Jumping At The Chance

Let’s examine how the Left-wing blogosphere operates in this country:
1. Take a story that is confirmed by “three” “people” (unnamed, unidentified–no doubt that “journalistic privilege” thing). [Here‘s a follow-up. Thompson’s sources have been bad before.]
2. Allow every single Bush-hating blog on the internet to grab hold with glee.
3. When they cite the source, they generally say things like, “We don’t know if this is really true; but even if it isn’t, it sounds like it should be. WE KNOW THE TRUTH.”
4. They will go on to use the same tired, old “Bush=Hitler=Fascism=Any-other-bad-irrelevant-thing-we-can-think-of” canards that they’ve always used.
5. Then they will delight in the knowledge that they just knew this was the kind of thing the President was always thinking; now we’ve heard it with our own ea–, er, well, even if he didn’t say it, we know he was thinking it.
6. Watch the keyboards light up.
7. Watch Google hit on something like 346,000 internet pages, with not a single one being right-ward.
8. In fact, it seems that every major news organization, including the New York Times and the LA Times, have ignored this particular piece of “news.” Why might that be? Beholden to the vast right-wing conspiracy? Riiight.
9. Blogs such as this one exhibit a wonderful sense of the Fourth Commandment while repeating unconfirmed hearsay.

I’ve seen this in a few places, but I’m having trouble understanding why, in this age of technology and blogs, this particular story isn’t being YELLED from the rooftops, figuratively speaking. [Now that’s a good question. Maybe because it’s false, and it’s not worth any ink in a real newspaper?]

All of us who are outside the realm of the liberal/conservative bi-factional single ruling party (as I believe Vox puts it) know that this sort of thing is no surprise. It’s no surprise, but how often do we get a cookie of a quote like this? People need to keep this one and re-use it forever.

“Stop throwing those Ten Words in my face! They’re just a #$$^%#@^ piece of stone!”

Any such comments by the President would be far too convenient to actually have a chance of being true. They may think the President is stupid enough to actually say such a thing, but I don’t. Isn’t it interesting how they can’t decide if he’s a pushover being used by Big Business/Cheney/Rove/whoever, or he’s this tough-talking, get-my-way-or-else cowboy? Which is it? Is he being used, or is he doing the using?

The first tip-off should have been that the NYT did not have a front-page piece on this. Where are the news cameras when you really need them? Anyone get a tape recording? Is there an echo in here?

Timotheos

My Top Ten

Since you have all been waiting with bated breath for my opinion of the top ten CDs of 2005, I will indulge you and give them to you posthaste.

[In no particular order]
1. Drunkard’s Prayer, Over the Rhine. Quiet music should be played loudly.

2. On My Way To Absence, Damien Jurado. Heck, I met my wife at his concert. How can I not put him in my top ten?

3. Woman King, Iron and Wine.

4. Illinois, Sufjan Stevens. This is pretty darn near #1.

5. The Question, Emery. Better and better the more I listen to it.

6. …And The Rest Will Follow, Project 86. Consistently good.

7. Psychology, Discover America.

8. Tin Lily, Jeff Black. It hasn’t hit me as hard as his first one, Birmingham Road, but this is good.

9. Friendly Fire, Bill Mallonee. “Apple of Your Eye” is perhaps the best song of the year.

10. O’ God, The Aftermath, Norma Jean. I can’t say this is an album I could listen to regularly–it takes a “special” mood–but the artwork on this album is the coolest I’ve seen in years.

Give me yours!

Timotheos

More Integrity Like This

This is what integrity looks like. If only more pastors/priests could take the same steps.

This has nothing to do with whether the Vatican’s document is right or not. (From what I’ve read, I think it is.) This is about having the guts to remove yourself if you can’t agree to confess what your church confesses. There are far too many pastors in denominations of all stripes who want to hold their personal views but still claim to be faithful members of their denominations. Here’s a hint: if you disagree with every single thing your denomination stands for or puts out, you might be in the wrong place. At least have the integrity to admit it.

Timotheos

Rowan Williams “Immensely Encouraged”

There is no doubting Dr Williams’s sincere concern, but isn’t it sad that his protests – and those of most Western Christian leaders – are so muted? If you read the Acts of the Apostles, you see that Christianity spread, perhaps only survived at all, because its disciples travelled to teach it and risked their lives doing so. St Peter and St Paul were both martyred in the persecutions of Nero. How many people would have signed up to the faith if the two saints had instead professed themselves “immensely encouraged” by the protestations of a few Roman senators that all this crucifixion business was going a bit too far, and sailed back home to Judaea?

Apparently the Archbishop finds it necessary to make his bows to the dominant form of cultural correctness in this decade. Am I surprised? No. But it is heartening to see an opposing opinion piece coming from The Telegraph. Thank you Charles Moore.

Timotheos

Here’s the Point

“But if Jesus’ birth is the good news Christians say it is, why not take every opportunity to proclaim it?”

And another good point or two: “I don’t want retail stores telling me or my kids about Christmas. Because to them, it’s all about profits and sales of iPods and not about saving humanity.”

“Perhaps O’Reilly and the others would be pleased if retailers set up high-tech Nativity scenes that included three wise men bearing an Xbox 360, an iPod and a portable DVD player for the baby Jesus.”

Of course, there’s still this kind of ridiculousness. (It happens to be in my home state, unsurprisingly.)

Timotheos