Friday, May 08, 2009

Hither and thither — 5/8/09

Been a full week for me, so not as much news as sometimes. But stuff? Oh, I've got stuff!
  • Let's start with something touching, thanks to tips from Rachael Starke and Carlo. Remember this picture?
Of course you do. Who could forget? Pro-abort's nightmare; Obama and Obama-voter's bloodstained conscience, right there in shades of red. It was made into a very touching, startling scene from House, MD. Well, that little baby is now a little nine-year-old boy named Samuel Armas. In fact, he's a Boy Scout.

Read more about Samuel here. The original incident, which occurred during a pre-natal surgery, converted the photographer from a pro-abort position to being pro-life. Of the picture, Samuel says "It's very important to me. A lot of babies would've lost their lives if that didn't happen." But too many still do, and Samuel is living under the presidency of a man who would have seen him as disposable by any means, and for any or no reason at all, thanks to morally-dead voters.
  • And now, on that subject: Obama-voters, this blood's for you. Yes, I'm afraid it's another Bloody Hands Update. Your president, with your help, is going to force more taxpayers to be complicit in the slaughter of the innocent in Washington, DC. Worse? Pro-aborts aren't happy, because he's not making enough taxpayers complicit in enough innocent deaths. Romans 1:18 and following, in overabundance.
  • I guess this could be a How Many Kinds of Idiot Can You Be at One Time? alert. Guy enrolls at a Christian college... then (A) stars in homosexual pornography, (B) gets suspended for it when caught, (C) appeals his suspension, and (sing it with me) (D) may sue! In a sane society, no lawyer would take the case, and a judge would fine him for filing, after rejecting it. Oh, and (E) he says he did it to pay for tuition — at the (hel-lo?) Christian college. Oh, and he (F) says he "never considered" that they would kick him out for it. Gee, maybe he should just have been nexpelled for being hopelessly stupid. Oh wait - some reports say he's withdrawn. Sigh. Whatever. (Thanks, Aaron, for the tip.)
  • Titles of the Week. Actually, we have three. First: Odd title of the week: California promises help for Southeast Asians with gambling problem. Are you a Southwestern Asian with a gambling problem? Sorry. Can't help you. South-by-southeastern Asian? Nope. Anyone else? No, sorry, move along. Next: Most "Sounds a Bit Extreme" title of the week: Nuclear bomb tests help to identify fake whisky. Wow. I would think any Scottish guy would do it for free, without all the noise and devastation and all. Then there's the Uh, Yeah, Nice Goal title of the week: How to Meet New People Without Being Creepy.
  • Now, this is what I call a business card you can sink your teeth into:
  • Important Safety Tip for lady BibChr hunters: never, never knock the mud off your shoes like this:
  • Astonishing piece of surgery. Poor woman's face was basically shotgunned off by her husband. Surgeon's have done almost a complete-face transplant. Blood flows, and they expect the nerves to regrow — which I thought never happened.
  • In another amazing surgery, a man who'd lost both his hands to infection has had a double-transplant. I couldn't find any article that answered my question: is he likely to get feeling and movement? The article I linked said they attached "tendons, nerves and muscles." If he can feel with his hands, and move them... wow. Astonishing.
  • On the other hand (no pun intended): Uhh, I don't think so.
  • Sweet rumor for us potential iPhone users: AT&T may cut the price of the service plan a bit when they release the new phone. It would assure their dominance. But it's just a rumor.
  • And then there's this, which is The Thing made out of Rice Krispy treat.
  • The perennial question is: does Hollywood attract sexually-perverse people, or does it make people sexually-perverse? (Not to mention low-grade morons.) Which the chicken, which the egg? So as yet another entry from The TMI File, we are told that one-half of the Wachowski team (creators of the Matrix trilogy) is now walking around dressed as a woman. Sigh.
  • And now, these:







29 comments:

Aaron said...

I want all those Christians who voted for Obama to take a hard look at today's H&T. So much for the President not being able to affect the status quo on abortion availability.

DJP said...

Good luck getting them to think rationally and Biblically, SA. If they were in the habit of doing that, they'd never have voted for him in the first place.

And then there's that well-known human trait: you do something bad, you realize it's bad, you have two choices: admit it and make things right, or dig in your heels and buy acreage by De Nile.

Most opt for the latter.

Aaron said...

I know it, I know it. I do the exact same thing when I'm wrong. Only by God's grace do I realize I'm wrong and repent.

I do have particular fault with Pastors and other teachers who cowered during the election so as not to jeopardize their 501(c)3 status (as if the IRS would actually do anything).

DJP said...

Yes; or even merely say, "You know, when you vote, abortion is a very important and morally crystal-clear issue to keep in mind."

Can't fathom why so many wouldn't even bring themselves to do that much.

Aaron said...

I've told Pastors on a couple occasions:

First, the IRS has only taken away 501(c)3 status from an actual church once, and then it reinstated it. I have personal knowledge of IRS operations and know that taking away non-profit status is not a legitimate threat (at least currently).

Secondly: losing 501(c)(3) status hurts the church only indirectly. You are still a non-profit and would not pay taxes. It actually hurts the members, like me, who give generously and then reduce their tax burdens by deducting the giving. But I and other true Christians would still give generously even without such tax breaks precisely because we are Christians.

Ben Stevenson said...

I think nerves can regrow - but very slowly - about 1mm per day. As nerves travel from the brain or spinal cord to the area they supply, the face who probably have a better chance of recovering nerve function than the hands and the feet.

The Squirrel said...

The Samuel Armas story is great. I’d forgotten about that picture, and it’s wonderful to know the effect that it has had. Libs get all upset about slavery, but abortion is our nation’s greatest sin.

Medical technology continues to amaze me, but as a glasses wearer, I am opposed to all forms of permanently attached eyewear! And I don’t think Scotsmen should be allowed nuclear weapons (nor should rednecks, but that’s another story.)

Now, what can I make out of rice crispies?…..

~Squirrel

Aaron said...

yes, they get all upset about slavery. They forget that it was Christians who ended slavery. And they forget that it was the judicial activist Supreme Court that kept slavery going for as long as it did (as it did segregation).

CR said...

Aaron,

Here is an excellent message from RC Sproul that you should hear. This is an excellent way to talk about abortion without losing one's 501 status.

You can't lose your 501c status for talking about issues. You only can lose it if you talk about candidates in the pulpit. (Unless of course if you're a demonicrat then you can rant against Republicans all you want because liberals only visit conservative churches and tell on them).

Colloquist said...

Ben is correct; peripheral nerves can heal/grow. The hand transplant patient won't have to regrow nerves all the way from his brain to his fingertips, though; in the surgery, intact nerves in his forearm would have been connected to intact nerves in the transplanted forearm/hand and, once he recovers from the trauma of the surgery itself, those nerves will resume function (both sensory and motor, God willing). He'll have to learn how to use them, as his brain figures out how those new (to him) nerve endings respond, but he should have at least some sensation and movement in those new hands.

Central nervous system fibers (brain and spinal cord) are much more limited in their ability to do so but the brain can re-route pathways (a stroke victim can re-learn motor skills) using undamaged fibers.

Here endeth the neurophysiology lesson. :o)

Aaron said...

CR:

Actually the code says you can't officially endorse a candidate. You can most certainly speak against one from the pulpit.

And even if you did violate the code, the IRS might huff and puff, but is unlikely to do anything (at least as of right now).

I wont reveal more about how I know this, but lets just say I have an insider's view.

Aaron said...

Rabbit:

That is nothing short of miraculous and a thrilling view of God's creation (that he guided over eons from chicken broth).

Aaron said...

CR:

I'm sure you agree with me...but when are Pastors going to stand up and say, "Take the 501(c)3 already. Consequences or no, I'm going to stand on Christ You can take everything I have and I'll still be here preaching the truth." If we can't get our leaders to do this, how will the rest of us fare when we are asked to sacrifice?

The Squirrel said...

On second thought, the jerky business cards aren't such a good idea after all. Even if you resisted temptation and managed not to eat that important phone number... you'd leave it on your desk, and the cat would take care of it for you...

~Squirrel

Aaron said...

Isn't it dangerous for a Squirrel to have a pet cat?

Aaron said...

moving onto a different train of thought...it's interesting that the photographer became pro-life after he took the photos. This explains why the pro-abortion camp is so avidly against ultrasounds and public display of these type of pictures.

Michelle said...

On abortion and the liberals/Obama administration, and I hope this isn't too much of a stretch away from your post: I know nothing of Ann Coulter except that she's a very controversial conservative, but watched Joy Behar interview her on Larry King on May 1. Talking about waterboarding and Ann's downplaying of it, Joy asked her if she'd want to be (horror of horrors) waterboarded. Ann said no, and asked Joy if she wanted to be aborted, "because I think you support abortion? In fact, could we abort the terrorists instead of waterboarding them?"

It may have been a bit "off" but it showed how ludicrous it all is. Making a big hoohaa about protecting the comfort of terrorists while promoting the bloody slaughter of their own innocents.

DJP said...

That's good. Indeed, Ann's a very controversial figure. She's said some things I really wish she hadn't. But what I like about her is she is unapologetically in-your-face about what she believes, and ready to fill her hand and fan the revolver at a moment's notice. As opposed to most mealy-mouthed, spineless, apologetic, easily-intimidated conservatives.

CR said...

Aaron,

If you listen to RC's message, I think he walks the perfect line of informing his congregation how to vote without violating the federal government's unconstitutional restriction of free speech in the pulpit.

CR said...

You know, Ann Coulter does say some stuff that I cringe, but I absolutely love her and think she's hilarious. The part where she asks that person if you want to be aborted just cracks me up.

Aaron said...

Ann is funny. But when your job is talk, eventually you'll say something you wish you hadn't.

Mike Westfall said...

Since this is Star Trek movie day, I thought you all might be interested in this contest being conducted by Pirate Christian Radio.

Joe W. said...

Question:
If a pastor is preaching sound doctrine from the pulpit, would he even need to say "DO NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA"?

I'm not asking a rhetorical question. However, I tend to think that it would not be necessary.

Aaron said...

You do have a point there.

Herding Grasshoppers said...

I'm late to the party...

Rabbit, you sound like you have an area of expertise there! Personal anecdotal evidence - nerves can re-grow, or perhaps - more accurately - be rejuvenated even more quickly with some kind of electric-current therapy.

Dan,

Did I catch you "verbing" a noun?!

"Poor woman's face was basically shotgunned off by her husband."

I'm shocked.

Love the Ann Coulter quote, btw.

Julie

trogdor said...

Question on the gay porn story, which is the same one I have whenever something like this hits the news. It says the guy was suspended "after a student saw him last month in a video posted online."

So... what happened to the people who posted and/or watched the video?

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Trogdor,

That crossed my mind too. Who was watching the porn?

Julie

Moon said...

"So much for the President not being able to affect the status quo on abortion availability."---> I heard this sooo much from many different people, but you know something? it doesn't even matter if he would've been able to or not, the mere fact that he's a pro-abortionist was enough for at least Christians, for pete's sake!!, to disqualify him as a candidate for president. *sigh* but oh well.

"And then there's that well-known human trait: you do something bad, you realize it's bad, you have two choices: admit it and make things right, or dig in your heels and buy acreage by De Nile. Most opt for the latter." ---> I was thinking the same thing cause it's just so true.

Moon said...

"I think nerves can regrow - but very slowly - about 1mm per day. As nerves travel from the brain or spinal cord to the area they supply, the face who probably have a better chance of recovering nerve function than the hands and the feet."---> They do regrow, the dean of medicine at my school does microsurgeries, like the one you posted here Mr. Phillips, he has reattached nerves before and they do regrow at a slow pace...the first time I ever heard that was from that doctor during a class.