the FDA is expected to finalize a new regulation intended to eradicate even trace amounts of partially hydrogenated oils, known as trans fats, from our diets. --Breitbart, quoted at MoonBattery
Since we survived--quite well--the imposition of trans fats, FDA will now determine if you lab-rats survive the eradication of same.
There is a serious side effect to this, of course.
Now these assholes want to deprive my grandchilluns of SPRINKLES??
Time for war is now, folks.
Buy More Ammo
Anyhoooo....
It appears that the trans fats pushed on us by FDA in the 1980's are now ....well......Nevermind!
Early next year, the FDA is expected to finalize a new regulation intended to eradicate even trace amounts of partially hydrogenated oils, known as trans fats, from our diets. --Breitbart, quoted at MoonBattery
Since we survived--quite well--the imposition of trans fats, FDA will now determine if you lab-rats survive the eradication of same.
There is a serious side effect to this, of course.
Even sprinkles will be included.
Now these assholes want to deprive my grandchilluns of SPRINKLES??
Time for war is now, folks.
Buy More Ammo
Journal-Sentinel's Perception Dead-On!
This morning, the perception of Milwaukee's Journal-Sentinel headline editors shows:
http://www.jsonline.com/
On the right-hand side:
On the left-hand side:
Since the former incident is one of half-a-dozen similar ones in the past 60 days, I'd say they're right.
Of course, the JS' editors mean to tell us that the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevilllllllllllllll conservatives are ruling the State.
What they're actually saying: the City of Milwaukee, Socialist or Democrat-ruled since 1940 or so (seventy-some YEARS) is......ahhh......different from most of the rest of the State.
Yup.
http://www.jsonline.com/
On the right-hand side:
1-Year Old Boy Killed by Shots Fired Into Home
On the left-hand side:
Already Polarized, State's Fault-Lines Now Wider, Deeper
Since the former incident is one of half-a-dozen similar ones in the past 60 days, I'd say they're right.
Of course, the JS' editors mean to tell us that the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevilllllllllllllll conservatives are ruling the State.
What they're actually saying: the City of Milwaukee, Socialist or Democrat-ruled since 1940 or so (seventy-some YEARS) is......ahhh......different from most of the rest of the State.
Yup.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
The Norskis? Really? How About Putin?
If you read between the lines here, you may think twice about fixing the blame on the Norskis for that Sony thing.
It's really very elegant. Putin has no interest in the movie itself and probably doesn't have an interest in North Korea. So why not?
It's really very elegant. Putin has no interest in the movie itself and probably doesn't have an interest in North Korea. So why not?
Liturgy Counts--a Lot.
From an essay which remarks upon the unfortunate early demises of OT figures who did not observe the rules:
It is obviously no surprise that liberal Catholics have traditionally placed a low value on the quality of liturgical celebrations; I say not on liturgy itself, because progressive Catholics think liturgy is extremely important - that is, so long as it is an anthropocentric, horizontal affair. It is not liturgy per se they disparage, but liturgy done well - that is, liturgy that is transcendent and centered on the dignified worship of God. "Why be so finicky about the liturgy?" they say. "There are more important issues to get upset about! Issues like poverty, war, abortion and social justice! Why get all worked up about liturgical reform? It is just a matter of aesthetics anyhow!"
Umnnhhhh, yah. He goes on:
Unfortunately, it is also common for more conservative Catholics to hold a dismissive attitude towards the liturgy as well, adopting a minimalist approach that the externals of liturgical action are "mere" externals, that they can be discarded or changed without consequence, that all that matters is having a valid Eucharist, etc.
(I think he's wrong there: 'conservative' Catholics are not minimalists. What he mentions here are simply more marks of 'liberal' Catholics, such as those who dismiss critics as "fuss-pots." That snark was pronounced by a local Chancery poobah in the last six months or so. But I digress.)
The point of his essay: God does not take lightly transgressions of His liturgical laws.
Scripture is replete with examples of persons who were struck dead in wrath for violating the dignity surrounding the Hebrew liturgy and the ceremonial worship of God.
He goes on to name a dozen or so.
Hmmmm.
It is obviously no surprise that liberal Catholics have traditionally placed a low value on the quality of liturgical celebrations; I say not on liturgy itself, because progressive Catholics think liturgy is extremely important - that is, so long as it is an anthropocentric, horizontal affair. It is not liturgy per se they disparage, but liturgy done well - that is, liturgy that is transcendent and centered on the dignified worship of God. "Why be so finicky about the liturgy?" they say. "There are more important issues to get upset about! Issues like poverty, war, abortion and social justice! Why get all worked up about liturgical reform? It is just a matter of aesthetics anyhow!"
Umnnhhhh, yah. He goes on:
Unfortunately, it is also common for more conservative Catholics to hold a dismissive attitude towards the liturgy as well, adopting a minimalist approach that the externals of liturgical action are "mere" externals, that they can be discarded or changed without consequence, that all that matters is having a valid Eucharist, etc.
(I think he's wrong there: 'conservative' Catholics are not minimalists. What he mentions here are simply more marks of 'liberal' Catholics, such as those who dismiss critics as "fuss-pots." That snark was pronounced by a local Chancery poobah in the last six months or so. But I digress.)
The point of his essay: God does not take lightly transgressions of His liturgical laws.
Scripture is replete with examples of persons who were struck dead in wrath for violating the dignity surrounding the Hebrew liturgy and the ceremonial worship of God.
He goes on to name a dozen or so.
Hmmmm.
Modernism and the Fight for Marriage
In an essay linked to the evolution of the Christmas proclamation (!!) we find this paragraph from Pope St. Pius X:
"Hence it is quite impossible to maintain that they absolutely contain the truth: for, in so far as they are symbols, they are the images of truth, and so must be adapted to the religious sense in its relation to man; and as instruments, they are the vehicles of truth, and must therefore in their turn be adapted to man in his relation to the religious sense. But the object of the religious sense, as something contained in the absolute, possesses an infinite variety of aspects, of which now one, now another, may present itself. In like manner he who believes can avail himself of varying conditions. Consequently, the formulas which we call dogma must be subject to these vicissitudes, and are, therefore, liable to change. Thus the way is open to the intrinsic evolution of dogma. Here we have an immense structure of sophisms which ruin and wreck all religion".
Hmmmm. The essay's author 'splains that this way:
...Pius X noted that the evolution of dogma proceeds from the principle of vital immanence, the belief that all religious truth is ultimately a reflection of the internal experience of individuals. Because the experiences and spiritual needs of individuals are liable to change, the meaning of the truths of the faith required by people must change as well...
It does not require too much imagination to understand 'changing experiences and spiritual needs' as the basis for the contention of some Churchmen that Catholics who are civilly re-"married" following divorce are not objectively living in sin, for such a "change" in living arrangements necessitates a "change" in Church teaching on the topic. (Mutatis mutandis, this theory would apply to homosexual "marriage" as well.)
Another, more broadly stated, expression of the Modernist thought, condemned by Pius X, is this:
"Dogmas, Sacraments and hierarchy, both their notion and reality, are only interpretations and evolutions of the Christian intelligence which have increased and perfected by an external series of additions the little germ latent in the Gospel"
What Pius condemned does not include licit development of doctrine; the condemnation is reserved to material changes in "notion and reality" which contradict or undermine dogmatic teachings.
(There is a rough analogy between the thought of Modernists and political Progressives, by the way. They are brothers. For that matter, and by no coincidence, Marxism is also a brother: "The doctrine of modern Communism, which is often concealed under the most seductive trappings, is in substance based on the principles of dialectical and historical materialism previously advocated by Marx, of which the theoricians of bolshevism claim to possess the only genuine interpretation. According to this doctrine there is in the world only one reality, matter, the blind forces of which evolve into plant, animal and man. Even human society is nothing but a phenomenon and form of matter, evolving in the same way. ... In a word, the Communists claim to inaugurate a new era and a new civilization which is the result of blind evolutionary forces culminating in a humanity without God" --Pius XI, 1937)
Despite his best efforts, Pius X was unable to root out Modernism and its adherents from the Church. They continue their efforts. Nothing is new under the sun.
"Hence it is quite impossible to maintain that they absolutely contain the truth: for, in so far as they are symbols, they are the images of truth, and so must be adapted to the religious sense in its relation to man; and as instruments, they are the vehicles of truth, and must therefore in their turn be adapted to man in his relation to the religious sense. But the object of the religious sense, as something contained in the absolute, possesses an infinite variety of aspects, of which now one, now another, may present itself. In like manner he who believes can avail himself of varying conditions. Consequently, the formulas which we call dogma must be subject to these vicissitudes, and are, therefore, liable to change. Thus the way is open to the intrinsic evolution of dogma. Here we have an immense structure of sophisms which ruin and wreck all religion".
Hmmmm. The essay's author 'splains that this way:
...Pius X noted that the evolution of dogma proceeds from the principle of vital immanence, the belief that all religious truth is ultimately a reflection of the internal experience of individuals. Because the experiences and spiritual needs of individuals are liable to change, the meaning of the truths of the faith required by people must change as well...
It does not require too much imagination to understand 'changing experiences and spiritual needs' as the basis for the contention of some Churchmen that Catholics who are civilly re-"married" following divorce are not objectively living in sin, for such a "change" in living arrangements necessitates a "change" in Church teaching on the topic. (Mutatis mutandis, this theory would apply to homosexual "marriage" as well.)
Another, more broadly stated, expression of the Modernist thought, condemned by Pius X, is this:
"Dogmas, Sacraments and hierarchy, both their notion and reality, are only interpretations and evolutions of the Christian intelligence which have increased and perfected by an external series of additions the little germ latent in the Gospel"
What Pius condemned does not include licit development of doctrine; the condemnation is reserved to material changes in "notion and reality" which contradict or undermine dogmatic teachings.
(There is a rough analogy between the thought of Modernists and political Progressives, by the way. They are brothers. For that matter, and by no coincidence, Marxism is also a brother: "The doctrine of modern Communism, which is often concealed under the most seductive trappings, is in substance based on the principles of dialectical and historical materialism previously advocated by Marx, of which the theoricians of bolshevism claim to possess the only genuine interpretation. According to this doctrine there is in the world only one reality, matter, the blind forces of which evolve into plant, animal and man. Even human society is nothing but a phenomenon and form of matter, evolving in the same way. ... In a word, the Communists claim to inaugurate a new era and a new civilization which is the result of blind evolutionary forces culminating in a humanity without God" --Pius XI, 1937)
Despite his best efforts, Pius X was unable to root out Modernism and its adherents from the Church. They continue their efforts. Nothing is new under the sun.
Puer Natus
The Introit chant from Third Mass of Christmas Day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp-fWQxbtq0
The Introit chant from Midnight Mass!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYnJOJRDTbA
An old Chant hymn!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaroIcQ-cnM
There. Merry Christmas!!
Grim also posts some good Christmas stuff!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp-fWQxbtq0
The Introit chant from Midnight Mass!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYnJOJRDTbA
An old Chant hymn!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaroIcQ-cnM
There. Merry Christmas!!
Grim also posts some good Christmas stuff!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Return Fire: McAdams v. Marquette U
Prof. McAdams' counsel has advised Marquette University that there is nothing....NOTHING...licit about McAdams' suspension-maybe-not-suspension.
Most enjoyable excerpt:
...Suspending a faculty member without specification of what he or she has done wrong and the process for contesting the suspension violates Marquette’s Faculty Statutes. As WILL put it, the letter to Dr. McAdams says only that “he is being investigated for some unnamed event that might violate some unidentified requirement of the university to be found somewhere in one of several documents enclosed with the letter.”...
Yes, well. The Jebbies are known for casuistry. Now they can be known for casuistry about nothing!
Seinfeld, call your office....
Most enjoyable excerpt:
...Suspending a faculty member without specification of what he or she has done wrong and the process for contesting the suspension violates Marquette’s Faculty Statutes. As WILL put it, the letter to Dr. McAdams says only that “he is being investigated for some unnamed event that might violate some unidentified requirement of the university to be found somewhere in one of several documents enclosed with the letter.”...
Yes, well. The Jebbies are known for casuistry. Now they can be known for casuistry about nothing!
Seinfeld, call your office....
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Chisholm's Riot
After the death of Dontre Hamilton, District Attorney Chisholm, a nasty little Lefty, has a problem. Local folks, recently joined by out-of-State professional organizers (read: Communists and anarchists), are demanding that the MPD cop involved in the death be prosecuted on a criminal count of either murder (in some degree) or manslaughter (in some degree.)
MPD's chief fired the officer, but only after allowing the officer to apply for "duty disability". That application is still pending but under Wisconsin regulatory law is likely to be approved. The chief is under fire from the police union, but has temporarily escaped the Outrage Machine's ire due to his personnel action.
Meantime, Chisholm temporized. He excused his malingering with stories about calling in half a dozen alphabet-soup Fed and State agencies, investigators, and other "reviewers" to winnow, sift, and comb through the evidence. He continues to temporize to this day.
That's because Chisholm can not win at trial against the cop.
That hasn't set will with Hamilton's family (who, in fairness, should get some sort of closure). And when the outsiders got involved, things became a lot more .........ahhh.........interesting. The Enraged have now marched onto Interstate highways twice and consequently won overnight passes to the Graybar Hotel, which is exactly what the Communist and Anarchist organizers wanted.
Now we are reliably told that every police and sheriff's agency from Appleton south to the State line is on 24-hour alert, joining the National Guard in preparation for the potential of a race riot in Milwaukee.
In other words, Chisholm's failure of nerve--his political cowardice--may well eventuate in a full-blown riot. This will include all the usual destruction, fires, looting, injuries, and perhaps deaths, which accompany such events.
Aficionados of schadenfreude will contrast this story with Chisholm's reckless and vindictive persecution of conservatives, noting that Chisholm has a lot more courage when he has all the guns on his side (if not the law itself).
So.
We hereby move to refer to the riot, should it occur, as "Chisholm's Riot." It's a well-deserved dishonor for an eminently dishonorable Democrat politician.
MPD's chief fired the officer, but only after allowing the officer to apply for "duty disability". That application is still pending but under Wisconsin regulatory law is likely to be approved. The chief is under fire from the police union, but has temporarily escaped the Outrage Machine's ire due to his personnel action.
Meantime, Chisholm temporized. He excused his malingering with stories about calling in half a dozen alphabet-soup Fed and State agencies, investigators, and other "reviewers" to winnow, sift, and comb through the evidence. He continues to temporize to this day.
That's because Chisholm can not win at trial against the cop.
That hasn't set will with Hamilton's family (who, in fairness, should get some sort of closure). And when the outsiders got involved, things became a lot more .........ahhh.........interesting. The Enraged have now marched onto Interstate highways twice and consequently won overnight passes to the Graybar Hotel, which is exactly what the Communist and Anarchist organizers wanted.
Now we are reliably told that every police and sheriff's agency from Appleton south to the State line is on 24-hour alert, joining the National Guard in preparation for the potential of a race riot in Milwaukee.
In other words, Chisholm's failure of nerve--his political cowardice--may well eventuate in a full-blown riot. This will include all the usual destruction, fires, looting, injuries, and perhaps deaths, which accompany such events.
Aficionados of schadenfreude will contrast this story with Chisholm's reckless and vindictive persecution of conservatives, noting that Chisholm has a lot more courage when he has all the guns on his side (if not the law itself).
So.
We hereby move to refer to the riot, should it occur, as "Chisholm's Riot." It's a well-deserved dishonor for an eminently dishonorable Democrat politician.
Influenced by Rhetoric in NYC?
Our man on Sipsey Street makes a very good point.
Turn on the television and you will see the clips of marchers in NYC chanting "What do we want?" Answered by "DEAD COPS!" Followed by "When do we want it?" "NOW!" These clips are followed by much hand-wringing by the collectivist talking heads that people are making a connection between the anti-police rhetoric and actions of Eric Holder and the mayor of NYC (dubbed "Big Bird" by his critics) and the assassination of the two policemen.
"Wait," they demand, "you can't blame our First Amendment expressions for cold-blooded murder. The one has nothing to do with the other." Of course these are the same people who blamed Rush Limbaugh and the militia movement for Timothy McVeigh and the OKC bombing. They are the same people who blamed me for the Georgia Waffle House geezers whose "deadly plot" was conveniently uncovered by an FBI snitch....
So yah. While the oh-so-sensitive (and rather murderous) Left screeches about Penetrating Radio Waves, that screeching applies only to Certain Kinds of People.
Not the Mohammedans who rail against America--from mosques IN America. And certainly hot slimebag hustlers like DeBlasio, Sharpton, and Holder.
Curious, no?
Turn on the television and you will see the clips of marchers in NYC chanting "What do we want?" Answered by "DEAD COPS!" Followed by "When do we want it?" "NOW!" These clips are followed by much hand-wringing by the collectivist talking heads that people are making a connection between the anti-police rhetoric and actions of Eric Holder and the mayor of NYC (dubbed "Big Bird" by his critics) and the assassination of the two policemen.
"Wait," they demand, "you can't blame our First Amendment expressions for cold-blooded murder. The one has nothing to do with the other." Of course these are the same people who blamed Rush Limbaugh and the militia movement for Timothy McVeigh and the OKC bombing. They are the same people who blamed me for the Georgia Waffle House geezers whose "deadly plot" was conveniently uncovered by an FBI snitch....
So yah. While the oh-so-sensitive (and rather murderous) Left screeches about Penetrating Radio Waves, that screeching applies only to Certain Kinds of People.
Not the Mohammedans who rail against America--from mosques IN America. And certainly hot slimebag hustlers like DeBlasio, Sharpton, and Holder.
Curious, no?
Saturday, December 20, 2014
More Criminals in Office: GAB/Wisconsin
The IRS' mini-mes, Kevin Kennedy and J. Becker--who, laughingly, is head of "ethics" division of GAB--are caught flagrantly disobeying the mandate of the GAB Board.
Why?
To cover their own asses against civil (and perhaps criminal) liability for their egregious, unlawful, actions.
Pace Rep. Voss, "reform" is not possible here. Nuke the outfit and start over.
By the way: revoke the pensions for these characters, too.
Why?
To cover their own asses against civil (and perhaps criminal) liability for their egregious, unlawful, actions.
Pace Rep. Voss, "reform" is not possible here. Nuke the outfit and start over.
By the way: revoke the pensions for these characters, too.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Cheap Labor, Not US Labor: ObozoConomy
Yah, all that 'pride to be American' is nice.
Unless you have to pay bills.
..According to BLS data, in November of 2007 there were 23.1 million foreign workers in the United States with jobs. Today, the BLS reports, there are 25.1 million foreign workers in the United States with jobs – meaning 2 million jobs, on net, have gone to foreign workers since the recession. By contrast, BLS reports there were 124 million American-born workers with jobs in November of 2007 but only 122.5 million American-born workers with jobs today – a decline of 1.5 million for American workers.
Think about this: despite American workers accounting for 70 percent of all population growth among adults, they received, on net, none of the post-recession jobs gains. As a result, there are 11 million more American workers outside the labor force today than 7 years ago....US Senate budget committee quoted at PowerLine
By and large, this is not a question of abilities; very few of the LEGAL immigrants are MD's, RN's, or astrophysicists-cum-software engineers.
And it is certain that none of the ILLEGALS are.
Maybe Pope Francis and the US Bishops have a solution?
????????????
I didn't think so.
Unless you have to pay bills.
..According to BLS data, in November of 2007 there were 23.1 million foreign workers in the United States with jobs. Today, the BLS reports, there are 25.1 million foreign workers in the United States with jobs – meaning 2 million jobs, on net, have gone to foreign workers since the recession. By contrast, BLS reports there were 124 million American-born workers with jobs in November of 2007 but only 122.5 million American-born workers with jobs today – a decline of 1.5 million for American workers.
Think about this: despite American workers accounting for 70 percent of all population growth among adults, they received, on net, none of the post-recession jobs gains. As a result, there are 11 million more American workers outside the labor force today than 7 years ago....US Senate budget committee quoted at PowerLine
By and large, this is not a question of abilities; very few of the LEGAL immigrants are MD's, RN's, or astrophysicists-cum-software engineers.
And it is certain that none of the ILLEGALS are.
Maybe Pope Francis and the US Bishops have a solution?
????????????
I didn't think so.
Judging the "Francis Play" on Cuba
After all is said and done, there is only one criterion on which to judge the "Francis play" vis-a-vis Cuba.
As we know from history, freedom of religion (not "worship" as the Left calls it for their own malevolent purposes) leads to good government.
Do not misunderstand: "good government" is not synonymous with "democracy", nor a "constitutional republic." Those forms are fine, although in the US since Wilson the cracks in those forms have begun to show--and widen.
Anyhow, it remains to be seen if Pope Francis has a grasp of realpolitik or is just another gadfly in the game.
Will Cubans have freedom of religion?
As we know from history, freedom of religion (not "worship" as the Left calls it for their own malevolent purposes) leads to good government.
Do not misunderstand: "good government" is not synonymous with "democracy", nor a "constitutional republic." Those forms are fine, although in the US since Wilson the cracks in those forms have begun to show--and widen.
Anyhow, it remains to be seen if Pope Francis has a grasp of realpolitik or is just another gadfly in the game.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Chubby IRS Worm Threatens Taxpayers
Maybe you overpaid your taxes, or will file a paper return.
You'll be sorry!! The fat little IRS worm-in-chief (and liar) has news for you.
...Budget cuts at the IRS could delay tax refunds, reduce taxpayer services and hurt enforcement efforts, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday.
About half the people who call the IRS for assistance this filing season won't be able to get through to a person, Koskinen said. Once tax returns are filed, there will be fewer agents to audit them.
'Everybody's return will get processed,' Koskinen told reporters. 'But people have gotten very used to being able to file their return and quickly getting a refund.'
'This year we may not have the resources, the people to provide refunds as quickly as we have in the past.'...
Oh. Really?
You'll be sorry!! The fat little IRS worm-in-chief (and liar) has news for you.
...Budget cuts at the IRS could delay tax refunds, reduce taxpayer services and hurt enforcement efforts, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday.
About half the people who call the IRS for assistance this filing season won't be able to get through to a person, Koskinen said. Once tax returns are filed, there will be fewer agents to audit them.
'Everybody's return will get processed,' Koskinen told reporters. 'But people have gotten very used to being able to file their return and quickly getting a refund.'
'This year we may not have the resources, the people to provide refunds as quickly as we have in the past.'...
Oh. Really?
Deputy Speaks Truth. That's a Warning
Out in the State of Washington, a sheriff's deputy committed a gaffe.
...Jerry Moffett, a deputy in Spokane County, Washington, was caught on tape at the Holiday and Heroes event during which some officers took underprivileged children shopping while others stood outside meeting and greeting those attending. But one woman who spoke to Moffett decided to record the interaction. In the video, the woman asks Moffett about the department’s Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) military-style vehicles.
“I’m thinking that is totally appropriate in Iraq but what kind of a situation in the U.S. would you see that happening?” the woman asked Moffett.
The deputy responded by saying, “We’ve got a lot of Constitutionalists and a lot of people that stockpile weapons, a lot of ammunition. They have weapons here locally.”--quoted at Captain's place
Umnnhhh, yah. Those loonies who......I dunno......actually believe that the Constitution means something or something like that.
...Jerry Moffett, a deputy in Spokane County, Washington, was caught on tape at the Holiday and Heroes event during which some officers took underprivileged children shopping while others stood outside meeting and greeting those attending. But one woman who spoke to Moffett decided to record the interaction. In the video, the woman asks Moffett about the department’s Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) military-style vehicles.
“I’m thinking that is totally appropriate in Iraq but what kind of a situation in the U.S. would you see that happening?” the woman asked Moffett.
The deputy responded by saying, “We’ve got a lot of Constitutionalists and a lot of people that stockpile weapons, a lot of ammunition. They have weapons here locally.”--quoted at Captain's place
Umnnhhh, yah. Those loonies who......I dunno......actually believe that the Constitution means something or something like that.
MU v. Speech & Morality, Chapter Two
Everyone in the country now knows that Marquette University has banned one of its tenured professors from the campus (sorta) over a case of FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELings.
That was silly enough.
But it appears that Marquette University didn't bother to read its own rules about suspensions.
So. Either MU administration is composed of a bunch of really stupid people......
OR
MU administration is not serious, but acted to make some twinky TA happy for Christmas. Or something.
That was silly enough.
But it appears that Marquette University didn't bother to read its own rules about suspensions.
In all cases of nonrenewal, suspension, or termination for absolute or discretionary cause, except Section 307.02(1) and (3), death, and permanent, total disability, the appropriate appointing authority of the University shall notify the faculty member in writing of the University's action. The notice shall include:The bold section? That's kinda significant because NONE of those provisions were followed in the MU notice to the prof.
(1) The statute allegedly violated; the date of the alleged violation; the location of the alleged violation; a sufficiently detailed description of the facts constituting the violation including the names of the witnesses against the faculty member.
So. Either MU administration is composed of a bunch of really stupid people......
OR
MU administration is not serious, but acted to make some twinky TA happy for Christmas. Or something.
Will NASA Give Back This $349 Million, Mr. Sensenbrenner?
Over the years, Jim Sensenbrenner has insisted that the US spend lotsa money on NASA. No doubt he was joined by others, such as the senile, doddering Thad Cochran. (As you recall, Cochran "won" a close primary race due to (R) Ruling Class ....ahhh.....trickery and deceit.)
Anyhow--amid the $3 billion or so that's been wasted by NASA over the years, we find a large chunk of it here:
...The A-3 test stand tower was built to test the effects of the vacuum of space on new rocket engines and had been in the works since the year 2007....
....Initially the program was to have cost a mere $119 million and was scheduled to be completed by 2010. But in that same year, budget cuts and new priorities ended the rocket program for which the test facility was being constructed.
Yet, construction on the Mississippi facility continued regardless of the fact that even if completed, the tests meant to be carried out there would never be conducted.
Apparently in June, as soon as the construction was successfully completed on the A-3 test stand, the whole facility was shut down and locked up, never to be used again.
Merry Christmas, US taxpayer!!
Anyhow--amid the $3 billion or so that's been wasted by NASA over the years, we find a large chunk of it here:
...The A-3 test stand tower was built to test the effects of the vacuum of space on new rocket engines and had been in the works since the year 2007....
....Initially the program was to have cost a mere $119 million and was scheduled to be completed by 2010. But in that same year, budget cuts and new priorities ended the rocket program for which the test facility was being constructed.
Yet, construction on the Mississippi facility continued regardless of the fact that even if completed, the tests meant to be carried out there would never be conducted.
Apparently in June, as soon as the construction was successfully completed on the A-3 test stand, the whole facility was shut down and locked up, never to be used again.
Merry Christmas, US taxpayer!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Jay Weber Is Simply Wrong
Jay Weber apparently has swallowed copious amounts of Christmas cheer a bit early this year.
This morning, he dutifully read from the script (provided by RoJo? McConnell?) which would have us believe that Cruz's crusade for the Constitution enabled Harry Reid to confirm all of SCOAMF's nominees.
Oh, yah. It's all Cruz' fault.
There are people who have been in Washington for a long, long, time. One of them is Jeffrey Lord, who came to DC in the Reagan Administration while Mr. Weber was still in high school.
...There are four problems with the anti-Cruz scenario. The first is that on Dec. 9, days before Cruz threw a wrench in the works, Reid signaled his intention to confirm all of Obama's remaining nominees, no matter how long it took....
...Does that sound like a majority leader who is ready to pack up and go home without passing his party's nominees? No, it doesn't. And that leads to the second problem with the scenario, which is the nature of Harry Reid himself. It is simply impossible to believe that the man who made the Senate pass Obamacare on Christmas Eve would abandon the president's nominees out of the goodness of his heart...
...The third problem with the scenario is Reid's authority as majority leader. He can keep the Senate in session whenever he wants...
...the fourth problem with the scenario is Reid's filibuster "reform." The whole point of Reid's exercise of the so-called "nuclear option" was to make it possible for Democrats to roll over Republicans when it came to confirming the president's nominees. Yes, GOP lawmakers could force brief delays in such confirmations, but when push came to shove -- as it did at the end of a session with the Democratic majority set to disappear — Reid could muscle through any nominee for whom he had 51 votes. And so he did; if there was any single factor that accounted for the rush of year-end confirmations, that was it....
Whether you like Ted Cruz or not, believing the (R) establishment's line is the political equivalent of believing in the Easter Bunny.
Except the Easter Bunny drops goodies. The (R) establishment's droppings are--in this case, as in many others, bovine excrement.
Sorry, Jay, but you are simply wrong.
This morning, he dutifully read from the script (provided by RoJo? McConnell?) which would have us believe that Cruz's crusade for the Constitution enabled Harry Reid to confirm all of SCOAMF's nominees.
Oh, yah. It's all Cruz' fault.
There are people who have been in Washington for a long, long, time. One of them is Jeffrey Lord, who came to DC in the Reagan Administration while Mr. Weber was still in high school.
...There are four problems with the anti-Cruz scenario. The first is that on Dec. 9, days before Cruz threw a wrench in the works, Reid signaled his intention to confirm all of Obama's remaining nominees, no matter how long it took....
...Does that sound like a majority leader who is ready to pack up and go home without passing his party's nominees? No, it doesn't. And that leads to the second problem with the scenario, which is the nature of Harry Reid himself. It is simply impossible to believe that the man who made the Senate pass Obamacare on Christmas Eve would abandon the president's nominees out of the goodness of his heart...
...The third problem with the scenario is Reid's authority as majority leader. He can keep the Senate in session whenever he wants...
...the fourth problem with the scenario is Reid's filibuster "reform." The whole point of Reid's exercise of the so-called "nuclear option" was to make it possible for Democrats to roll over Republicans when it came to confirming the president's nominees. Yes, GOP lawmakers could force brief delays in such confirmations, but when push came to shove -- as it did at the end of a session with the Democratic majority set to disappear — Reid could muscle through any nominee for whom he had 51 votes. And so he did; if there was any single factor that accounted for the rush of year-end confirmations, that was it....
Whether you like Ted Cruz or not, believing the (R) establishment's line is the political equivalent of believing in the Easter Bunny.
Except the Easter Bunny drops goodies. The (R) establishment's droppings are--in this case, as in many others, bovine excrement.
Sorry, Jay, but you are simply wrong.
Marquette U. Steps Off the Deep End
Well, well.
John McAdams, a Marquette University associate professor, says he is being "treated like a potential terrorist" after being suspended with pay and banned from campus while the university investigates his conduct, presumably because he publicly criticized a teaching assistant for not allowing discussion of gay marriage in an ethics class. TMJ-S
We've followed that controversy at McAdams' blog. While the TA was correct to hold that Marquette--as a private institution--can 'ban' certain discussions, the TA--and Marquette officials--have carefully avoided mentioning that Marquette holds itself out as "...a Catholic institution."
The Catholic Church holds, de fide, that marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. No exceptions. This is not only a moral position, it is also a position derived from nature itself. So in effect, Marquette, while claiming a "Catholic" imprimatur, suppresses discussion of a matter which demands a Catholic clarification.
MU's presser basically says that there are "hurt feelings" abounding; those of the TA and (potentially) those of students who could be "hurt" by a frank declaration of Catholic teaching on the subject.
Egads. Such precious little flowers! Our Little Snowflakes might melt! Run away! Run!! Run!!
Anyhow, MU also advised McAdams that he could not step foot onto the "Catholic" campus without prior permission and, implicitly, without an escort (armed??). Very curious, indeed.
John McAdams, a Marquette University associate professor, says he is being "treated like a potential terrorist" after being suspended with pay and banned from campus while the university investigates his conduct, presumably because he publicly criticized a teaching assistant for not allowing discussion of gay marriage in an ethics class. TMJ-S
We've followed that controversy at McAdams' blog. While the TA was correct to hold that Marquette--as a private institution--can 'ban' certain discussions, the TA--and Marquette officials--have carefully avoided mentioning that Marquette holds itself out as "...a Catholic institution."
The Catholic Church holds, de fide, that marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. No exceptions. This is not only a moral position, it is also a position derived from nature itself. So in effect, Marquette, while claiming a "Catholic" imprimatur, suppresses discussion of a matter which demands a Catholic clarification.
MU's presser basically says that there are "hurt feelings" abounding; those of the TA and (potentially) those of students who could be "hurt" by a frank declaration of Catholic teaching on the subject.
Egads. Such precious little flowers! Our Little Snowflakes might melt! Run away! Run!! Run!!
Anyhow, MU also advised McAdams that he could not step foot onto the "Catholic" campus without prior permission and, implicitly, without an escort (armed??). Very curious, indeed.
Did JPMorgan Thank You?
Most people know that the "Cromnibus" budget contained a provision which will--potentially--bail out the Too Big To Fail banks.
Not everyone knows that JPMorgan Chase was the principal beneficiary of that bailout.
See, JPMChase had already FAILED its Basel stress-test before Cronmibus. Had a real-life crisis emerged--not impossible at all--JPMChase could have lost $35 billion.
That would have negatively impacted their bonus payments, among other things.
So now that the taxpayer (you) is going to bail out Jamie & Co., did they send you a "thank-you" note?
They surely sent one to Jim Sensenbrenner and Ron Johnson, and Paul Ryan, and Reid Ribble, and whats-his-name Duffy.
Not everyone knows that JPMorgan Chase was the principal beneficiary of that bailout.
See, JPMChase had already FAILED its Basel stress-test before Cronmibus. Had a real-life crisis emerged--not impossible at all--JPMChase could have lost $35 billion.
That would have negatively impacted their bonus payments, among other things.
So now that the taxpayer (you) is going to bail out Jamie & Co., did they send you a "thank-you" note?
They surely sent one to Jim Sensenbrenner and Ron Johnson, and Paul Ryan, and Reid Ribble, and whats-his-name Duffy.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
RoJo Goes All-RINO
Sen. Ron Johnson has now made it clear: he's gone to the Ruling Class (RINO flavor) and left all that "Constitution stuff" behind him, just like those campaign promises about ObozoCare.
This is the story. A gutless House agreed to fund Obama’s amnesty program. They didn’t have to, they chose to....
... When the bill arrived in the Senate, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)94% wanted to make the point that the president does not have the authority to rewrite US statutes based on imperial whim. He forced the Senate to vote on a point of order on the Constitutionality of the president’s actions.
That vote came just before the Senate voted to fund the (un-Constitutional) amnesty-action of SCOAMF.
And Senator Ron Johnson took the position that SCOAMF's action is just fine and dandy.
Yah, we know you'll be on Jay Weber's show trying to make this turd into a golden egg. But a lot of us know the truth about you.
More on the topic from Hayward:
...you’d better believe the trans-party Establishment is going to get even with anyone who threatens to spoil their winter spending festival, especially if they have the unmitigated gall to make the princes of Washington work on a Saturday. Spending that trillion bucks is a drop-dead emergency, you see, but not so much of an emergency that we should expect our lavishly compensated “representatives” to surrender one of their 250 days off....
By the way, the lie that '[Cruz and Lee's action] allowed Reid to jam through all of SCOAMF's rotten nominations' came directly from Reid, and was knowingly repeated by the usual RINO suspects. That's made clear by Hayward, backing up what Erickson posted yesterday.
This is the story. A gutless House agreed to fund Obama’s amnesty program. They didn’t have to, they chose to....
... When the bill arrived in the Senate, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)94% wanted to make the point that the president does not have the authority to rewrite US statutes based on imperial whim. He forced the Senate to vote on a point of order on the Constitutionality of the president’s actions.
That vote came just before the Senate voted to fund the (un-Constitutional) amnesty-action of SCOAMF.
And Senator Ron Johnson took the position that SCOAMF's action is just fine and dandy.
Yah, we know you'll be on Jay Weber's show trying to make this turd into a golden egg. But a lot of us know the truth about you.
More on the topic from Hayward:
...you’d better believe the trans-party Establishment is going to get even with anyone who threatens to spoil their winter spending festival, especially if they have the unmitigated gall to make the princes of Washington work on a Saturday. Spending that trillion bucks is a drop-dead emergency, you see, but not so much of an emergency that we should expect our lavishly compensated “representatives” to surrender one of their 250 days off....
By the way, the lie that '[Cruz and Lee's action] allowed Reid to jam through all of SCOAMF's rotten nominations' came directly from Reid, and was knowingly repeated by the usual RINO suspects. That's made clear by Hayward, backing up what Erickson posted yesterday.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Thinking Romney? Don't!
Romney is already smearing Jeb Bush, so we know he's going to try again.
Just in case you were harboring a happy thought about that, we could remind you of RomneyCare.
But that's not all!
He also engineered the 100% (or so) increase in utility bills for Massachusetts. How could he be so stupid?
Start with his hire of Gina McCarthy--who is the energy/female version of Gruber, another Romney hire.
Just in case you were harboring a happy thought about that, we could remind you of RomneyCare.
But that's not all!
He also engineered the 100% (or so) increase in utility bills for Massachusetts. How could he be so stupid?
Start with his hire of Gina McCarthy--who is the energy/female version of Gruber, another Romney hire.
More BS From McConnell
You probably read a story this morning about how just..........AWFUL.........Cruz and Lee were and because of them there will be a bunch of terrible appointees approved and kittens will be killed, too.
That's McConnell bullshit.
The real story? Read it here.
That's McConnell bullshit.
The real story? Read it here.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Ace of Spades Is Dead-On
This was mentioned earlier and deserves repeating:
I do think conservatives should seriously consider my suggestion that we pick 10 or 12 (I'm upping the number) Republican Congressmen and absolutely tank them in 2016. First, they get a primary, and if the primary fails to dislodge them, we give the seat to the Democrats. We actively vote for the Democrat. Whatever happens, we retire their asses. --AOS
There are four (R)s in Wisconsin who voted with Obozo on the budget.
Ribble and Duffy are most vulnerable. Sensenbrenner deserves this (and everyone in the party is pissed because he refuses to retire), but unless he's primaried, he won't lose.
By the way, RoJo--who has caved on ObozoCare--is also a candidate for early retirement.
I do think conservatives should seriously consider my suggestion that we pick 10 or 12 (I'm upping the number) Republican Congressmen and absolutely tank them in 2016. First, they get a primary, and if the primary fails to dislodge them, we give the seat to the Democrats. We actively vote for the Democrat. Whatever happens, we retire their asses. --AOS
There are four (R)s in Wisconsin who voted with Obozo on the budget.
Ribble and Duffy are most vulnerable. Sensenbrenner deserves this (and everyone in the party is pissed because he refuses to retire), but unless he's primaried, he won't lose.
By the way, RoJo--who has caved on ObozoCare--is also a candidate for early retirement.
Friday, December 12, 2014
A Boehner Year Over, and Deeper in Debt
The Paul Ryan/John Boehner Debt Express: full speed ahead!!
It also equals $32,938.38 in new debt for
each of the 115,831,000 households the Census Bureau says were in the
United States as of September....
Next: Ryan will appear on some radio show and blabber about 'bending a roadmap down,' or some such bullshit.
...The $3.8 trillion in new debt that the
federal government has accumulated under the spending deals approved by a
Republican-controlled House of Representatives over the past 3.8 years
equals $2,772,736,422.84 in new debt per day.
Next: Ryan will appear on some radio show and blabber about 'bending a roadmap down,' or some such bullshit.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
I Told You So: Senselessbrenner Voted FOR the Rule
Jim Sensenbrenner, who bills himself as "conservative" and carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket (apparently to serve as ass-wipe today) voted to bring the $1.1TRILLION Harry Reid spending bill before the House.
Matter of fact, if Sensenbrenner, who bills himself as "conservative" and carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket (apparently to serve as ass-wipe) had voted AGAINST the rule, the $1.1TRILLION dollar Harry Reid spending bill would not have been approved.
How brown is Jim's Constitution?
UPDATE: Pretty damn brown!
As I predicted this morning, ol' Jimbo, who is long past his stale-date, voted against the spending bill itself.
That way he can Gruber some folks into believing his malarkey about being a "conservative."
Sum: Jimbo put the bill onto the floor, knowing it would pass. Then he voted against it.
Kerry-brenner?
Sensen-erry?
Nah. Jimbo didn't even serve in VietNam. But he uses really nice toilet paper.
Matter of fact, if Sensenbrenner, who bills himself as "conservative" and carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket (apparently to serve as ass-wipe) had voted AGAINST the rule, the $1.1TRILLION dollar Harry Reid spending bill would not have been approved.
How brown is Jim's Constitution?
UPDATE: Pretty damn brown!
As I predicted this morning, ol' Jimbo, who is long past his stale-date, voted against the spending bill itself.
That way he can Gruber some folks into believing his malarkey about being a "conservative."
Sum: Jimbo put the bill onto the floor, knowing it would pass. Then he voted against it.
Kerry-brenner?
Sensen-erry?
Nah. Jimbo didn't even serve in VietNam. But he uses really nice toilet paper.
What Our Congressmen Are Doing to Us: BOHICA
Today the House will take up a $1.1 trillion spending bill which fully funds ObozoCare, allows banks to retain derivatives on their books (thus forcing taxpayers to bail out their $Zillion errors through FDIC), funds SCOAMF's amnesty, funds Holder's race-war, and continues the exponential increase of the national debt. It does not "bend the cost-curve" on ANY Federal spending in any meaningful way, period; as a matter of fact, it will bust through Ryan's "spending limits" of only 1 year ago no matter the lying weasel Rogers' claims.
Sensenbrenner and Ryan will vote for it.* Ron Johnson, if he objects, will not force this to stop through filibuster, even though Ron Johnson will attempt to spray foo-foo dust to blind you to his supine acquiescence. (Remember the RoJo who was going to repeal ObozoCare? Yah. I met THAT RoJo.)
Hayward, again:
...You only had once chance to vote against this, although of course the vote was not portrayed that way at the time. Repeal is impossible, liberty taken can never be returned, the State never gets smaller… that’s not just ObamaCare, it’s the story we hear about every Big Government catastrophe. The frustration we feel about this unbroken continuum of disappointment, this relentless process of growth through failure, is useful to statists, because it is a form of despair. Some of us accept the notion of ambitious but under-performing government, because it’s just the way things are, the New Normal, and even when we “purchase” Big Government with cold, hard ballots while blinded with fraud and deception, no returns are ever allowed. Some of us nurse our resentment of the system that takes advantage of us, but conclude we can never defeat it. We admit that those who profit from the system will always defend it more vigorously than dissenters try to reform it....
Here's the Ron Johnson line, clarified by Hayward:
...You rubes would have made everything so much worse without our brilliant guidance. Don’t you dare start daydreaming about what might have happened, if we didn’t tax, spend, and regulate like mad! Don’t you dare hold us to the standards we set when we tricked you into giving us power! No matter how inadequate our work might be, it’s still far better than what you could have done on your own. You can’t be trusted to defend yourself, educate your children, sell your labor, provide for your family, or show charity towards those in dire need. Without us, you would all be in dire need....
We sent spineless ciphers who have become despicable liars, purchased by The Ruling Class which has invaded and which now occupies Washington, D.C.
Our children's children wil righteously piss on our graves for this.
*Ryan and Sensenbrenner will vote for 'the Rule' which allows this vote. The Rule-vote is the vote that counts. Sensenbrenner will then vote against the legislation itself and play hero. This is the game that he will run on us.
Sensenbrenner and Ryan will vote for it.* Ron Johnson, if he objects, will not force this to stop through filibuster, even though Ron Johnson will attempt to spray foo-foo dust to blind you to his supine acquiescence. (Remember the RoJo who was going to repeal ObozoCare? Yah. I met THAT RoJo.)
Hayward, again:
...You only had once chance to vote against this, although of course the vote was not portrayed that way at the time. Repeal is impossible, liberty taken can never be returned, the State never gets smaller… that’s not just ObamaCare, it’s the story we hear about every Big Government catastrophe. The frustration we feel about this unbroken continuum of disappointment, this relentless process of growth through failure, is useful to statists, because it is a form of despair. Some of us accept the notion of ambitious but under-performing government, because it’s just the way things are, the New Normal, and even when we “purchase” Big Government with cold, hard ballots while blinded with fraud and deception, no returns are ever allowed. Some of us nurse our resentment of the system that takes advantage of us, but conclude we can never defeat it. We admit that those who profit from the system will always defend it more vigorously than dissenters try to reform it....
Here's the Ron Johnson line, clarified by Hayward:
...You rubes would have made everything so much worse without our brilliant guidance. Don’t you dare start daydreaming about what might have happened, if we didn’t tax, spend, and regulate like mad! Don’t you dare hold us to the standards we set when we tricked you into giving us power! No matter how inadequate our work might be, it’s still far better than what you could have done on your own. You can’t be trusted to defend yourself, educate your children, sell your labor, provide for your family, or show charity towards those in dire need. Without us, you would all be in dire need....
We sent spineless ciphers who have become despicable liars, purchased by The Ruling Class which has invaded and which now occupies Washington, D.C.
Our children's children wil righteously piss on our graves for this.
*Ryan and Sensenbrenner will vote for 'the Rule' which allows this vote. The Rule-vote is the vote that counts. Sensenbrenner will then vote against the legislation itself and play hero. This is the game that he will run on us.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The Sad Truth About D.C.
Few can put it as well as Hayward:
...The only reliable bipartisanship in Washington is the agreement between both parties to serve and protect the permanent system of regulators, appropriators, lobbyists, and Big Media, which have fused together into a single organism with a shared bloodstream, through which well-connected individuals and flow from lobby organizations, to bureaucratic appointments, to media sinecures with ease. Look at the resume of a Beltway power player, and you’ll have a hard time telling the difference between elected officials, the agencies they nominally control, the special interests they serve, and the media that’s supposed to keep them all honest. The same person can work for all of those entities in the span of a decade. The only thing they really cooperate on is the care and feeding of the Cromnibus, the misshapen thing that feeds them all through its multitude of teats....
Chesterton's quip about hanging politicians comes to mind. But I have a better idea: let the CIA practice up on these slimebuckets before they work on terrorists. Efficiency, proof-of-concept, and all that.
...The only reliable bipartisanship in Washington is the agreement between both parties to serve and protect the permanent system of regulators, appropriators, lobbyists, and Big Media, which have fused together into a single organism with a shared bloodstream, through which well-connected individuals and flow from lobby organizations, to bureaucratic appointments, to media sinecures with ease. Look at the resume of a Beltway power player, and you’ll have a hard time telling the difference between elected officials, the agencies they nominally control, the special interests they serve, and the media that’s supposed to keep them all honest. The same person can work for all of those entities in the span of a decade. The only thing they really cooperate on is the care and feeding of the Cromnibus, the misshapen thing that feeds them all through its multitude of teats....
Chesterton's quip about hanging politicians comes to mind. But I have a better idea: let the CIA practice up on these slimebuckets before they work on terrorists. Efficiency, proof-of-concept, and all that.
The Religion of Peace & Murder
This will enhance your understanding of the term "peace."
ISIS have beheaded four Christian children in Iraq for refusing to convert to Islam, a British vicar based in the country has claimed.
Canon Andrew White, who is known as the ‘vicar of Baghdad’, told Orthodox Christian Network that the killings happened in a Christian enclave close to Baghdad...
...“ISIS turned up and said to the children, ‘You say the words that you will follow Mohammed’.”
“The children, all under 15, four of them, said no, we love Yeshua, we have always loved we have always followed Yeshua, Yeshua has always been with us.
“They said: ‘Say the words.’ They said ‘No, we can’t.’ They chopped all their heads off. --quoted at Gateway
There was a good reason for the activities begun in 1096 AD. And that reason remains valid today.
ISIS have beheaded four Christian children in Iraq for refusing to convert to Islam, a British vicar based in the country has claimed.
Canon Andrew White, who is known as the ‘vicar of Baghdad’, told Orthodox Christian Network that the killings happened in a Christian enclave close to Baghdad...
...“ISIS turned up and said to the children, ‘You say the words that you will follow Mohammed’.”
“The children, all under 15, four of them, said no, we love Yeshua, we have always loved we have always followed Yeshua, Yeshua has always been with us.
“They said: ‘Say the words.’ They said ‘No, we can’t.’ They chopped all their heads off. --quoted at Gateway
There was a good reason for the activities begun in 1096 AD. And that reason remains valid today.
Dubya Gruberized Us, Too!
Nice to know that Bush, Ashcroft, and Gonzales are Gruberizers, too.
So what was he artfully lying about then??
So what was he artfully lying about then??
What To Watch From "Conservatives" on Reid's Budget
As Erickson points out, hypocrisy flourishes in Congress. It's Gruberize-time!!
Boehner is jamming Harry Reid's budget through the House. In order to do so, the House must vote for a "rule" which allows the BOHICA to pass.
"Conservatives" will vote for the Reid/Boehner "rule," which assures that this monster will survive.
Then they will vote against the legislation itself and run around their districts talking about how "conservative" they are.
IOW, they'll play the full Gruber on you.
Boehner is jamming Harry Reid's budget through the House. In order to do so, the House must vote for a "rule" which allows the BOHICA to pass.
"Conservatives" will vote for the Reid/Boehner "rule," which assures that this monster will survive.
Then they will vote against the legislation itself and run around their districts talking about how "conservative" they are.
IOW, they'll play the full Gruber on you.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Too Many Letters in the Word
Atkisson--like most people--is having trouble with the Feds on a simple FOIA request.
....It’s one of countless examples in the past decade of federal agencies thumbing their noses at Freedom of Information requests, whether filed by member of the public or news media.....
I think Atkisson is mis-spelling the red-highlighted word. Too many letters in it.
Should be feral.
That's an accurate description of the agencies we all know and hate.
....It’s one of countless examples in the past decade of federal agencies thumbing their noses at Freedom of Information requests, whether filed by member of the public or news media.....
I think Atkisson is mis-spelling the red-highlighted word. Too many letters in it.
Should be feral.
That's an accurate description of the agencies we all know and hate.
What We've Done for Louisiana
Next time you are in Louisiana, you should ask the locals to pick up your hotel, food, and bar-tabs.
They owe it to you...
...Many municipalities in Louisiana still had outstanding Federal Emergency Management Agency loans dating back to Hurricane Katrina. As Landrieu saw a tough re-election race approaching, she worked loan forgiveness into a Homeland Security bill. And then she crowed about debts being forgiven all around the state, courtesy of Louisiana's senior senator....
...Take, for example, St. Tammany Parish, an electorally crucial Republican suburb of New Orleans. The parish school system received forgiveness for nearly $68 million in Katrina loans last December. Then came $10 million in forgiveness for the Parish Sheriff's Office, and $14.5 million in forgiveness for the parish government....
Hundreds of millions more at the link.
They owe it to you...
...Many municipalities in Louisiana still had outstanding Federal Emergency Management Agency loans dating back to Hurricane Katrina. As Landrieu saw a tough re-election race approaching, she worked loan forgiveness into a Homeland Security bill. And then she crowed about debts being forgiven all around the state, courtesy of Louisiana's senior senator....
...Take, for example, St. Tammany Parish, an electorally crucial Republican suburb of New Orleans. The parish school system received forgiveness for nearly $68 million in Katrina loans last December. Then came $10 million in forgiveness for the Parish Sheriff's Office, and $14.5 million in forgiveness for the parish government....
Hundreds of millions more at the link.
Sunday, December 07, 2014
"I Wet Myself"
Right here at Day by Day. I don't think that the cartoonist made up that quote, either.
Saturday, December 06, 2014
Oh, Goodie! The ChiComs Prepare for War
The South China Sea is more than a setting for piracy novels.
The pace of island-building in China’s so-called “Blue Territories” is frenetic. Janes has reported that the island at Fiery Cross Reef is now 3,000 metres long. There are five dredges going at once to dig out the harbour and provide material for the island-building. So Fiery Cross Reef will be the site of an airfield which can enforce an ADIZ over the southern end of China’s claim to the South China Sea....
...The radars will provide early warning of cruise missiles and stealth aircraft. The Chinese would have tested the utility of this radar type on Subi Reef. No doubt each of the islands being built will have them as well, along with HQ-9 medium to long range surface-to-air missiles as well as point defence surface-to-air missiles. The HQ-9 has a range of 200 km.
That explains the choice of reefs being converted to islands. China is building a defensive box around the new airfield at Fiery Cross Reef ...
...The Chinese plan to scrape the Filipinos, the Vietnamese and the Malaysians off their bases in the South China Sea. For a dark future to be avoided, the Chinese will have to be scraped off their artificial islands instead. It would be a good idea to start building the war stocks to achieve that and not waste cruise missiles and JDAMs on fighting ISIS. Another good idea would be to inspect and upgrade airfields on Palawan Island in the Philippines, 400 km east of the future war zone. The strip at Bugsuk Island, at the southern end of Palawan, will be particularly useful (if it is sealed)....
Unfortunately for US allies, SCOAMF occupies the chair of C-in-C and directs the activities of John F'n Kerry, Vietnam veteran and all-around complete doofus.
The pace of island-building in China’s so-called “Blue Territories” is frenetic. Janes has reported that the island at Fiery Cross Reef is now 3,000 metres long. There are five dredges going at once to dig out the harbour and provide material for the island-building. So Fiery Cross Reef will be the site of an airfield which can enforce an ADIZ over the southern end of China’s claim to the South China Sea....
...The radars will provide early warning of cruise missiles and stealth aircraft. The Chinese would have tested the utility of this radar type on Subi Reef. No doubt each of the islands being built will have them as well, along with HQ-9 medium to long range surface-to-air missiles as well as point defence surface-to-air missiles. The HQ-9 has a range of 200 km.
That explains the choice of reefs being converted to islands. China is building a defensive box around the new airfield at Fiery Cross Reef ...
...The Chinese plan to scrape the Filipinos, the Vietnamese and the Malaysians off their bases in the South China Sea. For a dark future to be avoided, the Chinese will have to be scraped off their artificial islands instead. It would be a good idea to start building the war stocks to achieve that and not waste cruise missiles and JDAMs on fighting ISIS. Another good idea would be to inspect and upgrade airfields on Palawan Island in the Philippines, 400 km east of the future war zone. The strip at Bugsuk Island, at the southern end of Palawan, will be particularly useful (if it is sealed)....
Unfortunately for US allies, SCOAMF occupies the chair of C-in-C and directs the activities of John F'n Kerry, Vietnam veteran and all-around complete doofus.
DOL "Jobs" Report: Bah, Humbug
Umhhhnnhhh, yah. Houston, we have a problem, and it is spelled "jobs"
...Government computer programs take into account seasonal abnormalities — like teaching jobs that stop in the summer and students who find jobs in the summer — so that the numbers don’t jump all over the place.
Nothing wrong there.
The “not seasonally adjusted” data are the raw, unadulterated numbers.
But take a look at November 2013 jobs data and last month’s data.
The raw, unadjusted data from Labor showed that 523,000 new jobs were created in November 2013. After that figure was seasonally adjusted, the growth was reduced to 203,000.
The raw, unadjusted numbers reported Friday showed 497,000 new jobs — or 26,000 less than last year’s 523,000 raw number. Yet, this November’s adjustment resulted in a headline figure of 321,000 — or a whopping 118,000 more than last year.
If the seasonal adjustments stayed consistent Friday’s growth should have been less than last year’s 203,000!
By the way, a lot of those jobs were part-time/low-wage, too.
Another feature of ObozoNomics!! Keep 'em poor so they'll ask for more from Gummint.
Yah. That's the ticket!
...Government computer programs take into account seasonal abnormalities — like teaching jobs that stop in the summer and students who find jobs in the summer — so that the numbers don’t jump all over the place.
Nothing wrong there.
The “not seasonally adjusted” data are the raw, unadulterated numbers.
But take a look at November 2013 jobs data and last month’s data.
The raw, unadjusted data from Labor showed that 523,000 new jobs were created in November 2013. After that figure was seasonally adjusted, the growth was reduced to 203,000.
The raw, unadjusted numbers reported Friday showed 497,000 new jobs — or 26,000 less than last year’s 523,000 raw number. Yet, this November’s adjustment resulted in a headline figure of 321,000 — or a whopping 118,000 more than last year.
If the seasonal adjustments stayed consistent Friday’s growth should have been less than last year’s 203,000!
By the way, a lot of those jobs were part-time/low-wage, too.
Another feature of ObozoNomics!! Keep 'em poor so they'll ask for more from Gummint.
Yah. That's the ticket!
Boehner "Screwing Over the American People"
Yah, that's not exactly news. But it's being said by a House member (who ought to know.)
House conservatives are griping that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is putting the squeeze on them by rushing through a $1 trillion spending bill in Congress’s last week in session.
Appropriators are expected to roll out the legislation early next week, giving critics scant time to figure out what’s inside before they cast their votes by the end of the week....
...critics say there’s no reason the Speaker couldn’t have brought the spending package to the floor this past week, giving the House more time to consider it.
But doing so would also give more time for the right to build a case against it.
“They don’t want you to read it, that’s why! You think they want you to analyze all the mischievous items in there?” Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) told The Hill.
Asked if the timing of the plan was aimed at jamming the Senate or House conservatives, Jones replied: “I think its aimed at screwing over the American people. You can quote me on that.”
We feel your pain, Mr. Jones!
And, of course, it gets even worse.
What’s striking this time, however, is that Boehner and outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are mostly in agreement on how to do it.
"...we were given less than a month to put an omnibus bill together for the entire government for the entire year — it’s a trillion plus dollars with thousands of items,” Rogers said. “And since the Senate did not pass any of the appropriations bills, it forced us to put together an omnibus.”
Yah, right. Whiny, pissy, bozo Big Spender.
House conservatives are griping that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is putting the squeeze on them by rushing through a $1 trillion spending bill in Congress’s last week in session.
Appropriators are expected to roll out the legislation early next week, giving critics scant time to figure out what’s inside before they cast their votes by the end of the week....
...critics say there’s no reason the Speaker couldn’t have brought the spending package to the floor this past week, giving the House more time to consider it.
But doing so would also give more time for the right to build a case against it.
“They don’t want you to read it, that’s why! You think they want you to analyze all the mischievous items in there?” Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) told The Hill.
Asked if the timing of the plan was aimed at jamming the Senate or House conservatives, Jones replied: “I think its aimed at screwing over the American people. You can quote me on that.”
We feel your pain, Mr. Jones!
And, of course, it gets even worse.
What’s striking this time, however, is that Boehner and outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are mostly in agreement on how to do it.
"...we were given less than a month to put an omnibus bill together for the entire government for the entire year — it’s a trillion plus dollars with thousands of items,” Rogers said. “And since the Senate did not pass any of the appropriations bills, it forced us to put together an omnibus.”
Yah, right. Whiny, pissy, bozo Big Spender.
The Stupidest President Evah??
Let's see if we got this straight.
Red China is one of the two largest economies in the world. The US is the other.
Red China has approximately zero pollution controls.
So what does SCOAMF do about that?
Promises Red China $$Umpty-Billion to fix up Red China's pollution problems.
Uh-huh.
We note that Australia told PRC to jam it where the sun never shines. Excellent, bloke!!
Red China is one of the two largest economies in the world. The US is the other.
Red China has approximately zero pollution controls.
So what does SCOAMF do about that?
Promises Red China $$Umpty-Billion to fix up Red China's pollution problems.
Uh-huh.
We note that Australia told PRC to jam it where the sun never shines. Excellent, bloke!!
Friday, December 05, 2014
The Strategy for 2016
Gotta say I like this one.
...We can't just vote against all of these assholes because we can't just put the Democrats into power.
On the other hand, we can also not support them when they are constantly lying to us and Gruberizing America by forcing crap on us we object to.
So here's my plan.
We take 7-10 Congressmen out in 2016.
We'd still have the majority so taking out 7-10 of them doesn't hurt us. But it does inflict a serious penalty on those Congressmen themselves, as well as serving notice to the Class of 2018 that we will not be defied with impunity.
My idea is that we pick 7-10 of the biggest assholes on our side and just vote for the Democratic challenger in 2016. Like Hal Rodgers. He should be on the list.
Boehner too.
Add McCarthy, Sensenbrenner, and Paul Ryan to the list.
More to follow as this matures. Yes, I can (and WILL) vote (D) to move slime out of the area.
...We can't just vote against all of these assholes because we can't just put the Democrats into power.
On the other hand, we can also not support them when they are constantly lying to us and Gruberizing America by forcing crap on us we object to.
So here's my plan.
We take 7-10 Congressmen out in 2016.
We'd still have the majority so taking out 7-10 of them doesn't hurt us. But it does inflict a serious penalty on those Congressmen themselves, as well as serving notice to the Class of 2018 that we will not be defied with impunity.
My idea is that we pick 7-10 of the biggest assholes on our side and just vote for the Democratic challenger in 2016. Like Hal Rodgers. He should be on the list.
Boehner too.
Add McCarthy, Sensenbrenner, and Paul Ryan to the list.
More to follow as this matures. Yes, I can (and WILL) vote (D) to move slime out of the area.
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Sensenbrenner Kisses the Ass, Votes "YES"
We can call him "Illegal Jim" going forward. Same for Ryan, Petri, and the log-rollers from Up Nort'.
Garner Killed by FDA
Just before Mr. Garner died while being arrested, Mayor Bloomberg and his police commissioner ordered the NYPD to "crack down" on sales of loose cigarettes.
So happens that Obozo's FDA made such sales into a Federal crime.
...An FDA rule issued on June 22, 2010 — well within the Obama era, under a president who has unleashed bureaucracy on the entire country — mandates that individual cigarettes cannot be sold without their original packaging....
And of course, such sales are also a tax-issue; Bloomberg & Co. couldn't extract their pound of tax-flesh from such as Mr. Garner.
Think about that. While the arrest was the proximate cause of Mr. Garner's death, FDA and Bloomberg were the remote causes.
Nice to know how Gummint helps out the little guy, eh?
So happens that Obozo's FDA made such sales into a Federal crime.
...An FDA rule issued on June 22, 2010 — well within the Obama era, under a president who has unleashed bureaucracy on the entire country — mandates that individual cigarettes cannot be sold without their original packaging....
And of course, such sales are also a tax-issue; Bloomberg & Co. couldn't extract their pound of tax-flesh from such as Mr. Garner.
Think about that. While the arrest was the proximate cause of Mr. Garner's death, FDA and Bloomberg were the remote causes.
Nice to know how Gummint helps out the little guy, eh?
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Boom! Vatican Stash of Umpty-Bucks, Most in Stato
*Cough*
Holy Smoke.
"It is important to point out that the Vatican is not broke … in fact we have discovered that the situation is much healthier than it seemed, because some hundreds of millions of euros were tucked away in particular accounts and did not appear on the balance sheet...."
So reports Cdl. Pell in tomorrow's Australian Catholic newspaper.
Holy Smoke.
"It is important to point out that the Vatican is not broke … in fact we have discovered that the situation is much healthier than it seemed, because some hundreds of millions of euros were tucked away in particular accounts and did not appear on the balance sheet...."
So reports Cdl. Pell in tomorrow's Australian Catholic newspaper.
Hunger Games, the Analogy To ??
A brief excerpt-description of Hunger Games placed in context:
...Like that ancient Greek hero, Katniss defies an oppressive empire and sparks a revolution. But it’s an update with a twist. Today’s Theseus is female, which calls to mind not only modern girl power but also ancient lore. Her character is inspired by the famous Amazon warriors and Atalanta, the great female runner of Greek myth. Katniss also recalls Artemis, goddess of the hunt—Diana to the Romans—because her preferred weapon is the bow and arrow.
Like imperial Rome, the country of “The Hunger Games” is a once-free society now dominated by a corrupt and rapacious capital city. A president exercises, in effect, the power of an emperor. He lives in a grand city called the Capitol, and his government feeds off its provinces, much as ancient Rome did. The people of the Capitol radiate a baroque and overripe luxuriousness, like the lords and ladies of imperial Rome, while the provincials are poor and virtuous.
This pattern goes back to the great Roman historian Tacitus (ca. 56-117), who drew a contrast between the primitive but free Germans and Britons and the decadent Romans who had lost their republican virtue under the Caesars. Tacitus would have understood why the bad guys in Ms. Collins’s Capitol have Latinate first names such as Coriolanus Snow, the coldhearted president, and Caesar Flickerman, the smarmy host of the televised version of the games....
"Girl-power" aside, that middle graf is.....ahhhh........gripping, indeed.
Those who fail to understand history shall be forced to re-live it--or something like that.
...Like that ancient Greek hero, Katniss defies an oppressive empire and sparks a revolution. But it’s an update with a twist. Today’s Theseus is female, which calls to mind not only modern girl power but also ancient lore. Her character is inspired by the famous Amazon warriors and Atalanta, the great female runner of Greek myth. Katniss also recalls Artemis, goddess of the hunt—Diana to the Romans—because her preferred weapon is the bow and arrow.
Like imperial Rome, the country of “The Hunger Games” is a once-free society now dominated by a corrupt and rapacious capital city. A president exercises, in effect, the power of an emperor. He lives in a grand city called the Capitol, and his government feeds off its provinces, much as ancient Rome did. The people of the Capitol radiate a baroque and overripe luxuriousness, like the lords and ladies of imperial Rome, while the provincials are poor and virtuous.
This pattern goes back to the great Roman historian Tacitus (ca. 56-117), who drew a contrast between the primitive but free Germans and Britons and the decadent Romans who had lost their republican virtue under the Caesars. Tacitus would have understood why the bad guys in Ms. Collins’s Capitol have Latinate first names such as Coriolanus Snow, the coldhearted president, and Caesar Flickerman, the smarmy host of the televised version of the games....
"Girl-power" aside, that middle graf is.....ahhhh........gripping, indeed.
Those who fail to understand history shall be forced to re-live it--or something like that.
Calling Joel Kleefisch!
Here's a text proposal for an (R) Assemblyman who is a Conservative:
An agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state, and a law enforcement officer or other person employed by an agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state, may not contract with or in any other manner provide assistance to a federal agency or official with respect to the enforcement of a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm, a firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition if the statute, order, rule, or regulation imposes a prohibition, restriction, or other regulation, such as a capacity or size limitation or a registration requirement, that does not exist under the laws of this state.
Looks like a 10th Amendment kinda law, eh? S'pose it'll get introduced in Wisconsin?
Taking bets at this window.....
HT: Captain
An agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state, and a law enforcement officer or other person employed by an agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state, may not contract with or in any other manner provide assistance to a federal agency or official with respect to the enforcement of a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation purporting to regulate a firearm, a firearm accessory, or firearm ammunition if the statute, order, rule, or regulation imposes a prohibition, restriction, or other regulation, such as a capacity or size limitation or a registration requirement, that does not exist under the laws of this state.
Looks like a 10th Amendment kinda law, eh? S'pose it'll get introduced in Wisconsin?
Taking bets at this window.....
HT: Captain
Obozo, Provoking a Revolution
No wonder that some heavy-hitter (D) slime are openly breaking from ObozoCare. On Thanksgiving Eve, Teh SCOAMF issued even more illegal and un-Constitutional regulations.
..Obama will require large employers to provide more coverage than the Affordable Care Act specifies. The move disqualifies plans now offered by 1,600 employers to 3 million workers, according to Kaiser Health News. Those employers will have to find a way to cover the higher costs — and some will surely do so by stopping coverage for spouses or part-time workers.
The new rules suddenly treat state high-risk pools as adequate coverage under the Affordable Care Act — a 180 from what the law actually says. ...
The rules tell insurers to give new enrolees a 30-day grace period during which they can continue to use doctors not in their plan’s network....
Speaking of bailouts, Sec. 1342 of the law promises taxpayer-funded bailouts to insurers who lose money selling plans on ObamaCare exchanges. But the bailouts can’t happen unless Congress appropriates the money, something the GOP-controlled Congress won’t want to do.[*] Yet the new Federal Register notices explicitly double down on the administration’s pledge to make insurers whole if losses are bigger than expected....
*Nah. Surrender-Monkey Boehner will roll over on this, too. Just watch.
One wonders if Obozo will leave the Oval Office the same way GWB did, or whether the tar-and-feathers will slow him down a bit.
..Obama will require large employers to provide more coverage than the Affordable Care Act specifies. The move disqualifies plans now offered by 1,600 employers to 3 million workers, according to Kaiser Health News. Those employers will have to find a way to cover the higher costs — and some will surely do so by stopping coverage for spouses or part-time workers.
The new rules suddenly treat state high-risk pools as adequate coverage under the Affordable Care Act — a 180 from what the law actually says. ...
The rules tell insurers to give new enrolees a 30-day grace period during which they can continue to use doctors not in their plan’s network....
Speaking of bailouts, Sec. 1342 of the law promises taxpayer-funded bailouts to insurers who lose money selling plans on ObamaCare exchanges. But the bailouts can’t happen unless Congress appropriates the money, something the GOP-controlled Congress won’t want to do.[*] Yet the new Federal Register notices explicitly double down on the administration’s pledge to make insurers whole if losses are bigger than expected....
*Nah. Surrender-Monkey Boehner will roll over on this, too. Just watch.
One wonders if Obozo will leave the Oval Office the same way GWB did, or whether the tar-and-feathers will slow him down a bit.
Teh SCOAMF: Off by 90% Or So
The Most Prolific Liar in US History--the current pResident, Pissypants, AKA "SCOAMF", predicted that ObozoCare would reduce healthcare costs by 25%.
Whoops.
The overall cost of health care rose by 21% between 2007 and 2013, according to separate data from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services--WSJ quoted at ZeroHedge
Well. At least he had the first digit right.
Whoops.
Well. At least he had the first digit right.
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
The Surrender-Monkeys in Congress
This is the sort of mealy-mouthed foofoodust one gets:
...As you know, Congress has appropriated funds
for the federal government only up to December 11, 2014, leaving the House of
Representatives set to consider another continuing resolution before the end of
the 113th Congress. I understand and share your concern for President
Obama’s recent executive orders, and I recognize the power of the purse as
an important tool for Congress to use in fighting the President’s
unconstitutional conduct.
Rest assured that I will keep your support for
a short-term spending bill in mind as Congress considers its next appropriations
legislation. I agree that it is important for the Congress to use every tool at
its disposal to stop the Executive Branch from encroaching on Congress’
constitutional authority....
Nice to know that Cong. Sensenbrenner "agrees" that "Congress should use every tool." Not that the Congressman pledged to fight to the death over Boehner's Surrender-Monkey moves: 1) a totally useless lawsuit (who will enforce the result?) and 2) a continuing resolution which will fund INS through March, when Boehner will ram through enough money for INS to continue the Obama Plan through the end of the year.
(Think not? Boehner's on record supporting Obozo's totalitarian move, folks. Read it and Buy. More. Ammo.)
Sensenbrenner--who carries a copy of the Constitution in his coat pocket, God only knows WHY--should call the Journal-Sentinel and openly declare war on anyone who moves to fund INS.
Don't hold your breath.
Monday, December 01, 2014
Esolen on Real Liturgical Music
You'll get the idea even though these are only excerpt-grafs.
(Discussing a hymn (?) text beginning "Cold Are the People/Winter of Life,....")
...The implicit message of such music is that the worship of God is just like everything else: putting the moves on a girl at a drinking party, chilling out with college friends in the wee hours, selling a fashionable automobile, advertising a soap opera. We have enough and more than enough of that already. We need far more, and other. It's as Aidan Nichols puts it, in Looking at the Liturgy: “Rites that do not allow a sense of distance deny to the people, paradoxically, a means of appropriating the act of worship, crippling them just at the point where they could be taking off Godward by a leap of religious imagination. For liturgical actors, though presented within a social frame, have to convey properties of what lies beyond that frame, a rumor of angels.”...
The horizontal worship. It isn't just the music, or the flopsy-mopsy motions often used. Sometimes it's the cutesy/folksy applause-line "announcements", too. Enough to make one stand up and scream.
Later in the essay:
...We are apt to think merely functionally when it comes to divine worship. So long as we pray, hear the Scripture, and try not to let our minds wander during the homily, all is well. That is a serious mistake. We are creatures of flesh and blood, body and soul, reason and imagination. We are capable of far more than logic. We are capable of wonder. We cannot allow the television, or the movie screen, or, God forbid, the leaking sewer of popular novels to form our imaginations. We would then be to the world like faltering and half-hearted preachers with bad breath.
It has long been time to return wonder and reverence to worship.
By the waters of Babylon, we hung our harps and wept.......
(Discussing a hymn (?) text beginning "Cold Are the People/Winter of Life,....")
...The implicit message of such music is that the worship of God is just like everything else: putting the moves on a girl at a drinking party, chilling out with college friends in the wee hours, selling a fashionable automobile, advertising a soap opera. We have enough and more than enough of that already. We need far more, and other. It's as Aidan Nichols puts it, in Looking at the Liturgy: “Rites that do not allow a sense of distance deny to the people, paradoxically, a means of appropriating the act of worship, crippling them just at the point where they could be taking off Godward by a leap of religious imagination. For liturgical actors, though presented within a social frame, have to convey properties of what lies beyond that frame, a rumor of angels.”...
The horizontal worship. It isn't just the music, or the flopsy-mopsy motions often used. Sometimes it's the cutesy/folksy applause-line "announcements", too. Enough to make one stand up and scream.
Later in the essay:
...We are apt to think merely functionally when it comes to divine worship. So long as we pray, hear the Scripture, and try not to let our minds wander during the homily, all is well. That is a serious mistake. We are creatures of flesh and blood, body and soul, reason and imagination. We are capable of far more than logic. We are capable of wonder. We cannot allow the television, or the movie screen, or, God forbid, the leaking sewer of popular novels to form our imaginations. We would then be to the world like faltering and half-hearted preachers with bad breath.
It has long been time to return wonder and reverence to worship.
By the waters of Babylon, we hung our harps and wept.......