Time for Some Campaignin'

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The latest from JibJab...

Hannah Montana the Billionaire?

You may need to sit down for this one. Miley Cyrus, whose alter-ego is Hannah Montana, is on course to become a billionaire by the time she is 18. When you're done being depressed about your own life, read this article.

Give the Girl a Break!

A professor at Yeshiva University left two years ago as a man - and returned last week as a woman (see story here). As described on Wikipedia, the school is a private Jewish university in New York City...(whose) programs operate according to the Modern Orthodox Judaism philosophy of Torah Umadda — meaning "Torah combined with secular studies").

That alone does not warrant the story making this blog. What struck me was this quote from the article:

"He's not a woman. He's a male with enlarged breasts," said Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a senior dean at Yeshiva's rabbinical school and a professor of biology and medical ethics. "He's a person who represents a kind of amorality which runs counter to everything Yeshiva University stands for. There is just no leeway in Jewish law for a transsexual.

"There is no niche where he can hide out as a female without being in massive violation of Torah law, Torah ethics and Torah morality."

As usual, a religious fundamentalist is using religion to justify bigotry and prejudice, which in turn can foment hatred, even if that is not the intention. And it is not a misinterpretation of biblical texts that allows these closed-minded lunkheads to squeeze this insight out of religious teachings. In believing that these antiquated texts are the word of God, they are applying Iron Age values to 21st Century society. And yet, many of their more moderate co-religionists believe them to be wise and learned.

They are neither!

I have a lot more respect for reform and secularized religious leaders who reinterpret age-old scriptures and traditions in a modern and enlightened context. I may disagree with many of their supernatural claims and beliefs, but I share their values, which is what ultimately drives behavior. But it is the responsibility of moderate religious leaders to publicly denounce ignorant comments by insane fundamentalists. While the road from bigoted religious leader to the murderous psychopath he inspires is clearly visible in the Muslim Middle East, it is by no means restricted to Islam. Remember, Yitzhak Rabin, the prime minister of Israel, was murdered by an orthodox Jewish Israeli, Yigal Amir, in 1995.

I should add, however, that I would not object on legal grounds if Yeshiva University were to succeed in firing this professor. From a libertarian standpoint, a private business should be able to hire and fire its employees on any basis it chooses, and I completely agree with this viewpoint. I also believe that the free market should decide if this behavior by a business - in this case a University - is acceptable. If its customers - the students - don't support its policies, the school will lose revenue in the form of tuition dollars.

A restaurant that refused to serve blacks would go out of business in a hearbeat, if this policy were legal. In the case of Yeshiva University, however, the majority of students might agree that this professor doesn't belong on the teaching staff. In that case, the professor needs to teach where his/her lifestyle is welcomed. (I must point out that from a libertarian standpoint, the free market should only have this role in the private sector. The government - and all public institutions - should not and cannot discriminate on any basis in a free society.)

Hypocrisy!

Sarah Palin and Creationism

I have been waiting since Sunday for NBC to post it's "Meet the Press" transcript from Tom Brokaw's interview with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, in which they discussed Sarah Palin's support for the teaching of creationism/intelligent design in public school science classes.

So that there is no confusion over my position on this issue, let me state it clearly: Creationism is an utterly insane belief that flies in the face of mountains of scientific evidence collected since Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. To claim that evolution is a theory, and therefore not scientifically sound, is to not understand what the word "theory" means. From its page in Wikipedia:

In science a theory is a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise verified through empirical observation. For the scientist, "theory" is not in any way an antonym of "fact". For example, it is a fact that an apple dropped on earth has been observed to fall towards the center of the planet, and the theories commonly used to describe and explain this behavior are Newton's theory of universal gravitation...and the general theory of relativity.

Visit this article in Wikipedia to see Evolution explained in this context.

Every single argument in support of creationism, and against evolution, falls apart under scientific scrutiny. Let's be clear: The only reason any person would believe in creationism is because they are a biblical literalist, and lacking any logical way to reconcile the Book of Genesis with science, they choose to dismiss scientific evidence. "The sky is blue? I just don't believe it."

Not that any definition of God could be considered logical, but I would propose that the most logical definition would be that God created the laws of science, and everything else happened as a consequence. This would include evolution.

So how does this relate to politics? It relates to the power of politicians to determine what your children are taught in public school. What is taught in science class should be based on the most current consensus of the scientific community. We don't teach that the Earth is flat, even though - believe it or not - some people still believe this. (You don't believe me? See this blog entry.) If creationism is taught at all, it should be in the context of "religious studies," an objective review of what people of different faiths believe. Frankly, this is probably better suited to the college level anyway. Creationism absolutely does not belong in a science classroom. Any politician who promotes this is demonstrating that their capacity for sound decision-making is compromised by their religious beliefs. Is this the kind of person you want with their finger anywhere near the nuclear trigger?

Here is the part of the "Meet the Press" transcript that I was referring to:

MR. BROKAW: In the governor's race, (Sarah Palin) refused to be specific about her views on creationism vs. evolution, but as I understand it, she did say that she thought that the two subjects should be taught side by side in public schools. Do you think that's a good idea?

GOV. PAWLENTY: I saw her comments on it yesterday, and I thought they were appropriate, which is, you know, let's--if there are competing theories, and they are credible, her view of it was, according to comments in the newspaper, allow them all to be presented, or allow them both to be presented so students could be exposed to both, and--or more, and have a chance to be exposed to the, to the various theories and make up their own minds.

MR. BROKAW: In the vast scientific community, do you think that creationism has the same weight as evolution, and at a time in American education when we are in a crisis when it comes to science that there ought to be parallel tracks for creationism vs. evolution in the teaching?

GOV. PAWLENTY: In the scientific community, it seems like intelligent design is dismissed. Not entirely, there are a lot of scientists who would make the case that it is appropriate to be taught and appropriate to be demonstrated. But in terms of the curriculum in the schools, in Minnesota we've taken the approach that that's a local decision, but I know Senator Palin, or Governor Palin, has said intelligent design is something she thinks should be taught along with evolution in the schools, and I think that's appropriate from my standpoint.

MR. BROKAW: Given, given...

GOV. PAWLENTY: But I believe--my personal view is that's a local decision.

MR. BROKAW: Given equal weight.

GOV. PAWLENTY: At the local school board.

MR. BROKAW: And you would recommend it be given equal weight.

GOV. PAWLENTY: We've said in Minnesota, in my view this is a local decision. Intelligent design is something that in my view is a plausible and credible and something that I personally believe in; but more importantly, from an educational and scientific standpoint, it should be decided by local school boards, by--at the local school district level.

100-Year-Old Woman Shot Dead

Does it get any sicker than this? From this article:

Jessie Burke celebrated her 100th birthday on Aug. 7. Three and half weeks later the matriarch of a well known family here was found shot dead in the back of the head, sitting in a chair in the den of her daughter's home...

Roman Invasion Promotes AIDS

Well, sort of. Enjoy this bizarre science story.

Islam's War on Freedom

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This fantastic commentary by my favorite YouTube commentator, Pat Condell, cuts right to the heart of how and why the Organization of the Islamic Conference is using the amoral, corrupt, destructive and useless United Nations to pursue their goal of fundamentalist Islamic world domination.

Jewish Dogs

The Koran teaches that Jews are - or are descended from - apes and pigs, as you can read about in this article. This is obviously insane if taken literally - as is often the case in the uneducated, brainwashed Muslim world - and is hateful, bigoted and destructive if taken figuratively - which is often the case in the educated, brainwashed Muslim world.

Let me just state as a disclaimer that obviously not all Muslims feel this way, but I have read a TON of books and articles concerning those who do. To those citizens of the non-brainwashed Muslim world: Thank you for not believing this garbage literally or figuratively, and we'd appreciate your help spreading the message.

It is on this sour note that I offer comedy as consolation. If Jewish apes and pigs need two more mammals for a "minyan," these dogs are ready to "daven."

Click on those links above for a quick Hebrew lesson.

Religious Belief and Practices in the U.S.

USA Today online has a very interesting interactive web page relating to U.S. religious beliefs and practices. You can visit it here.

Agnostic Bar Mitzvah Speech

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This 13-year-old boy demonstrates a lot more wisdom than the millions of people of every creed who express fundamentalist religious beliefs, or absolute certainty in their unsupportable convictions.

Bill O'Reilly Goes Berzerk

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This isn't new by any means, but it's funny nonetheless. Enjoy!

Al Qa'eda in Iraq Bans Women Buying Cucumbers

This story lives at the crossroads between insanity, comedy and cruelty. Some quotes from the article:

"(Al-Qa'eda's rules) include a ban on women buying suggestively-shaped vegetables."

"They regarded the cucumber as male and tomato as female. Women were not allowed to buy cucumbers, only men."

"Other farcical stipulations include an edict not to buy or sell ice-cream, because it did not exist in the time of the Prophet, while hair salons and shops selling cosmetics have also been bombed."

"They even killed female goats because their private parts were not covered and their tails were pointed upward, which they said was haram."

And on a less comical note:

"I saw them slaughter a nine-year old boy like a sheep because his family didn't pledge allegiance to them."

It's on this last note that we should be reminded why we must kick the crap out of Al Qu'eda wherever it rears its disgusting head.

No Reason...I Just Like This Image

Saudi Girl Executed for Becoming Christian

As if the world needed yet another example of the brutality and inhumanity of Islamist thugs, this story was reported by Israel Today:

A young girl in Saudi Arabia was brutally executed by her Muslim father this week after he learned his daughter had converted to Christianity.

Middle East business news website Zawya.com reported that the man, who is a prominent member of a "virtue committee," first cut out his daughter's tongue and held a one-sided religious debate with her. He then burned his daughter alive.

Observant Muslims hold that their Prophet Mohammed taught that Muslims who convert to any other religion must be killed, often in extremely brutal fashion.

When these scumbags treat their own daughters this way, what do you think they would do to yours?

Presidential Candidates' Space Policy

This blog has yet to endorse Obama or McCain, as both remain ripe for compliment or criticism, depending on what they say and do between now and November. But anything that either does that relates to the themes of this blog - science, religion, skepticism, general oddities - will be brought to your attention.

On that note, your reading assignment for today is Obama's space policy and McCain's space policy.

A disclaimer on the graphic above: This graphic is the weirdest image I could find online related to this topic. It does not, however, provide an endorsement of Obama.

Spaceship Could Fly Faster Than Light

The speed of light - about 670,616,629.4 miles per hour - is the ultimate speed limit of the universe, according to Einstein's theories and the vast quantity of supporting evidence and observation. As a result, this makes all but our most immediate cosmic neighborhood even remotely accessible. As a frame of reference, it takes light 4 years to reach the nearest star (other than the sun), and at the fastest speed currently attained by a manned vehicle, the journey would take about 110,000 years.

But maybe the ultimate speed limit can be "broken." Enjoy this article.

Corpse Kept Upright During 3-Day Wake

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A picture is worth 1000 words. But if you want to read the story, click here.

Woman Covered in Ticks from Head to Toe on Ferry

Think twice before taking your next Italian ferry ride. Once you read this story, you'll probably prefer to swim across the sea.

Guitarist for the 70's Band Queen Publishes Astrophysics Thesis

I couldn't have made this story up, it's so unbelievable...and impressive!

UFOs Are Real! (Claims Astronaut)

This is a story that I actually have mixed feelings about ridiculing, because I greatly wish it to be true. A former NASA astronaut, who walked on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission, claims that the government has been covering up repeated alien contacts for the last six decades.

How a government that could not cover up Watergate or Clinton's sexcapades could hide proof of little green men is not noted in the article.

By the way...BLOGICAL is back after a four month hiatus. This story seemed quite appropriate for its rebirth. Be sure to visit the archives for more interesting and entertaining reading!

Religious Nuts Nail Themselves to Crosses

Allow me to provide some choice quotes from this article:

"A 15-year-old boy has been crucified in the Philipines today in a gory ritual to mark the death of Jesus Christ."

"Dozens of Filipinos, including the boy and an 18-year-old girl, were nailed to crosses and scores more whipped their backs into a bloody pulp as the country's devout Roman Catholics marked Good Friday."

"In the small village of Cutud...men cried out as nails the size of pencils were driven into their hands and feet before they were hoisted up in the scorching heat."

"For hours before the crucifixions lines of men, hooded and half naked, flayed their backs with bamboo whips and paddles tipped with broken glass. Blood splattered over the road."

"The atmosphere was festive, with hawkers selling beer, ice-cream and souvenir whips."

"Some foreigners have previously been crucified including a Belgian nun and a Japanese man, who later allowed footage of his ordeal to be used in a pornographic film."

As entertaining as this spectacle must be, I'd recommend this alternative, safe and proven method for those wishing to celebrate Easter:

Iran's Anti-Gay Jihad

"On July 19, 2005...two teenage boys, Mahmoud Asgari, 14, and Ayaz Marhoni, 16, were hanged in a particularly brutal manner in Iran for the crime of homosexual activity."

This occurred despite the contention by "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who famously declared at Columbia University last year: 'We don’t have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have that in our country. We don’t have this phenomenon; I don’t know who’s told you we have it.'"

What a deranged son-of-a-bitch.

These quotes come from this article, which discusses Iran's executions of homosexuals in the context of an asylum issue in Britain, which almost exported an Iranian gay man towards the same fate as the boys pictured above.

Yet again, Iran shows itself to be unworthy of membership in the community of nations. That it takes its legal code from the Koran and Hadith should demonstrate - as does jurisprudence in Saudi Arabia and Taliban-era Afghanistan - that any society that institutionalizes Islam in its legal code is at odds with our civilization.

The de-Islamification of these governments - as opposed to its population - is the first and most critical step towards peaceful coexistence. Until that happens - and it will only be successful when undertaken from within by their own populations - these countries should be isolated and detached from the world community. Unfortunately, the power they've been granted by the oil under their soil makes this isolation exceedingly difficult... another argument for investing in alternative energy resources.

Boyfriend Might Be Charged in Toilet Case

An update in the disturbing toilet case.

Hostages' Severed Fingers Sent to U.S. Military in Iraq

"Severed fingers of five Western contractors were sent to the U.S. military in Iraq, giving the men's relatives hope that they are still alive...The men were abducted in two separate incidents that occurred a month and a half apart more than two years ago."

Is there any better example of the inhumanity of whom we're fighting? These are the same animals that brought you the tragic Nick Berg beheading, among others.

Whether or not you believe we should remain in Iraq or not, there should be no doubt that our enemy - there, in Afghanistan and in Islamist jihadist enclaves across the Middle East - is barbaric and incapable of living peacibly with its neighbors. No matter how it is accomplished, our end goal should be nothing short of disempowering and isolating these monsters until they are ready to join the human race. I doubt this will happen in the lifetime of anyone currently alive today.

Woman Sat on Toilet for 2 Years

You've got to read it to believe it.

Arabic Debate About Islam

Below is a debate between Wafa Sultan, the Syrian-born American critic of Islam, and an Egyptian Islamist on an Arabic television program. This is yet another example of the complete and utter disconnect between the "realities" of the Western and Islamic worlds. There are two totally different world histories presented (despite historical evidence) and two totally different perceptions of current world events.

Until Islam is reformed from within, including the elimination of the fantasy world in which many of its inherents live, peace with the West is so unlikely that it is practically impossible.

An Insider's View of Scientology

Below you can hear an interview of Tory Christman, a 30-year member of the Church of Scientology, from the podcast Point of Inquiry. Most interesting is her perspective on the aggressive anti-free speech activities of the church.

One needs only listen to Tom Cruise to get an idea of how nonsensical this oddball church is (not to mention its having been founded by a science fiction author). But to understand the most bizarre aspects of its theology/cosmology, read this article on Xenu, an alien through whom science fiction meets religious cult fact.

Moms Allegedly Brawl at Chuck E. Cheese

From the Associated Press:

NATICK, Mass. (AP) -- A child's birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant was cut short after a fight broke out between two mothers. Natick police said the mom of the 9-year-old birthday boy apparently became enraged because the other woman's son was "hogging" an arcade game.

Sgt. Paul Thompson said Catherine Aliaga, 38, and Tarsha Williams, 33, both of Boston, would be summoned into court to answer charges of simple assault and battery stemming from the scuffle.

Thompson told the MetroWest Daily News that police received a number of 911 calls about the fight Saturday night.

He said what started as a birthday celebration turned into a "birthday melee."

The Great Silence

Today's reading assignment considers the possibility that we might never meet other civilizations in the universe, and that we ourselves might unavoidably be doomed to extinction.

This article provides an interesting counter-argument to my post from December 31, 2007.

Such a sobering thought...

The End of the World is Predicted

This is no story from the Weekly World News. Scientists are predicting that the Earth will spiral into an expanding Sun in 7.6 billion years. But long before this happens, in "a billion years or so you've got an Earth with no atmosphere, no water and a surface temperature of hundreds of degrees, way above the boiling point of water...It will become completely impossible for life of any kind to exist. It's a pretty gloomy forecast."

Unfortunately, the latest prediction for time until there is peace in the Middle East is 7.7 billion years, so all this fighting may prove to be for naught.

On a more serious note, according to physicist Stephen Hawking, "The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe." Let's just hope that in the near future, the level of enthusiasm for space travel returns to that of the days of the space race of the 1960's.

Saudis Arrested for Flirting at Shopping Mall

57 men were arrested this past Thursday in Saudi Arabia for flirting with women outside a shopping mall. Their lawbreaking behavior "included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing." This is one sick society.

Of course, these men have it a lot better than the Saudi woman accused of witchcraft, who faces beheading for her "crimes:"

2001: A Space Odyssey - 40 Years Old and Still a Masterpiece

This year marks the 40th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The film was - and remains -  a landmark science fiction movie (as well as a novel), groundbreaking in its storytelling and special effects.

Those familiar with the movie might enjoy this unique Flash animation called "Kubrick 2001 - The Space Odyssey Explained."

Below you will find the last 22 minutes of the film (split into three videos), which might be the most unique, mind-bending, psychedelic - and for the new viewer, confusing and aggravating - 22 minutes of film in movie history.

Iranian Sentenced to 4 Months in Jail and 30 Lashes for Walking Dog

In yet another example that the Muslim world wishes to squeeze all the happiness out of the lives of its citizens, an Iranian Man has been punished as the title suggests for walking his dog, because "Islam considers dogs to be impure." Jailing and beating dog owners, on the other hand, is a fine example of purity.

Demonstrating the hypocrasy of a Saudi prince, "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently provoked debate in Iran about dog ownership when he took possession of four guard dogs, bought in Germany for approximately $161,040 each."

Scientists on Iraqi TV Debate Whether the Earth is Flat

The video below shows excerpts from a debate on Iraqi television, between a physicist who argues that the Earth is a sphere, and an "astronomer" who believes it is flat.

The basis for the flat-earther's argument is:

"No verse in the Koran indicates that the Earth is round or that it rotates. Anything that has no indication in the Koran is false."

While this particular debate is comical, its implications are not. Aristotle declared that the Earth was a sphere about 2350 years ago, yet the absence of this information in the Koran is enough for an Iraqi "astronomer" to disbelieve the blatantly obvious. If the Koran says the sky is purple, then by god, it must be purple!

The formal education for many Muslims, especially in the Middle East, is limited to memorization of the Koran, an understanding of the Hadith, and a distorted history of Islam. If there are those capable of believing that the world is flat, how can you "unlearn" their beliefs about killing infidels?

Ahmadinejad Calls for Death to Israel

Clash of Civilizations

In the four days since my last posting, there have been three news stories from the Arab/Muslim world that clearly demonstrate the complete lack of common ground we in the West have with their societies. Many people find the concept of a "clash of civilizations" to be offensive, but as these news items demonstrate, the term is only inappropriate in that it elevates these dysfunctional states to the level of "civilization," when in fact they are as uncivilized as the Nazis were.

Cases in point:

In Egypt, people with HIV are being arrested and forcibly put into "special clinics." Furthermore, in the typical Islamic treatment of homosexuals, "four men were convicted in mid-January of 'habitual practice of debauchery,' a term used in the Egyptian legal system for consensual homosexual acts...Those men have been sentenced to one-year prison terms." Too bad for Egypt that they can't be like Iran, which according to President Ahmadinejad has no homosexuals, despite evidence that homosexuals are executed there.

A woman in Saudi Arabia is set to be executed for practicing witchcraft and performing supernatural acts. This places their backwards government at least 300 years behind the United States, to the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Part of the evidence against this poor Saudi woman is that "a man allegedly became impotent after being bewitched by" the woman. Unbelievable!



Also in Saudi Arabia, Valentine's Day was banned, as was the color red, on February 14, because the holiday was deemed "un-Islamic:"

"Buying, selling, wearing, or displaying anything red including red roses, clothes, wrapping paper, teddy bears and gift boxes were all illegal on this holiday for those in love. A few days prior to Valentine’s Day, flower shops and other stores were warned that they must remove all red items from their shelves...Government authorities let it be known that they were not going to tolerate any public displays of affection on February 14th. Though they claimed that Valentine’s Day promotes prohibited relations between unmarried men and women, public expressions of affection between married couples on that date was equally prohibited."

Despite Albert Brooks' attempt to find comedy in the Muslim world, the reality is that these are humorless, repressed, emotionally stunted societies, and that's largely the reason behind this clash of civilizations. That's not to say that there is something different in the nature of these people. Any religion followed in strict adherence to its ancient, tribal, desert ideology, traditions and laws is going to be soul-crushing. But Islam is alone in today's world in its being institutionalized in theocratic dictatorships. Any citizen of these countries who would prefer not to be ruled by lunatic dictates of the Koran have no choice but to restrict their objections to their own quiet thoughts.

Lucky for us, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are our allies. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Man Claims to be JFK's Love Child

I know this sounds like a story worthy of the Weekly World News, but it's true: An American living in Canada claims to be JFK's illegitimate son, and wants to take a DNA test to prove it.

At least Bill Clinton practiced safe extramarital sex.

World's Largest Christ Statue Struck by Lightning

Lightning has struck the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm sure the religious and superstitious the world over will be reading meaning into this event. And like a work of art, it is open to any and all interpretations. Mine would be that:

"Electricity seeks the path of lowest resistance. Arcing to a tall (typically wet) thing usually has a much lower electrical resistance than arcing through the air to the ground."

But then, I'm just a caustic skeptic.

The Plight of Women in Basra

"We warn against not wearing a headscarf and wearing makeup.
Those who do not abide by this will be punished.
God is our witness, we have notified you."

These words were painted in Arabic in red paint just outside the main downtown market in Basra, Iraq. And they are no mere threat. Last year, 133 women were killed in Basra - 79 for violation of "Islamic teachings" and 47 for honor killings:

"There are many motives for these crimes and parties involved in killing women, by strangling, beheading, chopping off their hands, legs, heads...two women were killed in front of their kids. Their blood was flowing in front of their kids, they were crying. Another woman was killed in front of her 6-year-old son, another in front of her 11-year-old child, and yet another who was pregnant."

"The attacks on the women of Basra have intensified since British forces withdrew to their base at the airport back in September, police say. Iraqi security forces took over after British troops pulled back, but are heavily infiltrated by militias."

Whether or not you feel we were justified in going to war, and whether or not you think we should leave, let's be honest about two things:

(1) To call the people we're fighting "animals" is unfair to animals.

(2) If and when we leave, there will be a bloodbath and barbarism beyond belief in the civil war that will follow.

To agree with these statements does not necessarily commit you to either side of the "leave or stay" debate, but to deny them suggests that you cannot or will not look reality in the face.

Exorcism Center to Open in Poland

It looks like I'm not the only one noticing all these exorcism stories in the news recently (here, here, here and here). A Polish priest "plans to build a 'spiritual oasis' that will serve as Europe's only center dedicated to performing exorcisms."

"With the blessing of the local Catholic archbishop and theological support from the Vatican, the center will aid a growing number of Poles possessed by evil forces or the devil himself."

Let me check my watch. This is the 21st Century, right? How could anyone be cynical about religion when the most recognizable religious figure on the planet, the Pope, provides his stamp of approval on such nonsense? A Catholic university in Rome even began offering courses in exorcism in 2005, obviously recognizing that demand for demon expulsion might exceed the availability of trained exorcists.

My favorite quote from the article: "Exorcists said they are careful not to treat people suffering from mental illness." Apparently this criteria is not applied to the exorcists themselves.

Newspapers Refuse to Print Cartoon That Satirizes Radical Islam

Growing up, my favorite comic strip was "Bloom County" by Berkeley Breathed. It offered a hilarious social commentary during its 1980-89 run. Breathed now has a comic strip called "Opus," which I stumbled upon today when thumbing through a newspaper over a latte at Starbucks. That led me to looking up these comic strips on Wikipedia, which in turn led me to discovering a news story from this past August.

It seems that several newspapers refused to run the August 26 Opus strip because a character decides she wants to become a radical Islamist...and goes on to explain why. One frame of the strip is above, but you can see the whole comic here.

Newsflash: We're at WAR with radical Islam. If the country had been scared to satirize Nazis during World War II, we might have found ourselves speaking German today. And when we did poke fun at the enemy, we weren't implicating every German, just as poking fun at fundamentalists doesn't denigrate moderate Muslims.

These newspapers were likely afraid to set off riots in the form of those in Europe and across the world during the Mohammed cartoon controversy (which resulted in over 100 deaths). I must wonder if the same sensitivity would have been exercised if the comic strip had satirized radical Christians or Jews...because you must be careful about rioting rabbis.

Archbishop of Canterbury Calls for "Constructive Accommodation" of Sharia into British Law

The spiritual leader of the Anglican church "said on Thursday the introduction in Britain of some aspects of sharia, Islamic law, was unavoidable." While his intentions were surely aimed at finding a way to coexist peacefully with a rising Muslim population, the reality is that Sharia is the basis for law in such shining examples of human rights as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan under the Taliban. Whatever its merits, any system of law that allows men to beat their wives and executes adulterers and homosexuals does not belong among the jursiprudence of Western civilization.

In 2003 and 2004, the European Court of Human Rights ruled "that sharia s incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy." In the unfortunately growing trend of European liberals willing to snap to the most unmoderate of Islamic demands, the Archbishop of Canterbury is applying yet another nail in Europe's coffin.

When the future Dhimmis of Europe look back at how they ended up as second-class citizens in their societies, they'll think about well-intentioned individuals like the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Hamas Continues to Launch Rockets from Gaza as TIME Condemns Israel

I think I'm going to cancel my subscription to TIME Magazine. I've noticed for awhile that their coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unbalanced. But this article about the Gaza border breach might be the straw that broke this camel's back. There is ample space given to describing the difficulties under which the Gazan Paelestinians live, with blame laid squarely on Israel. But almost no indication is given as to why Israel has blockaded this dysfunctional political entity. The primary notice that is given is:

"The wild exodus from Gaza, which included more than one-fifth of the territory's 1.5 million people, was just a brief respite from the reality of life under Israel's blockade, which had been tightened on Jan. 17 in response to rocket attacks from Gaza soil."

"In response to rocket attacks from Gaza soil?" Who launched the rockets from Gaza? Colonel Sanders and his army of fry cooks?

This is a classic example of framing Israel's actions in an active voice (as you will see by the article), but framing the Palestinian role in a passive voice, as if they had no role in their own actions. Unbelievable!

The photos above come from a Gaza rocket factory, where up to 100 rockets are produced per night (and this is just from ONE factory). Up to fifty rockets per day rain down on southern Israel.

Israel provides Gaza with nearly 70% of its electrical power, which would be analogous to the United States providing electrical power to Mexico while under rocket attack from its customers. No other society on Earth would be expected to provide electricity - as well as fuel - to an enemy seeking its destruction (and if you doubt that, then explain why the Hamas charter calls for the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state).

Israel escalated its existing blockade of Gaza (in response to the unending rocket barrage) on January 17. "They stopped the flow of commercial goods, reduced the flow of fuel, and began letting through only humanitarian aid, such as food and medicines." They did NOT cut electrical power. But in response, "Hamas closed the single power plant that provided most of the power to Gaza City," in order to elicit world sympathy and pressure Israel, as usual, without addressing the reasons for the blockade in the first place. They even staged blackouts to fool journalists.

This drama led to Hamas blowing up parts of the border wall between Gaza and Egypt, and 12 days of free movement of Gazans into Egypt (until Egypt resealed the border last week). During the breach, the Gazans were able to "bolster their stores of weapons and explosives," which will inevitably aid them in more attacks against Israel.

For Israel, can you say, "No win situation?"

But none of this was reflected in the TIME Magazine article, which only painted the sad plight of the average Gazan, and denounced Israel for creating this situation. Now if I could find so much evidence to the contrary in a simple article search - reflected in the numerous links above, which I encourage you to review - could there be any excuse for TIME other than a severe bias against Israel?

Priorities

A woman in St. Augustine, Florida was pulled over yesterday after running a red light. The police deputy discovered her priorities when he found that she "had a case of beer belted in her front seat, but a young child unrestrained" in the back seat.

When the deputy asked the woman, Tina Williams, "for a driver's license, she replied, 'I never had one.'"

Police said Williams had bloodshot and watery eyes and staggered when she got out of the vehicle. Asked if she'd been drinking, she told the deputy, 'I had a few.'"

To vote for Tina Williams as Mother of the Year, please drop your ballot off at the nearest pub.

Iranian Sisters Face Stoning for Adultery

Those "civilized" Persians, the children of one of the great ancient empires, have yet again shown themselves to be just another society stuck in the backward wasteland of fundamentalist Islam, the tribal trappings of the desert forever impeding the development of a modern society.

"Two Iranian sisters convicted of adultery face being stoned to death after the supreme court upheld the death sentences against them."

In a family of dysfunctional Muslim countries, Iran is the Grandfather of Dysfunction. With stories like this being unfortunately commonplace, it should be clear that Iran has no interest in being part of the community of nations, no interest in developing a peaceful nuclear program, no interest in stopping its support of terrorism, no interest in helping to create peace in Iraq, no interest in backing away from its aggression toward Israel.

Like the Wahabbis of Saudi Arabia and the Taliban of Afghanistan, the Iranians want to export their diseased beliefs, their horrific application of Sharia, across the region and eventually the world. We must remain steadfast in our confrontation with Iran, and make sure that they are not provided the opportunity to acquire or develop nuclear weapons.