I’m sorry, but I still feel like something I should bury in the deep end of my kitty-box. I’m current with replies. I hope I’m back tomorrow.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:40 (average 4:39). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: What’s The Big Deal About Fracking? This. This Is The Big Deal
If you ask me, that’s a big fracking deal!
From NY Times: The cadet, Blake Page [the cadet who dropped out of West Point because of proselytism], detailed his complaint in an article for The Huffington Post, accusing officers at the academy of “unconstitutional proselytism,” specifically of an evangelical Christian variety.
On the phone on Sunday, he explained to me that a few of them urged attendance at religious events in ways that could make a cadet worry about the social and professional consequences of not going. One such event was a prayer breakfast this year at which a retired lieutenant general, William G. Boykin, was slated to speak. Boykin is a born-again Christian, and his past remarks portraying the war on terror in holy and biblical terms were so extreme that he was rebuked in 2003 by President Bush. In fact his scheduled speech at West Point was so vigorously protested that it ultimately had to be canceled.
Page said that on other occasions, religious events were promoted by superiors with the kind of mass e-mails seldom used for secular gatherings. “It was always Christian, Christian, Christian,” said Page, who is an atheist.
For the officers in charge of West Point to conduct such evangelism is a clear violation of the First Amendment, because they are establishing extreme right-wing pseudo-Christianity as the de facto religion of a government funded and operated service academy. They need discipline for their failure to protect the Constitution of the United States.
From MSNBC: Fleecing the Sheeple
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
There is really only one thing for people who have spent their money on the Republican racket to say: Ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a!
18 Responses to “Open Thread–12/11/2012”
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3:27 Who's going to fly away with the best time today?
4:05 Well, you and TomCat left me sitting on the fence.
3:27 Two little dickie birds sitting on a fence, one named Patty, one named Lynn . . .
Dang!! Two ladies sharing the same bird ought to be illegal! 😉
TC, you introduced me to these puzzles, well at least this electronic version, so you have only yourself to thank! My grandfather and I would would sit for hours doing jigsaws.
Mea culpa! Mea culpa! Mea ultima culpa!
MoveOn ~ We keep fighting them here in upstate NY because they want to frack in the Marcellus Shale area. It's part of the corridor that extends into PA where they had flamable liquid coming out of their water pipes.
No Fracking Way!
http://www.marcellusprotest.org/
NY Times ~ There is more to his story than meets the eye. This young man has many issues and had no problem with accepting his education until this year. I agree that the military leaders should not be using their positions of authority to force "conversions". But I don't know how much this is really happening.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/12/07/west-point-cadet-was-disqualified-for-commission.html
"Page said he attended West Point after first serving about two years in the Army as an enlisted man. He joined the Army in 2007, becoming an air defense specialist and serving at Camp Casey, Korea, for about 16 months. His commander saw him as a high performer, he said, and encouraged him to apply to West Point.
He began as a chemical engineering major but switched to management. He said he has been a good student, though he had some problems in his second year after his father committed suicide."
The schools and the Defense Department officially reject illegal proselytizing and religious favoritism.
MSNBC ~ Will an investigation ever take place to find out how the Super-Pacs spent all the money they received? NO!
Kiss that kash good-bye!
Patty, no matter what "official" stance the schools and the Defense Department may say they have, the military has been doing this sort of thing for many, many years. When I was in basic training 50+ years ago, Sunday mornings were supposed to be the one (and only) time during the week that trainees had to themselves. However, a few minutes after church services started, the drill instructors would come through the barracks grabbing everyone they found for made-up work details. The message was crystal clear: you WILL go to church or we will find something unpleasant for you to do.
That's a shame that this kind of behavior is allowed in the military. They are not supposed to inflict their religious beliefs on their subordinates.
Keep up the good work!
On proselytizing in the military, I reiterate what John said.
You have that right!
TomCat,
Hope you are feeling better soon. Watch out for the kitty-box. The dust will irritate your lungs. Hopefully you are staying away from smoke too. That can be a really killer.
Thanks Jerry.
Greed will destroy our planet unless we resist…. Don't Frack with my water and planet…
Amen Richard.
Karl Rove and Dick Morris have been benched and permanently I hope… I was worried about fraud in Ohio but, it's all good now… 🙂
The battle for Ohio v2014 has already started.
TC, stay out of the deep end of the litter box! I can appreciate how you feel as I know what I am like when I have a severe asthma attack — totally wiped out for a week! I have only had it happen twice which is two times too many. Remember, I wear size 9s and kicking some puddy-tat butt is well within my area of expertise!
Puzzle — 3:27 Two little dickie birds sitting on a fence, one named Patty, one named Lynn . . .
MoveOn — Not only are the inherent health issues, there are financial issues too. Resale value of property will drop, some to the point that it is no longer advisable to sell. With explosive water coming from the taps and the necessity to truck in drinking water, property values will plunge in most fracked areas. Then there is the problem of water for cattle etc. If you thought that cows had a methane flatulence before, look out, turbo cows! End fracking now!
NY Times — When one joins the military, is not part of the oath about upholding the constitution and obeying the lawful orders of the C-in-C? If that is the case, these officers are guilty of not only violating the 1st amendment, but also their military oath. Seems to me that the officers should be charged and disciplined for both. Just because it has been done for years, does not mean that it should continue unabated. Cultural norms were a bit different. But it also begs the question, what are the soldiers of other faiths — Jews and Muslims for example who do have a god — to do? As for Boykin, I have seen and heard him speak. I would not even want him speaking at the cleaning of the latrine!
MSNBC — Given all the Republican/Teabagger shenanigans around election fraud and supposed voter fraud, does it really surprise anyone that they would fleece their own? The sheeple are so indoctrinated that they have forgotten how to think, if they ever really knew in the first place. Sad really. They are sheep to the slaughter!
I'm trying, Lynn.
Good one.
Good points.
That was my point too.
It's too ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ad.