Some Sunday thoughts

Good morning, everyone. The rain has lifted here in Norman, and I am again struck by how easily depressed I can get when I don't see the sun. I am thinking of those in Houston and the Texas and Louisiana coast who are without power this morning.

Thanks for everyone's nice wishes about Trypod. We are not the only ones trying to raise money for his operation, but as of this morning, the fund is up to $480. If you would like to pitch in 10 bucks or so, you can do so here. A much better way to spend your money, I would add, than giving to some politician!

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I am in a mildly better mood this morning. SOF nicely did a Starbucks run. Normally we both go, but my back is often so stiff in the morning that I feel every bump. So not only is she mowing the lawn and doing all the heavy lifting, but she runs to Starbucks. I think she might be fond of me to put up with so much!

Anyway, that slight improvement in mood has pushed me toward the funny and irreverant this morning. I saw this yesterday, but set it aside. Anonymous Liberal (one of my regular reads) posted a take on Palin's interview on domestic policy. Seems clear that she has even less understanding of how our domestic policy operates than she does our foreign policy. That is some scary stuff. No offense to her. I am sure she could learn, but it is clear she has started the learning curve two months before possibly taking the second highest post in the land, with the hightest likelihood of any recent VP to become President.

BTW, I think we all gave Charlie Gibson too little credit. From what I have seen, he actually asked some difficult questions. Could have done better, but he at least asked them. But after watching the interview, AL thought Gibson should have responded like the teacher in Billy Madison:

"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

Unfortunately, Palin is not funny, but scary. Evidently my posting has attracted at least two Repubs or conservatives, and an emailer, who think that I am being unfair with Palin. I don't think so, but then again, I think someone this close to being President needs more scrutiny than McCain has given us. You can compare her to Obama all you want, but we have seen Barack pretty steadily for the last several years, and we watched him being vetted by an angry Hillary Clinton. We actually know more about his economic policies than John McCain's (his latest is a promise that he will "cut everyone's taxes" when even Alan Greenspan says that his economic plan is unsustainable, and one of his advisors admits the next Pres will have to raise some taxes). Palin has, so far, demonstrated only the ability to look good and repeat some relatively funny lines. Oh, and she lies like a conservative Evangelical. (I am reclaiming that term, Ubub)

Frank Rich notes today that Palin's own acceptance speech is creepy. First, she connects herself to a 20th-century vp (Truman) who was not unique for coming from a small town, but for taking office after the death of the top man. Second, she quoted from, though did not name, a right-wing columnist, Westbrook Pegler, when she spoke of how "we grow good people in our small towns."

Palin, who lies with ease about her own record, misrepresented Pegler’s too. He decreed America was “done for” after Truman won a full term in 1948. For his part, Truman regarded the columnist as a “guttersnipe,” and with good reason. Pegler was a rabid Joe McCarthyite who loathed F.D.R. and Ike and tirelessly advanced the theory that American Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe (“geese,” he called them) were all likely Communists.

Meanwhile, McCain and Palin continue to lie about her opposition to the Bridge, her world travels, her earmarks, and even inflating the crowd size of their rallies. Some of those are small, but many are large, and given the McCain camp's assertion that this election won't be about issues, and that they will continue to say what ever they want, regardless of the "media filter," their dedication to say whatever they think will work regardless of the truth is apparent.

As several writers have noted, this speaks to McCain's discussion about honor and patriotism. His continual lying is in complete denial of honor, and would get him in trouble if he were still in the military. He may have been honorable at one time, but no longer.

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And now for something completely different, this wonderful bit of comedy from the Wittenburg Door, entitled "Mark Driscoll kicks his own ass." Mark Driscoll invites people on stage to punch him. "When none of the five took a swing, Driscoll had them escorted from the building and proceeded to hit himself five times."

The rest of the session followed the same general tone, with Driscoll ridiculing insulated coffee cups, haiku and dental floss as feminine while extolling athletic cups, tobacco spit and broken load-bearing bones as being “essential for a pastor.”

The blogosphere heated up quickly in the wake of Driscoll’s talk. At Jesuswasaman.blogspot.com, one post read, “This is the only thing that will turn back the tide of the Church’s decline in America. Until more guys step up and start punching themselves in the face, people will continue to leave the Church.”

I also like the part about combining scripture study with "Muy Thai Stick Fighting."

It was great for a few weeks, until my worship pastor lost an eye. I had to make a tough call then and there: no more Muy Thai Stick Fighting at Kiona Community without protective face gear. I still think it might have been a spiritual compromise.”

Just brilliant.

And on that note, I hope you all have a good Sunday. Peace. And no Stick Fighting today. . .