The Real McCain 2

I’m not sure why the press doesn’t blast this guy every time he opens his mouth. He just keeps continually contradicting himself. Perhaps the press just finds him too easy a target. Perhaps it feels too much like kicking an old dog. Regardless of where you stand on the issues, you can’t believe a word the man says.

Time to Flip-Flop About Flip-Flopping?

We love to complain when our politicians flip-flop on an issue. Sometimes, especially when the opinion changes dramatically over a short time frame, it is justified to get upset about a candidate changing views. Sometimes, however, it seems that flip-flopping may be a good thing. Wouldn’t it be nice if Bush would flip-flop once in a while, instead of obstinately maintaining a failed course of action.

Regardless though, despite the awful cover* from the New Yorker in this particular issue, the article inside is actually an interesting take on flip-flopping, what really qualifies, and when it is better than not.

Flip-Flop Flap

Gore’s Bold Challenge, We Must … But, Can We?

Gore has made a challenge with the magnitude of JFK’s challenge to get to the moon in 10 years. This time, it’s not about a space race. It’s about a race for the survival of our species and the safety of our nation. Are we up to the task? Can we Americans still rise to a challenge as we did in the 60s? As we did when we ramped up for World War II? Or, have we become a bunch of complacent morans that deserve the painful times ahead if we fail the challenge?

Obama: Eloquently Stating What Needed to be Said

Here’s yet another incredibly eloquent speech by Obama. I find it very refreshing that we have a candidate that can correctly pronounce place names and even the word nuclear. Further, some of the sentiments expressed in this speech are sentiments I’ve been hoping to hear expressed for a long time. Here is someone who can show real leadership, something we have been sorely lacking for 7 years.

I you prefer to read the text, rather than listen to a 36 minute video, the text is available on the Obama webiste.

Marriage Related Humor — 3 jokes

A young bride, a virgin on her wedding night, is looking at her husband the next day. It’s the first time she has seen him naked in daylight.

She: What is that?
He: That, my darling wife, is what gave you so much pleasure last night.
She: Is that all we have left??!!? I’d have been more sparing with it!

E. Pluribus Unum

If you care about separation of church and state, though the number of people who do appears to be shrinking, please sign this petition to restore our nation’s motto and to remove the McCarthy era addition to the pledge of allegiance.

From the petition text:

Congress undermined American unity in 1954 when it added “Under God” to our Pledge of Allegiance and again in 1956 when it replaced our 175 year old national motto, E Pluribus Unum (“Out Of Many, One”), with “In God We Trust”, thus demoting to an implied outsider status the agnostics, atheists, deists, polytheists and other citizens who do not ascribe to this theology. Ideological contention is a necessary and desired result of the freedoms that are the real source of our unity and strength. These laws, by claiming that our unity rests on disregarding the reality of such sincere individual disagreement, are self-defeating.

E. Pluribus Unum — Out Of Many, One

Thanks to Overcaffeinated for the tip.

For those who wish to go beyond this one petition, consider checking out the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Math Class: I Like The Way You Think

Teacher: Three crows are sitting on a wire. A farmer comes out and shoots one. How many are left?
Johnny raises his hand.
Teacher: Johnny.
Johnny: Zero.
Teacher: No Johnny. That’s incorrect. Do you want to try again?
Johnny (thinks a bit longer): Zero.
Teacher: No Johnny. That’s incorrect. Would you tell me how you came up with that?
Johnny: Well, the farmer shot one crow. The other two flew away.
Teacher: That’s not the correct answer. But, I like the way you think.

Johnny: OK. I answered your question. You answer mine. Three women are sitting on a bench eating ice cream. One is licking. One is sucking. One is biting. Which one is married?
Teacher (turns red. Doesn’t anwer.)
Johnny: Come on. I answered your question. Answer mine. Three women are sitting on a bench eating ice cream. One is licking. One is sucking. One is biting. Which one is married?
Teacher (embarrassed): I guess the one who’s sucking.
Johnny: No. The one with the wedding ring. But, I like the way you think.

Horus vs. Jesus

This thread is now replaced by a new thread A More Rigorous Take on the Jesus Myth. Please use this thread for all new discussion on this topic.

ALERT ALERT ALERT!!! THIS POST IS FALSE!!! I apologize for spreading incorrect information. I believed it to be true when I posted it. Zarove below has proven me incorrect. I apologize for being taken in by an article that actually came up from google scholar. Looking at the footnotes of my “peer reviewed” article should have clued me in. I did not read that carefully. I will not further spread this myth.

Understand that I still do not believe either the Horus myth or the Jesus myth. However, I now also know that it is a myth that the two myths are the same.

Thank you Zarove for setting me straight.

Here for posterity is my original post:

In the spirit of the Bush-McCain Challenge, which shows that most people cannot tell the difference between Bush and McCain, I ask weather you can tell the difference between Horus and Jesus. So, guess which one was:

1. Born of a virgin?
2. Baptized at age 30?
3. Had 12 disciples?
4. Was crucified?
5. Was resurrected 3 days later
6. Was associated with the astrological sign Pisces, the fish?
7. Was known as The Lamb of God?

Climatologists Give Up the Ruse

It appears that it is finally time for climatologists to come clean. Unfortunately, this is not a report of the skeptics being magically right. Rather, climatologists are finally starting to state that, yes indeed, the extreme weather we’ve been seeing for years really is the direct result of climate change.

Could this be just the liberal media? Well, perhaps, if you consider Newsweek to be a liberal rag. Otherwise, this report is likely legitimate. To me, the only thing surprising has been how long climatologists have been so cautious about finally saying this.

Global Warming Is a Cause of This Year’s Extreme Weather

Economy Destroyer Hired By McCain to Fix Economy

See Foreclosure Phil in the current issue of Mother Jones for details on how Phil Gramm is largely responsible for our current economic problems and further how John McCain thinks this is the person who can fix our problems. From the article, ‘Media accounts have identified Gramm as a contender for the top slot at the Treasury Department if McCain reaches the White House.’

When you’re done being sickened by the above article, add this related article in the same issue regarding The GOP’s December Surprise that may be on its way. There appears to be a really good chance that the Repugnicans are propping up the economy to the best of their ability right now for the short term to make themselves look better until November. Come December …

If you still think McCain has the answers, take the Bush-McCain Challenge and learn why many of us are starting to call him McBush.