Hither and thither 5/21/10

Well, lookie here: another week comed and goned. And here we are, just looking at each other.

Enough of that! Look at these:

• L, I B. Turns out dark chocolate is a health food! (What do you mean I'm reading it wrong?)
• Happy political news of the week: three-timing, unprincipled turncoat Arlen McSpecter (so called for his appeal to "Scottish law" in saying that behavior that would get a security guard or a short-order cook fired, and in deep trouble with the law, was no reason to unseat Clinton) is politically no more. I never forgave McSpecter for borking Bork. Political justice is slow, but it is nice to see it come at last in some degree.
• Perhaps part of the kiss of death to pro-abort Specter's treacherous career was Obama campaigning for him. In fact, Dems who did well last Tuesday were those who pretended opposition to the Obama regime's plans, in part or whole. Foolish voters. Such puny Dem opposition here and there won't make any difference. What matters is who they vote for to lead the House and Senate, and they'll vote for Dems like Pelosi and Reid. Because, hel-lo? Democrat! Part of abortion, government control of everything, erasing of moral lines?
• Oh my goodness. How do we get Gov. Chris Christie to leave New Jersey and run California? Vetoed a tax hike in two minutes. From what I've read so far, man's serious, focused, principled, and does not care what the media think of him. Love that.
• Wow, these South Korean soccer fans are really amazing. Some of the footage is obviously sped-up... but not that much, and it's still impressive.
• Reader Al Sends found out what stormtroopers do on their day off. (Warning: parents check site before letting your kids visit.)

• That same Al also found another reason to go iPhone or iPad.
• Staying with the "Al" theme, Al Mohler writes about a recent New Yorker essay about the quest for the historical Jesus. Frankly, I find Mohler's critique weak. He basically says, "Yeah, that's what happens when you jettison inspiration. Presuppositions are important." True, and true — and I'm sure the writer and all his heroes would agree. What about the rotten procedure of the writer? His ignoring Wright, and books like this? What about the utter ruinous nihilism that will necessarily result of such "historiography" prevails? Sounds like it called for a roundhouse kick, not a hand-slap.
• Reader Squirrel (then Joel Griffith as well) found some pretty fab Darth Vader helmets.
• Reader pastor Gary Benfold notes that the charges were dropped against the preacher who was arrested for calling water wet. No, wait, for calling homosexuality a "sin."
• In less happy British news, reader Angus Nicolson pointed me to a really well-written essay expressing horror at (A) the advertising of abortions (B) during a game show. Several lines are
  quotable, including: "...you can’t [swat] your kids, according to the European Court, but you can kill them up to birth if they have a hairlip."
• This "real-life Photoshop" panel is cute.
• Stuart Schwartz at the American Thinker does a nice job of documenting how Tim Tebow exposes the double-standard hypocrisy of God-haunted sports writers.
• Okay, now... this has got to be Photoshopped.

• Presbyterian: you're doing it wrong.
• Episcopalians ask themselves how many Scriptures they can violate with one move, come up with answer, and jump on it.
• In related news, a Church of England bishop says church leaders need to listen to the Holy Spirit, and listen to God in prayer. Surprise: (A) no mention of the inerrant, binding, sufficient Scriptures the Spirit inspired; and (B) no mention of the complete reformation that would result if they did. Not happy with what the Spirit has already said, I take it they hope He'll come up with something better.
• Gee... has that guy been commenting in my recent threads at Pyro? Hmm....
• Reader Pam Seigfried found some hysterically funny signs seen abroad (not all of which are in the best of taste... though maybe they were, in the signmaker's mind).

• Reader Chris Harwood notes how a clever gent leveraged Google to get himself interviews, and job offers.
• Yummy, and well done. Wedding cake shaped like AT-AT Walker.

• Hmm, though. Given that it's a wedding cake, I'm not sure they picked the wisest male figure. The temptation might be too great, to cry out...

• Muppets invade Lost producers. (BTW, no Lost spoilers; we don't see it until Friday or Saturday night.)
• Watching my cats wrestling with each other, I've been struck by what cool moves they bust out. Like what I've seen in the dojo. But... not quite like this:

• I trust we'd all agree that this teacher showed absolutely horrible judgment and taste. But now, I'm searching my memory... was there a widespread outcry over that movie which actually depicted the assassination of President Bush? During his administration? (To her credit, Hillary Clinton responded vehemently.)
• I have a funny mental image from this.

• Hate to admit but Los Angeles, in whose greater outskirts I grew up, has lost its mind. Again.
• But I do like Arizona's response.
• Thankfully, some Jews have publicly said that calling the Arizona law "Nazi" is inappropriate. Does liberalism prevent them from adding that it is asinine? One group guards borders against illegal invaders; the other prevents citizens from leaving and murders them? Yeah, exactly the same... except for all the specifics.
• Afraid my dear wife will groan and nod at this:

• Breaking news: wow, no one could have seen this coming! George Lucas tells the Lost producers that — are you sitting down? — he didn't plan out Star Wars in advance! That's right. You read it here.
• Your new job: go into the wilderness. Find a deadly animal. Get it really mad. Take a picture. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Sound like fun? Heck yeah... if you're a photographer with a death-wish!
• Now I leave you to your weekend, with these: