Rep. Pallone on Rush Limbaugh's

Rush Limbaugh's wisecrack about soldiers who disagree with the continuation of the was as "phony soldiers" at least made it to the House floor. I doubt that the members will waste more time passing a condemnation like they did for the Move-On add about Patraeus. I personally wish Congress would get down to business and impeach the criminal administration that is pursuing this war.

Bush Wants $42.3 Billion for More War - Nothing for Children's Health Insurance

Bush sends Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to Congress yesterday to ask for an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, he threatens to veto a bill to expand health insurance for lower and lower-middle class kids. I gotta wonder what version of the Bible he is reading. Bush claims to be a born again Christian yet he can’t seem to wrap his head around one of Jesus most emphatic commands, “feed my sheep”.

I can only guess our President thinks Jesus meant literal sheep. I have images of Bush wandering around the Rose Garden scattering Purina Sheep Chow. Seriously though, I feel pretty sure that the man who answered the question in the Presidential debates back in 2000 that his favorite philosopher was Jesus, was either lying or just reading the words from a prompter. I see absolutely nothing in Bush’s action that would give me a single clue he has ever taken Jesus preaching seriously.

Am I being judgmental? Not really, just evaluating the facts. His actions speak so much louder than his words.

Here’s an idea. Write or call the White House and tell them you are an observant Christian, or Jew, or Muslim (or whatever else) and that your faith tells you that generosity is one of the pillars of the faith. Then tell them that you encourage President Bush to sign the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation that will be presented to him and put his faith into action. Maybe if enough people call the “decider” might decide the right thing to do. Additionally, write and call your Congressperson and ask them to vote against any further funding for the war in any way. That would be a faith based initiative.

Yet More Poisoned Toys from China! This is Getting Silly.

Another day another poisoned toy recall! Seems like American kids just don't get enough lead in their diet, so our friends in China have graciously supplied plenty in their toys and manufactured goods. I guess that should be "cheaply manufactured goods".

In quest for more profits and low prices, American companies have bulldozed their factories and outsourced virtually everything to China, especially toy manufacturers. The latest recall is more Thomas & Friends toys as well as such things as children's jewelry.

Might just be time to start making your own toys for your kids. Craft stores have lots of stuff that does not contain lead!

TV Review - Big Bang Theory - Who Knew String Theory Could be so Funny!

OK, so network TV usually sucks. I agree, but I have my favorite guilty pleasures. Most of them are on CBS Monday nights and now I can add another. The Big Bang Theory, a sitcom from Chuck “Two and a Half Men” Lorre is packed with intelligent dialogue and just plain funny bits.

The “sit” centers on a couple of nerds, Sheldon and Leonard (I gotta figure those names are a play on one of the fathers of sitcoms) played by Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki. These two actors pull off the nerd roles well. I have to wonder if they didn’t spend time studying people with Asperger’s Syndrome while preparing for the roles. That condition is often referred to as nerds disease and is a very mild form of Autism.

The timing is flawless and their gags seem to always hit my funny bone. In the opening episode the two hapless guys are going to donate their sperm to a “genius” sperm bank. When they ask the receptionist if this is the place, she responds, “If you have to ask, maybe you shouldn’t be here!”

My only downside was the laugh track. They would do better with a studio audience. Watch it Mondays on CBS if you want to laugh and catch up on your string theory.

General Pace Gives a Bible Lesson, but Forgets the Ten Commandments

General Pace appeared before a Senate hearing today and was offered a chance to clarify his remarks about homosexuals in the military. For those with short memories, he previously said, "I believe homosexual acts between individuals are immoral."

Well at the hearing he didn't do much better. Funny when he talked about morals he never mentioned the biblical commandment, "thy shall not kill." The crowd chanted it for him just to jar his memory, but the ruckus caused the hearing to be cancelled. ThinkProgress.org has more.

Larry Craig Hopes For His Do-Over Today

Larry Craig will get another day in court today, at least his attorney will. Today he ties to convince the judge that he mistakenly entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct. That’s going to be pretty hard considering his plea, which had absolutely no details of the alleged crime was probably intended to get processed and slide quietly through the system before he could be found out by the press or others.

I might have worked, but surprise, he got found out! Now he is claiming he just likes to tap his feet on the john and never intended anything when he wiggled his fingers under the stall at an undercover policeman. Aw heck, people do that every day…right!

If the judge does let him withdraw his plea, he will bring a battery of lawyers into court and cloud the case with a flurry of legal maneuvers designed to shroud whatever it was he was doing and frame the case as entrapment. If the judge denies his withdrawal, Craig might have to make good on his “intent” to resign September 30. Personally I am hoping for the latter, he has had enough time in the spotlight.

Church Denied Insurance Because of Pro Gay Rights Stance

A company calling itself Brotherhood Mutual Insurance has refused to provide a quote for a small church in Michigan because the denomination affirms the rights of gays and lesbians. The big surprise was that the company solicited the church’s business initially.

Brotherhood Mutual told the West Adrian United Church of Christ that their stance for equality for GLBT people made the church a “higher risk” for liability insurance and therefore unacceptable.

Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for Brotherhood Mutual wrote in a letter to the church, "Our company's decision to not submit a quote to your organization arose out of information that was supplied in a supplemental application, indicating that your organization 'publicly endorses or practices the marriage of same-sex couples' and 'publicly endorses or practices the ordination of the homosexual clergy.'"

This refusal is even though the small 100 person congregation is not even listed as a “welcoming and affirming” congregation in the UCC church listings. The church does already have insurance with another company.

This little kerfuffle illustrates the depth of bigotry against GLBT people in this country and also shows the very real risks congregations take when they move to affirm GLBT rights. As a member of a United Church of Christ congregation here in Dallas, I appreciate the stand that the UCC denomination took when it came out for GLBT rights, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

"In Iran, We Don't Have Homosexuals"

The president of Iran spoke at Columbia University today and denied the existance of gays and lesbians in Iran. Maybe that's because they have been exicuting them, more than 4000 since 1979.

I am glad he is speaking here, and also glad the audience finds him as disturbing as I do. I think he and Bush have a lot in common, they both love in a state of denial.

Cholera Pops Up In Baghdad - Surprise!

I was reading a blog by an Iraqi dentist who makes irregular posts on his blog, “Last of Iraqis”. He writes about the cloudy drinking water that comes from the tap and then wonders about the rumors of Cholera in Baghdad that have been circulating. Well the rumors are true according to several news sources.

So now in addition to the plague of violence we have rained down on Iraq, Cholera is poised to sweep the cities. It is really sad when things for the average Iraqi were better under Saddam than our puppet government over there.

I watched the video of the tap water he posted in his blog and I realize that we take things like being able to drink the water from our faucets with reasonable assurances that it will not kill us. I am at once grateful for our countries fine water system, government regulated I might add, and am dismayed at our government’s actions in Iraq. Isn’t it time we stopped this madness and seek diplomatic solutions in Iraq rather than just continuing to pump money into weapons and death?

Whatever happened to those billions we spent to restore the infrastructure over there? Maybe Dick Cheney’s company can explain that mystery?

Marcel Marceau