Rushing to "the moral is . . ."

Because I am "Christian" and I am politically conservative I winced at reports that the murders in Norway were committed by a "Christian Fundamentalist." Frankly (and ironically, in the context of this admission) I regret that in the wake of such a tragedy my thoughts would so quickly turn defensive of me and mine. But it made me start to think about how soon after a tragedy has occurred is it right to think or say, "the moral of the story is . . ."?

The essay below highlights the dangers of rushing to judgment. The best quote from the article is: "Meanwhile, the deputy police chief announced that the shooter was a “Christian fundamentalist” but no one has reported either the evidence for the claim or how the police determined that. Whatever the case, he may be the only Freemason, Rome-leaning, Protestant fundamentalist in the world." Here's a link to the article.

UPDATE: here's a particularly salient comment following the op/ed.
The Atlantic has this terrorist all figured out » GetReligion:

I do think the “fundamentalist” angle taken on this story is off-base. Breivik’s Christianity appears to be of a cultural kind - Christianity as the religion of opposition to Islam & “cultural Marxism.” He wrote this book under the pseudonym “Andrew Berwick.” I certainly haven’t read the whole thing; it’s incredibly long at 1511 pages. Page 1309 has some interesting bits on the Christian angle:

A majority of so called agnostics and atheists in Europe are cultural conservative Christians without even knowing it. So what is the difference between cultural Christians and religious Christians?

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God then you are a religious Christian. Myself and many more like me do not necessarily have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God. We do however believe in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform. This makes us Christian. …

European Christendom and the cross will be the symbol in which every cultural conservative can unite under in our common defence. It should serve as the uniting symbol for all Europeans whether they are agnostic or atheists.

The pacifist/suicidal Christians must never be allowed to dominate the church again which one of the reasons why I personally believe that the protestant Church in Europe should once again should reform to become Catholic (Nordic countries, the UK, Germany, Benelux etc). Re-introduction of cultural and Church aspects relating to honour should be the core of our objective when reforming the Church. My hope is that the future nationalist leadership in Western European countries will agree. At the very least, we must support the conservative, anti-pacifist cultural Christian leaders and ensure that they are able to influence the European churches. There must however be clear distinctions. The Church must not put any limits whatsoever on issues relating to science, research and development. Europe will continue to be the world’s center for research and development in all areas, strengthened by a predictable and “unchangeable” cultural framework. This again will considerably strengthen European and societal cohesion and therefore contribute to sustainable societies where harmony, progress, freedom and the furtherance of mankind are the primary civilisational pillars.

There’s also a lengthy interview with Breivik beginning p. 1351 that reveals many of his ideas about “Christianity.”

Obama: flip-flopping, hypocritical wuss

This just in: Barack Obama may not have really, really meant it when he claimed to oppose homosexual marriage: In this "Politico" story about the impending vote on homosexual "marriage" in NY:

President Barack Obama, at a Thursday fundraising stop in New York City, told a group of 600 gay and lesbian supporters that “gay and lesbian couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country” but stopped short of endorsing same-sex marriage.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57738.html#ixzz1QFrBXLwb

If you harbor any residual respect for Mel Gibson . . .

. . . don't look at this photo from Cannes Celebrity Pictures, Celeb Photos - E! Online

Teachers too old or over-priced?

More than 300 Metro teachers displaced as positions eliminated | Nashville City Paper: "Lockhart, the veteran Whitsitt Elementary teacher, is among a handful of teachers who have alleged the district chose to displace her because of her age. Older teachers tend to earn larger salaries than newer employees. The teachers’ union is helping file complaints through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“There seems to be a pattern of discrimination against older teachers and minorities in some instances,” Huth said. “It is clear to us that there is some discrimination involved.”

Way to go teachers' union!! Bog down the EEOC with bogus complaints!

Newt's job interview

For the record, I like Newt's innovativeness and ability to articulate Conservative ideas. But I have a hard time respecting his character. So, I have been meaning to post about his now-famous comment regarding his past infidelity during a CBN interview:

There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.

It reminded me of this classic scene from The Office when Michael Scott was sitting for a job interview from David Wallace:

David: . . . So, let me ask you a question right off the bat. What do you think are your greatest strengths as a manager?
Michael: Why don't I tell you what my greatest weaknesses are? I work too hard. I care too much. And sometimes I can be too invested in my job.
David: Okay. And your strengths?
Michael: Well, my weaknesses are actually... strengths.
David: Oh. Yes. Very good.
Michael: Thank you.
David: Very good.

The Olympics is about homosexual marriage?

USOC official Peter Vidmar resigns after anti-gay marriage actions - USATODAY.com:

When the Tribune story broke, reaction was nearly immediate — and almost entirely negative — within the USOC. Aimee Mullins, the former president of the Women's Sports Foundation and chef de mission for the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Games team, said she was 'concerned and deeply saddened' about Vidmar's past actions.

'The Olympic movement is about promoting equity for all,' she said.

Who says?

Amusing typo in shark story

Having just recently watched Jaws "On Demand," this story about a large great white shark spotted off of the New England coastline caught my eye. Then there was this funny typo in reference to the man in the boat snapping photos of the shark:

The crew left Menemsha Harbor at 6 a.m. in a 23-foot boat Sea Ox and headed out to sea about a mile off Gay Head. The shark, Lynch and Farrissey said, passed by dwarfing the center console skiff.

That’s when the 28-year-old Lynch started snapping photos with his cell phone after the Coast Guard asked him to record the amazing encounter. Lunch forwarded those images to state shark experts and the Herald.

(emphasis added)

how come no sickness language re. rape?

This whole "slutwalk" phenomenon ("Cop's rape comment sparks wave of 'SlutWalks' - US news - Life - msnbc.com") is ironic . . . the barbarians have had enough and aren't taking it anymore!!!

I know, I know; some people are saying this is sort of a variation of the "Take Back the Night" rallies which I agree with in principle. And you will hardly find a more devout "law and order" person than myself. I'm not sure that the death penalty is inappropriate for a man who forces sexual intercourse on a woman. But it is interesting to me that this subject presents a clash between hand-wringing Liberal views on "crime" and radical Feminism. If these persons ("sexual offenders") are just "sick" or victims of society or some-such, is it right (much less wise) to tempt them or induce them to act out?

I'd say this phenomenon is more a reflection of the power of social media and the fact that young people have too much time on their hands than it is some statement about what a majority civilized Westerners think.

Re. the PWND t-shirt . . .

I thought this exchange, in the comments section from the PWND Osama t-shirt page, was funny (though "urban" is probably more accurate than "ebonics"):

#
RufusVonDufus
RufusVonDufus about 21 hours ago

Help! What does the PWND mean? I don’t get it.
#
yeahbaby
yeahbaby about 21 hours ago

PWND A variation of the word “owned”. The only reason that this word came about was because of a typo, and given that P and O are right next to each other. It has nothing to do with combining words or anything of the sort. It is rumored to have come about from an early Warcraft3 map, in which the creator meant to have a trigger say “Player X got ownd”, trying to use the “1337speak” variation of “owned”, but hit P instead of O, thus giving birth to “pwnd”.
#
Pouncekitty
Pouncekitty about 21 hours ago

Variation of a word? You mean a typo. Some idiot made a mistake, but instead of correcting it, invents MORE EBONICS! Jeez! Thank-you Teachers Unions and Liberals for making education so pointless. erwos fdsuu weroiss feertt! You don’t understand that?

Sore Loser Update -- WI Supreme Court election

Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount – Day 8 « Hot Air:

As for the type of nitpicking the Kloppenburg campaign has been doing, they successfully challenged 18 of the 24 absentee ballots in the Sauk County town of Sumpter, most of them from a convent, because they broke heavily for Pross…er, lacked witness signatures on the application. 14 of the 18 that were in the drawdown (random removal) were for Prosser, while the pre-recount canvass for the town had Kloppenburg carrying the town 96-83.

For the record, I think it is probably right--absent extraordinary circumstances (which it appears the State of WI is experiencing/facilitating), to exclude the votes of even these Prosser (my guy) supporting convent-dwellers, but certainly Democrats don't want to deny these persons the right to vote?!

Pelley bumping Couric

I thought the following was an interesting statement about Scott Pelley, who is reportedly replacing Katie Couric as the CBS Evening News anchor (here):

“A lot of journalists are haphazard in their approach to stories,” she says, but “Scott has an incredibly specific set of criteria for what he wants in a story. It should be important or meaningful, expose injustice, involve human struggle, be about people, and bring honor to CBS.

Something doesn't feel right about these journalistic criteria.

Palin, in spite of the spite . . .

I liked this report about Sarah Palin's gracious comments to Lefty Rachel Maddow at the WHCD on Saturday ("The Palin Challenge" -- BLTWY:

At the height of MSNBC's after-party at the Italian Embassy just after midnight- Palin's hostess Greta Van Susteran ran off to find the guest bartender, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, and procure the needed caffeiniated beverage.

Surely Maddow was happy to oblige, after the former vice presidential nominee said how much she 'admires' the journalist.

'Your work ethic shines,' she said to the MSNBC anchor.

An interesting admiration, to be sure.

I'm not sure why that is "interesting," but it sure was considerate for Palin to say such a thing.

The suck up media types

I love this psycho-journalistic tick that you see by MSM journalists when "reporting" on the whole Obama-birth-certificate issue; in this case, a story about Obama's jokes at Trump's expense over the weekend:

Last week Obama released his longform birth certificate to finally put the rumors — which had already been disproven — to rest.

Obama will "find savings in" Medicare and and Medicaid . . . hmmm

From today's "Morning Jolt" newsletter (sign up here) at NRO:

2. Obama: Let's Undo That Big Tax Compromise I Made Three Months Ago

I mentioned this yesterday, but as this becomes Tax Hike Week in the Obama White House, I hope the country notices that the president is now seeking to undo the concession he agreed to just a matter of weeks ago. I know all statements from Barack Obama come with an expiration date -- I'm the one who made the axiom! -- but it's kind of striking that he's willing to return to this well so quickly. By this standard, START will be up for renegotiation soon.

Thankfully, Eric Cantor hasn't forgotten: "Mr. Cantor called the debate over top personal-income-tax rates 'settled' by last year's elections and the subsequent tax deal. 'It was then that we all agreed it wouldn't be a good thing if we want to see job creation for taxes to go up,' he said."

It also will include, well, something about spending less on Medicare, but the wording is going to be pretty interesting. The Washington Post hints, "The speech is intended as a declaration of Obama's commitment to seriously tame the deficit while outlining his long-term budget principles -- key components of his campaign for re-election in 2012. After gingerly avoiding any discussion until now of cuts in the government's massive benefit programs for the elderly and poor, Obama will acknowledge a need to reduce spending on Medicare and Medicaid while at the same time tackling defense spending and calling for increased taxes on the wealthy, White House officials said."

The Media Research Center notices the New York Times is spinning already; Obama's plan to spend less on Medicare somehow is completely different from the "cuts" of the other guys: "Examine Calmes'[s] word choice: While she portrays Republican plans as involving a 'shrinking of Medicare and Medicaid,' Obama 'envisions a more comprehensive plan' that includes finding 'savings in Medicare and Medicaid,' as if Obama was making a painless offer. Which phrase will be more palatable to undecided voters nervous over the impact of Medicare cuts?"

What's that? You're not going to "amputate" my leg, you're just going to "find savings in my lower extremities"? Oh, that sounds much better!

HA! -- "Obama turns next to cutting deficit"

This article (especially the WH-press-release-like headline) is laughable Obama turns next to cutting deficit - USATODAY.com:

WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to outline a fresh multiyear plan to cut the federal deficit by raising taxes on the wealthy and limiting government health benefits for the poor and elderly in what the White House says will be a major speech to the nation Wednesday.

'Every corner of the federal government has to be looked at,' White House senior adviser David Plouffe told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, two days after Obama and congressional leaders struck a down-to-the-wire deal over spending cuts for the remainder of this budget year, which ends in September.

Which reminded me of this splendid cartoon.

Interesting "predictors" of divorce . . .

"Unhappy Marriage: Signs you'll get divorced"; especially this one (sure counters conventional wisdom):

6. If you are currently married but have cohabited with a lover other than your current spouse, you are slightly more than twice as likely to divorce than someone who has never cohabited.

The same study by Ohio State University sociologists that produced this result also found that even those who cohabit only with their future spouses "are still 83 percent more likely to experience a marital disruption relative to those that did not cohabit prior to marriage." Cohabitation statistics are hot buttons, used by some pundits to decry premarital sex and "shacking up." A widely quoted 2003 study by Western Washington University sociologist Jay Teachman found that women who cohabit with anyone besides their future husbands face a raised divorce risk ranging from 55 to 166 percent, but that those who cohabit only with their future husbands face no elevated risk at all.

Anna M. Cunningham (2007): Premarital cohabitation and marital disruption across time: new results from the NSFH 3, paper delivered at the Population Association of America 2007 annual meeting.

It's about FUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Mike Pence, Chris Smith signal room to move on abortion - Richard E. Cohen and Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com Folks, this issue is about continuing to fund the controversial activities of Planned Parenthood. You can get all these services (except for ABORTION) somewhere else (and for less $$, frankly).

I guess Feinstein means well . . .

I have long contested that most liberals are well-intended even though they're wrong . . . the mixture of elitism and (candidly) wanting compels them to espouse all manner of flawed policy positions.

And this is a good example. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) appears (video) to be hand-wringing over what to do now that we're engaged in military action in Libya . . . "let's send in the International Military Court police!!" (Hat Tip to NRO's Morning Jolt who recommends sending in Team America World Police. Though Lefties typically get a political pass for their failed policies based on good intentions, this example is just troubling.

For forward-looking GOP, there's no turning back . . .

From Jim Geraghty's National Review Online Newsletter, "Morning Jolt":

I'm reminded of The Hunt for Red October, and the anecdote that the defecting Soviet submarine captain, Marco Ramius, shares with his crew, "When he reached the New World, Cortez burned his ships. As a result his men were well motivated." To go back on their pledges to cut government would be suicide in 2012; there's no way the Republicans can win a spending race with Obama. Presuming Republicans decided to completely ignore the deficit and debt, Obama could simply promise to double whatever the GOP proposed spending. There's no turning back. Republicans can either go down swinging, standing up for the concepts of limited government that they spent the past two years touting, or they can lose by a landslide.

The opposition's message, every cycle, is essentially, "Vote for us for free ice cream." The fiscally conservative message is, "There is no more free ice cream, and in fact the ice cream has never been free." If selling that message were easy, we would never have gotten into this mess.

I think there is more upside to (verifiably) doing what they said they would do than there is to trying to avoid being cast as the bad guy. Not to mention, things are different (media-wise and as far as political organizations) now than when Bill Clinton avoided any blame for shutting down the government way back when. The American public just isn't as lemming-ish as it has been in the past. Heck, a bunch of Americans are still skeptical of Obama's claims that he is a devout Christian (via Drudge).

Sounds like the KGB to me

Well, Media Matters is dropping all pretense ("Media Matters' war against Fox") of not being a propaganda arm of the Left (ironically, MM vilifies FoxNews for being a propaganda arm of the GOP).

Watchdogging is one thing, but the tools at Media Matters are actually attempting to destroy an opposing voice. Losers.