The Right Spin

Scott's got a good write-up about the current situation in Israel what with Ariel Sharon's poor health. I personally feel that the situation is grave and that Sharon will not recover. I'm torn about this. He's been strong on defense but I cannot forgive him for displacing the Jews that he did. However, it is up to Yahweh to deal with him on that.

What I'm concerned about now, and Scott noted this, is the time it's going to take for the political situation to stabalize in Israel. Especially given the March point-of-no-return for Iran. I want Israel to blow them into the next Ice Age if they have to. The world cannot have a nuclear Iran and it seems the issue is prickly for the U.S. just now though the President is in talks with NATO about it.

Bottom line: Israel has the right to defend herself and Iran will most certianly use her nuclear power status to threaten her.

I only hope Sharon's eventual passing doesn't bring harm to Israel in the long run.

I read about this awhile ago and as I was not maintaining my blog I kept this nugget to myself. The other Right Spin posted about it (as well as providing a link to the WND article itself) so I thought I should to.

The crux of the matter:

Writing for the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Richard Suhrheinrich said the ACLU's "repeated reference 'to the separation of church and state' ... has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state."

Suhrheinrich wrote: "The ACLU, an organization whose mission is 'to ensure that ... the government [is kept] out of the religion business,' does not embody the reasonable person."

"Does not embody the reasonable person." That's it right there. Even reasonable athiests do not hold that religion has no place in governemt. Indeed reasonable athiests and secularists remember that Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and others were champions of a religion-free government and that these governments have killed more than any religion in the history of the world ever has.

The reasonable person reconizes and appreciates the role religion, Christianity in particular, has played in crafting the West.

For the idiot near and dear to your heart.

Perhaps not.

I was listening to the PC Gamer podcast and heard about an interesting site: Game Politics.com. The editor of the site, Dennis McCauley, was interviewed and seemed like a fair man, though those who did the interviewing did not. That is to say I felt they were too pro-video games.

After looking over the site it would appear PC Gamer decided to interview someone who pretty much shared their views. That's unfortunate. I believe gamers and the video game industry itself isn't doing nearly enough to call to the made game developers who cross the line. Instead they spend most of their time attacking elected officials and private citizens who react against such hot button issues as the "Hot Coffee" mod.

So, everyone is busy reacting and no one is actually trying to fix the problem in an intelligent way. There's a problem that needs to be addressed and the video game industry and its supporters are more interested in wrapping themselves in the 1st Amendment than actually trying to address the concerns of parents who, for whatever reason, are often woefully ignorant of the video game medium.

I did e-mail Mr. McCauley about my concerns and replied thusly:

Hey, Kevin...

Good points.

There was some condemnation of Rockstar/T2 for lying in the game community. Here at GP we gave it to them with both barrels...

Personally, I think there is a lot of private resentment and anger in the game community at R*/T2. However, since they are paid-up members of the ESA, the industry won't be taking them on anytime soon.

Warren Spector criticized them publicly late last year, but no one else is saying much for the record, which is a shame. Understandable, in a way, I guess. This is still a relatively small industry. No one wants to burn their bridges. Which is why the media exists, to get at the truth.

Best,

-Dennis

For those who don't know:

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet.

This is taken directly from the ESA's own web page. So, when Rockstar messes up the very group that is suppose to represent the industry in the public won't cendemn them because they help pay the bills. Kinda like most unions.

I'm glad Mr. McCauley agrees with me that the industry itself has work to do in presenting itself to the, what I'll call, "parenting" public. I only wish video game developers and their throngs of supporters would reconize the same.

Instapundit links to some stats anyone interested in the Iraq war should look at.

I have no intention of seeing "Brokeback Mountain." I like my cowboy films, well, not gay. I like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood and I know at least one of there two will never do a film like "Brokeback Mountain." I'll let you guess which.

Now, if someone wants to do a film about gay anything that's their right. But I'd like them to be honest about it. The supermajorty of those who have a problem with homosexuality, myself included, are not the kind who delights in torturing and murdering them. Indeed I'd say we all find that very idea repugnant. However, by golly, wouldn't you know this film's got a "homo hatin" torturin' murderer! Oh, why can't society leave these two lovebirds alone!?

Also never addressed it the fact that these two characters had loving wives at home. Two families are destroyed and no one bats an eyes.

I have to agree with David Kupelian when he states:

"Ultimately, propaganda works because it washes over us, overwhelming our senses, confusing us, upsetting or emotionalizing us, and thereby making us doubt what we once knew."

Why is this movie propaganda?

Kupelian says the emotional appeal used in the movie causes viewers to sympathize with the "gay" cowboys, and to emotionally reject the "anti-gay" character who tortures and murders a homosexual man.

There is a clear attempt going on to mainstream homosexuality and demonize anyone who opposes that adgenda as a member of the same camp that would murder these very people. Unfortunately fairminded gays are not pointing this out as the lie that it is.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Michelle Malkin has some strong words for Times reporter James Risen regarding the NSA leak story. I have to agree with her.

Dean has even stronger feelings about what should be done to the leak once they are discovered. I have to agree with him.

Well, I get some free time at my new job and since it appears there's at least two people who want me to blather I'll do my best.

So, what to talk about?

Saw Narnia. Cried like a little girl.

Saw Harry Potter. Meh. Just like the previous three.

What's with that anyway? Why do people like these books so much? They're all the same! Harry gets a year older, bad things involving Voldemort happens at Hogwarts and all the adult wizards around Harry are completely inept. Why is that entertaining?

I'm reading the Chronicles of Narnia. Finished "The Magicians Nephew" and I'm halfway through "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." They're very quick reads and seem to accomplish a lot more than the tomes that are the Potter novels.

In case you haven't noticed I think the popularity of Harry Potter is overblown. He's no Gandalf. Hell, he's no Pippin!

But, I usually talk about religion and politics so I suppose I should say something.

Bush has the legal right to wiretap foreign conversations without getting a warrant first.

I think blaming the moral decline of our society for events such as Katrina may not be without merit.

There. That should piss off some people.