Thinking Right

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 8:33 AM | Link to this

Jim, don’t you get an option of choosing a lump-sum vs. an annunity in your retirement deal with your employer?

What’s the big deal here? Sounds like you’re jealous, in that passive-aggressive way “conservatives” get jealous of others.

That said, I suspect it would’ve seemed more above-board (pun slightly intended) if this were determined more openly by their board. But still, this sounds like some Christmas whine to me.

By Redneck Convert

December 19, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this

Well, I didn’t hardly get no sleep last night worrying about that TV guy up in PA that has a sickness causing his skin to turn from black to white.

They need to lock this guy up before his sickness spreads. We could have all kind of trouble if Those People start turning white.

You could wind up with a bunch of Those People in your fambly without knowing it and we wouldn’t have nobody left to look down on. Just think about it. You vote for a guy as guvner and think you got a good white guy and all of a sudden he takes office and lets you know he’s one of Those People. Or your kid brings a pretty girl home and marries her and later you find out she’s one of Those People and you got a bunch of Those People as your grandchildren.

After awhile all this race mixing makes the country all mixed up and we turn librul and have all these guvmint programs that raise our taxes and the Republican Party would just disappear. So catch this guy and lock him up before the End of the World comes.

I was real sorry to read how so many people was beating up on Sister Dusty yesterday. Calling her fat and dumb and such. Well, she can’t help her weight and people need to be Southren Gentlemen when they get on this blog. But no, we got a bunch of traders that don’t have no respeck for other people.

Anyway, I was kind of sorry to read about old Tom Murphy dying. He was OK for awhile and then he become a member of the librul Democrat party and we had to vote him out of office and put in a godly Republican. Its just a shame that good people get tempted by the Devil and turn into godless libruls. I hope he ain’t toasting to a crisp this a.m. but I’m afeared he won’t be relaxing down where he is.

Anyhow, I’m for getting rid of these charities and letting the churches do all the good work. If people need money they can at least convert to be good Christians as a way to pay us back. Every time I see somebody from the Salvation Army standing in front of a WalMart I give him a dirty look and pass on. And I don’t give nothing to the United Way. If they can afford to pay somebody that much to be the boss they can afford to help people out of their own pocket. And if the charities keep helping people out they won’t leave the state and our taxes will stay high.

Merry Christmas, everybody, and when you feel you have to help somebody out, put an extra $20 in your own savings account. Its the godly Republican thing to do.

By jbmlaw

December 19, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

Merry Christmas all. The United Way has outlived its usefulness. We live in a world where we can go online and in less than five minutes deliver contributions that fit our budgets, to any charities we wish. Each of us has an obligation to investigate the beneficiaries of our charitable inclinations, not to rely blindly on the work of another. To that end, Jim’s suggestion – placing audited statements online along with salaries of the administrators – seems a small prerequisite for retention of tax-exempt status.

I think the only question lingering in my mind revolves around the derelict board of directors of United Way. How could anyone walk with $1.6 million of funds donated to a charity, without board input? If Creflo Dollar had done something so brazen, the Congress… Never mind, I think they did.

By TW

December 19, 2007 9:00 AM | Link to this

Clearly, Mr. Wooten does not ‘support charity.’

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 9:10 AM | Link to this

The local United Way chapter has an excellent rating on charitynavigator.org. That’s a much better picture than an item seized upon by yellow journalists in search of a headline.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:17 AM | Link to this

I believe that the we should support the leaders of the United Way in every decision they make, because we are Americans, bub, and we should not question authority. That leads to free thinking and really just supports the terrorists to kill more of us. God Bless America.

If there is a problem, do what I do….just clap louder!!!!

By Southern Democrat

December 19, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this

I am fortunate enough to serve on the boards of two non-profs. This article astounded and angered me. If Americans are one thing, they are generous. I am continually amazed and humbled by the way that people, particularly those in the middle class, give until it hurts, in the true spirit of the widow’s mite.

The sad thing is, what Mr. Wooten suggests is already law. 501(c)(3)’s are obliged to have ready access to their tax returns on their websites and for physical inspection, but not enough people take the time to look at them.

My rule of thumb is that any non-prof whose administrative costs exceed 15% and whose direct contributions to mission-oriented costs are less than 25% do not get a dime from me. You’d be AMAZED how many “charities” are disqualified based upon this simple rule.

To all my generous friends on here, please do not let stories such as this dissuade you from giving this holiday season!

I am leaving for the airport in a bit, but will try to check back in.

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this

Aquagal, good point. Furthermore, on its face a 1.6 million lump sum is not necessarily an irresponsible thing to award vs. a 160K lifetime annuity, although I admit it sounds like a not-great deal.

and then there’s that whole absurdity of Jim Wooten identifying with the “little guy” making 30K/year.

Wooten’s six times removed from that world, at minimum; he cares about these folks when it suits and the rest of the time, it’s back to calling them out for the bad decisions such folk have made that landed them in this fix.

By Giuliani's Sleazy Sex Life

December 19, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this

The so called marketplace has failed - It is handing Americans a bigger beating than the great depression. Strange how it was the Repukes in power when the savings and loans were looted (in part by Neil and Jeb), and again it is the Repukes in power when the financial markekplace has been looted with easy money to speculators, frauds, and other forms of Repukes. Forget the Marketplace folks, you had best concentrate on putting food on the table, a roof over your heads, and gasoline in the dream machine. Meanwhile, people like me are betting on a return of big time inflation in the cost of food and fuel. You will be paying me for a long time to come.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this

Oh, sleaze, you come with your crying liberal handwringing only to insult the decent, honest Americans who invest and save wisely.

I prefer the handsome homilies of jbmlaw and the tart testimony of tftt. Decent, terrorist hating Patriots who also know a liberal in sheeps clothing when they see one. Sad little liberals.

Why do you hate America and love terrorists, sleazy sex?

By Fake Dusty the first

December 19, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this

Hooray! Others are joining in! It’s a sensation, join in the fun and be a fake Dusty, too! Maybe everyone will post as Dusty all day long! Whoo hoo!

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this

Well, I better get busy. Someone is already posting under my ID over at yesterday’s blog. A Christmastime thief at that, stealing IDs.

All of which reminds me of RedNeck the Racist. Just ignore him, folks. Every morning when ol’ heavyweight is leaving the trailer, he tilts it over according to Mrs. RedNeck. Thereafter he is very bitter. So be kind. His head is his fattest part and he can’t help THAT.

But, on subject, the head of United Way will never be a charity case. Loading up his lump sum pension is very generous with donated contributions.

Santa Claus must be chairman of the compensations board. I think big time business givers better have a word with these members before the board gives themselves big pensions.

Well,lots to do today. Keep that aquarium-reject Shark busy and listen to jbmlaw. He’s the smart one here. I’ll try to return later and get things in order.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 9:41 AM | Link to this

This is the umpteenth story about United Way waste and profligacy, and for that matter even Liddy Dole couldn’t clean up the Crooked Cross.

Employees should not have to “send a message” to United Way “with their checkbooks”, because employers should have divorced United Way 25 years ago, when these stories started to hit the papers. Books have been written about how Untied Way exceeds even federal standards of bureaucratic waste and cronyism, so what’s the problem? Does prevailing ideology press so very hard against even corporate ramparts?

I see no excuse whatever for a company’s continuing to carry water for those people. If you sent them on a milk run to the corner store, they’d come back two hours later smelling of cigarettes, their pockets inside out.

[Giuliani/Thomposon 08]

P.S. Notice that Rudy’s alledgedly “sleazy” love life matters, whereas Bill’s criminal and alledgedly criminal sex life “doesn’t matter”.

By ron

December 19, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this

Jim,I agree with you.Get the message out and let the people decide.Get the message out being the key proviso.I stopped giving to the larger charities eons ago,I prefer the smaller,homegrown type of charity.

By RealRep

December 19, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this

Such a thing happens in a climate of corruption. Rest assured, Mike’s values will restore morality in the White House, and the marketplace.

A vote for Giuliani is a vote for Hillary.

Huckabee ‘08

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

OH NO..another ID thief at 9:17 just as I am leaving.

hmmm no originality at all for this poor baby. Bye ..again…

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 9:49 AM | Link to this

Glenn’s PS @ 9:41: Last I checked, Bill Clinton wasn’t running for President.

And who’s this “Thomposon” person you want as Rudy’s veep?

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this

How ironic that jbmlaw—-a member of the sleaziest moneygrubber rapist profession in America—-is so critical of the pay of a non-profit exec.

Of course the top executive of an organization with $98,689,675 in revenue should be paid like he’s a Micky D’s assistant manager. Only those in the private sector should be paid salaries according to their abilities.

This BS is like the Golden Fleece award. Every year people like to read an item and feel so superior and smart while they render their weighty opinion. They don’t know crap about the subject.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this

Sorry, I should have written “the judicious jawboning of jbmlaw”. That phrase is much more meritorious.

Clap louder, Patriots! God is on our side!

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 9:54 AM | Link to this

Dusty, for the record, namestealers are pretty near the bottom of my list of internet scum. If someone’s really doing as you say (and I’ll take you at your word for now), my sincere sympathies.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 9:57 AM | Link to this

Hey, whoever stole my ID @ 9:45, cut it out. You liberals think your game is so clever, but it’s snot.

Hooray America!!!

By Shar

December 19, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

The United Way has long been a bete noir of mine partially due to what I regard as unethical practices in solicitation and distribution of funds as well as the organization’s sloppy fiscal accounting. The biggest strike against the organization, however, is their utilization rate, the percentage of donated funds that actually flows to those in need. The United Way has a very poor record in this area, with far more money spent on administration than on alleviating need.

The sum paid out to Mr. McConnell is very large, and at first blush would seem to reflect the worst of the United Way culture - lax fiscal oversight, clubby quid pro quos, disregard for the intent of the donors. It also appears to be regarded dismissively by the Board, which is primarily comprised of corporate honchos who increasingly see inflated, delayed executive compensation as a badge of success rather than excess.

However, if Mr. McConnell’s contribution to the United Way was such that his compensation was an acceptably small percentage of extra money going to recipients, the investment is worthwhile. If, as news items suggest, he was paid despite poor fundraising performance and at the expense of both staffing levels and donations, the United Way should lose its tax exemption.

I’m with Southern Democrat - the generosity of the average American is truly awe-inspiring, and I do not contribute to those organizations that take advantage of the instinct to help.

By Dennis

December 19, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this

Since he’s now in the muck rakiing business, it would be nice to see Mr. Wooten expose the saleries and excess payments of some of the mega church pastors (as is currently being looked at by some members of Congress), but then, these are the same churches and ministers (and duped congregations) who (hoping for an attack on Iran and a rush to Armageddon) found financial ways to support the conservative ideas of the Bush administration.

Now, we wouldn’t want Mr. Wooten to betray his worship of George W. Bush, so it is doubtful that Mr. Wooten will write such a column.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this

Aquagirl @ 9:51, it’s that kind of thinking that accounts for the RW’s weird obsession with John Edwards’ house (or Al Gore’s air travel.) It’s as if they think their liberal straw man bears some resemblance to actual voting constituencies; i.e., since we “libs” are all as bitter and jealous and resentful of others’ acheivement, we’re supposed to act horrified, on cue.

We don’t, which just makes the RWers angrier. Kinda fun to watch for awhile, but it’s getting old.

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

!ytsuD evol I .srelaets DI etah I.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

Hey, Sharky. Ah say, heyyyy! You’re onto some good additional cover for your boy Bill! Yet another way in which he doesn’t matter whilst he goes about his business of running his wife for President and predating upon hapless women.

Remember when the impeachment was supposed to have been all about sex anyway and sex don’t matter? Remember? Judge Rogan remembers, because Hillary’s making him remember what he did when his House asked him to manage the impeachment. And why should Hillary mind if her non-husband got caught lying to the wrong people with his pants down? Because now they’re her pants, Sharky, and now she has to wear them.

By time for the truth

December 19, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

God Was My Co-pilot But We Crashed In The Mountains So I had To Eat Him

Glenn … a riposte to your entertaining pious dogma from yesterday.

Try Mr Bertrand Russell’s essay on Why I Am NOT a Christian.

You make two Christological assertions, that Jesus was mythical (which you later admit he wasn’t) and that He was one of many Jewish Zealots out for autonomy from Roman rule. That was simply a bit of POINTED witty sardonic banter!!

My “point’ about the mythological jesus is that at best this historical figure that likely did NOT actually exist was a composite charismatic jew – of which there were many running around proclaiming themselves to be some kind of messiah ready to boot the imperialist Italians out of Israel. The virtually non-existent evidence (even in the ancient historical context) for the existence of jesus would NOT stand up in a court of law today. Hearsay, dogma, decades later after the fact accounts and interpolation are hardly compelling.

Paine’s Age Of Reason still stands up today in many of its logical iconoclastic arguments. Indeed the child molesting (his 9 year old wife) toy boy (his much older Joan Collins type wife) mohammedhatepig has far more credible historical proof as to his actual existence.

All we have are just self serving assertions in the NT, all of which were written decades after his supposed death by folks who NEVER met him. There is NO credible contemporaneous record!!! Josephus is considered by VIRTUALLY all non-dogmatic scholars to be a fraud – interpolation is the technical academic term for his bollocks!!

• who recorded simply that Jesus was an itinerant Nazarene rabbi who performed many “paradoxa” (inexplicable mitzvah, or deeds), developed a following, was crucified by the Romans and was said to have risen from the dead. Now that’s quite a lot, isn’t it?*

NOPE – it’s completely unsupported bollocks that is utterly self serving and cannot be substantiated. In the NT in one of the gospels it states there was a major earthquake after the supposed crucifixion/resurrection – yet there is NO record whatever of any kind of major earthquake at this time.

Either its ALL 100% accurate or its bollocks. U can’t cherry pick and say this is fact and this ain’t!! It sure as hell aint inspired scripture!!! If it was the mistakes and contradictions etc would hardly be there!! Surely god wouldn’t bugger up “his word” with lies and exaggerations!!

When U examine the numerous ‘gods’ who were of a virgin birth, were killed and resurrected after 3 days etc its actually quite pathetically lame.

As for my own opinion on the subject, I hold, in the Cartesian tradition, that there is only one Subject, the Ruler of the subjective realm, and that all else is the objective reality to which determined rationalists such as Mr. Hitchens willfully limit themselves

This is essentially fideism, which is simply choosing to believe unsupported religious dogma and the equally unsupported notion that some kind of a deity exists. *There is NOTHING original about christianity whatever!! * The whole damn thing was ripped off and cynically adapted from the numerous much older preceding religions!! Every single so called christian rite/belief/dogma etc is ‘pagan’ in origin …

Because Mr. Hitchens, like other atheists before him, cannot accept the possibility a priori of Divine Revelation,

WHY SHOULD HE??? There is absolutely NO evidence for it!!! Besides revelation is NOT ‘transferrable’ … it swiftly becomes second hand/hearsay. And of course the naked self interestedness of any grasping venal clergy pushing such bollocks tends to undermine such bollocks too.

he is blind to—or at least uncharacteristically dumb upon—the millennia of scholarship and thought distinguishing Christendom,

yes but U deliberately miss the point that if something is (initially) deeply flawed then any bollocks (from using it) that follows is equally if not more flawed!! U are deploying a purely circular argument here – which is hardly convincing!! Given the mountain of actual historical evidence about ALL the pagan sources that magically were adopted by the papists and the rest and the fact that the bible and its running order etc was imposed by the papists at Nicea – where they cherry picked that which upheld their rabid dogma and declared apocryphal that which didn’t.

I have a copy of the gospel of Barnabas which (if memory serves) asserts that jesus was but an ordinary man. The Nestorians have a different christology to the papists and so did many others at the time. Horses or messiahs for courses!! U pays yer money or yer wields yer sword and U takes yer choice – or have it imposed!!

THE DARK AGES, THE INQUISITION, THE CRUSADES, WITCH BURNING, BOOK BURNING AT ALEXANDRIA, THE effing PURITANS, paying for and receiving arbitrary absolution, senile infallible fascistic Polish pontiffs… all such evil bollocks is the fault of the Christian church and its various sects

the religion that comes from Man, from Revelation, the religion that comes from God.

That is utterly absurd and shows that U are very dogmatic and cannot be detached or objective or intellectually honest.. which is EXACTLY wot the grasping smug clerical types want/need for their power and money etc.

As a result he tamps down his weapon with unnamed, festering personal backyonderisms and scatters his shot across the whole spectrum. The scholars upon whom he draws—most of whom, he neglects to mention, were or are believers—make no such error. So my own opinion is that Christianity lasted for about 30 seconds,

WHAT????!!! When were those 30 seconds???? Someone had to come up with this shiite for it to be accepted/rejected – it took centuries to take hold and be imposed like a festering controlling cancer!!

U seem to forget that the “pauline” influences and all the other clerical influences and nutters like Justin Martyr who insanely claimed the devil perpetrated all the awkward “contradictions”.

and that after that sacrificial religion crept back in. Christ, however, Lives,

WHERE THE FOOK IS HE/IT THEN????? In Roswell, The City of London, Tel Aviv, Toronto … making hippety hop videos???

• and His Spirit betwixt us, in our right relation to one another. I do not believe this, for “the demons believe, and they tremble”; rather, I put store in it, I bet everything on that one hand. For, like Pound, “I ha’ seen him eat o’ the honeycomb sin’ they nailed him to tha’ tree.”*

I’ll have a sin and tonic please – no ice!!

Its obviously not possible to cover every single point here but here’s a few good uns!!

DO NOT EVER FORGET that “Christ” is simply an anglocised Greek title!!

The bible is a fooking joke… it is NOT accurate in its history, it’s a mixture of pure myth, self serving dogma, constantly edited drivel by countless anonymous writers over many centuries, occasional historical big picture ‘painting’ slanted to “fit” the changing dogma.

It is no more the word of god than das capital or harry potter!!!

Using it to prove any point is exceedingly moronic because it is such a weak and lame ‘historical’ resource!! The contradictions and absurdities in the bible are as numerous as in the bacon munching Koran which is a festering pile of deranged racist/sexist gobshiite!!

Self hypnosis/ by passing the critical factor is how religious types ensure they “know” it’s all true!!! And their subconscious minds desperately ensure that the enormous fear that accompanies any rational questioning is repressed/suppressed – usually by constant reinforcement and a rigid refusal to allow any kind of reasoned questioning.

Backsliding is what some Baptist nutters I’ve encountered before deem it when doubts arise!

I could care less wot folks believe about religion. It makes NO difference to me personally – unless they ram it down my throat – not saying U are of course, as I raised this – then I don’t get mad – I just have fab fun making them mad!!!

When the holy ghost “allegedly” overshadowed Mary – did she have an orgasm???

Can we turn the holy lamb of god into a shish kebab?

Jesus is dead – he was killed by the Italians – it gave them something to do over Easter!!

By Troll revolt

December 19, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

Storm the ramparts! Break down the gate! We can trample all these silly fools in the Dust!

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this

Fellow water dweller @ 10:02, I must point out that libs do the same, as when they critique Bush’s frequent vacationing as “lazy.” In the world today, he can do as much on vacation as he can at the White House. Not that that’s saying much.

It does seem that current social conservatives do have an unnatural affinity for their straw men, though. From gay marriage to abortion to illegal immigration, they’re frequently obsessed with bashing others, and unashamed to admit it. This lends itself to the narrow idiocy of fact-picking to suit one’s needs.

By Lee

December 19, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

I used to donate to United Way through my employer years ago but quit when they took the Boy Scouts off their list of charities.

Today, all of my charitable contributions are limited to local groups.

Lot more satisfying that way.

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

Glenn, your side’s insane jealousy of the Clenis will, once again, be your undoing.

(For the record, Hillary is far from my first choice.)

By time for the truth

December 19, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this

Hilarious to see Dusty effortlessly wiping the floor yet again with these yellowbellied cut and run commie creep human scum!!

Nice one Dusty!! Watching U hammering these moronic proles everyday is quite entertaining. Their obsessive anal biting - with so MANY dumbarse anal ids is so typical of these defeated cowards!!

so johnny I shamelessly exploit my fat wife’s cancer edwards has a luv child by another woman!!

a vile rabidly dishonest b astard has had a b astard!! LMFAO!!!

… see the National Enquirer headline on the front of Drudge this morning …

THIS IS FREAKING HILARIOUS - this slimy oily greasy ambulance chaser with the robotic phoney southern accent lectures folks about morality … what a FOOKING typical liberal lefty HYPOCRITE!!!

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this

tftt,

How you hurt my feelings! And here I thought mine was rather impious and anti-dogmatic!

But seriously, I’ll read yours with great holiday interest and will respond after my chores as succinctly as I can at the time.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

Sharky, if we have Clenis envy, then you folks must suffer from Rodham pity.

By Giuliani's Sleazy Sex Life

December 19, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

I am amazed at the amount of time Dusty, Glenn, jmb, shark, time and others can steal from their employers to waste posting crap on this and other boards. You must all be government workers, no doubt working at CDC, or the Sam Nunn Federal Building, or at the Georgia State Building. Know this, the government servers thru which you are posting your comments keeps a record of who you are, the time of your post, and its content. One day, their will be a systematic witch hunt for dead beats like you, and these records will end your government careers. To hasten that day, I and others like me complain loud and clear to GAO and the IG’s.

By jbmlaw

December 19, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this

Dear TFTT @ 10:10, while you are free to hold any beliefs you wish, you argue improperly: “Hearsay, dogma, decades later after the fact accounts and interpolation are hardly compelling.” By that standard, other than Pliny’s account of Vesuvius and Plato’s account of the life of Socrates, every figure we deem “historical” becomes theoretical, from Hannibal to Caesar to Confucius. Contemporary accounts rarely existed in a world that was built on oral traditions, but that is not a reasonable basis for nonbelief. On the contrary, the accounts of the life of Christ, mostly drafted one or two generations after His worldly existence, are unusually contemporaneous by the standards of the day. When the oral tradition is committed to writing, it is rarely by the original composer; that alone is not a “disproof.” You should argue apples to apples, and oranges to oranges; I think by that standard, you would have to concede the existence of Christ is more reliably documented than most of His time. I think it is clearly within the realm of belief to reject the idea that Christ is not the Son of God, and not the Jewish Messiah, and not the Great Physician, and not the Savior of Mankind – that, after all, is the difference between belief and fact, and few of us (in opposition to your view) describe ourselves as anything other than “believers.” Nevertheless, the circumstantial evidence of the existence of Jesus of Nazareth would be sufficient to hold up in court, even if proof of His Larger Identity would not. Most of the rest of your schtick is without consequence to the identity of Christ.

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this

At least you didn’t accuse Dusty et al of working for the United Way.

By Curious Observer

December 19, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this

I’ve had little use for United Way ever since I became a victim of its intimidation. It seems the president of my employing company at the time was anxious to get appointed to a local United Way board, so the word came down that the company would have 100% United Way participation and that employees would be very generous with their contributions—if they knew what was good for them.

United Way thrives on this kind of authoritarian method. To my knowledge, it is the only national charity that relies exclusively on private company muscle to secure contributions. I am therefore not at all surprised to learn of the golden parachute given its CEO. Many employees who contribute do so not so much for charitable purposes but purely to get the company and its hand-picked campaign coordinators off their backs. I know of some who contributed although they needed charity themselves.

I have no problem at all in contributing to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross or any other worthy charity that truly uses the bulk of the proceeds to benefit those who need help. But I would not be troubled in the slightest to see United Way fold. Its solicitation methods would make the old shakedown artists in the Mafia look amateurish.

By RealRep

December 19, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Mike Huckabee has surged into a virtual tie with front-runner Rudy Giuliani in the national 2008 Republican presidential race two weeks before the first contest, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

A vote for Giuliani is a vote for Hillary.

Huckabee ‘08

By Heywood Jablome

December 19, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

Wow, the faux brit nutjob thinks Drudge is a legitimate news source. That certainly explains alot.

Maybe tftt is actually the half-bat/half boy that Drudge wrote about.

What a rube.

By Adam

December 19, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

The scandals of United Way have a long history. The only thing that changes is the increase in dollar amount.

This guy takes $1.6 million and he’s only the head of the Atlanta organization. Back in the 1990’s William Aramony the National Chairman was sentenced to 7 years in prison for embezzeling a mere $1.2 million.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this

tftt,

an update. I’ve been able to read your latest. Though I still won’t be able to respond in full until later, as I have deadlines and an appt., I did want to say for now how cool it is to see the extent to which you and I are on the same page about much of the hokum and “unoriginality”. Moreover, the religious scholars with whom I studied, including my best friend, an exegete and religious philosopher, taught me much of what you cite, and it delights me to see the extent to which you’ve given it astute study yourself.

One preliminary, if you please. I’d rather clear away Josephus. He doesn’t matter to me, or to anyone I take very seriously, but I thought—as it happens, in error—that he might mean something to you. FJ was no historian at all by modern stds. of historiography, and even by the stds. of his day he was more Kitty Kelly than Gibbon. But his tendentiousness shouldn’t speed us to a presentistic judgment of him, as his (definitely derivative) remarks upon Jesus are inexplicable admissions of a partisan Roman Jew unless FJ believed them, and summoned his underdeveloped commitment to his craft. We don’t need Josephus, though, either of us; so let’s dispense with him unless you have more to say about him. That will make my remaining task easier and more succinct.

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 11:34 AM | Link to this

Curious, sounds like your problem was having a suckup boss. A major responsibility of non-profit board members is to raise funds. Thus the pressure.

I’m surprised by your citing the Red Cross and Salvation Army as better charities. The Red Cross recently fired their controversial ceo for schlepping the help. He also was an ex-IRS commissioner, talk about strong-arm tactics!

The Salvation Army isn’t required to file a 990 so you can only guess where your money goes. They don’t have to put up with bothersome requirements like telling everyone how you spend their donations. If you trust ‘em, fine, but you have as much evidence on their financials as you do to Jesus’ divinity.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this

Aquagirl,

The Salvation Army, unlike the Crooked Cross, is a ministry, a leadership driven paramilitary organization and an open book. A few years ago the management expert Peter Drucker went looking for the single best managed and most efficient corporation in the U.S. To his astonishment it turned out to be a non-profit corporation, the Salvation Army.

By @@

December 19, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

Just a quick drive-by and then back to the stores. United Way is a dinosaur in the charitable terrain. I disassociated myself with their corporate give-aways long ago.

I just learned about “The Good Card”

Unfortunately it was too late for this gift-giving season but next year I’m on it.

Who wouldn’t appreciate the opportunity to give in return, that which you receive. It’s sad to say that there’s probably a lot of people who would rather just receive.

Admittedly I’ll say that there’s a selfish component in my choice to participate in “The Network for Good” — I don’t have to shop.

I don’t like to shop. I don’t like seeing all those other people out shopping and I can’t think of anything I want or need so noone needs to be out shopping for me.

I guess I’m a grinch.

Merry Christmas Jim!

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

Incidentally, Aquagirl, you can join the Salvation Army anytime you want. Mr. Wooten has shown us what kind of money a local administrator of the Crooked Cross makes. The commander of the Salvation Army, a $2 billion multinational, earns $13,000 per year. You yourself would have a shot at that kind of money were you to join. If you make Corporal, you’ll even get a free uniform, a new pair of black shoes every single year, and $24 a month.

Now about the divinity of Jesus…

By Captain Freedom

December 19, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

THE Captain pays a short visit to discover the liberal-yet-strangely-alluring Aquagirl misusing the English language in the service of alluding to matters sexual.

It is true that the ceo of the Red Cross was recently forced to decamp due to his peccadilloes with his employees. Alas, for Aquagirl, the ceo was not schlepping the finer morsels of his staff (schlep - to carry or haul). Perhaps Aquagirl meant to write that the CEO was shtupping his underlings.

Close, but (as Monica never said) no cigar.

It pains THE Captain to correct Aquagirl, and He encourages her to write more frequently about episodes l’amour. THE Captain finds it a salutary tonic to the parched witticisms of Sister Dusty.

By BS Aplenty

December 19, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

to our resident skeptic and friend, tftt

Your religious thoughts have circled around many of our minds, though, I think not as passionately nor eloquently as you write.

Einstein was never fully comfortable with Quantum Theory. A theory that rests on a probabilistic view of the universe. Einstein’s discomfort lead to his famous quote, “I, at any rate, am convinced that He [God] does not throw dice.” Nevertheless, Quantum Theory has been experimentally validated to date and continues to be useful. (Einstein did not believe in a personal God).

And so I think it is with Christianity. We use it, in part, because it is useful to us. We raise families within it, learn to sing, play music and socialize within a framework of moral responsibility. When it stops being useful we’ll likely stop using it.

Are there evils that arise in the name of religion, sure, but an equal or better amount of good to individuals and societies is done. And, to be sure, great evil is done by societies that espouse no religious belief or outlaw religious practice. The Founding Fathers knew better than to outlaw religion though they, too, expressed skepticism.

I’m certainly no Christian saint and my religious views vary - seemingly daily. But my ultimate, very unschooled thoughts are that as long as it “works” for them, people will continue to use Chrisitianity.

By Aquagirl

December 19, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

Again I am amazed by THE Captain’s mastery of various subjects, including Yiddish. Of course one would expect him to speak and write flawless American, (that being the language Jesus used for the KJV Bible) but his command of other languages is a welcome addition. I defer to his superior (obviously!) knowledge. I should have stuck to American myself and said the CEO was hiding the salami with his subordinate.

Glenn @ just short of noon, you must be afflicted with whatever is causing my lack of accuracy, the administrator Jim refers to was not affiliated with the Red Cross.

As far as the Salvation Army, you’re correct, it’s a ministry. The purpose is to save souls. They may spend their money well, but we have only their say-so as to the matter. They are subject to the same oversight as Creflo Dollar’s ministries. They aren’t in the same category as non-profits such as the United Way. That’s not to say they aren’t good at charitable works, only that they aren’t subject to the same rules. To compare them is apples to oranges. The United Way can’t pay their employees with uniforms and sub-sub-sub-minimum wages.

I’m not touching the divinity of Jesus thing, I have to leave to do my Winter Holiday shopping.

By time for the truth

December 19, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

jbm

the whole point of my “schtick” is that christianity is ENTIRELY ripped off from so called paganism.

IT IS STAGGERING TO SEE JUST HOW ‘BADLY’ THIS OCCURED!!

ALL the festivals, rites, beliefs, etc are UTTERLY UNORIGINAL. Packaged deliberately to impose a new religion on pretty backward/ignorant/illiterate/ extremely superstitious, unquestioning folks of the time. And desperately and brutishly - even ‘genocidally’ imposed by the papists and their (later) equally violent and repressive revisionists.

Beyond that there is NO proof whatever of the existence of any deity, nor the immortality of jesus or any other mythological figure or so called prophet… and bland pious assertions do NOT fill this glaring gap in credibility.

MOst christians I have encountered are completely unaware of this - those that are simply rationalise it and suppress the obvious severe credibility problems.

Obviously the oral tradition has its very self evident limitations. But there is a BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS difference bewteen Plato/Socrates/Pliny and other erudite greek f aggots and ancient classical world figures … they were NOT in the business of creating a murderous globally inclined religion out of NOTHING!!! Also there is rather more credible surviving ancient greek stuff (despite the bigoted ignorant christian book burning japes at Alexandria) than the stuff about the likely mythical figure jesus.

It isn’t just the flawed oral traditions or the often glaring contradictions/factual bollocks of the NT that I object to. Its the blind slavish dependence and blatant distortions by christians of biblical bollocks to suit/bolster their absurd assertions.

I respect the right of ANYONE to believe whatever they choose as free adults - or maybe have had imposed since childhood by observant dogamtic parents.

Watch zeitgeist and you’lll see that the christian age is at least ‘symbolically’ coming to an end - its essentially an astrogical thang … with the age of aquarius about to kick in in 2050. This is obviously simply reflecting the ancient origins of the fish and the bull etc - two of the most ubiquitious symbols of the last few thousand years. But the historical detail in the first part saves me citing all of it here.

Obviously I do NOT subscribe to the age of aquarius thang - but this is the ancient root of all of this stuff.

Undeniably ever single religion/cult has demonised that which preceded it as the new venal power hungry clergy seek to control the folks. Hence christian demons were simply the “old” gods suitably ‘demonised’. Like Baal and Ashtoreth et al.

Invariably familiar, widely held beliefs/practices are/were adopted to ensure maximum subservience by the gullible/assembled peasantry. The bacon munching mohammedans did this just as blatantly as did the christians.

If the NT is the inspired word of god as so many evangelical nutters would have one believe than how come there are so many factual lies/distortions in it??? The earthquake example I gave (above) in Jerusalem is definitively provable.

The miracles ascribed to jesus were very common occurneces ascribed to earlier ‘gods’ … reflecting the need for common universal themes needed to get the ridiculously superstitious peasants to swallow the new gods - which were essentially the same as the old gods!!!

The bacon munchers claim the koran is perfect with NO mistakes or errors, directly ‘transmitted’ from tablets in paradise - yet its also littered with complete bollocks.

The racist/sexist wankers who wrote koran - as was everyone back in the very primitive 7th century - were unaware that sperm needed to mix with the ovum to produce a manchild … (smirk) … thus there is a much later interpolation in the koran to ‘cover’ this. WTF didn’t allaaaaaaaaargh know this and ensure it didn’t get missed out???

The pathological koranic fatalism of the bacon munchers is mind numbing … something that many christians also mindlessly seem to ventilate in the face of natural adversity.

Its a big subject …

FAO of the t wat aborted shrivelled foreskin with its latest pathetic chickenshitid … DRudge is NOT a news source … DRudge simply distills the news of the day on his “Report” as he sees fit to post it … using news stories from various media.

As ever your pig ignorant puke is enormously amusing!!!

funny how NO lefty human scum on here has even mentioned the scumbag edwards’ blatant sleazy hypocrisy!!!

By GayGreyGeek

December 19, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

Aquagirl @ 12:37 - flawless American, (that being the language Jesus used for the KJV Bible)

No, no, nonononono. In the KJV, Jesus spoke in RED.

By Heywood Jablome

December 19, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this

This just posted on Drudge:

TFTT ABDUCTED BY ALIENS

SUFFERS REPEATED AN@L PROBES

BEGS FOR MORE

By time for the truth

December 19, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this

BS

christianity is “used” as you put it because it is there - as the now somewhat fading religious ‘glue’ of these times.

We still largely have a judeo-christian collective subconscious in the west … thus the imagery is familiar and to countless millions very comforting. as is, albeit much less predominant these days - the comfort of collective worship and the handing over of hard dollars to fund ones church and preacher type.

Increasingly it is being rejected as the age of reason kicks in. Obviously liberal moral relativity and yellowbellied hypocrisy and a systematic refusal to judge anything selfish/outrageous or treasonous liberals do is helping undermine occidental observance.

The ONE thing I do NOT understand is why, when one (finally) learns of the complete lack of originality of christianity healthy skepticism and/or at least agnosticism doesn’t kick in???!!!

You say it “works” for them … but if they had been exposed to other teachings - or lack of teachings surely that would “work” for them just as well.

Its kind of like being a Red Pox, yanKKKees or mets fan when U can be a Braves fan … smirk

By Tiny Tim

December 19, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

You know, reading tftt’s historical revisionism reminds me of old western movies, where an old-timer hated the indians so much that he couldn’t stop himself from standing up during an attack and waving his fist yelling, “You dirty murderin’ redskin scum….” Of course, he’d get an arrow in the chest, and then there’d be the sad death scene. (That was a great time, btw, to do the popcorn gag because if your date started crying, the ushers thought is was because the injuns kilt grandpa kenny).

Jesus loves you, time4tt, and I’d research a little deeper before I ran my mouth about after-the-fact pagan influences on the sacraments.

hell, they allow guitars and barry manilow type music at a catholic high mass now. When you are in church, there is a lot of hand shaking and dancing around…and that’s just during confession. they run the mass like an airline now, when an altarboy will stand up front and point to the sides of the church and say, “Be seated, we’ll begin momentarily, and if anyone has an impure thought during the mass they can use the emergency confessionals located along the side aisles, (points here).”

If you dont want to listen to the sermon, tftt, then dont rent the headphones.

Jesus loves you, tftt.

By Tiny Darnell

December 19, 2007 1:04 PM | Link to this

Jesus loves me, yes I know. For Heywood Jablome tells me so.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this

Say that reminds me. Speaking of Christians, why don’t we, the Christian nations of the world just annex the oil rich Middle East so we can have .25 cents per gallon gas. The people there who don’t submit to our conversion can just be enslaved or killed.

Now that’s a crusade I could get behind. You libs don’t like it, you can wind up like the conquered ones.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this

Now TFTT, we are friends, but I have to take issue with your campaign against my Lord and Saviour. It’s just not right for you to talk about other people’s religion this way.

And your history is as bad as Redneck on this. The Ancient Greek civilization is a poor example to trot out, especially since they declined and fell entirely due to their rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord. This is simply historical fact, and you should know better.

Now, go back to bashing the know-nothing liberals. That is the tftt I know and love.

By getalife

December 19, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

“dick cheney’s office caught on fire because….

…the shredders overheated.

…the stairway to Hell was left open.

….a spark from his robotics caught fire.

….someone’s head exploded after a briefing on cheney’s justification for going to war with Iran.

….the smoldering ashes of the Constitution caught the curtains on fire.”

God is sending him another message to resign in disgrace.

May he have no mercy on his soul. †

By Dustier Than Thou

December 19, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this

I dunno which is more hilarious - all the Faux Dusties that are crawling out of the woodwork, or how easily the Dustbuster’s posting style can be parodied…

By Bill Parcells

December 19, 2007 1:26 PM | Link to this

All the non-hackers on here better watch your butts. When I get to Atlanta, the Cox sisters have told me to clean out the trash at Thinking Right, too.

You’ve got about two weeks of freedom left here, before all the idiots feel my boot. Merry Xmas.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 1:32 PM | Link to this

Goodness, all the loonie lefties out today trying to imitate their betters. Well, they won’t get the best of me, Bub.

All the real right thinkers here will recognize the real me. Because sure as I know that Warner Robins might be in the middle of he state, I know my fellow conservative friends appreciate my insights.

By Rationally speaking ...

December 19, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this

Which source has been shown statistically to be more accurate about matters of conception and parentage: Josephus or the National Enquirer?

By time for the vile AIDS riddled lefties toDIE truth

December 19, 2007 1:40 PM | Link to this

FAO analqueer Dusty klone

Ancient Greece was several CENTURIES before christianity!!!

Their civilisation fell because of all the Assachussetts like queeralicious buttock bouncing and chocolate brown toga lifting (gedditt???) … oh and also because the Italians went rather aggressively looking for more olive tree groves to conquer. Pizza Hut and the Olive Garden needed more olive oil and tomatoes than they could grow in Tuscany and Tony Soprano’s great great great great great great etc grandfather needed a spot more rape and pillage to perfect the liberal arts ‘art’.

P.S. Were’nt U one of those backward slaves brutally raped by all those Viagara abusing centurions in the last episode of Rome on HBO???

Now its time to GFY aborted shrivelled foreskin!!!

FAO Tiny Dick aka aborted shrivelled foreskin

U’re racist jokes about all them scalpin’ redskinned wagon burners aint funny bubbaturd!!!

Darwin luvs U Tiny Dick …. his theories are unassailable proof that cut and run yellowbellied lice ridden human scum can actually evolve backwards during a worthless anally unfunny pointless utterly empty life that needs to be summarily ended as painfully and ignominiously and ASAP!!

DEATH THREAT - DEATH THREAT - DEATH THREAT!!! … huge I hate anally unfunny scum snigger

P.P.S.

I CHEERILY lied aborted shrivelled foreskin … Darwin HATES U!!

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

TFTT, you are mistaken. That was really me at 1:14, and you are sadly mistaken, my darling little liberal killer, about the Greeks. While you are correct about their horrible hideous homo-ness, their ultimate downfall was the result of God’s righteous anger. You can look it up.

But piffle not, dear boy, with these religious ideas that make your head hurt so much. Slay the liberals, and leave God to the believers.

By Jackie

December 19, 2007 1:52 PM | Link to this

The gentleman retired from his company and chose a lump-sum payout vs an annual payout of his retirement package. Where is the problem?

By Shark Sammich

December 19, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this

Jackie @ 1:52, I’m still waiting for an answer to that question as well.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this

Aquagirl,

On the off chance that you get this upon your return—as I too am leaving for a mtg.—it was you who drew the comparison between SA and the Crooked Cross, the latter of which suffers even worse by that comparison than it does by Jim’s column. You’re right, of course. The Salvation Army, for which I used to work, does not answer to the same rules exactly, but it does answer to all rules governing 501(c)(3) religious organizations, and irrespective of its de jure disclosures, it is de facto an open book. Peter Drucker had no difficulty in reviewing its books, and neither would you or Jim Wooten have. They don’t believe in secrecy (though they sometimes don’t want people to know what they have to do with the frequent surfeit of donated clothing: send it via container ship to Latin America, where it’s well used; the alternative is to warehouse it here, at even greater expense.)

As for the divinity of my Naz, again it was you who drew the parallel as a flip effort to undermine His cred. I don’t care to debate Christology with you, unless you insist.

Merry Christmas.

[Rudy & Fred 08]

By BS Aplenty

December 19, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this

…can’t stop laughing…can’t breathe…

By time for the unassailable truth

December 19, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

One really - well ALMOST - should feel sorry for the sad inadequate anal loser aborted shrivelled foreskin … its never been quite same since Sir Anthony Hopkins rather brutishly sauteed in herbs and unsalted butter the most useful part of what passes for its brain in Hannibal.

By time for the unassailable truth

December 19, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

One really - well ALMOST - should feel sorry for the sad inadequate anal loser aborted shrivelled foreskin … its never been quite the same since Sir Anthony Hopkins rather brutishly sauteed in herbs and unsalted butter the most useful part of what passes for its brain in Hannibal.

By Dusty's ONLY wish for Christmas

December 19, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

Dusty wishes for an operation to shut off 90% of her stomach, because she is now bed bound from her morbid obesity. Those half hour long pauses in her posts are just the time it takes her to roll from one side of her King size bed to the other, and let the jiggling fat settle down so she can type. CAN THE UNTIED WAY HELP OUR DISTRESSED FAT GIRL? If not, will someone please volunteer to fetch her next shipment on one hundred boxes of girl scout cookies from the postoffice?

By It's too much

December 19, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this

The head of a charity shouldn’t retire with a such a large package. He should have to work as a Wal-Mart greeter and on Social Security like Wackie and Shark Shammich are going to have to do.

By Testesterone twins

December 19, 2007 2:50 PM | Link to this

Now watch Wackie and Shammich falsely brag about how they bring home $345 million a week and have servants to wipe them.

By DebbieDoRight

December 19, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this

TFTT ABDUCTED BY ALIENS; SUFFERS REPEATED AN@L PROBES; BEGS FOR MORE

Too funny!! But sadly true! One can only hope that the aliens will keep it the next time they take it away.

By AmVet

December 19, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon all,

This place though usually laughable, in a mangled One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest sort of way, is today absolutely knee slapping, gut busting hysterical!

Yes, I can feel the spirit and love of KwanzChrismakkuh in the air, and it is so righteous!

At an earlier urging, I watched most of Zeitgeist and was reassured, that much of what I knew was, in fact, corroborated and expounded upon.

The whole dang religion, replete with a savior, a heaven and hell, and an angry (but just!) deity meting out judgment, has been Joe Bidened!

For my money, I’ve always liked the transmogrifying and unashamed contriver of all fraud, Loki.

And watching the sanctified try to accommodate one of their own “conservative” brethren in this most unsavory heresy is almost priceless, at least to this reprobate.

And that wonderful post at 1:19 is unquestionably the best argument for karma I have seen in many a moon.

getalife, your 1:17 made my day as well! Duck Fick Cheney!

Keep it up fellow bloggerbaters!

By jbmlaw

December 19, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this

Dear TFTT @ 12:37, I agree with most of what you write, as it is consonant with my earlier distinction between belief and proof. I believed the church’s highest sacrament, the Eucharist, was unique and original to Christianity, but I am willing to be persuaded to the contrary if there were similar and prior celebrations. Admittedly most of the other sacraments, including Baptism, preceded the Ministry, and same is acknowledged in our holy book. Re the New Testament, “how come there are so many factual lies/distortions?” I freely acknowledge that there was no prodigal son, nor any seed scattered, nor many other events told of in the teachings of Jesus – “the facts” are not where one finds the truths told by Christ.

I note you address “miracles,” but without specificity about the single most striking one, Easter, which I am also led to believe is original and unique to the religion. I do not assert that I know exactly what happened in the three days following the Crucifixion, but all of the bizarre behaviors otherwise suggest a lot of people seemingly believed Something odd happened. The difference between us is that you dismiss the unknown as unworthy of being known, and I embrace a sense that something worthwhile occurred to stir up these seemingly average people. My belief is otherwise independent of miracles – not essential to my beliefs – although I accept those. I sense miracles daily in my life, too, as good things “happen” to me regularly, undeserved and unplanned. A simple appreciation of the world, I suppose.

“The ONE thing I do NOT understand is why, when one (finally) learns of the complete lack of originality of christianity healthy skepticism and/or at least agnosticism doesn’t kick in???!!!” Little that Kant wrote was original, but we still embrace his genius as a foundation for truth. I simply apply the same standards to Christianity.

By Jackie

December 19, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

News reports indicate the Federal judge has indicated that Harriet Miers, Alberto Gonzales, Steven Hadley and the counselor at the NSA were all informed about those tapes being retained by the CIA. The judge stated there was an investigation ongoing and no evidence was to be destroyed. I wonder if all those aforementioned legal counselors to Dubya and Cheney knew about this investigation, do you think their bosses knew as well? Is this the beginning of the frog-march?

By AmVet

December 19, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this

Cowher says, “No thanks Arthur.”

Parsells says, “You gotta be sh*ttin’ me!”

I, and I alone, have identified THE man. The next fearless leader of our besieged Falcons should be……

Bill “Callacant” Callahan!

After that spectacular job he did at Nebraska he would be a natural here in Atlanta!

Get him and I predict next year we go a robust 5 and 11!

By Gil Grissom

December 19, 2007 4:22 PM | Link to this

If you guys can get the sheriff to approve the overtime, my team can prove or disprove the resurrection and any of the other seemingly magical biblical happenings.

By Bill Parcells

December 19, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this

All that stuff I said before … forgetaboutit. You kooks cinched it for me. It’s off to Miami for me.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

After following this Parcells stuff all day and getting so excited, the Big Tuna pulled the rug out from under us.

What do we Falcons fans do now? jbm any thoughts? Glenn? TFTT?

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this

The nuts are at it again! I don’t know who Parcells is and don’t follow basketball.

Maybe the terrorists will target all the ID jackers! I wish someone would.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this

I wish that horrible ID thief would stop!! 4:30 is not me.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this

neither is the one at 4:40!!

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

Neither was 4:43! Oh bother!

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

Neither is 4:43. Stop it, just stop!

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

or 4:46 or 4:47!!

By Captain Freedom

December 19, 2007 4:58 PM | Link to this

THE Captain pays a late afternoon visit only to discover a nightmarish vision of Dusty clones run amok. I am reminded of Disney’s Fantasia, when poor Mickey is bedevilled by an endless succession of wizard caps…oathetic, old, faded, wrinkled things, capering about endlessly, with no rhyme nor reason to their spasmodic St Vitus horror.

Yes, that is exactly what the spectre of multiple cloned Dusty’s is like. Word for horrifying word. Imagine a world filled with Dustys. THE Captain’s testes withdraw to his solar plexus in abject fright.

The horror. The horror.

By Clone 234

December 19, 2007 5:07 PM | Link to this

Master. Are you not pleased?

By getalife

December 19, 2007 5:16 PM | Link to this

Watched the last 5 minute debate on Iraq funding vote for 40 billion more wasted this year in the House.

It will pass.

They borrowed this money and your kids will have to pay for your mistake.

Nice work me generation.

Geez.

By Glenn

December 19, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this

Well, tftt,

I wish I could join you for a sin & tonic, but that would be a prudent and humane, Catholic approach to sin whereas I am a permanently embarrassed Calvinist who doesn’t drink. (We embarrassed ones would take Thomas the Doubter as our patron saint, were we to have such practices, as Yeshua loved him best on account of his endearing capacity for fearless embarrassment; a very well fleshed-out character, that one.)

I really dig your ballsout “POINTED witty sardonic” approach to matters normally over-stuffed with BS. Let me list the points of yours with which I agree, the ones I would contend do not ultimately challenge Christian faith, and the challenges you make which I think do matter. I’ll try to keep to your expository order.

I agree:

• That the evidence of Mohammad’s ministry is greater than that of the Nazarene’s;

• That “hearsay, dogma, decades-later after-the-fact accounts and interpolation are hardly compelling.” I also think you’ve characterized these several phenomena accurately;

• That my candidly shared private, internal reaction to Mr. Hitchens’ astute atheism is indeed fideism. (You mention witch-burning; consider also the burning multitudes through the centuries whose last words were “Sola fide!”)

• That “there is absolutely NO evidence” that should convince Mr. Hitchens, or you, to accept “the possibility a priori of Divine Revelation.”

• That Christendom has a long history of religiously driven or at least religiously sanctioned violence (and also anti-Semitism), though I would note—wouldn’t you—that all of it combined, and placed in a responsible historical context, looks like a mere snowball fight compared with the torture, mass murder and genocide meted out by Stalinists, Maoists, Nazis and other professed “Scientific Materialists” in the last century alone. (But what wondrous dreams they had, those world-savers!)

• That the Church Fathers did indeed cherry-pick a disparate and somewhat motley ad hoc canon at the Council of Nicea, though their decisions were seriously deliberated, earnestly informed, and also made all the easier by the adoption, at the outset, of the existing Hebrew Canon. There was at that time no conception of a “papist”, though the great majority of Council delegates did feel obliged—by dint of four of the received gospels, by the oral tradition still then fairly fresh from Peter, and by the literature left by Paul—to continue to elect a single hierarch at a time. The evidence convinced them that this had been Jesus’ will; moreover, they did not question the authenticity of the vocation of the converted Jewish Prosecutor from Tarsus. (Sorry jbm, but he was yet another lawyer whom only God could save.)

• That Christ, meaning the christened one, is simply an anglicized Greek title (though it has a Hebrew equivalent; moreover the nom de guerre of my English ancestor Gilbert the Longbow is one of countless, similar honorifics.)

• That the Bible is “a mixture of pure myth [and] self-serving dogma…by countless…writers over many centuries, occasional big picture ‘painting’ slanted to ‘fit’ the changing dogma.” Absoutely, yes.

Now I’m out of time and will have to go piggyback on Luckovich’s site to finish by listing the assertions of yours which do or else do not impinge Christian faith, and conclude with a brief personal response. It’s actually germane to Mike’s blog, given his recent treatment of the candidates’ recent treatment of religion.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 5:54 PM | Link to this

Well, my goodness, I have been gone since ten this morning but seems I have been blogging right here all day. What fun!!

We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So I am thrilled that I can be of help to those..well…those that come up a little short..and you know where and who.

I am glad that I can be their heroine and stir their poor intiatives. Just like a Christmas gift to the needy. Yes!!

So, merry Christmas, lil’ fellows. Glad to be of help for those that need it. And I do hope that some of you will help the Captain who is pretty feeble and suffers from apoplexy. Be nice to him. OK?

With much love and mistletoe for you,

The Real Dusty….

By getalife

December 19, 2007 5:56 PM | Link to this

“This afternoon, the White House confirmed that a quickly contained blaze isolated to a storage room utility closet on the third floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office building destroyed the following records:

All Executive Branch internal correspondence since January, 2001 All RNC computer servers, back-up servers, and archival back-ups The original Downing Street Memo and associated notes Valerie Plame and the White House investigation of the leak (W.H. UPDATE: no records of Valerie Plame investigation destroyed as there was no investigation) Bandar Bush God’s personal correspondence with President Bush including those related to the invasion of Iraq No-bid Halliburton contracts War crimes committed by U.S. contractors in Iraq Troop body armor tests and procurement orders Jessica Lynch The pulling down of the Saddam statue by non-Iraqis All unaccounted for money in Iraq The “troops” fault to not guard the weapons stockpile in Iraq Abu Ghraib Scuttling of the original Abramoff investigation, by the President Federal court appointees and their qualifications and records Extraordinary rendition Negroponte’s activities in Iraq Judith Miller’s embedded reporting and using her influence to override generals Bombing Al-Jazeera television “Mission Accomplished” Bribing and threatening of journalists and planting of stories in the U.S and Iraq Stopping the NY Times from revealing White House secret spying on Americans Jeff Gannon/Guckert De-baathification and the breakup of the Iraqi army Swift Boat vets Terror alerts Bumper sticker and T-shirt slogan monitoring Florida 2000 voter suppression Florida 2000 election over-votes Bush v. Gore court papers Richard Clark’s warnings about abandoning anti-terror and a returning to the military-industrial profiteering of the cold war Pre 9/11 domestic spying The Vice Presidents Energy Task Force and all meetings dividing up Iraq’s oil fields pre 9/11 Bush’s vacation records Enron and all related activities during California’s “energy crisis” The accompanying Gray Davis recall and Ken Lay meetings The Congressional records relating to passing legislation with last second changes, midnight votes, and the minority excluded from committee meetings. The Missile defense shield The U.S. national debt and holders of the debt The Healthy Forest legislation and associated crop yields The Clear Skies legislation and new acceptable levels of toxic emissions Able Danger and the post-it notes hiding Mohammad Atta The “Bin Laden determined to Strike in U.S.” PDB All copies of “My Pet Goat” Extrication of Saudis after 9/11, especially Saudis named “Bin Laden” The 9/11 commission All confiscated video tapes from 9/11 showing impact with Pentagon Bush and Cheney’s joint un-sworn “conversation” with the 9/11 commission Library checkout and Amazon shopping records of every American Bin Laden’s actual location after he “escaped” from Tora Bora Yellowcake documents from Niger Curveball Colin Powell’s United Nations speech Ahmad Chalabi Attempts to dismantle PBS Using FCC’s fines to quash dissent The IRS collection of political affiliations Using American troops as speech props for Presidential speeches Diebold Ohio voter suppression Terri Schiavo and the emergency session of Congress Questioning the full faith and credit of the United States to scare people into dismantling Social Security Payola related to the Medicare bill Targeting and surveillance of peace lovers as terrorists Hurricane Katrina Oil profits and tens of billions of dollars of general fund giveaways to oil companies Multiple consecutive tours of combat for National Guardsmen The $200 million bridges to nowhere New Orleans levies Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court Bill Frist and the FEC and insider trading Alito and the Vanguard Fund Bob Ney of Ohio and Coingate Duke Cunningham of San Diego and related bribes and treason The U.S. Attorney firings of the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Duke Cunningham and who was pursuing the investigation to the White House. Tom Delay’s redistricting in TX and using anti-terror assets to track down legislators Tom Delay’s ethics violations Jack Abramoff NSA wiretapping without warrants The failing grade from the 9/11 commission Data mining and reading your mail The 5 million missing emails

also destroyed were all records related to:

Bush’s cocaine use and failure to take the ANG drug test Bush’s drunk driving Bush’s Texas Air National Guard service Bush’s Arbusto stock sale, Saudi bailout, and lack of SEC follow-up Bush’s insider trading at Harken and Bush 41’s quashing of the investigation Bush’s stealing of a public stadium from the taxpayers of Texas Cheney’s Wyoming residency papers Police response to Cheney shooting a man in the face after drinking Push-polling smear on John McCain during the 2000 Republican primary All original video masters of Steven Colbert’s Press Corps dinner roast

Countless other records and computer systems were apparently stored in the 3 foot by 3 foot utility closet, the content of which shall be revealed as destroyed as necessary pending any future investigations.

BREAKING: word that the Constitution of the United States was inexplicably consumed by flames in its nuclear blast-proof storage case by a glowing ember that apparently drifted from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and into a thermal exhaust port that lead directly to the Constitution. No plans to reconstruct the document are pending.

: : :

UPDATE:

Also confirmed destroyed:

All records of clients of the DC Madame All IMs and emails between Republican congressmen and underage Congressional staffers Secret Service records of all people having meetings with the President and Vice President since January 2001 All recorded promises, affirmations, and statements by Democratic Congressional leaders to hold the Administration accountable

: : :

UPDATE 2

Continuing reports of records stored in the third floor closet and subsequently destroyed also include all records pertaining to:

Pat Tillman Free Speech zones Iranian Nuclear Program National Intelligence Estimate Guantanamo FEMA staged news conferences New Orleans reconstruction contracts and Administration banning of U.S. meat companies from inspecting all of their meat

: : :

UPDATE 3

Still more records reported completely destroyed include all items relating to:

Alberto Gonzales’ memory (and “meeting” with Ashcroft in hospital) De-listed superfund toxic waste dump sites The original Nixon Tapes “Missing” Weapons of Mass Destruction from Iraq Bernard Kerik’s Homeland Security application form and tragically Joe Lieberman’s Democratic Party membership card”

Geez.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this

“Real” Dusty my Aunt Fanny. That faker at 5:54 is as fake as that Mitt Romney.

By Dusty

December 19, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this

You wish, Aunt Fanny! Ha! Now be sweet and quit kicking the dog.

The real Dusty who now leaves to eat dinner. xxxxx(kisses)xxxxxx

By Glenn

December 20, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this

Hi tftt,

So yesterday I posted part one: agreements here and part two: immaterial arguments, at Luckovich’s. (Yesterday’s was an infuriating afternoon, as the AJC, with the help of PoFo, has installed an insipid and fatuously censorious filter on Mike’s orphan blog.) Today I’ll finish with part three,

those of your arguments which do impinge Christian faith:

• That “the existence of jesus [sic (and come on, mon, it’s a proper name like any other)] would NOT stand up in a court of law today.” Not so sure. Were you or I interested in chestnuts I’d point out to you, as has been pointed out for more than a century to Biblical scholars with impressive-sounding German names, that there is the Jesus of history and then there is the Jesus of faith. But let me engage in my own way, and at your point of engagement. First, I’m sure you’re aware that there have been and are now many book-length, legalistic arguments for the existence of the historical Naz. There would be no point in belaboring that content, which you can retrieve as easily as I. What I and many others believe, on this subject, is that the best evidence for his existence then and now is that every one of his Apostles and their replacements, as well as Paul and several of his disciples of Christ, insisted upon pain of the most torturous deaths imaginable that it was all true. Were it not true, how likely would it be, in a jury’s eyes, that not one of them broke, but instead every one of them preferred to suffer and die hideously for a fabrication? As Paul, one of the toughest sob’s ever to walk the planet, repeatedly stated, if He be not crucified and resurrected, then the whole game is up.

• It does matter that you find the NT’s assertions “self-serving”, by which I gather you are referring to undeniable manipulations in the translations. Those “edits”, as you also call them, are important even in that they sometimes skewed the course of history. But I can’t agree that the Nicene canon itself, in its content, is self-serving. I had the odd experience of teaching the Bible, in necessary secrecy, to Communist Chinese students, and the experience brought home time and again how exotically unfavorable is our Christian contention that the one, benign and purposeful Creator God lived in the flesh on this Earth for 33 years, after which he was tortured to death by all mankind. Neither is it favorable for the Gospel authors to record all the inanities and errors of judgment and betrayals of the Twelve; nor favorable for Paul to explain what a s** he’d been and what a failed disciple and church leader he’d been, and how physically repugnant he was and how he’d been defeated and imprisoned and humiliated and tortured again and again. The Greek Scriptures just don’t come off as self-serving, though the canon as a whole does, I grant you.

• It matters that you want to back believers into that cul-de-sac in which, if the Scriptures are errant in any detail, they are invalid as a whole. That’s a trap, and you know it. In 1985 an Israeli grad student was pulling the night shift in an archaeology lab at Tel Aviv U. Her job was to operate a device purpose-built to unroll very steadily and at the rate of mere milimeters per day a very ancient three-centimeter scroll of unknown content. The scroll already had been dated to approximately 1500 BC, but no one yet knew the nature of its content, nor even its language. Late that night, as the grad student was applying the special polymer made to prevent the brittle velum from breaking, suddenly a letter, then another, then a whole word came clear. It was her own language, Hebrew, in ancient form. The phrase before her: “…and maketh his face to shine upon you…” She later said that she’d nearly fainted upon this fluke discovery of the oldest known Biblical fragment, a verbatim rendering of the great benediction invoked universally by Jews and Christians today. Not a dot nor tittle has changed; the Scribes did their job. Now, had a word been different, or had the fragment contained references to a married Messiah, would that have invalidated the entire canon?

• It does matter that a great deal of Christian practice is lifted from paganism, and that a bit of Jewish and Christian scripture also resembles various paganisms. And this to me is of a piece with your important assertion that the Bible “is no more the word of god than das capital or harry potter!!!” Though you may suspect evasion in this, I’d like to assure you that it’s not evasive: I belong to a school of thought which holds, somewhat outrageously perhaps, that the Christian canon contains authorial concealments of violent crimes in which the authors were somehow so complicit that they pinned the violence on God, whose response was to disclose with increasingly pointed revelation the Truth that He is instead the merciful and loving victim, and not the cause, of sacrificial religion. This does indeed presumptuously require a reliable, demonstrable hermeneutic by which to discern the “myth”, as you rightly call it, from what we Christians regard as The Truth. It’s not a form of apologetics; rather, it’s a discipline of close textual exegesis. It’s also a global project of both believing and skeptical scholars, and it is gaining ground among the laity. I don’t mean to sidetrack, only to respond candidly to your crucial assertions.

Can we, as you ask, “turn the holy lamb of god into a shish kebab?” We already did, my friend, you and I and Jim too. All you get is more lamb, because that particular lamb is, as our German friend Marty said, “alone victorious over sin, death and the world.” It is the paradoxical Agnus Dei Victrix, the Conqueror Lamb, the one militant, not recumbent.