Florida State House of Reps pass a bill requiring (a 24 hour) waiting time and ultrasound before abortions. Pretty cool.

On the topic of eco-liberal quasi-religious sacred cows that will be reversed in 10 years, a woman had to pay $2,004.28 to an environmental cleanup firm because she dropped a CFL light bulb in her daughter's bedroom.

I read some funny points on Fark.com today. Somebody posted points derived from the infamous Banana video.

1. Is shaped for human hand.
2. Has non-slip surface.
3. Has outward indicators of inward content: Green-too early; Yellow-just right; Black-too late.
4. Has a tab for removal of wrapper
5. Is perforated on wrapper
6. Bio-degradable wrapper.
7. Is shaped for human mouth.
8. Has a point at top for ease of entry.
9. Is pleasing to taste buds.
10. Is curved towards the face to make eating process easy.

This example of intelligent design proves that God exists, quod erat demonstrandum. It is an atheist's worst nightmare.

Someone else replied to the Banana Post with a Coconut Post.

1. Is not shaped for the human hand.
2. Has unappealing, hairy surface.
3. Outward appearance gives no clue to inward content.
4. Is extremely difficult to open.
5. No easy perforations to open with.
6. Everything is bio-degradable given enough time!
7. Is not shaped for human mouth.
8. Has no handle at top for ease of entry.
9. Is not pleasing to taste buds, unless you're one of the few sickos who like coconuts.
10. Does not curve towards the face to make eating process easy.
11. About 150 people a year are KILLED by falling coconuts.

The coconut proves God does not exist, quod erat demonstrandum.

Good times, Good times...

Can someone explain why people even try? Do they not understand the concept of faith? (Or the leap of faith?) Maybe I'm wrong for thinking this--but I just kinda shake my head and chuckle. Both sides will be coming from an entrenched dogma, and nothing will be "proven" or "disproven"--because dogma lies outside the realm of science.

Best-selling Author Will 'Prove' God's Existence

ABC to Air LIVE Atheist Debate with Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort

Contact: Mark Spence, 562-920-8431 ext. 304, mark@livingwaters.com

MEDIA ADVISORY, April 26 /Christian Newswire/ -- After ABC ran a story in January about hundreds of atheists videotaping themselves blaspheming the Holy Spirit, best-selling author Ray Comfort contacted the network and offered to prove God's existence, absolutely, scientifically, without mentioning the Bible or faith. He and Kirk Cameron (co-hosts of an award-winning Christian TV program) challenged the two originators of the "Blasphemy Challenge" to a debate on the existence of God. According to Comfort, he and Cameron (an ex-atheist) are qualified to debate on the subject. Comfort had not only written a book titled "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists", but had spoken at Yale on the subject of atheism, and been flown by American Atheists, Inc., to their 2001 annual convention to be a platform speaker.

Matt--care to discuss the differences between a Chinese math test and an English math test?

And Scott--Just wondering if you think that the media is actually doing the responsible thing by not giving these punks idolic (insert appropriate word of choice) airplay? Or do they think that this story, which pales in comparison to others, is less of a money-maker? Have I mentioned that I've lost all respect for the mainstream media?

Our 10 year anniversary is coming up pretty soon...so I'm wondering just how crazy to make it. The three of us travel quite well, and little dada really doesn't know any of her grandparents worth a damn--so I don't feel comfortable with that long-term (child care) option. Thoughts? Is 10 years a milestone worth making an issue of, or can we just go along--business as usual?

So here's an update on my wife's school. Apparently, the school was being watched by police for several days as rumors had been circulating that someone was planning to bomb the school. Then, one of the resident geniuses that was arrested for the planned bombing started talking to his classmates about the gloves he brought to school because he didn't want any DNA evidence left behind. I don't know... when I hear that this moron was worried about leaving DNA evidence in a bombing, I can't help but wonder whether the educational system has failed him. Maybe if we threw some money into that black hole. What do you think?

As for the other two Sherlocks, they were let go. Apparently, they were just friends of the guilty party and were under suspicion.

It's amazing how little of this has actually hit the newspaper. There was a brief blurb on the nightly news, but that didn't even mention an arrest.

Regarding Terrapass ... I'm just curious. Were the factories that were used to produce not one, not two, but three variations on car decals/stickers run by environmentally sound energy sources. And if not, do I need to purchase additional Terrapass points to cover the emissions used to generate my decals that tell people exactly how environmentally conscious I am?

I'm actually okay with one square per visit so long as that one square is 14-ply!

Hey Matt,

When I heard people compare liberalism to a secular religion, I thought it was a dumb idea. But I read more about it, listened more about it, and thought more about it. And now--I think they're right. Liberalism, especially is current trendy manifestation--eco-liberalism, is a religion. And their religion is designed to raise humanity such that it eclipses God. I mean--I still can't get over the concept of carbon credits as an indulgence for sin. [Apparently, I can atone for my automotive sins for the low-low price of $49.95. (Includes tax and shipping.)]

Some guy wrote a piece on it that seems to have some pretty good points. It may be worth your time.

And Scott--don't split hairs with an alternate definition of liberalism. We all know who I'm talking about.

P.S. Wonder if any of you guys saw this article (or series or articles, rather) on a homeless family. And on the topics of all things disturbing, here's yet another example of broken humanity.

First Rosie O'Donnell lectures us on physics, now Sheryl Crow is coming up with ideas on how to prevent global warming.

Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. One of my favorites is in the area of forest conservation which we heavily rely on for oxygen. I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. Now, I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where 2 to 3 could be required.

Wow. Where to start.

Firstly, I love how she starts out saying that she "proposes a limitation", then backs off and says she doesn't want to rob us of our "rights". So... is this no idea whatsoever? Does she just mean adding it to the ever-growing list of things you should do to be a good liberal person and assuage your guilt over destroying the earth?

Secondly, one square per sitting?!? Geez, at that point, why bother using any at all?

Thirdly, coming from a family of tree-farmers, the whole let's-use-less-paper thing kind of eludes me. I mean, yes, total and permanent deforestation would be bad. But trees are a renewable resource. It's called sustainable forestry, and it's been done for centuries. I'm just saying, can we differentiate between that and clear-cutting 100 acres for a strip mall?

Scott--I gotta be honest. Your account is quite surreal to me--and it baffles my mind why NBC would make an evil-doer into a pop-culture icon (at least in the minds of some). There really is a drive-by media, and they are a part of it. So then I just read an article about Kennesaw, Ga--and it honestly makes me wonder. Liberal America may have it wrong. (Again). Follow the data, not the dogma.

Are any of you guys following the receeding freedom within Russia?

So I got to thinking the other day: doesn't it just burn you that Pythagoras is given credit for theorems he didn't even discover. What a joke!

Scary Moments in Marriage #31 ...

My wife's school was evacuated today because rumors circulated that someone was planning to bomb it. Turns outs, the rumors were true. Three students were arrested. More info to follow ...

A couple of things:
1. The Simpsons turn 20 years old today. (Man--do I feel old.)

2. Since I don't really pleasure read Since I subscribe to the new media, I was wondering if there would be any interest from you guys to start some kind of podcast club? Maybe listen to a designated netcast (presumably religious in nature) just to have something in which to banter? (I still keep up w/ my old church in McLean via podcast. And I've picked up a few others since then.) Anyway, might be fun to banter about--if people are interested.

3. A friend and I have bantered around the concept of creating a 'stuttering podcast'--more or less to exploit the new media relative to the self help movement. We recorded ourselves for the first time yesterday, and I don't think we sucked. Regardless, there is still room for improvement. Anyway--if anyone wants to hear it (and offer constructive tough-live criticism), let me know.

Karma is certainly an interesting phenomenon. The very same person who tried to get me kicked out of graduate school, and said (to my face) that I had nothing to offer the field because I had yet to "fix myself" has submitted a paper under my review. I guess what sets me apart from someone like her is that I evaluated her submission (i.e., quality) on the merits of her work, rather than the (prejudice) within my heart.

Hey, thanks Blaise, but your little game theory diagram is woefully simplified.

I was tempted to stop here. No one disrespects Pascal like that on my watch! He had more understanding of matters of faith and human nature than this guy has in his pinky finger. I wonder if he's ever actually read the Pensées himself. Actually, I'm pretty sure I know the answer.

Oh, and contemptuously calling Pascal "Eurocentric"?!? What, you mean like 99.99% of 17th-century Europeans? What is this guy, a college sophomore who recently had a professor "open his eyes to a lot of stuff"?

And when I saw that 95% of the page length was comments... I didn't even bother going there.

Scrolling through this made me spit water on my monitor. It's worf your time:

"Stand up to a corrupt God and demand dignity for the entire human race beyond my tribe."

Enjoy the mind candy. The arrogance baffles the mind...

Why is it that when I say stuff like this (albeit not nearly as well), I'm told I "just don't get it"?

A man who doesn’t respect himself wastes his breath demanding that others respect him.

We don’t respect ourselves right now. If we did, we wouldn’t call each other the N-word. If we did, we wouldn’t let people with prison values define who we are in music and videos. If we did, we wouldn’t call black women bitches and hos and abandon them when they have our babies.

If we had the proper level of self-respect, we wouldn’t act like it’s only a crime when a white man disrespects us. We hold Imus to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. That’s a (freaking) shame.

Study: Abstinence classes don't stop sex

$1bn 'don't have sex' campaign a flop as research shows teenagers ignore lessons

Is this worth talking about?

Rarely does one find comments (such as on Digg or Fark) that are worth one's time... but this one seemed to be quite profound...

Yeah, war should definitely be fair (/sarcasm). Our unfair advantage is technology and money, theirs is the fanatic desire and pride in their religion causing them to kill themselves. War is not what it once was.

I would also posit that they are not holding themselves back secondary to (white) guilt. (Arab guilt.) Had we wanted to solve the problem, the problem would have been solved by now at the expense of civilian casualties.

P.S. Anyone catch this great debacle? "To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused," Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong said in a statement. What the heck does that mean? And when are we going to drop this apology culture anyway?

Please excuse my short attention span; heaven help me if I ever start using twitter.

Anyone wanna talk about the Dropped Duke Lacrosse Case? Anyone think they should go after the accuser? Or the DA that played the race card prior to his re-election?

P.S. My Apple laptop broke. Apple sux. They're dead to me, for the time being.

Oh. My. I just read something off the Huffington Post, and I agreed with it. Looks like I'm going to have to take a working lunch today. In other news: Best Fark headline ever: Jessie "Hymietown" Jackson refuses to accept Imus's apology. Headline pretty much says it all.

Oh. My. Gosh. I stumbled upon this guy who has over 150k in unsecured (credit card) debt, and approximately 2.2 million in (bad flipping) real estate debt. I think he's 24 years old. So I took a little time to hear him on TalkShoe, and the guy seems to honestly view debt as monopoly money. His denial and baseless buzzword speak is astounding. In a sense, I really feel bad for the guy--but he's hanging in the gallows with a smile on his face; but then again, there's no saving people that willingly live in the denial of reality.

Is anyone seriously considering investing their time and money in Grindhouse? I'm lookin' to take a break (perhaps tomorrow afternoon)--so it's under consideration.

A couple of good posts from the BHT about the whole Don Imus thing.

In the second one is a link to a book coming out this summer that Greg might actually have to read in print, rather than wait for it to be released in MP3 format.

There went Monday...

Hey M--

A little personal dirty pleasure, but Gene Simmons Family Jewels is actually a pretty funny show. The kids, in particular, seem to be remarkably well adjusted.

Anyway--in this weeks episode, both parents had face-lifts.. And these weren't little 90120 tucks; these were massive nasty-post-surgery face-lifts. And the kids seem to take it really really hard.

So ask your wife if there's any new or budding research about children's coping with severe physical changes in their parents' appearance. Cuz, I mean--there's gotta be. Gotta be.

Now really... who's idea was this?

So M is back into Politics? :)

So there you have it. Congress will soon enact legislation to impose a tax on poor people that will directly pass to Chinese companies, contribute to lower literacy and less personal hygiene while making industrial policy that will increase greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and spread a hazardous heavy metal into the environment.

(More later--gotta go out on a date with my baby boo.)

Speaking of presidential hopefuls (... okay, well I was anyway), I liked what I read in this little blurb in Time about Huckabee.

"I'm a 'grace' Christian," Huckabee told me over lunch recently, "not a 'law' Christian. The Second Commandment--do unto others--is the basic tenet of my faith. And so I believe that life begins at conception, but I don't believe it ends at birth. I believe we have a responsibility to feed the hungry, to provide a good education, a safe neighborhood, health care... That's why I talk so much about the need for music and art programs in our schools. I know some conservatives think it's foolish, but I just believe it's necessary to build whole, creative individuals."

He seems like a good guy, with some good ideas, but unfortunately that alone won't make him a good president.

Of course first he needs to start by fixing that whole "never heard of him" problem.

VA Patient Has Wrong Testicle Removed.

No commentary is needed.

Can anyone tell me how buying a carbon offset is any different from purchasing an indulgence? Perhaps liberalism really is a religion after all?

Greg's earlier post prompted me to do a little Google search, and lookie what I found!

Scorched Earth 2000

Looks like multiple players can play each other online... and chat... I think that's going to have to happen some day.

This line of research really tweaks my noodle:

In 2000, scientists revealed T. gondii could modify the brains of rats to make them attracted to cat urine instead of afraid of it. Researchers suspect the germ does so to make it easier for (the parasitic germ) to jump into cats to begin the sexual part of its life cycle.

And this is totally off topic, but at some point--I need to go off on a rant dealing with the negative consequences of political correctness and white guilt in the education system. The stuff that's going on--at least in this area--is utterly beyond my comprehension.

Addicting. Oh my gosh this is the coolest game ever. Could this be used in a Math Class? (Or Scorched Earth, for that matter?)

First off--a quick thanks to M for supporting my family’s language and literacy. Apparently after reading that I don’t read (for enjoyment), he quickly provided my daughter with Dr. Seuss board books, and a Language of God ebook. (!) Both are being enjoyed, by the way... :)

But relative to S, it sounds like I’ve partially explained myself. If someone does bad thing X and then plays the Jesus card to demand forgiveness, they have not demonstrated sufficient repentance to suggest that true healing is in process. And these two variables are not on the same continuum; I can certainly forgive someone for their actions with a strong desire to see them denied to the authority in which they previously abused. So my point, as I thought I was making it, was to suggest that the use of the Jesus card is not an act of repentance--but rather (something else that I can’t quite put my finger on) that seems to be based in the perpetuation of the sins that brought them there, personal selfishness and the evasion of personal accountability. [FYI: Courtney's parents used the Jesus card on her relative to sins (such as a Class C Felony) that they have committed against her, but have yet to even acknowledge.]

So in essence, perhaps our thinking is in alignment after all. Or is it? Because in the next paragraph, you seem to espouse some really great theory with troubling practical application. If I was to interpret you correctly, my desire to keep a crooked pastor out of leadership, simply to avoid future fiscal and emotional abuses, is to be “every bit as guilty as he is in terms of failing to live as Christ commands”?

Shenanigans. To suggest that forgiveness, acceptance of continued abuse, and judgment are all on the same continuum is a non sequitur. These are 3 entirely distinct issues, all having their own continuum. And to me, it seems that you're suggesting that acceptance and judgment are along the same continuum, thereby suggesting that acceptance of the current abuse is somehow related with the other two. No sir, I'll opine not.

I've thought a bit about this, relative to what to do with people actively committing offenses against one's self. And while I know the “walk the extra mile” and “give them your tunic too” passage--and I must be honest to write that I’m not sure I truly get it. My current theory is to suggest that one recognizes abuse, recognize that the abuse is secondary to a fallen person, and then provide the divinely inspired grace through forgiveness of the (fallen) person in which to endure the consequences. And this requires a Christ-centered, rather than egocentric, world view. But this only works up unto a point...

And here’s why. Had I not established (and often aggressively defended) my own personal boundaries, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Rather, I would likely be in some paid-hourly type of “career” secondary to believing (and following) the exceedingly limited societal expectations for the stutterer.

You all primarily know me prior to the intra-personal awakening relative to how societally marginalized speech affects the person and often robs life choices. And perhaps somewhat similar to slave-thinking, I believed what people told me about myself. Stuttering is ugly; stuttering is optional; I am a failure in that I cannot control myself; stuttering (i.e., the anxiety tension in which it is manifested) is a character flaw; this character flaw indicates that I am less of a person; stutterers cannot communicate effectively; stutterers are of limited use and cannot (should not) accomplish what other (more fluent) speakers can. These are some of the messages fed to you since early childhood; and because parents and adult authority figures are usually the ones feeding you these messages, one believes them as reality. They are swallowed whole, with the psychological analytical skills of a 4 year old. But they become the foundation for your world view, nonetheless. And these unfounded prejudice go unfounded, in some, for a lifetime.

And throughout my life (and the lives of my people), abuses occur that (I) we allow--because (based on this bogus world view) we deserve it. Plenty of personal examples from elementary, junior, and high school could be given (as well as work-place examples)--but I’ll ignore some of these choice examples and go straight to college. (As that is where our relationships started.)

While at Wheaton, I had professors directly tell me to not take their classes for the sole reason of my stuttered speech. They actively tried to bar my enrollment. Imagine the consequences had their reasoning been based on race or ethnicity? When other professors were presented with the possibility that stuttering represents an unrecognized functional minority in that broad based active and documented societal marginalization occurs solely based on a distinct set of physical (albeit not skin-tone) features--sociology professors laughed. Only women, people of color, or different religion can be minorities. (Women = majority minority?) When at an externship for the schizophrenic population, I was treated like one of the clients--rather than a competent student on an education placement. Or later in graduate school, when (despite my academic and clinical success) the clinical staff decided that I should not be in the field (which my people largely founded) due to my inability to cure myself. And they did their best to kick me out of the graduate program. I can give countless other examples--some of which are far more pungent than these--but time and space are limited.

So when Paul writes about contentment, I view that to suggest that contentment absolves an egocentric perspective, thus allowing us to better serve with forgiveness, acceptance and grace. Similarly, perhaps this is tantamount to the mile/tunic passage--as the loss of egocentric entitlements allow for the better functioning Christian. That's my current theory, anyway...

But where does this (insanity) stop? Is this to read that I have allow people to abuse my wife or daughter? Should I have allowed people to functionally oppress me secondary to their unfounded negative prejudice of me (tertiary to my speech)? Maybe this is typical G-hyperbole, but had I accepted or allowed others to dictate my personal abilities or robbed my life choices, I could not have graduated from Wheaton with a psych degree, I would have allowed them to kick me out of a Master’s program, and then again out of a PhD program. (Correction--I couldn't have gotten there in the first place.) I would continue to view myself at fault for my own being, and an utter failure in life.

This lead to my current working theory, which is that forgiveness, judgment and persona boundaries are all distinctly different issues. And that one can honestly forgive another, without allowing them the power to continue the abuse. Or that one can accept another's actions without judgment, and even provide forgiveness--without alloting them the power to continue their abuse.

And as a complete aside, my life lessons have taught me that (my) personal judgment is utterly worthless... On the rare occaision, I have been wrong; but more importantly, the offending person will reap the consequences of their actions (i.e., values)--resulting in consequences significantly more powerful than those in which my 'judgment' could instigate. As such, I honestly don't see judgment as one of my jobs.

Forgive people as sinners, and accept their actions as consequences of who they are. Demonstrating divinely inspired grade to the broken actions of a fallen person, when appropriate. But allowing the perpetuation of unjust abuse or oppression is a tough sell to this broken man.