Blogrollin via Conversion Diary

Jennifer F. recently posted her top 12 links of 2010. The following caught my attention:

Contraception and the Vocations Crisis -- in which the admirable Fr. Dwight Longenecker (whose blog is in my roll) expounds on three different ways in which contraception undermines the call to a clerical or religious vocation,

These Stone Walls

These Stone Walls has just been added to my blogroll. It is composed on a rather flaky word-processor typewriter in a New Hampshire penitentiary by a priest who will in all likelihood remain in prison until (if) he reaches the age of 108. He will serve this sentence of 67 years because he maintains his innocence. Had he admitted guilt, he would have served no more than three years, and perhaps no more than one.

I just started reading this blog about four or five hours ago. It is absolutely RIVETING. I should have been in bed two or three hours ago. I am having a very difficult time leaving it alone. Part of this is because Fr. Gordon Macrae is demonstrating tremendous Christian charity in outrageously trying and difficult circumstances. I recommend him and his writings very highly.

Yet Another Blogrolled Video

This one came to my attention via Dr. Sanity (she's in the sidebar; I'm too lazy to look up the link right now).

This video is one of those XtraNormal videos of little to no artistic merit, beyond the dialogue. This one intends to be very informative on the subject of quantitative easing, and it by and large succeeds.

Proof Of God's Grace

that people would come together to do this:



I would have LOVED to have been there for it.

Salute to Fr. Longenecker.

Forced Intimacy

I would be very surprised to find out my reader(s) are unfamiliar with outrageous molestation of passengers by TSA agents. (I could get more links if I wanted. Check out Google Search 1 and Google Search 2).

Imagine how you feel about that sort of personal violation when you fly. Now imagine it as part of your living arrangements -- something to which you are subject 24/7/365.

That's what military life is going to be like if/when Obama repeals the prohibition on gays serving in the military.

By the way, this is NOT an original thought. I owe it to this article on CE.

A Clarion Call for Subsidiarity

There's a reason that David Warren's column is in my bookmark and my blogroll. He is an excellent writer who defends the moral, the true, the just, and the beautiful.

Here is a case in point. You should go read it.

And since Mr. Warren doesn't have commentary on his site, come back here and comment.

A Blast From the Past

This was originally posted August 7, 2007. I got to add a reason, and it's so AWESOME I had to repost the whole thing with the new reason at #37.

The Top 100 Reasons Burt Gummer is Better than MacGyver

Americans have a fascination with how-to, and even more so with improvisational technology. The popularity of shows like "This Old House," "Junkyard Wars," "Battle Bots," and yes, "Tremors: The Series" all reflect this fascination. But, of course, the first show to use improvisational technology as a gimmick was "MacGyver."

But let's face it. MacGyver was nowhere near as cool a character as Burt Gummer, the tough guy of "Tremors." Nothing about the show was as cool as "Tremors." And so, in tribute to Burt Gummer and all the people who've composed and posted their lists of the top 100 reasons why the original and Next Generation Star Trek captains, first officers, science officers, chief engineers, and doctors are better than each other, I'm posting this.

I know, I don't have 100 reasons. But hey, I came up with 30 all by myself in a day or two, and a couple more while typing this up, so I'm sure there must be at least that many. Maybe my four readers, if they've seen both "Tremors: The Series" and "MacGyver" could add some more.

37. There would never be anything like this for MacGyver.
36. Two words: Excessive force.
35. There is absolutely nothing contrived about Burt Gummer.
34. When Burt Gummer meets an obvious nutcase, he says so.
33. Burt Gummer is a serious opponent, while MacGyver is only an annoyance.
32. When something's out to kill Burt Gummer, he kills it first.
31. Other people actually want to be like Burt Gummer.
30. Burt Gummer has backups and reserves of everything.
29. You can readily believe that Burt Gummer could survive naked in the wilderness with nothing more than a Leatherman.
28. Burt Gummer remains devoted to his first wife.
27. Burt Gummer cynically uses the forces he hates against each other for his own benefit.
26. "Tremors: The Series" is nothing like "Knight Rider."
25. Burt Gummer doesn't have hateful animated middle-aged chain smoking DMV clerks lusting after his body.
24. Burt Gummer is not politically correct.
23. Burt Gummer worries more about his own welfare than that of his foes.
22. Burt Gummer likes weapons and is proud of it.
21. The people who turn to Burt Gummer for their safety are nearly as clever, inventive, and tough as he is.
20. Burt Gummer doesn't have to narrate himself to get his exposition done.
19. Burt Gummer's 4 wheel drive would eat MacGyver's Jeep Wrangler for breakfast.
18. Everyone in Burt Gummer's community is a working entrepreneur.
17. Burt Gummer would never wear his hair in a mullet.
16. Burt Gummer can inspire even lifelong federal bureaucrats to take decisive and necessary action in a crisis.
15. Burt Gummer isn't a pansy.
14. Burt Gummer tries simple solutions first.
13. Burt Gummer doesn't need a Babe of the Week to prove his manhood. (warning: that link is to TVTropes!)
12. When Burt Gummer gets stuck with a youthful twerp, he turns the situation to his advantage.
11. Burt Gummer is famous, but he doesn't let it go to his head.
10. Burt Gummer treats lethal menaces as such.
9. Burt Gummer and his neighbors cooperate well, in spite of their diversity and individualism.
8. Burt Gummer doesn't take unneccessary risks.
7. Burt Gummer knows Hollywood tough guys for the idiots that nearly all of them are.
6. Burt Gummer works for a living.
5. Burt Gummer makes contingency plans.
4. Burt Gummer lives in an environment that would kill MacGyver.
3. Burt Gummer sniffed out a secret underground lab from hundreds of miles away by following graboid tracks.
2. Nobody could ever just slug Burt Gummer.
1. One word: GUNS.

If you have more to suggest, oh please oh please DO. If you want to debate any of these, go ahead. But if you want to post the top 100 reasons why MacGyver is cooler, post on your own blog. I'll link to it here. I'll even give you a freebie: If anyone said "maggot DNA" on MacGyver, Mac would point out that maggots are the larval form of flies.

Subsidiarity in Anticorruption

I've been reading my way forward in the Uncubed webcomic archives. It's an autobiographical comic by the creator of PC Weenies. He described an encounter with the corruption that is endemic to India here.

When you live in a land where the law rules, as I do, it's really easy to forget that not all lands are so blessed, or the grave harm such corruption does, especially to the poorest of the poor. Imagine having to pay a month's wages to get a doctor's appointment, or a license to do business, or to run a charity, or to get your neighborhood connected to municipal utilities. This is the sad reality in many poor and developing parts of the world, where the Judeo-Christian ethic of government employees owing service to the polity has never taken hold.

I found in the comments a link to a Boston Globe article (which is well worth reading, btw). The article details anecdotes of 5th Pillar's efforts to fight bribery by giving people, especially the extremely poor, zero rupee notes to hand over when a bribe is solicited. There are three significant differences between the zero rupee note and the 50 rupee note: the denomination goes from 50 to 0 (obviously); it is printed on only one side; and the 0 rupee note includes a phrase that the bearer “promises to neither accept nor give a bribe” in place of a claim of legal tender.

Seriously, what is not to like about this? It takes the struggle directly to the people who are most seriously harmed by graft, making it a wonderful act of solidarity with the poor; it does so with a powerful appeal to conscience; it works without government intervention; it's remarkably inexpensive; there are (as yet) NO reports of it not working; and it doesn't get anyone in trouble.

Same Sex Marriage -- Why Not?

Salute to Mark Shea, who only posted the first of these videos on his blog. I'm going to post all 4, which is nearly an hour of video, strictly on the strength of his recommendation; I have yet to watch them through.

The World of Salamanca by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

The World of Salamanca by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. Go and read. Salute to The Western Confucian.

This is just way too cool to limit to my twitter feed.

On Vampires

Never mind what I have to say about vampires. You should DEFINITELY go and read what John C. Wright has to say about vampires. Salute to Mark Shea.

Greens jump the shark!

Salute to the Western Confucian.

Here's the video. Greens did this themselves, without any prompting, with the idea that this is funny, and you'll agree. Be advised, it's nearly as violent as photos of aborted children.



There's commentary on Lew Rockwell and James Delingpole's Guardian blog.

EDIT: Some thoughts of my own....
the murders are portrayed as essentially inconsequential to those who do them. And they do them immediately after lying about the consequences. These things point out first, the value that the AGW types put on human life; second, their respect for the rule of law; and third, their commitment to honesty.

Further update: 10:10Global took down this video of theirs the same day they posted it (and yes, it really is the creation of 10:10Global, an advocacy group going on about the need to cut global carbon emissions by 10% every year, intending to start in 2010). They can no doubt ask Google to remove this posting of it, but it's likely that the detailed write-up currently on Wikipedia will remain, and that it will get re-posted each and every time it gets blocked or taken down.

Pressure your senators!

Leahy and Hatch, two longstanding proponents of nearly any legislation that restricts freedom, have come up with a real doozy: S. 3804, the the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (THOMAS link). There is an online opposition group, Demand Progress. Their front page links to stories from nearly a dozen sources.

I urge you to call and write your senators, and tell them to oppose the bill. No need for details, just tell them "OPPOSE S. 3804, the the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act." No point in getting verbose, all your senator will get is a report telling how many have written, called, and emailed in on each side of the issue.

Still More Blogrollin'

Deo gratias, Dr. Sanity has returned to the Blogosphere. In my typically inattentive manner, I failed to notice for nearly a month.

The whole content of her first post since April is this YouTube Video, deftly showing the contrast between President Obama, and one of his predecessors in the Oval Office, to whom his followers are fond of comparing him.

On Tattoos

Salute to Catholic Analysis, whose post regarding the whole thing you should read here.

Twitter can't hold everything

At least, I imagine it can't ... like embedded videos. Salute to this post by the Western Confucian. Like him, I stand with Hayek.

Twitter

I loathe Facebook. And frankly, not everything I find interesting on the Web, that I'd like to see shared, deserves a full blog post.

Hence, my Twitter feed. It may be found to violate Twitter's terms, in that it's a place I expect to post a bunch of links, and not so many "status updates."

Profoundly Irrational

I don't look in on Catholic Analysis anywhere near so often as I should. Case in point: I did not read this article until it had been up for 20 days.

The Ruling Class in America

This very long article describes the real political divide in America as well as anything I've read in quite a while. I urge you to check it out.

And I decided to post the link and suggest you read it before I got anywhere on this post on Mark Shea's blog, where I first found it.

Abortion's immorality

Abortion, for this discussion, shall mean the direct and intentional killing of a human organism prior to birth. It is permissible only under the same circumstances as any other direct and intentional killing of a human being, namely, when the one killed is a direct threat to the life or liberty of one or more other human beings.

I submit that the life cycle of any sexually reproducing organism begins at the zygote stage. Further, it is absurd to conflate a zygote with an oocyte, e.g. by calling it a "fertilized egg." Gametes do not undergo mitosis. They do not develop. They either join, male and female, to create a new and unique organism, or they die.

A zygote is a new and unique organism. The only thing that separates it from an adult is sufficient time and a suitable environment. Claiming that any subsequent stage of development separates those human organisms with human rights from those without would be assigning those rights on the basis of arbitrary criteria. As there is no excuse for denying a zygote human rights, there is no excuse for killing one.

The Appeal of Twilight

salute to Mark Shea.

If you want to understand where the appeal of the Twilight "saga" comes from, go read this page. The writer is spot on, albeit a bit coarse in his language.

And he's funny.

See also my post on vampires.

For the Children!

It's really easy for me to discount anyone who claims that they are working "for the children!" It's a favored battle cry for people that all too often appear more interested in disassembling families, and deconstructing family structures, than of people who actually love children.

And yet, that is EXACTLY for whom Defense of Marriage Advocates are working. Read the article.

For that matter, so are those opposing Artificial Reproductive Therapy.

You aren't going to find anyone that loves children more than the Catholic Church.

On CE Today

First, The Origins of the Red State/Blue State Divide, which actually explores three paradigms of family over the course of history, and what has historically led to the adoption of each. It's really good stuff, go read it. The implications regarding how government intervention in society winds up affecting overall societal morality, are important for liberty.

Second, an article discussing The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. Read the article, read the book.

I have something great to reveal!

Go here.

Salute to the Catholic Cavemen.

Immigration Reform

Well, I've managed to create a bit of a stir over at The Lair of the Catholic Cavemen, in the immigration debate.

Here's the first post, where I asked of Simplex Vir, "What would you have us do?"

And here is his reply. My response has been submitted to their combox, where it belongs. If you plan to chime in, do so respectfully, and bear in mind that comments submitted belong to the blog's administrator, to do with as he pleases.

Gargantuan Privacy Breach

Watch this video. You will find out how common it is for nearly all types of confidential information to be released without a thought or care by those who are supposed to keep them secure.

edit: that video's gone. Here are some others:

More Blogrollin'

I was checking out this video about a Corpus Christi festival having to do with baby-jumping (embedded by Mark Shea here; salute to the Western Confucian). After it was over, a list of related videos came up. The one which piqued my interest was the Photoshop Effect. It ably demonstrates just how far the images we see of celebrities (especially women) are removed from reality. I've written about this before.

It is an aspect of the Culture of Death, which obsesses over sex divorced from new life, empty and stagnant. The goal of sex is not self-giving, but self-gratification, and the means is to meet some arbitrary, unhealthy, and exaggerated physique commonly called "sexy".

More and more evidence that mental health and self respect are greatly enhanced by ignoring the main stream media.

Pill Round-up

Today, I found The Pill's Dirty Little Secret -- namely, that it is an elective risk for premenopausal breast cancer.

It cites a column posted on CNN by Raquel Welch, first brought to my attention by the Western Confucian. The column, It's Sex o'clock in America openly laments the irresponsibility, grave immorality, and bad behavior that the Pill enables and encourages.

Cui Bono?

Who, besides providers and irresponsible fathers, benefits from the status quo on abortion? A study of that question is the subject of this article.

Cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturers use the flesh of aborted children as commodities. Everything I've ever said about embryonic stem cells (especially this) applies in this situation. There's a reason I've compared people like this to vampires. As PrairieHawk says in the comments of the article, it's cannibalism.

Good stuff.

I have just gone and read Bishop Slattery of Tulsa's homily at Solemn High Mass at the National Shrine. I recommend it to you.

I have been mightily discouraged by the passage of the health care bill. Bishop Slattery's words have encouraged me. I do not know precisely how events will unfold. I expect to suffer, and I will seek to have my suffering help sanctify this world. That is my part to play in bringing about Christ's final victory. God help me.

How To Have An Austrian School Economy

Salute to the Western Confucian. Full article at A Conservative Blog for Peace. Actual text by Bishop Williamson of the SSPX.

Excerpted are the seven commandments of Austrian School Economics:

1. Thou Must Earn.
2. Thou shalt not spend more than thou earnest.
3. No state may make too many rules.
4. No state may tax too much.
5. No state may spend its way out of a recession.
6. No state may print its way out of a recession.
7. No state may employ its way out of a recession.

Seem like very solid rules to me. I wish we had a government that would follow them.

Best of 2009

I've been looking over my writing here in 2009, and sort of wondering, "How will I ever find enough stuff I think is good enough to go into a post like Best of 2008 and Best of 2007?

So I was doing something largely unrelated, namely, browsing Conversion Diary, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but this post. The goal? To pick One Thing from last year.

Well, here it is: Supply, Demand and Price. It started out as a gigantic wall of text, but (Deo Gratias!) I split it up into six more easily digested hunks. It's in my list of Oft-Cited Quotes (see the sidebar, near the bottom).

Per the usual request, here is a link back to the Mr. Linky List.