Your ‘Do You Want the Terrorists to Win’ Score: 100%

You are a terrorist-loving, Bush-bashing, “blame America first”-crowd traitor. You are in league with evil-doers who hate our freedoms. By all counts you are a liberal, and as such cleary desire the terrorists to succeed and impose their harsh theocratic restrictions on us […]

From the NYT: World Leaders Release Plan for Resolving East/West Rift
Mr. Annan said in a written statement: “The problem is not the Koran or the Torah or the Bible. Indeed, I have often said that the problem is never the faith, it is the faithful and how they behave toward each other.”
Also from NYT: For […]

First: News
Nope, not mine this time — I literally mean “the news.” Jim Wallis (Sojourners) and Tony Perkins (Family Research Council) will be on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric this evening to discus the “Moral Direction of our Country.” I’m recording it, and if there’s anything worth talking (or ranting) about, […]

I recently wrote a post, Our nation is falling apart. As commenter Stevo has pointed out, there’s very little factual truth in the email I received as a forward (what, am I supposed to be surprised, or something?) and grumbled about in this space.
I still agree with my assessment of (and agreement with) the […]

As if *that* is a newsflash?
I received this as an interesting forward (as opposed to the annoying variety) from a girlfriend:
Subject: Civilizations - VERY INTERESTING
About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall […]

From today’s NYTimes:
Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock
A few tidbits:

Before the last presidential election, [Pastor Boyd] preached six sermons called “The Cross and the Sword” in which he said the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a “Christian nation” and stop glorifying […]

From today’s NYTimes: He Who Cast the First Stone Probably Didn’t
Retaliation is a normal human impulse…
After all, it is wrong to punch anyone except a puncher, and our language even has special words — like “retaliation” and “retribution” and “revenge” — whose common prefix is meant to remind us that a punch thrown second is […]

We went to Iraq because Saddam’s supposed WMD stockpile threatened our peace. (See? We’re the Department of Defense. We’re *defending* you — this isn’t unprovoked aggression, golly, gee no! They could hurt us!)
Now, I learn that FAUXNews is already spinning some not-verified ideas (not even the facts, people) to say that […]

Fucking brilliant.

h/t Pandagon

While I’m off doing the holiday thing, here’s something worth reading from Echidne of the Snakes:
America Haters
The radical right calls me an America-hater almost every day. The idea that anyone criticizing this administration hates America and plots treason is spread all over the net and the traditional media. The intention is to make us critics […]

From wordsmith.org:
This week’s theme: fear and desire.
theomania (thee-o-MAY-nee-uh, -MAIN-yuh) noun
The belief that one is God or specially chosen by God on a mission.
[From Greek theos (god) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze).]
This mania often strikes rulers of nations and is highly recommended when planning to attack other nations. It soothes conscience, clears the […]

I’ll update this as new material shows up.
Funny, for a gal who did manage to exclusively breastfeed my child for six months, non-exclusively (solid food added) until 15 months, this topic really pushes my buttons. It’s not because I’m an activist one way or another where breastfeeding is concerned (though I’d encourage any mother […]