Babalonyia Weds a Warehouse

Posted on January 31, 2012

Folks, this is where we end up when we start deconstructing the very foundations; language, institutions, traditions… that stabilize civil society ~ “Nonsensicality” ~
 
From SeattlePi:
 

Photo: LINDSEY WASSON / SEATTLEPI.COM

 

A bubble floats past Babylonia Aivaz as she listens to the band play at her wedding to the warehouse at 10th Ave and Union St. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. About 30 people attended Aivaz’s wedding, which she says is a gay marriage because the building is a woman. Aivaz, who was among the Occupy Seattle protesters who wanted to reclaim it as community space, is using the wedding to protest the demolition of the 107-year-old building. An apartment building will be built in its place.

 
When the building is torn down, will Babylonia (that name has a certain Biblical appropriateness don’t you think?*) claim widowhood? And sue the City of Seattle for the wrongful death of her “spouse?” Why not?
 
Everything is relative in our post-modern age. There is no longer any transcendent Truth, so morality has become just a personal preference; whatever works for you. Apparently, marrying a building is what works for Babylonia.
 
In the comments below this short article was the following comment:
 

 
Guess the irony escaped them. It’s OK for homosexuals to co-opt a word that used to mean happy and light-hearted for their movement. But a proponent of “corporate personhood” can’t co-opt that same word for her cause. Sounds like we’ve got some conflicting “realities” here.
 
It’s enough to make your head spin.
 
Another commenter had this to say:
 

 
Yes Gregory, that’s the problem with creeping relativity. Every step we take away from God’s Truth, makes it that much easier to take the next one. Pretty soon we’re totally unmoored from reality ~
 
“She’s a B R I CK… H O U S E!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related:
 
Seattle woman ‘marries’ building in attempt to save it ~ @ NWCN.com, with video
 
Starbucks: Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage “Is Core to Who We Are and What We Value” ~ Wonder if marriage to inanimate objects is “core” to Seattle-based Starbucks is as well?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*And on her forehead a name was written:
“MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH”
~ Revelation 17:5 ~

 

Posted in Cultural Erosion, Unvarnished | 4 Comments

“Bring it on baby!”

Posted on January 30, 2012

The intrepid Rep. Allen West(R-FL), speaking at the Palm Beach County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day fundraising dinner on Saturday (Jan. 28th) night, with a message for the leaders of the anti-American Left:

“Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America!”

 

 

“I will not stand back and allow President Obama to take the United States of America – and destroy it.”
 
Don’t you just love this guy?!
 
Here’s the statement West released on January 18th after Obama nixed the Keystone Pipeline:

“It is absolutely irresponsible that the President would block a project such as the Keystone XL pipeline – a project that industry experts say would create at least 20,000 American jobs and be essential in helping jumpstart the American economy. This decision today is further evidence that President Obama is not serious about setting the conditions for job creation nor working towards our energy independence as it relates to our national security. Once again, President Obama has shown that his reelection and pandering to his left wing liberal environmental base is more important than securing the future for our nation. The ramifications of this utterly disturbing politically motivated decision will be far and wide. Congratulations China.”

 
Wish we could clone him!
 

Posted in Comfort & Joy, Good vs.Evil | 1 Comment

Yet Another Giant Green “Flush”

Posted on January 29, 2012

Another “Fail” for the Obama administration’s Green Technology stimulus scheme: Obama-backed car battery company files for bankruptcy protection.

Ener1, an electric car battery company (Indiana) that the Obama administration awarded a $118 million stimulus grant to expand its operations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday after being unable to repay pressing debts.

 

Ener1 is the third company to seek bankruptcy protection among those the Energy Department backed as part of the president’s signature program to invest in clean energy. Solyndra, a California solar-panel maker, and Beacon Power, a Massachusetts energy-storage firm, entered bankruptcy court proceedings in the fall, after having received taxpayer-guaranteed loans of $535 million and $43 million, respectively.

 
In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama boasted:
“Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy finding new ways to flush tax dollars down the drain.”
 

SWOOOSH!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related:
Solyndra Watch and the First Rule of Holes; Update: $1 billion in new DOE loans approved ~ Michelle Malkin
 

Posted in Everything Else | 2 Comments

Saturday Shorts – 1-28-12

Posted on January 28, 2012

Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:

 
Federal employees owe $1.03 billion in unpaid taxes ~ Our tax dollars pay their salaries, but they don’t feel obliged to contribute?
 
White Middle-Schooler Beaten Unconscious by Group of Black Students ~ Ocala, FL – Wrong color composition, doesn’t fit the msm narrative, move along…
Why in the world should color matter here? While riding the bus, seven kids pummeled this girl. Punching, kicking – apparently to the point of causing a seizure. The public has a right to be made aware of shocking displays of contemporary barbarism like this – whether the main-stream-media censors think so or not.

Attorney General Eric Holder famously said that we are “essentially a nation of cowards” in failing to discuss racial issues. If failing to discuss racial issues makes you a coward, I wonder what the attorney general would have to say about the local press in Ocala, FA, just for starters.

 
In sharp constrast to that school bus story, here’s a much more heartwarming one:
Tuesday in Philadelphia ~ Teen Grabs Wheel, Saves School Bus as Driver Has Heart Attack ~ Sadly, the driver ended up dying, but what a brave young woman. From the comments:

“In addition to the teen girl who steered the bus to safety, a teen boy got the younger students to the back of the bus so they wouldn’t be scared at the sight of the collapsed bus driver. He also led them in prayer for the bus driver. Amazing group of kids. So proud to have them as part of our church family.”

– (Volunteer) Nursery Coordinator & Women’s Ministry Coordinator at Calvary Chapel

 
Washington’s Gay Marriage Bill: A Frontal Attack on Religious Freedom ~ The hidden agenda behind Washington States’ pending legislation (HB 2516/SB 6239). Subterfuge by the anti-God crowd.
 
What really happened in the Gingrich ethics case? ~ Aren’t you getting tired of all the negative spin on Newt these days? OK – the guy has his flaws, but he’s been demonized why out of proportion in this ’90’s ethics violation controversy. In his article, Byron York presents a measured, detailed look at the facts. In the end, Gingrich was exonerated.
 
Christians Carry a 12-Ft Cross for Miles to Protest Atheists’ Lawsuit Over TN Water Tower Cross ~ Onward Christian Soldiers!
 

Posted in Everything Else | Leave a comment

“It’s the Debt Stupid!”

Posted on January 27, 2012

Like many of you I was dozing off and on during President Obama’s State of the Union/Campaign speech the other night, so could be that I missed his proposed strategies for reducing our massive national debt (- which has grown by 5 trillion on his watch!)…?

I did happen to catch the class warfare “fairness” lecture. Guess agitating the malcontents is his solution to the crisis he’s created (Cloward-Piven ring a bell?).
 
At least the GOP candidates seem to get it. Particularly Rick Santorum who – incidentally, I thought did a stellar job in articulating the contrast between God-given rights and government-given rights – in last night’s debate, strongly emphasized the imperative of dealing with the looming debt crisis. First order of business – stop spending like a bunch of drunken Leftists!
 
This video from the Heritage Foundation briefly illustrates the challenges we face, especially with regard to the massive entitlement programs:
 

 

I’m sure our thin-skinned POTUS was watching last night’s GOP debate. Not to glean any insight into fixing the economy, just to plot against the opposition, and devise more campaign propaganda to foist upon the masses. Here in Michigan today he’s out insinuating to college students that since education costs are so high, they shouldn’t have to be responsible for their loans – and they should call their representatives and whine about “unfair” bank practices. Yeah, that’ll put us on the road to economic recovery. Let’s emulate Greece.
 
Even though the true fiscal state of the union is nearing critical mass, President Obama would apparently rather keep adding fuel to the fire, fan the flames, then jump back and wait for the meltdown.
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Up-Date (1-29-12):
Another great article by Mark Steyn which ties in nicely with this post: Sorry, Newt. Only the debt ceiling will reach the moon ~

There are times for dreaming big dreams, and there are times to wake up. This country will not be going to the moon, any more than will be the British or French. Because, in decline, the horizons shrivel. The only thing that’s going to be on the moon is the debt ceiling. Before we can make any more giant leaps for mankind, we have to make one small, dull, prosaic, earthbound step here at home – and stop. Stop the massive expansion of microregulatory government, and then reverse it. Obama has vowed to press on. If Romney and Gingrich can’t get serious about it, he’ll get his way.

 

Posted in Timeless Principles, Unvarnished | Leave a comment

Make each day a “Someday”

Posted on January 27, 2012

Sorting through some old papers, I came across a yellowed newspaper clipping with the following sentiment that I wanted to share:


 

Someday

 
There’s a loving letter, I mean to send,
There’s a visit, I mean to pay.
There’s a careless habit, I hope to mend,
When I get time, someday.
 
There’s a dusty Bible, I mean to read,
There’s an hour, I’ll keep to pray,
And, I’ll turn each dream to a golden deed,
When I get time, someday.
 
I’ll carry flowers to the sick and sad,
I’ll seek for those who stray,
You may trace my steps by hearts made glad,
When I get time, someday.
 
So we’ve thought, and so we’ve said,
Yet, how sad to relate,
That busy with less important things,
We’ve waited until too late.
 
We’ll never find the time, dear friend,
To be kind, along life’s way,
Lest we thoughtfully and prayerfully,
Make the most of everyday.

 
Rather than return this poem to the drawer it was buried in, I’m putting it right next to my computer, to remind myself to… stop procrastinating! And to remember that every day should be a “someday.”
 

Posted in Comfort & Joy, Timeless Principles | Leave a comment

How is Israel Supposed to Make Peace With This?

Posted on January 26, 2012

I have to confess, every time I see a see a driver with one of these bumper stickers* on their car I want to slap them:
 
 
I know, I know, I’m totally “intolerant” (the worst of crimes these days). I mean, just look at that “peaceful” message. How “high-minded.” How “non-judgmental.” How oxymoronic! How naive to drive around America, the country founded on religious tolerance, self-righteously believing you’re spreading a message of universal peace.
 
Here’s a thought – how about you paste that sentiment on your vehicle and drive around Saudi Arabia for a while? Especially if you’re a woman?
 
Or – How about you mail the Mufti of Jerusalem a few thousand copies to pass out in his mosque?
 

 
This video from CUFI (Christians United for Israel)**, includes a clip of Mufti Muhammad Hussein, speaking in Jerusalem on January 7th, during celebrations of the 47th anniversary of the Palestinian movement Fatah;

“The hour of resurrection will not come until you fight the Jews,” Hussein told the gathering, citing a hadith, or saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. “The Jews will hide behind stones and trees. But the trees and the stones will call: oh Muslim, oh servant of God, there is a Jew hiding behind me so come and kill him.”

 
As usual of course, it was all a misunderstanding.

The PA Minister of Religious Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, defended the Mufti, saying on a radio program:
“This is not incitement to kill Jews. We cannot change the historical religious writings and we don’t want to change them. However, we are talking now about the reality. The reality is that we want to achieve a just peace.”

 
Yes, just because we read the words “kill the Jews” at a political gathering doesn’t really mean we want to “kill the Jews” – wink-wink. And pay no attention to this guy: Hamas will “never give up its armed struggle against the Zionist enemy.” [1-23-12 Senior Hamas (Palestinian Islamist) official Mahmud Zahar]
 
Call me a skeptic, but somehow I don’t think the Islamists’ definition of a “just peace” is synonymous with “coexistence.”
 
Thank God, there are some voices of sanity who see past the Islamic subterfuge ~ International condemnation of PA Mufti following PMW exposure of religious hate speech.
 
But how many are willing to acknowledge the full truth: Anti-Semitism on the rise as Islamists complete ‘Arab Spring’ takeover. ~

It was long argued that bringing democratic freedom to the Middle East would greatly lessen or even eliminate regional Muslim hatred for the democratic West, and in particular for Israel and the Jews.
 
That theory was put to the test over the past year as dictatorships were toppled from Libya to Egypt to (almost) Syria. It did not receive a passing grade.
 
Instead of softening their attitude toward Israel and the Jews, democratic freedom has led to the rise of Islamist forces and a seeming explosion of anti-Semitic discourse in the newly free nations.
 
… As an example, the report pointed to the numerous libelous declarations by clerics affiliated with Egypt’s new ruling parties, as well as religious edicts forbidding Egyptian Muslims from signing agreements with “monkeys,” a common reference to Jews.

 

In the meantime, Obama wants to boost aid to Egypt quickly. Guess the Muslim Brotherhood needs more cash. Maybe he can send along some “Co-exist” bumper stickers.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
Related:
Brothers Now Rule the Egyptian Hood
 
Palestinian Media Watch ~ Keeping tabs on all things ”Hamas.”
~~~~~~~~~~~

* “Co-exist” bumper stickers are available at Moveon.org, which is primarily funded by George Soros, that benevolent proponent of co-existence. The same guy who as a teenager during the Holocaust, was actually helping Nazis confiscate the property of about-to-be-“exterminated” Jews in his native Budapest, Hungary. Oddly enough, Soros didn’t seem to want to co-exist with his fellow Jews.
 
** Good thing CUFI embedded the clip within their own video because YouTube suspended the PMW original at least twice for “inappropriate content.”

Posted in Good vs.Evil, Unvarnished | 1 Comment

Iraq – the Aftermath

Posted on January 25, 2012

Amid the 3rd Annual Smoke & Mirror Show (aka – the State of the Union address) last night, President Obama triumphantly announced that, “For the first time in nine years there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.”
Wonderful. So now that the “Great Satan” has left the premises, surely we can expect peace and prosperity to be breaking out all over the country…
 
REALITY CHECK (from last week’s Washington Post): Iraq violence up sharply since U.S. troops’ exit. Yes, it seems Mesopotamia is still a mess.

Violence appears to have increased sharply since U.S. troops left Iraq a month ago, as insurgents have unleashed a wave of furious bombings targeting Baghdad neighborhoods, Shiite pilgrims and police facilities in Sunni areas.
 
The deadly attacks have roots not only in the troops’ departure but also in a domestic political crisis that erupted in its wake. Shiite and Sunni leaders have squared off in a power struggle, one that analysts say insurgents are trying to turn into a full-scale civil war.
 
“They are not arbitrary attacks. They are sending messages that security is not under control,” said Wathiq al-Hashimi, an analyst in Baghdad who leads the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies.

 

 

For the year ending Dec. 31, Iraqi officials recorded about 2,640 deaths, according to totals from the Interior and Health ministries. A nonprofit group, “Iraq Body Count,” which has monitored civilian deaths since 2003, estimated that 460 civilians died violently after the troops’ departure, a 35 percent increase over monthly averages for last year.

 
Just this week: Baghdad bombs kill 11 as Iraq violence surges (source: CBS News)
 

 
The WAPO article continues:

Before their departure, U.S. troops had ceded control of the country’s security to Iraqi forces. But the Americans’ presence remained critical, analysts said, because they shared intelligence capabilities with their Iraqi counterparts and their visibility signaled that the Americans had influence over Iraq’s leaders.
 
After the U.S. exit, “what changed is a mind-set,” said Michael Knights, an Iraq expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has been a consultant to the Defense Department.“The U.S. was now definitely gone. Therefore, all bets are off.”

 
After all the American blood and treasure spent in Iraq, how tragic that the country appears headed back to their 14th century barbarian ways, with a total disregard for the value of individual human lives. As long as their national motto remains “Allahu Akbar,” can we expect any different?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related:
 
More POTUS Prevarication – “Stable” Iraq?
 
US-based human rights group (Human Rights Watch) says Iraq is becoming a “police state” ~

“Iraqis are quickly losing ground on the most basic of rights, including the right to free speech and assembly,” said Samer Muscati, an Iraq researcher for the group. “Nowadays, every time someone attends a peaceful protest, they put themselves at risk of attack and abuse by security forces or their proxies,” he said.
 
Prison brutality, including torture in detention facilities, was a major problem throughout the year, the group’s annual report said.

 

Posted in Fruits of Their Labors, Unvarnished | 1 Comment

NO THANKS!

Posted on January 24, 2012


 
Just released from Speaker Boehner’s office:
 

 

Posted in Fruits of Their Labors, Unvarnished | Leave a comment

Whack-a-Drone#9

Posted on January 24, 2012

Here is another cogent, concise and convincing
example of the rightness of Conservatism.
Whack your favorite drone(s) with the TRUTH:

[There’s a high probability it won’t penetrate their thick
armor of denial – but hey, it’s worth a shot.]

 
Hard facts behind America’s dismal economic outlook:

“If you were to rank the countries of the world in terms of economic freedom, where would the United States fall? … [T]here is, in fact, a resource that ranks every country by this measure — the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, and the United States comes in at No. 10.  
That’s right: the nation that is supposed to lead the world in liberty finishes behind nine others, including Ireland, Chile, Switzerland and Canada. Even the small African nation of Mauritius beats us (!) …
The U.S. now ranks 127th in the world in [government spending].
Spending by government consumes 42.2 percent of gross domestic product. Total public debt is now larger than the entire economy.
 
Taxes are another problem. … Regulations continue to grow in number, making it harder than necessary for our economy to recover. How bad is it? More than 70 major rules have been imposed since 2009, and they cost Americans nearly $40 billion last year. …
We can’t hope to create the number of jobs we need under these conditions. That’s why we have to get serious about cutting government down to size, overhauling our tax system, and transforming costly entitlement programs.”
 
~ Heritage Foundation president Ed Feulner ~

 

Credit: The Patriot Post

 

Posted in Timeless Principles, Unvarnished | Leave a comment

Goalie Scores One for the Good Guys

Posted on January 23, 2012
I’d never heard of Tim Thomas before today – but he’s my new hero!

 

 
From the NY Daily News:

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas is used to making a statement with his play on the ice. On Monday he made one in the political arena.

Over an ideological difference with President Obama and the current administration, Thomas skipped the White House ceremony to salute the Stanley Cup champion Bruins.

 

Thomas posted the following statement on his Facebook page at 6 p.m. ET:

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
 
This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
 
Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.
 
This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT”

 
Succinct, articulate and – unlike the angry blather from Left-wing celebrities – True!
 

Posted in Comfort & Joy, Unvarnished | Leave a comment

Are you up for the 5 minute challenge?

Posted on January 23, 2012

I know I’m late getting to this (can it be only a week til February?!) but wanted to share Open Doors’ important initiative for 2012: the “5 Minute Challenge.”

We invite you to join us in praying through the World Watch List countries. For just 5 minutes each week, learn about a new country, the people who live there and how to pray for them. It’s that simple!

 

 
By the end of the year, everyone who participates will have prayed for persecuted Christians in all 50 countries on the World Watch List, including the top five: North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Iran.
Just imagine the powerful impact that spending 5 minutes once a week could have!

~~~~~~~~~

 
I have a little well-worn copy of Brother Andrew’s (Open Doors founder) “Prayer Works” that is a testament to the power of prayer. Using examples from scripture and contemporary life, Andrew illustrates how God, when we approach Him in humility, faith and trust, with an understanding of His will, He really does move mountains. My favorite passage from the book describes the passionate prayer style of Corrie ten Boom:

“Lort (her Dutch pronunciation 🙂 ) – You must do something! There’s no time to waste!”
~~~~~~
Many times… she would quote God’s own Word back to Him to remind Him of His promises… When she grew especially impassioned, she would grab her Bible and thumb through the pages rapidly until she found the exact passage she could use to prove her case. Then she would lift her Bible into the air, point to the verse, and say triumphantly, “Here, Lort – read it Yourself!”
~~~~~~
And after all, as she would often remind Him, she was not asking God for anything He had not already promised. So she never hesitated to tell Him what to do and to thank Him when He did it. “I knew You would do it!” she would say with a jubilant smile. “I just knew it!”

 
I really the love the image that description evokes! And the testimony to the dynamic effectiveness of prayer.
 
Can’t we all spare just 5 minutes a week? Sign up for the challenge HERE!
 

Posted in Comfort & Joy, Timeless Principles | Leave a comment