This could generate some fireworks.

Raising the Titanic, Sinking Christianity?

Early reports indicate that while the evidence the filmmaker [James Cameron] and the journalist have brought to the table are by no means definitive, it is compelling.

The ossuaries — or burial boxes that purportedly contain the bones of Jesus and his family — were discovered in a 2,000-year-old cave in 1980, during excavation for a housing project south of Jerusalem. They are now in the stewardship of the Israel Antiquities Authority in Bet Shemesh, outside Jerusalem.

I think this is very cool, but not because I'm happy to embarrass Christians. I realize that stuff like this could be quite bothersome to those who believe strongly in the details as written in the Bible, and I'm sorry if Mr. Cameron causes major suffering for devout folks. For the truly faithful it shouldn't matter if Christ's DNA is found to match with his Mom's, thereby theoretically nullifying the possibility of a virgin birth. The Bible rules over all such so called "evidence" as Kurt Wise made clear.

What is cool about it is that it might actually be possible, through archeology, to get at the details of what happened 2000 years ago and constituted the core of "the greatest story ever told."

Can you believe somebody actually lent me $809,000 today? (in our market this is near the bottom end)

I'm too exhausted to describe the process, but it was excruciating. We don't get to move in until May 4th. Click on the picture for a virtual tour.

…this interesting op-ed piece on the Hate Speech of the Left…

I found this after encountering a vitriolic review of the aforementioned movie at Sweetness and Light.  And lo and behold, second or third comment down is a "dog face girl" comment.  Seems lile a popular theme amongst cranky conservatives.  And so, feeling a bit put out, I laboriously acquired a gmail account, registered at the site, and politely posted a comment asking how they reconcile the uncharitable comments with the supposed conservative values.  Well, you can follow the thread as well as I can.

Actually, I am coming to see this process for the nightmare that it is.  An endless supply of accusations and counter accusations.  For every DU, there is an S&L.  Each believes it is right, and that right makes might; endless examples of extremist and abuses from all corners.  Few refutable, all spinnable.  A circle jerk of frustration and intolerance.

While I value the introspection such exchange may evoke, I worry about the undertone of anger, alienation and fear I see on all sides.

I fear the collapse of dialog and the emerging dominance of extremists from both sides.

Well, one link leads to another, and then….

A long, but somewhat entertaining discourse on Pop Philosophy, which to my uneducated eye nonetheless has attributes which I beleive Mr Rouse may find somewhat interesting… (somewhat)

Nice to know that not everyone wants to attack the messenger who's bringing us the bad news. Richard Cohen in the Washington Post:

The movie would be about a man who did not quit, who came off the canvas after a painfully close election — he won the popular vote, after all — who accepted defeat graciously and tried to unite the nation, who returned to the consuming passion of his earlier days, the environment, and spoke endlessly on the topic, almost always for free, who starred in a documentary based on his speech and who Sunday night, before a billion or so people, won an Academy Award for his effort. This may or may not be a stepping stone to the presidency, but Gore gives us all a lesson on how to live one's life.

Link  

Sounds like a nice person.  Kind of a John McCain of the left let loose with a camera and not one bad joke, but dozens.  Nancy, leader of the of the love and doubt party, has gotta be proud of her daughter…

Blue Staters often picture evangelicals as a tribe of shallow and slightly loony fanatics. Pelosi's documentary reinforces these prejudices. With minimal effort, the daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) could have found a few evangelical scientists, stock brokers, dedicated inner-city teachers or counselors at drug rehab centers.

Instead, she offers HBO viewers the Christian Wrestling Federation, Christian miniature golf (where players putt through the empty tomb of the resurrected Jesus), a truck-stop prayer group and a Bible theme park, where an actor in robe and sandals dispenses parables. At a drive-through church, those seeking the spiritual equivalent of fast food can pray with a lady behind a plate glass window from the comfort of their car.

It's the tried-and-true technique of filmmakers with an agenda – find the most embarrassing and absurd examples of whatever you want to lampoon and get them on camera.

The entire opinion piece here…

artist: guy billout 

I'm a progressively minded democrat, and a hippie, and a geek, and a believer in a great and glorious future for mankind on and off this planet. I love Abbie Hoffman, Robert Anton Wilson, Robert Heinlein, Kim Stanley Robinson, Seymour Hersch, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Thom Hartmann, and many others who uphold positive ideals and stimulate the better natures of their fellow man.

What else? Oh yeah, Macs are great and PCs suck. Almost forgot that one.

Think Mars. 

They live in the walls, you see.  And there's just no solution for it.

Breaktime.

i'm "stuck" in a blizzard!!!!!