Oh yeah that's why we're protestants

Every so often, something comes up in the Catholic church that reminds you that there are some really practical reasons to be a Protestant. For instance, you don't have someone who's authority in communicating the will of God you are supposed to be acknowledging telling you that kneeling [during 'certain parts of the liturgy'] “is clearly rebellion, grave disobedience and mortal sin.” Really... kneeling... Mortal sin?

What is the proper word for this level of negligence?

This article, based on an interview by "We Were Soldiers..." author Joe Galloway did with retired Marine Lt. Gen Paul Van Riper, is chilling -- what it describes strikes me as a frightful level of blindness. If you want the administration response (which is almost as frightfully incompetent as what happened in the wargame described in the previous article), this exchange between Galloway and Larry DiRita at DOD is enlightening. The fact that DiRita can't even attempt to counter charges such as "this is not an army on the way up but one on the way to a disaster", other than to say that "I appreciate what you are saying but your continued implication that rumsfeld does not understand all that is at stake is wrong and offensive" stuns me. This is a frustrating pattern with this administration; (1) someone points out a flaw (a failure), (2) Administration counters with "But [person responsible] is a man of character. How can you judge his actions?"

Champions League Final

Well that was a pretty decent Champions League final, but I, as a loyal US fan, would be neglecting my duties if I failed to mention the pathetic timewasting of the number two villain from Mexico, Rafael Marquez. Prior to those couple of minutes at the end of the game where he rolled around on the floor like a shot duck after kicking Fabregas in the chest (that's right, he rolled around like a shot duck after HE kicked someone else in the chest), I wasn't really terribly involved in whether Arsenal or Barcelona won, but once he started rolling... This was of course an unfortunate turn of events for me, because (a) Arsenal were down a man, (b) Arsenal were down a goal, and (c) only about two minutes of stoppage time remained. Nothing gets me excited about soccer like seeing a Mexican soccer player, preferably a member of the national team, involved in dirty shenanigans. Fortunately, Rafa and his buddy Blanco are always quick to oblige me (Blanco is easily the dirtiest player in North and South America, and I include Carlos Ruiz; last I heard, Blanco was still wanted in Texas for assaulting a fan in a bar fight).

Tax Cuts or Hikes

So who's right on the whole tax cuts thing? The tax-hikers or the tax-cutters? I wish I knew. That's all for today because I have final projects I should be working on. But please, if you know the answer, tell me. I don't.

Saving the Children

Me saving the children by painting their walls a color that I think was blended to simulate the effects of looking directly at the sun

Oh Ryan. You Depress Me.

Reading for today...

One, a Washington Post article on Pitchfork(media.com) which makes entertaining reading, especially the Travistan Travesty. I didn't know that People Magazine had named Ryan Schreiber one of the twenty five most powerful people in the music industry. That's scary. Teaser quote:

"The disc ended as the sun was rising over Syria. Had it lasted that long? My comrades and I looked at each other, stupefied. Our only memory was of forced effects, laughable lyrics, and audio surgical scars. I sat up and began packing my duffel. I'd rather pick bananas. One comrade suggested smuggling the disc out of the kibbutz to leak to the Internet. If Metallica were such proud artists behind their music, unable to both allow downloading and refund money after purchase, then we should warn others. Metallica had become less a band leading a genre than a team soaking up payroll in a second-tier sport. This was NASCAR, WWE. Logos, sneers, mustaches, and beards. Hair grows back, but the Jheri Curl of insincerity, of contradiction, and of compromising a cause never straightens."
- Brent DiCrescenzo (one of the original writers, who left Pitchfork's permanent staff a little while ago, if I recall correctly), reviewing Metallica's St. Anger

Two, from Political Spaghetti, some follow up on the last post's oil talk. A more general post here and something on Nigeria specifically here.