Microsoft Windows

Fried Brain

My excuse for being absent is hard drive failure.

The laptop which actually contains my brain decided to corrupt and cost a week of productivity. Literally, I have learned to write in a day planner again and use a frickin’ pencil. Arghhh.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

Anywho. Finally decided that I was not smart enough to fix it. I swallowed my pride and took it in to Alpine Computers. They quickly discovered a failed hard drive and had it replaced within three hours.

So now – Reconstruction. Kind’ve like post Civil War without the smells. Give me another few days and I will once again grace you four readers with some of the world’s best thought since Plato. Or is it Pluto – you know—the dog.

Whatever.

Drop the Pen!

Drop the Pen!

Drop the pen and put your hands above your head! Slowly turn around. You are under arrest for offending Muslims.

You have no right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you step in front of the firing squad.

You have no rights to an attorney and even if you did, they would be paid government counsel and would only be an inconvenient formality.

Cartoonists beware! Kill the infidels!

Tribute to Islam

The legacy of Islam the religion in the 20th Century. How else do you know Islam?

Mushee Gushee on Torture

“Why Torture Is Always Wrong” is the latest headline from Christianity Today Magazine authored by David P. Gushee. This sentiment may make you feel good as a Christian reader but is profoundly misguided.

Why would anyone ever create a policy to weaken our ability to wage the war on terror?

In his introduction, Mr. Gushee quotes three news headlines claiming U.S. torture against terrorists: The New York Times, Newsweek and The Red Cross – all bastions of pro-American thought – yea right. This is the second red flag on Mr. Gushee’s political bias.

David P. Gushee, the author of this headline and article is so caught up in his Jimmy Carteresqe Christian pragmatism, he can’t see the obvious. His statement is axiomatic. Which is ironic – a moderate sentiment with no exceptions. Usually there are 100 shades of gray with moderates but not this time with Mr. Gushee.

To ignore the threat posed to us, especially after 9/11/2001, is profoundly naïve. To say that “torture is always wrong” is to say that hurting our enemies is always wrong. In reading his article, it is clear that Mr. Gushee’s torture policy is the same as the U.N. convention which reads:

“No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for torture."

This is outright crazy and dangerously naïve to the realities of war and peace. We all know how effective the U.N. is in punishing rogue nations who torture, mame and extinguish undesirables. Rwanda, Somalia, Iraq- anybody? Hmmm?

And what is torture, anyway?

"Al-Qatani was forced to perform dog tricks on a leash, was straddled by a female interrogator, forced to dance with a male interrogator, told that his mother and sister were whores, forced to wear a woman's bra and thong on his head during interrogation, and subjected to an unmuzzled dog to scare him."
Newsweek, November 21, 2005

I’m sorry- but that is not torture. Laying on a cold floor, food deprivation, not allowing Korans, sex games, 48 hours of Britney Spears – yes that would be suicidally annoying- but it is not torture. That is bread and butter porn in Amsterdam! Ya- there’s a thought- send in the U.N. blue bucket brigade into Amsterdam and shut down the smut houses.

Real torture (which is how I must distinguish it) would be anything close to unbearable pain whether physical or emotional. For examples of real torture I would recommend reading the Fox’s Book of Martyrs.

Let me moderate. I do not condone indiscriminate torture on inmates whether domestic or international. I would reserve real torture for imminent national security needs. That would include the “ticking time bomb” or any other situation where lives would otherwise be lost. Extreme danger would call for extreme measures including real torture. That is common sense.

For a visual (although, fictional) example of the proper use of torture, I recommend the Fox Television Networks show “24”, the fourth season, last episodes. This is the episode where Jack Bauer, counter terrorism agent, finds the Marwan, the terrorist responsible for launching a nuclear missle against Los Angeles and extracts information that would save the lives of millions of civilians.

Many things changed in the New Testament but God did not eliminate evil governments from this earth. Just because our dear country was founded under God, with liberty and justice for all did not eradicate the world of mad terrorists bent on imposing their will on all mankind.

The failure to see torture as a possible tool to be used in the most extreme of circumstances is to affirm a sort of Bill of Rights for terrorists.

Which is exactly what Mr. Gushee is doing in this article that Christianity Today decided to highlight as its cover piece?

Gushee’s bending and twisting of scripture to accommodate his peacenik stance on torture is frankly, embarrassing. It is another example of how many Christians fall into the liberal potholes and embrace policy that puts our nation at risk.

By the way, Mr. Gushee, America is not a “liberal democracy” as you say in your 2nd paragraph. America is a Constitutional Republic. A distinction you would do well to come to grips with. Maybe a more accurate statement would be that you, sir, are a “liberal democrat”.

QOD- Men With Three Names

Question of the Day (Henceforth QOD)

Why does it sound gay for a guy to have three names?  And it bugs me.  Granted I have not had my full cup of coffee yet.  Right now I’m watching a local Northern Michigan TV morning news show which shall go nameless.  The show has the guy and the girl telling us the local headlines.  The channel is owned by the same company that broke the forged documents story on 60 Minutes, but let me stop before I reveal the mystery.

He has three names and he looks gay, but I can’t be sure.  But his name sounds VERY gay.  Anyway, that got me to thinking about the original question.

Which brings up another question.  If you have gadar, does that mean you are gay?  I’m pretty sure that I have gadar, but sure that I’m not.  Just ask my wife – heh heh.

Please let me know your thoughts.