America's Problem is Men Sitting Down to Piss

From the "You can't make this shit up" file comes this awesome video of a preacher telling his flock that America's problem is that men are sitting down to piss and dammit, that's just not right according to his King James Bible.



This sounds like fodder for Mr. Deity.

Courtesy of Rod Dreher

Define Irony

Sitting here at work, a Catholic hospital, listening to my music, sometimes singing along, I realized something.

I'm singing "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel, a song about a high-school guy trying to convince his Catholic girlfriend to sleep with him.

Hmmm...what would the Sisters think? Eh, I bet they're secretly big fans. How can you not like this song?

Vlogging 2: Son of Vlogger

My Mom is Famous

My Mom was interviewed today for a story that will appear on the local news (Kulr8) tonight at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:30. It is about her attempts to keep her house. She told me that she was so nervous she felt like throwing up all morning in anticipation of the reporter coming over. I laughed at first, but then felt bad. She hates having her picture taken, let alone being on video. So if you watch it and then have a chance to talk to her, make sure to tell her she looked nice (or something), not that she'll believe you.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that I'm hoping that no video of the basement is used. Mom said they went down there and it's, uh...a little, just a little, messy.

Okay, it's currently a sty. It's where I live and I'm a guy. What can I say? The upstairs where everyone else sleeps is rather neat and tidy.

The Mission: Which Path Would You Choose?

I have written about my love for the movie The Mission. Jeromy recently wrote about this movie, as well.

A second really engaging part (though the movie is full of them) comes at the end of the movie. To make a long story short, the mission comes under attack from "civilized" people bent on enslaving the natives. Father Gabriel, having taken a vow of peace, refuses to fight. Mendoza ends up renouncing his Jesuit vows to help the natives defend their home.

After seeing this movies at least a half dozen times, I still wrestle every time with which decision I would make.

If you haven't seen it, watch it. Then tell me what you would choose.

This is the central conflict of the movie for me. Ultimately, I think that both characters made the right decision for who they were. For me, personally, I think I would have stood by Mendoza and fought. I think that if the decision to take up arms (and in all likelihood, kill) is based on the desire to defend someone else, especially those who may not be able to defend themselves, then it cannot be said to be an immoral act and I do not believe God would judge one for it. If the decision was made selfishly, though, as an act primarily to save the self, then I think one is on shakier ground morally.

Taking someone else's life, no matter the reason, is never an act to be done lightly and will forever affect so many lives, not just those of the person who did the killing and the person who was killed. If one is going to make the decision to possibly kill other people, then it needs to be done in order to protect or save someone else because something done for someone else is almost always superior to an act done for oneself.

Weekly Music Video

The best song of all time performed in a number of different voices.

Weekly Secret

PostSecret

I know some nurses at the hospital I work at who probably do this (or similar) things to the patients who annoy them.

Free Books

Tor has a promotion going on now in which they are giving away free ebooks. Go to their page and sign up and you will receive a link once a week to download an ebook. Now, yes, reading a book on your computer is nothing like holding a real book in your hands, but, still, free books!

I just downloaded my first one, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Who knows when I'll have time to read it, but it is getting some good reviews. Check it out.

Indiana Jones Trailer

As skeptical as I have been of the new Trek movie, I have been even more skeptical of the new Indiana Jones movie. How can Indy be 60+ and still doing his thing? Well, Lucasfilms has released the first trailer for the movie and I couldn't help but get a little excited about it.



Seeing the hat, the whip, the grizzled Harrison Ford mug, and especially hearing the awesome John Williams score has me itchin' to see this.

Star Trek XI Pushed Back

It's now coming out in May 2009 because the studio wants to cash in on the big summer crowds.

McCain Okay With Some Torture

The man who was supposed to represent integrity. The man running the "Straight Talk Express." The man who was himself tortured. The man who has been very vocal in his opposition to American-practiced torture. Suddenly, he's not so opposed to it.

It's very sad, but that's what it appears the Republican party is about these days and McCain wants the Presidency so bad, he'll pander even on this issue. What has happened to the moral heart of this country?

More Support Against Torture

Rod Dreher relates a story of torture in Soviet Russia and the administration's move from denying we torture to defending torture, ahem, enhanced interrogation techniques.

Florida Bound

I got a confirmation email two days ago for the class I will be attending in Florida in March. This is the one I was supposed to attend last December. I don't know, yet, if I'll be going by myself or if there will be one other person. Either way, I'm excited. It will be good to get out of town (way out) for a couple of days.

"But, his Dad thinks you're a shit."

Ah, ha, ha.

Why is Congress Worried About Steroids?

I have no clue, but I'm in agreement with Matt Yglesias that Congress has much better things to do. I guess they must have taken care of carbon emissions, the economy, and the Iraq war when no one was looking and out of sheer boredom thought, "That whole steroids thing in baseball really sucks. We should check into that."

The Potomoc Primaries, Part 2

Obama crushes Clinton in D.C and Maryland. He is now ahead in delegates even counting superdelegates. This is looking worse and worse for Clinton. Her Giuliani strategy seems to be working about as well as it did for the mayor. Don't expect a graceful exit from her, though. She will fight tooth and claw until (past?) the bitter end.

McCain Thinks You're Dumb...

...if you disagree with him on the war. Is this really someone we want in the White House? Disagree with someone? Fine. Think they're dumb for disagreeing? Not so fine. Not that a he has a chance if he runs against Obama. Clinton is another matter.

CNN's Self Promotion

I don't watch a lot of TV, but as far as news stations go, I am partial to CNN. I have to say, though, that it is getting aggravating hearing "the best political team on television" every other sentence. Aren't the people watching CNN most likely to already have a favorable view of the station? Do they need to constantly tell people that they think they're the best? After awhile it sounds like the insecure person who brags a lot to make themselves feel better. Just shut up and tell me the news without all of the self-fellating, CNN.

The Potomoc Primaries

Obama is crushing Clinton in Virginia and is predicted to win handily. Isn't this the state people were saying might be a close race?

Tax Season

I e-filed my taxes earlier this evening. We'll see if it gets rejected like it did last year forcing me to do it on paper or if it will go through.

Last year the IRS rejected my return saying that one of my dependents, my oldest daughter, was claimed on someone else's return. When I called to find out what I had to do, I was told to submit it on paper. I did and got my return and forgot about the whole thing.

That is until a few months later when I got a letter from the IRS. Since one of my dependents was claimed on another return, I had to submit proof that I was allowed to claim Erica. I knew exactly who had claimed her, of course. I called her and asked her about it. She told me her tax preparer told her she could her even though our divorce agreement said that I wold claim Erica and she would claim Shaena. I sent a letter back to the IRS and a copy of our divorce agreement. I never heard back from them. I also never heard exactly what happened to my ex over this.

This weekend, the issue of money came up with my daughters and Erica told me something interesting. She said that their mother told them the "guy who did [our] divorce" screwed up. I asked her how and she said that their mother told them she was supposed to be able to claim both of them on her returns. Yeah. She looked it over and signed it. She knew exactly what it said.

Of course, she has also been telling the girls that I have not been paying any of their medical bills which is an outright lie, but that's another post.