Bunch of Savages

I read about this story when it first broke. I'm glad the mom is being brought up on charges and I hope justice is done, but still, it's stories like this that make me despair for the fate of mankind.

Edwards Commits

About dang time. Now when will all of the uncommitted superdelegates commit and put an end to this thing.

Watch Out Christian Bale

I had another follow-up visit yesterday with my doc about my diabetes. He's pleased with my sugar levels and doesn't see a need to adjust anything at the moment. That was good, but the even better news was that I have gained 21 pounds in the last month. So, now I have gained back nearly all of the weight I had lost. Not enough to fill out the Batsuit, but I'm getting there.

William Shatner's Ego

I suppose I can somewhat understand because he was graced with the opportunity to play the coolest freakin' guy EVAR, but still, sometimes it gets a bit old, like, I don't know, complaining about having sex with fans of Star Trek.

In his new autobiography, Up Till Now, Shatner explains how women would pretend they were being "beamed up" by the Starship Enterprise commander, shrieking: "So, this is what it's like to be in bed with Captain Kirk!"
He writes: "You can't imagine how much of a downer that is in every sense of the word."

Life's tough, eh, Bill?

Wireless Is Back

But only because I went out and bought a USB wireless card. Researching my problem last night, I found that many HP laptop owners have had the same issue with their wireless card just disappearing from their Device Manager and not working. The only solution has been to send it in to HP so they can replace the wireless card and the system board. No thanks. I'll just stick it out with my USB card.

The Terminator

Like a ruthless killing machine from the future, Clinton just won't quit. No one expected Obama to do well here and his campaign has been saying that for months. It also does virtually nothing to dent Obama's delegate lead. She picked up ten delegates over Obama in West Virginia which means his lead is only 168. There is no way she is going to make that up with the scant few delegates left. She may be angling for the Veep slot now and some are saying it is a good idea, but I couldn't disagree more. Having her on the ticket would undermine virtually everything Obama has based his campaign on, not to mention the last thing that his campaign needs is a pair of narcissistic, dishonest, power hungry cranks dragging him down. There are better ways to reach out to the blue-collar voters.

I Love Technology

But sometimes I want to throw it off a cliff. The wireless card in my laptop has apparently just given up. It was working this afternoon while I was at work, but when I got home it was not. The light would not come on indicating that the card was turned on. It was also not listed in the Device Manager. Downloading the drivers from HP's website did not help, nor did flashing the BIOS. I'm going to try a few more things, but I'm worried I will have to buy a new wireless card.

Last week I had to buy a new cordless mouse as my other one was acting up all of the time even with a fresh pair of batteries. Argh!

UPDATE: Fixed typo.

An Evangelical Shift?

An interesting article on CNN suggests that some evangelicals may be moving away from their close attachment to the Republican party and aligning themselves with Democrats. This comes as many Democrats - as seen in the Presidential race - are talking more openly about faith and religion in a positive way.

For decades, evangelicals have been seen as solid supporters of the Republican Party. That could be changing.

The religious right, a cornerstone of the so-called Reagan revolution -- the battle over abortion law, and gay marriage -- wants a change.

At least some evangelicals do.

A group of influential Christian leaders are declaring they are tired of divisive politics, tired of watching fights over some issues trump all the good they could be doing.

"Our proposal in [our] manifesto is to join forces with all those who support a civil public square. ... a vision of public life in which people of all faiths -- which, of course, means no faith -- are free to enter and engage public life on the basis of their faith," said evangelical leader Os Guinness.

I am not sure exactly what to think of this. On the one hand, I think it is good for evangelicals or anyone really to not align themselves with a single party. What happens when that party begins drifting from its core principles, e.g. the current Republican party? No, it is better to look at individual politicians. Now it may be that the individual politicians you vote for may typically come from the same party, but if they nominate a pol for a position that you disagree with on important issues, why would you vote for them? The fact that they belong to the "right party" is not good enough. If their opponent is worse on the issues, that is one thing; but if they are worse because they belong to the "wrong party," then it is ridiculous to not vote for them.

I am also not sure about the Democrats talking more about religion. I have no problem with it if is genuine and honest, but if it is the typical political pandering then I don't want to hear about it. The conflation between politics and religion with the Republicans has been bad enough. Let me be clear that I have no problem with anyone's religious beliefs informing their decisions. What I have a problem with is when the two become one and the same and political office becomes a tool of the religious to wield against all who disagree with them. That is a problem.

I do hope that more evangelicals break their firm ties to the Republican party and take a more balanced view of politics. That can only be a good thing for everyone.

Happy Mother's Day

To my wonderful mother, I say, "Happy Mother's Day." I would not be half the person I am today without her incredible love and support through good time and bad.

The Mother

There will be a singing in your heart,
There will be a rapture in your eyes;
You will be a woman set apart,
You will be so wonderful and wise.
You will sleep, and when from dreams you start,
As of one that wakes in Paradise,
There will be a singing in your heart,
There will be a rapture in your eyes.

There will be a moaning in your heart,
There will be an anguish in your eyes;
You will see your dearest ones depart,
You will hear their quivering good-byes.
Yours will be the heart-ache and the smart,
Tears that scald and lonely sacrifice;
There will be a moaning in your heart,
There will be an anguish in your eyes.

There will come a glory in your eyes,
There will come a peace within your heart;
Sitting 'neath the quiet evening skies,
Time will dry the tear and dull the smart.
You will know that you have played your part;
Yours shall be the love that never dies:
You, with Heaven's peace within your heart,
You, with God's own glory in your eyes.

-Robert William Service

I love you, Mom.

Weekly Music Video

Madonna's best song - "Like a Prayer"

Weekly Secret

PostSecret

Choosing Our Political Leaders

Commenter Kyle continues to discuss the torture issue and choosing our politicians. In response to my last post, he commented:

but, and this is not a dig, the 'moral majority' were convinced of the integrity of bush. he was, in the mind of so many, a great christian. certainly he was someone that most of the 'right' looked up to. he said 'jesus' and 'god' at all the right times. _if_ he fooled us (and i leave that up to you) what hope do we have of finding someone who isnt a false messiah?

I think there are a few problems brought up by this. One, the idea that just because someone says they have "found God" or they are "born again" or that they go to church every week automatically means they are a moral person or a worthy leader. We all need to do a better job of critically analyzing people running for office. It is dangerous to assume that just because they say something that makes it true. Politicians and their staff spend much of their waking hours figuring out what to say and to whom to get what they want. Our media needs to do a better job of calling them on their crap when it's not true and every citizen also needs to do a better job of looking beyond the Emperor's clothes.

The other point that your comment brings up is that of looking for someone who "isn't a false messiah." This is dangerous territory. We need to remember that politicians are just as human as the rest of us. We can't assume they are good or evil (okay, Cheney is evil), but right in between like any other human. If we do this, I think we'll be a lot less likely to be taken in by words that sound too good to be true or assume a political opponent is the devil incarnate just because he sits on the other side of the aisle.

McCain's Hamas Comments

I've seen a few people take the road that Rod Dreher does here that it's not a bad thing for McCain to say that Hamas wants Obama to be President because they really did say that and if it's true, then what's wrong with saying it? Unfortunately, that misses the core of the problem. McCain is not repeating this as a start to a dialogue on foreign policy or to explain how he would approach terrorism. No, he is repeating this to scare American voters into voting for him. "Do you want to vote for the same guy the terrorists support?" This is slimy and beneath McCain, not to mention it is ridiculous to think that we should let foreigners, especially terrorists, influence our elections.

How Many Christian Denominations Are There?

A lot. Here is a post over at Route 5:9 that touches on the topic.

From my experience, I think the issue is related to that of education in that we tend to forget that everyone is different and has different needs. This is just as true in education as it is spiritually. If a church-goer thinks to himself, "You know, I can't think of a single sermon from the past year that has done anything for me," then the church may need to reexamine its mission. A person feeling that way is more likely to leave the church and either stop going or find a different one.

The collective aspects of the Sunday worship are important and worthwhile for members of the faith. There is something very powerful about a collective experience like that. It is also important, though, that the church connects with people on an individual level. That may mean smaller groups meeting once a month or something, but however it is done, I think this is a critical component of any successful church and would go a long way toward keeping people in the fold rather than have them go off and start another church that they feel will better meet their needs.

The Ups and Downs of Diabetes

Learning to regulate my blood sugar has been the biggest hassle so far of having diabetes. I try to write down what I have eaten when I see that my BS spikes up. There is a danger of it getting to low as well, however, which is almost scarier.

Yesterday after dinner, I went for a walk with my daughters. Half a block after we left, I started feeling a little light-headed. It continued to get worse and I was also feeling very shaky. I had to stop and sit down before I passed out. I wasn't sure if it was my MS which can make me feel dizzy and light-headed at times or the diabetes. I rested for a few minutes and then told my daughters I needed to get back home. There were a couple times I wasn't sure I was going to make it home.

I did, though, and the first thing I did was check my BS. Sure enough it was low - 60. This was only about an hour after I ate. It should have been 150-180 or so. It wasn't high before dinner and I'm wondering if I didn't absent-mindedly give myself too much insulin because I did eat enough. Anyway, I grabbed a can of pop and ate some chocolate. After about ten minutes, I started feeling much better. It seems strange to me, but I think diabetes is going to have much more of an effect on me right now than my MS.

Educational Romanticism

Here is a very smart article on the notion of "educational romanticism," or the (absurd) idea that every student can learn equally well if given the chance.

Educational romanticism consists of the belief that just about all children who are not doing well in school have the potential to do much better. Correlatively, educational romantics believe that the academic achievement of children is determined mainly by the opportunities they receive; that innate intellectual limits (if they exist at all) play a minor role; and that the current K-12 schools have huge room for improvement.

Educational romanticism characterizes reformers of both Left and Right, though in different ways. Educational romantics of the Left focus on race, class, and gender. It is children of color, children of poor parents, and girls whose performance is artificially depressed, and their academic achievement will blossom as soon as they are liberated from the racism, classism, and sexism embedded in American education. Those of the Right see public education as an ineffectual monopoly, and think that educational achievement will blossom when school choice liberates children from politically correct curricula and obdurate teachers’ unions.

I have written before about the need for more individualized curriculums. It is ludicrous to treat everyone the same. Murray sums it up:

For the good of our children, educational romanticism needs to collapse, and quickly. Its effects play out in the lives of young people in devastating ways. The fourth-grader who has trouble sounding out simple words and his classmate who is reading A Tale of Two Cities for fun sit in the same classroom day after miserable day, the one so frustrated by tasks he cannot do and the other so bored that both are near tears. The eighth-grader who cannot make sense of algebra but has an almost mystical knack with machines is told to stick with the college prep track, because to be a success in life he must go to college and get a B.A. The senior with terrific SAT scores gets away with turning in rubbish on his term papers because to make special demands on the gifted would be elitist. They are all products of an educational system that cannot make itself talk openly about the implications of diverse educational limits.

Rod Dreher offer his thoughts.

Never-Ending Story

So, even after yesterday's results mean that Clinton has fallen even farther behind in delegates and popular vote, she just can't give up. It's not like yesterday even sealed the deal. She has been essentially out of contention since March 4. On a certain level, I think her refusal to give in has been good for Obama because it has made him a tougher candidate and better prepared to square off against the Republicans in the general. Now, though, it is just ridiculous. Her narcissism and desperation for power which have led her to keep sinking lower and lower are only hurting the party. Not that she cares about that, of course, even if a gracious exit would be beneficial to her.

When Egos Collide

My money is on the Bat.

Never Forget

Patrick Roy Kramer
May 6, 1977 - October 22, 2006

Racist or Religious Loony?

:Sigh:

Mary Bunger, a 44-year-old single mom from Abington, emerged from the town's general store on Wednesday, the only place to purchase a snack in a 10-mile radius.

"I am definitely going to try to go with Hillary," she said. "I almost feel like (Obama's) the anti-Christ from the Middle East."