Mila's Daydreams

This mom creates little scenes around her sleeping daughter, imagining what her dreams might be. Mom claims she creates them while the baby is sleeping, but I'm not sure I believe her. On at least some of them, it looks like she made them at one point & then put the baby there later. But what do I know.

T minus 172 years

Stop having kids now. Otherwise, your great-great-great-great-great grandchildren might go kablooey in 2182, when this big ole asteroid has a .054% chance of slamming into Earth. (Although maybe it's not that big? I didn't read closely enough to note a size, but it's labeled "a potentially hazardous asteroid. I imagine that's big enough to make it really annoying.) Anyhoozles, have fun kids!

Bill O'Reilly

You know, sometimes I like a good enigma, and other times, I don't. When people like Bill O'Reilly say things lucid, logical things like this:

"President Obama has the power to stop this 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' business. Just sign an executive order. I don't know why it's taking so long—it's not fair. We should stop this nonsense."

it makes my head hurt. I hope someone posts a video of him doing something inane soon, so that my universe will right itself.

Ted Haggard: A Morality Tale

Man, do I love Ted Haggard. He's already grown his backyard barn church into a 200-person congregation that's moved into a bigger space. I've followed him through his spectacular fall, his search for grace and forgiveness, and his new start. I would give just about anything to spend a day inside his head and see what he really thinks about God, redemption, love, and sexuality, and how he sees himself fitting into all of it.

I find him compellingly complex, endlessly charming, and totally enigmatic. Is he delusional? Is he a self-aware charlatan? Take these two pieces from the above linked Wall Street Journal interview:

"Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football," Mr. Haggard said as his new congregation joined him and Gayle in their backyard for a post-worship picnic. Little kids, shrieking with joy, splashed in the pool. Men grilled burgers. Women set out chicken salad.

"Ted Haggard," Mr. Haggard said, "needs to be leading a church."

and

"I over-repented," he said. . . . He portrays his encounter with the prostitute as a massage that went awry and said he doesn't have same-sex attractions.

That's got to be a flat-out lie. I just cannot believe that he is that delusional. But then I also think he sincerely wants to lead his flock to the Truth. So...he tells himself this little lie is OK for the greater good?? I don't know! That's why I love him.

To me, Ted Haggard and his life are the real-world version of a fabulously written TV show. He could have easily been written by Matt Weiner (Mad Men) or Mark Olsen and Will Scheffer (Big Love). He's a compelling character with massive personality flaws that are not ever fully grasped or understood by either the character or the audience. And played out in the battle with himself are the narratives and questions of religion, politics, and humanity. Somebody definitely deserves an Emmy for this.

And They Shall Surely Be Put To Death

A poster from Maggie Gallagher's National Organization For Marriage's bus-tour campaign in Indiana. (Link from Sullivan.)

Here are some other relevant biblical quotations I'd like someone to put on a poster (KJV):

Matthew 5:31-32.

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I [that's Jesus, folks] say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Leviticus 20:10.

And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

And here is an interview with one of the Traditional Marriage people. Some things to note: his physical revulsion in response to a man he thinks is gay (or just a gay supporter?) compared to his not as-hatey-as-it-could-be language. And hang around for the whole thing. It takes a FASCINATING turn around the 3 minute mark.

Religion & Recession

"No Atheists in Foxholes and Other Myths of the Recession" -- a quick, easy read about the association between church attendance & the economy.

Abandon All Logic, Ye Who Enter Here

Some really awesome Americans, who are probably more "real American" than I am, have decided that it would be cool to burn Qurans on 9/11 this year. I know Jesus would be all over that. He loved getting his hate on.

Shirley Sherrod

Not up-to-date on this whole Shirley Sherrod debacle? Here's the quick and dirty: Sherrod, a current USDA official, told a story about THINKING about treating a white farmer unfairly in 1986, but ended up doing the right thing and saved his farm. Some website showed a heavily edited video of this and it looked like she currently did things to screw over whitey. Then she got fired. Except maybe not. Except maybe she doesn't want her job back. Anyway, here's another, more detailed, albeit rambling, version from Rachel Maddow.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Making Money off of Mel

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Repeal Of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Paves Way For Gay Sex Right On Battlefield, Opponents Fantasize

Weird

Jello cups:

Levi vs Sarah: Smackdown Raw

A rundown of the shit stirring Levi has done regarding his future mother-in-law. Ain't families grand?

No Homo!

A little primer on the phrase, "No homo." Like, "That girl is pretty, no homo." I'm familiar with this phrase mostly because my Big Brother, Big Sister kids used it occasionally when they forgot who they were with. I gave them this look:

OK, not that exact look, because I am not secretly Obama (or am I?!), but being good little whipper snappers, they stopped their shenanigans in response to The Look.

Yearbook Pictures

She looks better with dark hair.

Glenn Beck, You are a toad.

The title for this post was going to be, "Glenn Beck wants to edumucate the masses," but my auto-fill-in feature gave me the above option. It seemed appropriate, so I went with it.

Anyhoozles, Glenn Beck is starting an online "academic experience" that will educate paying "students" about religion, American history, and economics.

Wow, I didn't know Glenn Beck had a PhD in those things. I'll have to go look at his credentials and maybe re-think my view of Beck. ..... OK, I'm back! You'll be shocked to know this, but Glenn Beck doesn't even HAVE a PhD in religion, history, and economics. Not even one! It turns out -- you might want to sit down for this one -- Glenn Beck didn't go to college! I take that back. He took a class on early christian something or another. Good enough! You go, Glenn Beck.

Weird Wonder Bread

Wonder Bread Art. I am not loving it.