Stories of inspiration and perspiration

Here come de big bang

The Specious Report reports that a fellow by name of Chapman saw an image of the Big Bang in a slice of toast!

"I was just about to spread the butter when I noticed a fairly typical small hole in the bread surrounded by a burnt black ring," said Mr. Chapman. "...the direction and splatter patterns of the crumbs, as well as the changing shades emanating outwards from this black hole, were very clearly similar to the chaotic-dynamic non-linear patterns that one would expect following the Big Bang. It's the beginning of the world!"

Once the news about this incredible event got out, atheists from throughout the U.K. descended upon the town of Huddlesfield. One man gushed "I have always been an atheist and to see my life choices validated on a piece of toast is truly astounding."

One "disgruntled activist" was not impressed. "Seeing is not believing," he said.

"Hail Mary," said I.


Militant Killed Dead

The guy who was suspected of fomenting the attacks on the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Marine barracks that killed several hundred Americans in the 1980's in Lebanon, has been killed in a car bomb in Syria.

Imad Mughniyeh is now cavorting with his 70 virgins.

Hezbollah blamed Israel for the killing. The Iranians are irate. "This action is yet another brazen example of organized state terrorism by the Zionist regime," whined the Irani Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mohammad Ali Hosseini.

Israel claims they didn't do it. Too bad. They should have done it if they didn't. And may they send many more of these terror-causing, murdering terrorists to Allah.

But isn't it just like the terrorists to blame Israel for terrorism? Maybe the CIA did it?

Sheesh! I'd say "Well done" to whoever did it, and may Allah welcome Mughniyeh to paradise!

Or may someone else welcome him somewhere else.


One more reason we can't trust the Bushites

This came from Maggie Mahar on Alternet, but appeared originally on "Health Beat."

Copies of a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) "study of environmental and health data in eight Great Lakes states that was scheduled for publication in July 2007" has been obtained by The Center for Public Integrity. This report noted that "elevated rates of lung, colon, and breast cancer; low birth weight; and infant mortality" were found "in several of the geographical areas of concern."

The report was pulled just before it was scheduled to be released. At the very same time, "its lead author, Christopher De Rosa, [was] removed from the position he held since 1992." Why?

A Canadian biologist Michael Gilbertson has some ideas. The government is afraid of becoming liable because "The governments, frankly, in both countries [the US & Canada] are so heavily aligned with, particularly, the chemical industry, that the word amongs the bureaucracies is that they really do not want any evidence of effect or injury out there."

We have read about the Bush administrations efforts to rewrite environmental findings previously. We know that the Bush administration routinely advises scientists to revise their results if said results do not conform to Bush theology.

This is, clearly, another example of such governmental malfeasance! The policy of the Bush administration was described perfectly by Mahar, "Corporate interests are protected--at the expense of the nation's citizens."

Please review the article in its entirely here.


The lying Christian right

On January 14, the first day that the Iowa House met in session, Imam Muhammad Khan of Des Moines, gave a prayer to the assembled politicos.

In the prayer, the Imam said a couple of things that got at least one person riled up. He prayed first in Arabic, but began by saying this in English: "I seek refuge in God against the accursed Satan in the name of God, most gracious, most merciful." He made no mention of Iraq or foreign affairs, but called God the "master of the day of judgment" and asked for "victory over those who disbelieve."

The prayer went on for about four minutes and was fairly standard stuff. For example, he said "We ask that you guide our legislators and give them the wisdom and knowledge to tackle the difficult problems that face us today..." He ended up by wishing the House members well on behalf of the Muslim community of Des Moines and Iowa.

Over on the Senate side of things, a Roman Catholic priest delivered the prayer. He didn't say anything controversial so far as I can tell.

But after the prayer by the Imam on the House side, one Republican, Gary Worthan of Storm Lake, via point of privilege got up and said he was offended by the prayer. That led to further discussion which led to the principals huddling together to work things out. Which they did. In fact, before the huddle broke up the Imam and Worthan hugged each other.

And life went on in Iowa.

Please note that Muslims clerics have been delivering prayers in the Iowa legislative branches for about five years.

Now, the Christian Right has grabbed on to this story and ridden it to the ground. What's interesting, though, is that in every Xtn Rite website I checked, the articles played up the Imam's remarks about "victory over those who disbelieve," and wept and cried about the terrible things that are happening in America because of our multi-culturalism and secularlism and how awful it was that a Muslim was praying in a state legislative session, and why can't everyone understand that we are a Christian nation and that God loves us more than any other people in the whole wide world!

However, not one mentioned the fact that this was not a big deal in Iowa. Not one mentioned the fact that the Imam and Representative Worthan talked through any potential misunderstanding and embraced following their talk.

In fact, the Xtn Rite has misrepresented the story in order to serve their own misguided religious and historical notions which are nonsense to begin with.

But...I must say that I find the prayer inappropriate. Not because it was delivered by a Muslim. I find any prayer in any state legislature inappropriate. Or, as another said, "It was inappropriate because America is a secular democracy with a Constitution that sure sounds an awful lot like we are supposed to keep religious lunacy out of official government business. It was inappropriate because, like any public expressions of religion by political figures, it is inherently divisive. It was inappropriate because it clearly disparaged nonbelievers, some of whom probably reside in Iowa. The fact that it was a Muslim prayer does not make it any more or less appropriate than a similar Christian prayer.

"This and many similar issues are easily solvable. End the practice of having public prayers of any sort in our state and federal legislative bodies. Let our representatives pray silently if they so desire..."

Sounds like a mighty fine idea, and very close to what Jesus said about saying your prayers in private and not in public! In fact, as I recall, the "Lord" of the fundys said clearly that God won't even listen to prayers uttered in the public square!

Yikes!