random excess

standandmodelforjesus
Shirley Phelps Roper and Margie Phelps were on the Mike Gallagher radio show. In case you didn't know, they are the daughters of Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church.
S&M are just as rude as mainstream Jesus Worshippers. They did not hesitate to interrupt and shout down anyone who called into the show. Of course, they really believe what they say, and they quote the bible to support all of it. To them, the grieving family members at a funeral are an appropriate audience for their message.
After a commercial break, a station change was in order. The rock and roll oldies station was playing "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John. There is a poetic symmetry there.
A Jesus Worship blog (which has banned me) also tackles the issue of preaching at funerals. His reasoning is remarkably similar to the Phelps sisters. They feel that their "message" is far more important than the feelings of the grieving loved ones.
The pyrodude goes on to say "The real crime, the insanity, is when Christians --- should ever let ourselves be intimidated into silence." Maybe he could find another way to prove his toughness, rather than creating ill will for Jesus. With people who are in pain due to the death of a loved one.
The Phelps sisters have more than proved how" tough" they can be. For Jesus.






happinessrunslikeariver
Later in the day, another radio whiner (Micheal Medved) was talking about a book comparing the lives of liberals and conservatives. A caller said that book proved conservatives were happier than liberals were, and why didn't the mainstream media report this?
Now, you can make an argument for just about anything, as S&M displayed earlier. Without reading the book in question, there are lots of questions...semantics, methodology, use of statistics, use of quotes from questionable authorities...that you can raise about the thesis that conservatives are happier than liberals. I don't see it in my life, from the people that I know. But, there are lots of intangibles and opportunities to lie here, so I may pass on giving the matter much thought.
I was pondering this on my drive home. Normally, I get off I285 at Roswell Road, which has traffic, but is usually manageable. Today, I was thinking about happiness, and missed my exit. The next exit, Glenridge Road, is next to Highway 400, and has a lot of cars waiting around, and is much more difficult to use for exiting than Roswell Road. Fifteen minutes, and an illegal ride in the emergency lane, later, I was on my way home.
This did not make me happy.




testifytestifytestify
While washing my lunch dishes, I heard the TV in the living room. There was a hearing about the death of Pat Tillman.
Mr. Tillman was a professional athlete who joined the service, and was killed in Iraq. He was killed by "friendly fire" (accidentally by his own army). This happens in war, probably more than is generally realized. The problem here, is a cover up by the military, and spreading a story of heroism to his family.
Mr. Tillman's mother was testifying. She said, "This is an ugly war".
That is more powerful than anything Harry Reid or Cindy Sheehan has said. And it is the truth