Average Gay Joe

Bob

2011-10-06T18:51:00.000-04:00

Watch till just past the credits!

The Promised War

2011-09-29T00:14:00.003-04:00

A pretty good thriller, though the end does stumble a bit. An Israei special-ops soldier while on a dangerous mission is transported back in time to ancient Jericho, where he joins the Israelite invasion of Canaan. Or is it all a hoax? Hmm... You'll have to read it to find out.

Beautiful

2011-09-28T07:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a very rough and disappointing day. Forgive me if this seems rather like a jilted lover playing sad love songs over and over again, but I actually find this song to be a bit of a pickmeup. Sappy perhaps, but it's a good reminder of that a bad day doesn't mean you're a complete failure. Rough day but life goes on and as cliche as may sound now, it does get better. God bless.

UPDATE: I'm okay. After an arduous and lengthy application process I didn't get the "dream job" yesterday that I had been hoping to get. It was like a big kick in the gut after spending so much time over so many months prepping. Even so, I'm regrouping and am going to give 'em hell next year when I reapply.

Edward VIII: The Traitor King

2011-09-27T12:01:00.001-04:00

I don't know how I missed this documentary back in 1995, but I just recently came across it. I had heard about Edward VIII's pro-Nazi sympathies before but never to this extent. Conspiring with the enemy to subvert the British government in time of war? Possibly giving military information to the enemy? Wow. If these and other charges made against the ex-king are true than he was indeed a disgraceful traitor, as despicable as Benedict Arnold was. That this documentary was produced by Channel 4, a publicly-owned station in the Britain, only adds to the astonishing nature of this film.

This documentary can be found entirely online at YouTube, which the above is just the first part of. You can find the remaining 10 parts by clicking here.

The End of the World

2011-09-26T07:13:00.000-04:00

Part 2; Part 3; Part 4.

I happened to stumble across these videos which are apparently the final part of Terry Jone's Barbarians series. I must say that I am very pleased to see Jones again, having thoroughly loved his work on Monty Python, and was surprised to see that he has become something of a popular historian on British TV as he has done more than just this series here. I now have a few more videos saved to watch later with Jones.

As for this particular series, while the videos in this post are from the final part they can stand alone from what I can tell and are still quite enjoyable. Jones does a good job in speaking to his audience and telling a version of the history of the Huns and Vandals that may be unfamiliar to many. While I didn't find his revisionist history about Attila to be all that convincing, he did make some very good points about Genseric and the Vandals. Their sack of Rome in 455 while not bloodless doesn't appear to have been as horrible as popular history claims, they just did a better job of extracting the city's valuables than did others. Genseric also had an interesting claim causus belli in that the treaty he had signed with Emperor Valentinian III which betrothed their children was nullified when he was overthrown and murdered. Eudocia, daughter of the murdered Valentinian III and betrothed to Genseric's son, appealed to the Vandals for rescue from the usurper. This puts the 455 sack into different perspective once these facts are known in my view. Anyways, this part was enjoyable and I recommend watching them. I'm going to slowly watch the other parts and complete the series as soon as I can. Enjoy!

iPod Random Song List Game

2011-09-25T07:06:00.000-04:00

This is a game of sorts that now defunct blogs I used to follow years ago started and I would join in from time to time. I rather liked it mainly because I have very eclectic tastes in music and I still find it interesting to see what crazy lists are generated.

Rules: Set your iPod on shuffle and post the first 10 songs that appear. No cheating!

1. "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" - Chris Tomlin
2. "Romantic" - Karen White
3. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie
4. "Heart's On Fire" - John Cafferty
5. "After 12" - Force M.D.'s
6. "Human" - The Human League
7. "Dreams" - The Cranberries
8. "Am I The Only One" - Marc Anthony
9. "Live And Let Die" - Guns N' Roses
10. "Fly Like An Eagle" - The Steve Miller Band

Aeschylus' The Persians

2011-09-24T08:25:00.000-04:00

This was the first of the ancient Greek plays reviewed by Professor Meineck in his lecture that I previosuly blogged about. It has the unique distinction of being the earliest surviving play we have from anywhere in the world. Aeschylus wrote this play about a real historical event: the Battle of Salamis, which he was a veteran of and during which the Persian army was soundly defeated. The play seems to me to have 3 themes which played off of each other: the folly of exceeding mortal limits, which the Persians did in attempting "to throw slavery's yoke firm on the Greeks"; the courage and resoluteness of the "Sons of Greece" to "fight for all [they] have!"; the tragedy of war as far as loss of human life, which in this battle meant that "Persia's flower is gone, cut down".

Although I am far from being anything near a classicist, I did find much to enjoy about this particular play. It could be that it was based on a real historical event and I enjoy history a lot, although how it was told in the play is nothing like what would be acceptable as "real history" by modern scholars. Parts of it were boring and dragged on, this is a very different and long-dead culture one must remember so some of the context is lost to me. This particular translation certainly helped as some of the prose seemed to be charged with emotion that brought the events to life in my mind. Here's an example, with a messenger sorrofully telling the news of the near-total loss of the Persian invasion fleet:

Then the Greek ships, seizing their chance,
swept in circling and struck and overturned
our hulls,
and saltwater vanished before our eyes -
shipwrecks filled it, and drifting corpses.

Shores and reefs filled up with our dead
and every able ship under Persia's command
broke order,
scrambling to escape.

We might have been tuna or netted fish,
for they kept on, spearing and gutting us
with splintered oars and bits of wreckage,
while moaning and screams drowned out
the sea noise till
Night's black face closed it all in.
(Lines 682-697)

I'm not usually one who enjoys poetry much, but the raw emotion conveyed in these words was palpable. It rather surprised me when I read this to have such a reaction. I felt like I could actually see the wrecked hulks of the Persian ships with the bodies of their dead floating in the sea, at least as if I was watching a movie about the battle instead of just reading a play. And it continued, for look at what happened to the island garrison the Persian had left near the site of the sea battle:

After some god had
handed the Greeks the glory in the seafight,
that same day they fenced their bodies in bronze armor
and leapt from their ships
and cordoned off
the island so completely that our men milled
helpless,
not knowing where to turn
while stones battered at them
and arrows twanging from the bowstrings
hit home killing them.
It ended
when the Greeks gave one great howl
and charged, chopping meat
till every living man was butchered.
(Lines 736-750)

Powerful stuff.

Look, I am by no means an expert at this but this is a play that even a novice such as myself was able to find meaning to. Yes, some of it bored me to no end and I have no desire to see the play performed live (the chorus still looks hokey even in this translation), but there is still something there to enjoy and take from this play. I know nothing about all the different translations of this play, but I can tell you that this particular one was excellent and however "authentic" it may or may not be it certainly made this ancient play accessible to an amateur like me. I cannot say the same about any other translation, so if you are looking to read this give this one a try. I highly recommend it.

Christians Divided Over Science Of Human Origins

2011-09-23T13:52:00.007-04:00

[Y]ou're either going to accept that the Bible gives us the authoritative word concerning the entirety of our understanding of things relative to who we are as human beings, what God did in creating the world and what God did for us in Christ. If the Bible is not the authoritative source for that and instead has to be corrected by modern science, then the Bible is just there for our manipulation, and quite frankly, the Gospel is there for constant renegotiation. It ends up being another Gospel, the very thing the apostle Paul warned against.

So said Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in this very interesting discussion from an NPR podcast about evolution science and the Genesis story of the Fall. I have a difficult time understanding such misguided attitudes that pit faith against reason and seem to "kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5 KJV). Perhaps coming from a Catholic background accepting evolution just wasn't as difficult for me than for a Southern Baptist like Mohler. Indeed, this 1994 document from the Pontifical Biblical Commission speaks about the dangers and folly of such thinking:

Fundamentalism also places undue stress upon the inerrancy of certain details in the biblical texts, especially in what concerns historical events or supposedly scientific truth. It often historicizes material which from the start never claimed to be historical. It considers historical everything that is reported or recounted with verbs in the past tense, failing to take the necessary account of the possibility of symbolic or figurative meaning...

It is often narrowly bound to one fixed translation, whether old or present-day. By the same token it fails to take account of the "re-readings" of certain texts which are found within the Bible itself...

The fundamentalist approach is dangerous, for it is attractive to people who look to the Bible for ready answers to the problems of life. It can deceive these people, offering them interpretations that are pious but illusory, instead of telling them that the Bible does not necessarily contain an immediate answer to each and every problem. Without saying as much in so many words, fundamentalism actually invites people to a kind of intellectual suicide. It injects into life a false certitude, for it unwittingly confuses the divine substance of the biblical message with what are in fact its human limitations.

The mental gymnastics one must engage in to ignore evolution and deny what seems to be pretty clear from all disciplines of science, that the universe is older than 6,000 years, life evolved and humanity did not arise from a single couple, seems to make a mockery of faith in my view. I do not expect a Bronze Age writer to expound upon scientific theory as we might do so today. Such was not a part of their culture and would have been completely alien to their understanding of the world. No, the Creation story in Genesis wasn't meant to be taken as science or history in my view but instead as myth which conveys a moral tale with essential truths about the faith. It seems to me rather silly to be continuing an argument about this that should have ended decades ago. Still, a good discussion and a podcast I recommend.

The Forgotten Refugees

2011-09-23T08:13:00.000-04:00

Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5.

No matter what your views are on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, this documentary tells about an important part of it that is usually overlooked or is completely unknown by too many. A well-made and very interesting film.

You can also buy the DVD at Amazon here.

Elisha's Bones

2011-09-22T07:43:00.000-04:00

Not a bad archaeological thriller. Parts of it were slow and the plot dragged on a bit but overall the writing was good. It kind of reminds me of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code".

Egypt's Golden Empire

2011-09-21T07:01:00.002-04:00

This interesting film on ancient Egypt comes from PBS' "Empires" collection of documentaries. It was very informative and enjoyable to watch. I highly recommend buying a copy for yourself... or you can watch it online here.

Finally.

2011-09-20T00:01:00.004-04:00

It's been a long 18 years.

Thanks be to God that this odious policy is now gone and we can move on.

To all servicemembers straight OR gay, Godspeed.

UPDATE: This video really shows how much times have changed. An active duty soldier showing his face and saying he is gay on YouTube and also coming out to his father? Wow. I have mixed feelings about this but having once served under DADT, this really does signal to me the start of a new era.

UP-UPDATE: And here are 101 more.

Greek Drama: Tragedy and Comedy

2011-09-19T07:40:00.001-04:00

More years ago than I care to remember, I can recall learning about ancient Greek plays in school and being completely underwhelmed. For all the talk about how much they influenced the development of Western culture, they were far too alien for my tastes - especially the moaning/wailing chorus which always struck me as being ridiculous and absurd. Some things just don't translate very well from one culture to another. Unfortunately though I missed out on learning from many of the Classics because of this.

Until now.

I came across this lecture by NYU Professor Peter Meineck which is part of The Modern Scholar series. I have to say that I am very impressed with Meineck's narration as he made the Greek plays he spoke about "come alive" to me in a way I've never experienced before. I actually wanted to read a few afterwards to see what inspired his obvious passion for them. All in all the time spent listening to this lecture on CD I believe was educational and well worth it. Even if you never cared much for most of the ancient Greek plays, as I did, I highly recommend getting this and giving it a try. You'll be glad that you did!

iPod Random Song List Game

2011-09-18T07:20:00.001-04:00

This is a game of sorts that now defunct blogs I used to follow years ago started and I would join in from time to time. I rather liked it mainly because I have very eclectic tastes in music and I still find it interesting to see what crazy lists are generated.

Rules: Set your iPod on shuffle and post the first 10 songs that appear. No cheating!

1. "Danke Schoen" - Wayne Newton
2. "You've Got A Friend In Me" - Randy Newman
3. "Take A Bow" - Rihanna
4. "I Believe In Love" - Paula Cole
5. "Off I Go (2010 Mix)" - Greg Laswell
6. "The Joker" - Steve Miller Band
7. "Binary Sunset (Alternate)" - John Williams (Star Wars Episode IV soundtrack)
8. "Trouble Sleeping" - Corinne Bailey Rae
9. "Sad Eyes" - Robert John
10. "Paso La Vida Pensando" - Chayanne

The Rise & Fall of Oliver Cromwell

2011-09-17T09:31:00.000-04:00

Very good documentary with David Starkey about that brutal Roundhead, bane of Irish Catholics and even British Anglicans.

Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5.

Kevin Roose on "The Unlikely Disciple"

2011-09-16T07:31:00.001-04:00

Great talk by Kevin Roose about his book The Unlikely Disciple:

Kevin Roose at Gel 2010 (author, The Unlikely Disciple) from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

The Unlikely Disciple

2011-09-15T19:13:00.003-04:00

I got this one, along with a great big pile of other books, very cheaply thanks to the implosion of Borders. Their unfortunate demise was to my benefit I suppose you could say, because this is one of the best books I've ever read about a slice of contemporary culture. Besides the premise and subject matter, what makes this book all the more amazing to me is that the author Kevin Roose was only 19 at the time. He has an incredible talent from what I saw in this book and I hope to see more from him in the future.

The book's premise was very intriguing to me of a Northern secular liberal secretly infiltrating a prominent bastion of the American Religious Right: Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church, the heart of the Evangelical empire of the late Jerry Falwell. Here was the man who for most of my life had been on a crusade of sorts against folks like myself, with such incredibly noxious rhetoric that I certainly had no problems agreeing with Barry Goldwater when he said that "every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass". Yet what Roose discovered once he was there, really surprised him:

[T]he Liberty students I've met are a lot more socially adjusted than I expected. They're not rabid, frothing fundamentalists who spend their days sewing Hillary Clinton voodoo dolls and penning angry missives to the ACLU. Maybe I'm getting a skewed sample, but the ones I've met have been funny, articulate, and decidedly non-crazy.

I have to say that this is what made Roose's book so compelling to me. By this I do not mean that I was shocked to find out that the people he met didn't fit the stereotype he had imagined, I myself have had similar experiences with a number of Religious Right folks over the years, but the level of detail and description he gave was a good and much needed reminder of this to me. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in politics and/or our own particular grudges that we tend to forget that most of those we disagree with aren't living personifications of evil but just as flawed and human as we are, trying to make sense of everything the best way they can. This doesn't mean that one should jettison their principles or whitewash their disagreements with others, not at all, only that we need to maintain perspective and not lose sight of the humanity of others. Lest anyone on the Right get cocky, this is something they need to do just as much given their demonization of gays and liberals (no, the terms are NOT synonymous) which has been as bad as what the Left has done against folks on the Right. Besides the story he had to tell, which by itself was fascinating to read, I guess this reminder was the best thing I took from Roose's book. Given the anniversary of 9/11 which recently passed, that is something I know that the late Fr. Mychal Judge would approve of as well.

Victim 0001

2011-09-15T16:42:00.002-04:00

Excellent podcast about the life of the late Fr. Mychal Judge from RTÉ Radio 1. Check it out.

Generating new business?

2011-09-14T21:19:00.002-04:00

So I went to the dentist today and this is what I found at the reception desk:

Hmm... capitalism at its finest I guess.

Fr. Mychal's Prayer

2011-09-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

Nice prayer from the late Fr. Mychal Judge that I found at a website dedicated to his memory:

Lord, take me where You want me to go,
let me meet who You want me to meet,
tell me what You want me to say,
and keep me out of Your way.

These good folks at Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City were kind enough to turn Fr. Mychal's prayer into a decent hymn:

En Route

2011-09-13T06:58:00.000-04:00

A cleverly-made and very enjoyable short film found on YouTube. It speaks to the common human question of "what would my life be like if I had done 'X' instead of 'Y' in the past?". This also really shows just how far computer graphics have come along because considering the low budget the special effects were actually quite good. Check them out for yourself as can be seen in this video and also see this interview with writer/director Colin Levy.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T01:29:00.009-04:00

I honestly didn't want to remember this day. Nevertheless, the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 has come. God help us all and continue comforting the families of the fallen. For E. at the Pentagon that day, may his soul rest in peace.

Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, chaplain to the Fire Department of New York, was in one of the Twin Towers ministering to the injured when an object fell on him, killing him. Fireman carried his body into St. Peter’s church.

"The firemen in shock came in with the priest’s body," Father Rutler recalled. "He was the first officially recorded death. They put his body in front of the altar. It was very moving. There is a picture of the Crucifixion over the altar. I remember blood coming down the altar steps. I shall always remember that scene."

Read the rest of Fr. Rutler's memories of 9/11 at the National Catholic Register. Pax vobiscum.

UPDATE: Box Turtle Bulletin has a good post today with more about Fr. Judge and others who lost their lives on 9/11.

UP-UPDATE: I highly recommend this excellent and moving documentary about the late Fr. Judge called Saint of 9/11. It can also be found online at YouTube, the first part of which starts here.

The Secret Trial of Robert E. Lee

2011-09-10T20:08:00.000-04:00

Another good book finished. Interesting premise to the book and the author does a pretty good job of pulling it off, though it's a tad too "pro-Southern" for my tastes which if someone who's lived most of their life in the South like myself can see that, well...

A traitor's forsaken oath

2011-09-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

It's amazing what one comes across whilst surfing the Net. I actually found this at Wikipedia while looking at an article about Canadian republicanism, which led me to look at other stuff and eventually, voila! This photo of the broken oath by the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold. Interesting piece of American history this paper represents. I almost feel sorry for Arnold because his name became reviled in America second only to that of Judas Iscariot. Almost.

One interesting item you can see in this photo: look where Arnold wrote the word "swear" in. This presumably comes from the practice of allowing one to "swear" or "affirm" an oath due to religious objections from groups like the Quakers, something carried over into our Constitution.

The King's Speech

2011-09-08T12:01:00.010-04:00

At the risk of offending any Canadian Roundheads out there, I recently had the chance to watch this movie and really enjoyed it. Colin Firth did a remarkable job portraying King George VI and Geoffrey Rush was hilarious as Lionel Logue! Buy a copy or rent one because it's quite good and I highly recommend this one.

Canadian Cavaliers vs. Roundheads

2011-09-07T14:07:00.019-04:00

I recently came across a podcast with a debate between supporters and opponents of the Canadian monarchy. With a proposition of "Is the Monarchy a Dangerous Relic of the Past?" one might be mistaken in believing that this debate was quite a raucous affair between the most diehard zealots on both sides. Yet in fact, despite the obvious ploy to gain attention with this proposition, the debate itself was an interesting, friendly and at times very humorous exchange. As an outsider to this debate I myself have a view that is probably typical for many Americans: I like the idea, pomp and "majesty" of monarchy but only when looking at those found in other countries because I certainly don't want one here. While our system isn't perfect and we unfortunately tend to bestow undo adulation upon musicians, sports stars and the Kennedys which others might place instead upon a monarch, we have still created our own national character without a monarchy and it definitely seems to work for us. Can the same be said for Canada? I don't know. I think that the monarchy is so much a part of British heritage and core identity that it would be extremely difficult to jettison it without losing a bit of themselves as Britons as well as jeopardizing the Union, but that's the U.K. and not Canada. Certainly it can be argued that Commonwealth realms like Canada and Australia have a bond sharing a common heritage and fraternal relationship that could be lost if they went completely republican. But to what degree? Other former British colonies besides the USA, like India, Ireland & South Africa no longer retain the monarchy as Head of State and are doing just fine. It's a tough decision for them to make and the debate in general, as well as this one in particular, is interesting to follow.

"St. Athanasius on Repentance"

2011-09-06T19:36:00.002-04:00

I had mixed feelings watching this video from the series "Saints Speak" by Arcadia Films:

1. Intrigued by the concept. Who wouldn't want to hear the saints speak about various matters that concern each one of us?

2. Disturbed that thanks to actor Morten Kublick's very good looks, I'll never look at St. Athanasius the same way again. "Thou shalt not lust after saints" has got to be a corollary to at least one of the Commandments.

3. Amused at how incredibly over-the-top the music, acting and effects are. In a sense it's almost a pious version of Rocky Horror in that it is actually good because it's so bad. Only what am I supposed to throw at the screen instead of toast, rice and hot dogs? Rosary beads?

Eh, even with all of this this video and the others in the series will undoubtedly still inspire some folks so in spite of the unintentional humor that's good I suppose.

Prisoner of the Vatican

2011-09-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

I recently finished reading this fascinating history of the fall of the Papal States and the birth of modern Italy, along with the contentious early years between the papacy and the Italian monarchy. For many Catholics today used to pontificates like that of the late John Paul II, reading about Pius IX & Leo XIII scheming with foreign powers to undermine the 'godless' Italian state and working for the restoration of their own temporal power, is probably a bit shocking. I can see the need for a sovereign Vatican City but theocracy a la the Papal States holds absolutely no appeal to me. Still, while the papacy may not come across in the best light in this history neither do the early modern Italian leaders. Some of them were just as fanatical and just as objectionable as some of those in the papal party, only from the other side of the spectrem of course. Losing the Papal States was probably the best thing to happen to the Church in quite a long time. One thing for sure is that is helped bring us popes like John XXIII or JPII, who while flawed were both good men and probably never would have sat in St. Peter's Chair if the events of this book hadn't of happened. An interesting bit of history and a book I highly recommend.

"Into the West"

2011-09-04T00:06:00.001-04:00

When I heard this song in The Return of the King movie a few years ago, I thought that Annie Lennox had given a remarkable performance in her singing of it which I found to be quite moving. This is the first time that I've heard anyone else do almost a good a job as she did. He falters and starts out slow but eventually he hits the notes almost as well as Lennox did. The renowned Vienna Boys' Choir aside, this particular song seems to be tailor-made for a singing voice that women like Lennox can carry higher notes with amazingly well. However, this young man does a remarkable job with it and is truly blessed with a good voice.

Ancient Egyptians

2011-09-02T12:01:00.007-04:00

A superb film from Warner Brothers which like the one from the BBC I previously blogged about is also "part personal drama, part documentary, part history lesson". This one is good not only because of the CGI effects it employs that help to bring ancient Egypt "alive" to the viewer, but also because it tells real stories from that culture that most folks have never heard of: murder in an Egyptian temple; two sisters betrayed by their mother and tossed out into the street to fend for themselves; etc. I really liked this one and felt that I caught a glimpse into what ancient Egypt was really like, not just for the nobility but the common man as well. Get a copy of this (buy, rent, whatever), you won't be sorry!

Ossuary of Caiaphas Daughter-In-Law Authenticated

2011-08-31T22:55:00.008-04:00

The Helek Tov blog links a news story about recent authentication efforts for the ossuary of Miriam, daughter-in-law of Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest infamous in the New Testament for his participation in the condemnation of Jesus two thousand years ago. In reading this article I was reminded of probably the best portrayals of the man I've seen on-screen. This was in the 2008 BBC production called The Passion, with Caiaphas being played by actor Ben Daniels. This was the first time I recall seeing Caiaphas as being a complex person with real depth, and not the 2-dimensional stereotypical villain twirling his moustache as he places a bound and hapless Jesus on the railroad tracks to meet His fate from an oncoming locomotive (cue sinister laugh).

Or something like that.

Daniels made Caiaphas come alive to me, a real person with all the passions and human weaknesses that make him who he is. He is shown as a being a family man, a devoted Jew and leader of an oppressed people suffering under foreign occupation. All of these things put together make the story of Caiaphas that much more appealing in one sense because to me it warns each of us how easily we can allow that which we are most passionate about and seek to protect the most regardless of the cost, deceive us and lead us down a very bad path. As Simon Round from the UK's Jewish Chronicle reportedly wrote about this:

In the Gospel according to Stafford-Clark [The Passion’s producer], Caiaphas is portrayed sympathetically. He presides over a volatile Jerusalem (some things never change) where the balance of power is threatened not only by the arrival of Jesus but also the appearance on the scene of violent terrorists (the Judean People’s Front?), all of whom threaten the tenuous autonomy of the Jews in the Holy City.

But however sensitively Caiaphas is treated (we even see him stroking his pregnant wife’s stomach), he still hands Jesus over to the Romans...

What this portrayal of Caiaphas brings home to me at least is that in a sense we are all Caiaphas, easily just as capable of doing what he is reported to have done or worse even if our own particular reasons why might differ somewhat. Now that's a sobering thought.

As for the news linked at Hekel Tov about this ossuary from Caiaphas' daughter-in-law, I'm glad to see this and hope we discover more about the man and those around him whom he loved. I suspect that the more we learn about the real Caiaphas the more we may learn about ourselves.

The Envoy

2011-08-31T08:10:00.003-04:00

I recently finished reading this book and the story it told was just amazing. I'd heard of Raoul Wallenberg before of course, but really only a few brief facts about him and never knew that the Nazi he tangled with in saving Jewish lives was none other than the notorious Adolf Eichmann. Wallenberg wasn't alone in his efforts to save Jews from annihilation in the death camps and the book gives some detail about these other good diplomats, but he is the main focus. All in all this is a very fascinating account of a time period that can still surprise one at the level of brutality and pure evil that was unleashed upon the world, yet also such incredible acts of compassion, faith, goodness and grace.

Egypt: Rediscovering a Lost World

2011-08-30T10:18:00.009-04:00

Part personal drama, part documentary, part history lesson, Egypt is a first class, six-part BBC production that manages to be at once edifying and entertaining. Whereas the History Channel, for example, might tell its tale with a mixture of reenactments, photos, interviews, and such, the makers of Egypt opt for complete dramatizations focusing on three men and their contributions to archaeology, with each story occupying two episodes.

I can't really put it any better than this editorial review found on Amazon. I've really been on something of a "documentary kick" lately and this particular one from the BBC is one of the most enjoyable I've seen yet. Besides the usual bits about Howard Carter finding Kig Tut's magnificent tomb, which actually were more informative than I expected, I learned about "The Great Belzoni" and the significant contributions of Jean-François Champollion in solving the hieroglyphics mystery. I'd heard briefly of Champollion before, though I'd forgotten everything about him other than that he was French, but I never heard anything about Belzoni who appears from the documentary to have been quite a character. I'm pleased to see that Belzoni left us a couple of books about his exploits, which thanks to Archive.org, Volume 1 can be downloaded here while Volume 2 is here. These books should be enjoyable and are definitely going onto my reading list. As for the BBC documentary, I really liked it and recommend buying it, renting it or see if it can be found online... at say that place that starts with "You" and ends with "Tube".

Sister Wendy's Grand Tour of Rome

2011-08-29T13:36:00.005-04:00

There is something about Sister Wendy's passion for art that I find to be captivating. It was good to be reminded of this particular video after seeing Rob Cain's old post about Bernini's masterpiece Apollo & Daphne.

Amazon Store

2011-08-29T11:25:00.003-04:00

So I've sold out.

Or have I?

Meh. Not really.

I've added the Amazon Store mainly to give my readers an idea of the books I enjoy reading and the TV shows/movies I like. I honestly don't expect to make a dime from it.

Of course if I do make some money from this store I won't be too troubled by it, but for now click on over to take a peek and check back when you can. I'll be adding more stuff little by little.

Refocused on blogging? Maybe...

2011-08-28T21:02:00.015-04:00

While Blogger itself may not seem to be the virtual equivalent of Michael Coreleone, it does have a way of "pull[ing] me back in".

Yep, I'm back.

Well, sort of.

Meh. Truth be known, I'm not exactly sure yet what I want to do with this blog but I do miss being able to comment upon and bring good books, shows and podcasts to other people's attention. I suspect that there will slowly be many changes to it over time and more posts, however sporadic, with less emphasis on politics but instead on other interests of mine.

If you've ever seen the list of my favorite podcasts below you'll have noticed that one I particularly enjoy is Michael Duncan's excellent The History of Rome. Duncan's superb narration and fascinating romp through ancient Roman history in nearly 150 episodes now, has given the world a veritable I, Claudius-esque feast for your ears, though sadly sans the great Derek Jacobi of the TV series. What Duncan may lack in not being chrysostomos ("golden mouthed") a la Jacobi is more than made up for by an enjoyable style of his own combined with a far greater devotion to historical accuracy than the 1970s Brit soap opera.

I had thought that Duncan was the only worthy podcast on ancient Rome out there, until I recently discovered Rob Cain's Ancient Rome Refocused. While I've only listened to the first episode thus far, it appears in some ways to be a mash-up of Duncan's with another favorite of mine: Bruce Carlson's My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. By this I mean that Cain, in the first episode at least, talks about the Western fascination with ancient Rome and draws some comparisons between their history and that of modern times. I must say that the 9/11 recordings from NYC emergency personnel were chilling to hear again, especially so close to the 10th anniversary of that day, but linking this to what the destruction of Pompeii must have been like to the ancient Roman psyche was brilliant. This also means to me that Charles Pellegrino's book Ghosts of Vesuvius, undoubtedly one of the main inspirations behind Cain's first podcast, merits careful attention in its own right. All in all, a very commendable start to what I'm sure will be a podcast that I'll enjoy just as much as I do Duncan's.

Give them both a try if you haven't already, because if you love history as much as I do you won't be disappointed.

One more thing: I didn't mention above the ended podcast of Lars Brownsworth, 12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of the Byzantine Empire, which was so successful that a good book on the subject was spun out of it. Since modern historians like to separate the history of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire post-476 from that of ancient Rome prior to the fall of the West, I figured as an amateur myself I'd bow to the conventional wisdom. Yet wherever one may fall in that particular debate, I do highly recommend Brownsworth's podcast and book!

Kevin Palmer, RIP

2010-10-23T21:36:00.004-04:00

I just now found out that Kevin Palmer from Queer Conservative died this past August.

I'm stunned. He was only 42.

Kevin was one of the first gay bloggers I came across back in 2005. It was bloggers like Kevin that helped me finally see that being gay involved more than just the stereotypes, but actually the whole range of humanity which included more conservative-minded. This was the last step I needed I guess to coming out at last, much later than most I'm sure but sooner than I ever thought back then.

I never got to meet Kevin in the real world but enjoyed the discussions we had online and the thoughtful posts he put up. I regret that I'll never have the chance to meet him now and thank him.

I pray that Kevin is at peace with God now.

Unfortunately it appears the other blog Kevin posted at, KevinandPatrick Blog, has been taken down but portions of it can be found at Google cache. Also, a memorial page was created at Facebook for him and can be found here.

What does the Bible say about usury?

2010-10-03T17:42:00.013-04:00

While I'm not returning to blogging just yet (if ever), I wanted to post a response I left to a "Christian" responding to this excellent posting by John Shore. If there's one thing that really bugs me in an online discussion, it's those folks who like to cut-and-paste other people's writings - especially from fundamentalist apologists - without putting any original thought or effort into their comments. I mean sure, if you do not know how to express yourself well than by all means give a few words and perhaps a link to the article you think is relevant to the subject under discussion. Yet save the cut-and-paste jobs, they are truly annoying and are largely ignored. The next pet peeve I have with such cut-and-paste jobs is the mind-numbing illogic used by these fundamentalist apologists being cribbed from. Which brings me to the reason for this post. A commentor used the online article What does the Bible say about homosexuality? by Matt Slick to respond to John Shore's posting and I must say that this is filled with some of the most absurd reasoning I've seen in quite awhile. I find this mentality of "the Bible says 'X' is a sin and that will never change!" to be completely ignorant of how much Christian and Jewish theology have developed and changed over the centuries. With this in mind I decided to take one example of something the Bible and Christians until the time of the Reformation clearly condemned as being sinful has developed and changed since then: the taking of any interest on money and goods, i.e. usury. I'm sure that everyone has been hit with this online and just in case this may help others I want to post my response here at my blog as well. So in honor of the "Christian" commentor at JohnShore.com and in keeping with the reasoning of Slick's article, let's see how usury should be viewed in light of the Bible's teaching (with some editing from my original posting):

There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn usury**. Various verses are cited (out of context) and the verses that people use to show that usury is wrong are explained away. The world wants to change God’s words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires. Nevertheless, the truth stands: The Bible condemns usury as a sin. Let’s look at what it says.

Exodus 22: 25-27: "If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious."

Deuteronomy 23: 19-20: "You shall not charge interest to your brother -- interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess."

Leviticus 25: 35-37: "If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit."

Nehemiah 5: 10-11: "I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them."

Psalm 15:5: "He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved."

Jeremiah 15:10: "Woe is me, my mother, That you have borne me, A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent for interest, Nor have men lent to me for interest. Every one of them curses me."

Ezekiel 18:13: "If he has exacted usury Or taken increase -- Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him."

Luke 6:34: "If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again."

Usury is clearly condemned by the Bible; condemned by the early Church, including ALL the Fathers who commented on the subject and the early Church councils like Nicaea; condemned by Reformers like Martin Luther. It goes against the created order of God. He created us all to live as brothers and sisters, to lend to one another without the taking of interest. This is what God has ordained and it is what is right. Unlike other sins, usury has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple: They are given over to their passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Psalm 15:5). As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing. Without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

What should be the Christian’s Response to Usurers?

Just because someone practices usury does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Usury is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.

As a Christian, you should pray for the salvation of usurers the same as you would for any other person in sin. The usurer is still made in the image of God — even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, you should show him the same dignity as anyone else with whom you come in contact. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don’t compromise your witness for a socially-acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.

Pray tell, Brother Slick, what are you doing to combat the wicked abomination that is usury? What of our Christian brothers and sisters who borrow money/goods at interest or lend money/goods at interest in clear defiance of God’s Word? Worse yet, what of the "Christian" businesses and even churches (!) who have compromised their witness for a socially-acceptable opinion that is void of godliness by borrowing money/goods at interest or lending money/goods at interest? Our whole economic system is built not upon the Word of God but instead upon the worldly views of that perfidious usury-lover and usurer-enabler John Calvin!

** - "Usury (comes from the Medieval Latin usuria, 'interest' or from the Latin usura 'interest') originally meant the charging of interest on loans. This included charging a fee for the use of money, such as at a bureau de change." – Wikipedia article "Usury"

For more on the history of usury and Christian theology, see the following:

Usury (Economic History Association)

Neither a Borrower nor a Lender Be... (AskThePriest.org)

Reforming the Morality of Usury: A Study of the Differences that Separated the Protestant Reformers by David W. Jones

History of Usury Prohibition (AlastairMcIntosh.com)

Usury (Pharsea - Christopher West)

Usury & The Church of England (Rev. Henry Swabey)

Resigning from Gay Patriot...

2010-04-19T17:50:00.008-04:00

I have decided to resign from guest-blogging at Gay Patriot to pursue other interests effective as of last night. All comments or blog posts by others at Gay Patriot are the sole responsibility of the persons who authored them and I do not necessarily endorse OR support them. As I expressed to Bruce & Dan, I appreciate the opportunity they gave me during my time guest-blogging at GP and wish them well in the future.

Also, if it hasn't been clear from my sporadic and sparse posting here at this blog matters in the real world have necessitated that I take an indefinite hiatus. At this point I am not certain when or if I'll return to blogging. If that changes I guess there will be an update here about it. For now though, thanks for your interest in my blog over the years and take care.

Snowpocalypse 2010!

2010-02-06T09:20:00.003-05:00

10 Excruciating Medical Treatments From The Middle Ages

2010-01-25T16:52:00.002-05:00

Whatever one may think of our health care system today, thank God our medical knowledge has improved vastly since the Middle Ages!!!

The Best World News Pics by Reuters

2010-01-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

Yeah it's Reuters, but these are still some really good photos.

Pictures Taken Exactly At The Wrong Time

2010-01-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

Too funny!

80s Flashback: The Best Toys of the Decade

2010-01-15T17:30:00.001-05:00

I remember all of these 80s toys, but I'd say that from this list Operation and Rubik's Cube were the best. Yet, what about Simon?!? Mom & Dad still owe me one of those dammit!!! *sigh*...such a deprived childhood.

"Joy" - Harry Nilsson

2010-01-14T11:57:00.003-05:00

"Now, if you haven't got an answer, then you haven't got a question. If you never had a question, then you'd never have a problem. If you never had a problem, well then everyone would be happy. But if everyone was happy, there'd never be a love song."

If this isn't the perfect Country song, I don't know what is. What makes this song ever more humorous is the character "Joy" in the hit series My Name Is Earl, who definitely takes after the song.

UPDATE: Somehow I picked the lousiest version of this song from You Tube, so I switched it to the funny-sounding one here:

Britain’s Secret Underground City

2010-01-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

Interesting look at a relic from Britain's history during the Cold War.

"Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol

2010-01-12T12:37:00.002-05:00

I just "re-discovered" this hit song on my iPod recently and have been listening to it a lot over the past few days. The video to this is so-so but the song itself is awesome!

15 Failed Predictions about the Future

2009-12-28T09:30:00.002-05:00

Never underestimate man's ability to be sincerely wrong and damned stubborn about it too. While amusing to look back on these failed predictions, they do gives us all a note of caution when dealing with today's hubris - even that which we ourselves do not recognize as being such.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T08:42:00.002-05:00

May God bless you and keep you in all your endeavors.

Funny Christmas prank!

2009-12-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

For my next business trip...

2009-12-07T20:15:00.001-05:00

Now this is how to fly properly on business trips!

If only...

9 Hilarious USB Keys

2009-12-01T10:21:00.001-05:00

Pretty funny.

Top 6 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made

2009-11-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

$500 million to make ONE movie?!? Clearly I'm in the wrong business...

The Beatles 3000

2009-11-29T20:29:00.003-05:00

Pretty funny. A humorous reminder that some of what we think we know about the past may not be all that exact...

Colorado Governor's Mansion TP'ed

2009-11-28T10:16:00.001-05:00

Governor Ritter and his family woke up on Thanksgiving morning to an unusual sight for an official residence: during the previous night a prankster had blanketed the mansion with toilet paper. Well I guess this opens a whole new way of protesting leaders of both parties who aren't really listening to us. So put away the tea bags and break out the whoopie cushions and flaming bags of dog poo!

56-Year-Old Man Brought Back To Life After 47 Minutes

2009-11-25T13:54:00.001-05:00

Stories like this one just reaffirm my belief in God...

Ho Chi Minh's Biography

2009-11-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

Interesting video about this infamous Vietnamese leader.

Israel displays coins from ancient Jewish revolt

2009-11-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

Interesting discovery.

World War I in Color

2009-11-09T13:01:00.001-05:00

Interesting color photos from World War I found at Spiegel.

20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

2009-11-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the Berlin Wall fell. I was serving in the US Navy at the time and remember being stunned at the news. I honestly thought that the Cold War, even with perestroika having an impact on communist Europe, would drag on till I was an old man. I was very pleased to be proven wrong.

Giant Crack in Africa Will Create a New Ocean

2009-11-03T17:15:00.002-05:00

Sometimes science can be so cool to read about...

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Comes Out of the Closet - To the Point on KCRW

2009-11-02T20:25:00.001-05:00

Very interesting debate from a couple of weeks ago regarding DADT and the recent Joint Forces Quarterly article on this subject:

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Comes Out of the Closet - To the Point on KCRW

Cement’s basic molecular structure finally decoded

2009-11-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Considering how important cement is in my field, as well as to building in all modern nations, this is an interesting find.

"Her R71 ballot was the last document that she attached her signature to."

2009-11-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

Nice story.

Ancient Sparta Repeals DADT

2009-10-19T10:03:00.000-04:00

Pretty funny skit from SNL.

Glenn Beck Hilariously Mocks the Media for Balloon Boy Coverage

2009-10-17T19:39:00.003-04:00

I'm not a Beck fan myself, but this is going around the Net and I have to admit that this is really funny!

Ian Fisher : American Soldier

2009-10-15T11:14:00.001-04:00

A very good photo series on the life of a typical American soldier from enlistment through his first two years of service. Check it out.

Lt. Dan vs. Elaine Donnelly

2009-10-08T17:37:00.002-04:00

Okay, Dan Choi of Knights Out doesn't pass much for Gary Sinese's famous movie character but Donnelly certainly resembles Forrest Gump - without the charming innocence.

DADT advocates still need a much better spokesperson for their cause, although as a staunch opponent of this law perhaps I shouldn't say anything more on that...

Oh yeah, one more thing: can you feel that "hope and change" yet? Me neither.

(this is also posted over on Gay Patriot)

Pentagon Journal Airs Criticism of DADT

2009-09-30T16:00:00.003-04:00

The winning essay from the 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition criticizing the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) ban against gays openly serving in the military appears in the upcoming issue of Joint Forces Quarterly. This journal is "published for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" and with regards to this essay, The Boston Globe reports:

The views do not necessarily reflect those of Pentagon leaders, but their appearance in a publication billed as the Joint Chiefs’ “flagship’’ security studies journal signals that the top brass now welcomes a debate in the military over repealing the 1993 law that requires gays to hide their sexual orientation, according to several longtime observers of the charged debate over gays in the military.

While decisions on which articles to publish are made by the journal’s editorial board, located at the defense university, a senior military official said yesterday that the office of Admiral Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs chairman who is the nation’s top military officer, reviewed the article before it was published.

You can read the essay in its entirety for yourself here (pdf). I found it to be an interesting and fair examination of issues involved not only with the effectiveness of DADT but also with possible results of repealing this ban. The issues addressed for repeal include not only leadership required from command personnel and some heterosexual servicemembers resistant to such a change in policy, but also the need for behavioral changes from some homosexual servicemembers when it comes to "violations of the military regulations governing fraternization between ranks". While the essay's author acknowledges that the ban against open service may have to led some condoning this behavior, he rightly states the principle that all proponents of repeal I know of agree with: "Ultimately, homosexuals must be held to the same standards as any others".

Perhaps most powerful in this essay is the author's conclusion regarding DADT, which while it may echo much of what proponents of repeal have stated over the years since the policy's adoption, it carries more weight in my view given the forum in which it is expressed:

The 1993 “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law was a political compromise reached after much emotional debate based on religion, morality, ethics, psychological rationale, and military necessity. What resulted was a law that has been costly both in personnel and treasure. In an attempt to allow homosexual Servicemembers to serve quietly, a law was created that forces a compromise in integrity, conflicts with the American creed of “equality for all,” places commanders in difficult moral dilemmas, and is ultimately more damaging to the unit cohesion its stated purpose is to preserve. Furthermore, after a careful examination, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that unit cohesion will be negatively affected if homosexuals serve openly. In fact, the necessarily speculative psychological predictions are that it will not impact combat effectiveness. Additionally, there is sufficient empirical evidence from foreign militaries to anticipate that incorporating homosexuals will introduce leadership challenges, but the challenges will not be insurmountable or affect unit cohesion and combat effectiveness.

It will be interesting to see if White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will continue parsing his responses to questions regarding DADT as the Obama Administration still punts this down field.

(this is also posted over on Gay Patriot)

Doctor (Voyager) - Monk style Opening

2009-06-08T13:47:00.001-04:00

This is one of the most clever fan-made videos I've come across...

Spin

2009-06-05T18:57:00.003-04:00

Dance Party in Iraq

2009-06-05T17:32:00.001-04:00

The Confession

2009-06-03T12:08:00.000-04:00

Too funny!

Star Trek meets The Love Boat

2009-06-03T12:00:00.001-04:00

Well of course Charo is in this...

Cuchi! Cuchi!

Star Trek Voyager: The Movie?

2009-06-02T12:01:00.001-04:00

Pretty good fan-made trailer for what that fan would like to see as the next movie from the Star Trek franchise. Personally, I think this works better as a trailer for the series.

Don't Stop Believin'

2009-06-01T14:22:00.001-04:00

I would make a wisecrack about DADT, but methinks I'll refrain. Cute and funny though...

Star Wars / Airwolf Rebels

2009-05-31T10:39:00.001-04:00

This "mashup" actually works quite well.

Here's the Airwolf Imperial version.

The License

2009-05-30T17:36:00.001-04:00

Interesting way to take the Bible literally and past customs in defense of traditional marriage...

"Total Eclipse of the Heart": Literal Video Version

2009-05-30T17:17:00.005-04:00

You know I still like this 80s Bonnie Tyler song, but the video for it really is disturbing on so many levels. Putting aside the apparent teacher-hot-for-orgy-with-male-students theme, whomever put together the original video was on a serious acid trip.

Still, good song at least. Funny parody.

h/t - Hot Air

The A Team, Iraq

2009-05-29T14:08:00.000-04:00

Star Wars meets MacGyver

2009-05-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

Not bad, this "mashup" works.

Sadly no one has made a decent "mashup" with Star Trek, although I did find this clip from a real MacGyver episode that had James "Scotty" Doohan in it. This surprised me as I didn't remember that the late Doohan was on an episode that show...

Also, check out this cute amateur vid: MacGyver As A Kid.

Vanilla Ice Army Remix

2009-05-27T14:32:00.002-04:00

Of all the songs out there to make a parody of, Vanilla Ice's monstrosity is as close to number one as you can get...

Funniest Stargate SG1 Prank

2009-05-26T20:30:00.000-04:00

Methinks everyone could use a laugh after today's disappointing news...

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T11:06:00.001-04:00

Simply an amazing story, words fail me...

h/t - Ace of Spades

Real Men Wear Pink Boxers

2009-05-24T23:12:00.002-04:00

Nineteen-year-old Spc. Zachary Boyd of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, was sleeping when the Taliban attacked his unit in Afghanistan's Kunar province. Boyd leapt from his bunk. He grabbed his weapon, pulled on his helmet and vest, and manned his station behind sandbags at Firebase Restropo. He did not stop to pull on trousers.

Great podcast from NPR with an iconic image...of sorts. As one commentor posted at NPR's site:

The boy can wear whatever he likes...he was out saving his friends life, that is what matters.

MacGyver - Groundhog Day mash up

2009-05-24T19:39:00.000-04:00

This actually works pretty good...

NY Republican Candidate On DADT

2009-05-23T14:32:00.003-04:00

I was sent this "Statement From Assemblyman Greg Ball On Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach" by Christopher Arnold, Communications Director for Greg Ball for Congress. Now I know nothing about Messrs. Ball or Arnold, nor do I follow New York politics since I live in Virginia. However, I do find this statement intriguing coming from what appears to be a conservative Republican running for state office. Well, from the campaign website he appears to be conservative on fiscal, 2nd Amendment and defense matters at least. No doubt some Southern conservatives would raise an eyebrow at the conservative cred of a New York Republican, but that could be just a regional thing. At any rate, here is the statement:

The recent report of Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, among other less publicized accounts, has made many realize that the current policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” needs to be thoroughly reviewed.

Lt. Col. Fehrenbach has flown numerous combat missions and has been decorated for heroism.

As an Air Force Academy graduate and former ranking member of the New York State Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, I believe strongly that it is time for the current administration to consider putting a moratorium on the current “don't ask, don't tell” policy affecting our military, until its impacts can be thoroughly reviewed.

As a veteran and member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I will give serious consideration to urging my legislative colleagues to express our shared concerns with the current policy that forces the involuntary discharge of American heroes like Lt. Col Fehrenbach.

Very interesting...

"Love Story" meets "Viva La Vida"

2009-05-23T10:59:00.002-04:00

I saw this over a week ago and meant to post but it got lost in the shuffle I guess. A very moving piece these artists have come up with. That Jon Schmidt came up with this for his young daughter just enhances the enjoyment. Some have poked fun at Steven Sharp Nelson on the cello because of how much he appears to enjoy playing this, but you know what? I say "rock" on, Steven! You and Jon have shown the world the great talent you've both been blessed with and given all of us a very enjoyable piece to listen to. Gracias.

Star Trek Voyager meets Baywatch

2009-05-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

Just in time for the start of summer...

TV Geek Alert!

2009-05-21T08:54:00.003-04:00

V is returning to television after 20+ years!!! I loved the 1980s version as a kid, though it looks a bit cheesy now, and this update looks...interesting so far.

I'm totally going to geek out over this I can see that now!

h/t - Hot Air

Star Trek Old School

2009-05-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Perhaps this is the film J.J. Abrams should have made...

Clearing up life's mysteries for my nieces...

2009-05-18T11:09:00.004-04:00

One of my 9yr old nieces called me up this weekend out-of-the-blue, seeking an answer to this most important question:

Is Luke Skywalker Darth Vader?

After a brief pause, I explained the relationship between the two Star Wars characters which seemed to satisfy her. Life now made sense and the call ended.

It's good to know that the hours I've spent watching scifi over the years haven't gone to waste and that I have a become an "expert" on such mysteries of life to me dear nieces. Of course, the day they inquire about pon farr I'm turning that one over to my brother...

Star Trek, the new film

2009-05-18T08:54:00.009-04:00

So I finally went to see the new Star Trek this weekend. My verdict: eh, it was okay. I didn't hate it, like Kevin apparently does, but I wasn't exactly thrilled with it like I was with the original. I could go on and on about what I did and didn't like in this movie, yet that would mean it deserves more of my time. Sorry, they got $30+ at the theater from me and that's enough. Perhaps my reaction is a generational thing since the original Trek as the template is what I've known, as well as the various incarnations during the 80s & 90s, although I suppose I can see why the youngsters might prefer this version.

I found this video the other day that does a good job showing what the new Star Trek really is:

Pity that George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) died, he could of been the new Brandon Walsh (he is cuter and acted better in this film than Chris Pines).

Geeky Weddings

2009-05-18T08:49:00.002-04:00

Best wedding cake evah.

Runner up would be this confectionary rendition of the Millenium Falcon.

h/t - Ace of Spades

Why Daniel Choi Should Be Discharged

2009-05-15T13:42:00.001-04:00

Well after seeing this, it all becomes clear to me now...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Dan Choi Is Gay

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

Star Trek TNG meets Dallas

2009-05-15T10:26:00.003-04:00

Here's the version for Star Trek: Voyager.

Army Is Alright Now

2009-05-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

Podcast Interview of Lt. Daniel Choi

2009-05-14T14:29:00.007-04:00

In three parts over at Ramble Redhead. Very interesting with Choi telling of his growing up, life at West Point, his service in the US Army over in Iraq, and of course coming out. Well worth listening to and I hope that the good Louie will join the fight against the unjust DADT law with a worthy group of gay vets like Servicemembers United. His voice is certainly a powerful one in this debate and though he is doing well on his own, especially with Knights Out, having others to "guard his back" in the DADT minefield doesn't hurt.

You can find these podcast interviews here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Enjoy!

Spoiler: Choi's first-generation Korean parents were oblivious to his being gay, so much so that when they suspected their older son of being gay they sought his advice on how to "change" him. Ironically the son they thought was gay is actually straight while the "straight" son they sought advice from is gay. Priceless.

UPDATE: On second thought, after exploring the Knights Out website a bit more it appears that Lt. Choi has quite a number of worthy souls guarding his back. Perhaps then his group and others like Servicemembers United can coordinate their efforts to bring DADT to the demise it so richly deserves.

(an edited version of this is also posted over at Gay Patriot)

Star Trek A-Team

2009-05-13T19:18:00.000-04:00

An Open Letter to the Commander-in-Chief & Congress

2009-05-13T09:53:00.001-04:00

From 1st Lt. Daniel W. Choi, Infantry officer from the New York Army National Guard:

The Department of the Army sent a letter discharging me on April 23rd. I will not lie to you; the letter is a slap in the face. It is a slap in the face to me. It is a slap in the face to my soldiers, peers and leaders who have demonstrated that an infantry unit can be professional enough to accept diversity, to accept capable leaders, to accept skilled soldiers.

My subordinates know I’m gay. They don’t care. They are professional.

Further, they are respectable infantrymen who work as a team. Many told me that they respect me even more because I trusted them enough to let them know the truth. Trust is the foundation of unit cohesion.

After I publicly announced that I am gay, I reported for training and led rifle marksmanship. I ordered hundreds of soldiers to fire live rounds and qualify on their weapons. I qualified on my own weapon. I showered after training and slept in an open bay with 40 other infantrymen. I cannot understand the claim that I “negatively affected good order and discipline in the New York Army National Guard.” I refuse to accept this statement as true.

As an infantry officer, I am not accustomed to begging. But I beg you today: Do not fire me. Do not fire me because my soldiers are more than a unit or a fighting force – we are a family and we support each other. We should not learn that honesty and courage leads to punishment and insult. Their professionalism should not be rewarded with losing their leader. I understand if you must fire me, but please do not discredit and insult my soldiers for their professionalism.

When I was commissioned I was told that I serve at the pleasure of the President. I hope I have not displeased anyone by my honesty. I love my job. I want to deploy and continue to serve with the unit I respect and admire. I want to continue to serve our country because of everything it stands for.

Please do not wait to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Please do not fire me.

The President will undoubtedly send the good Louie a nice handwritten note, ignoring the fact that the office he holds requires leadership which on this he has shown very little of. The leadership of the DNC seems to reside in the Speaker's chair, instead of the White House, from which all we hear on DADT is the dodging cry of "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!". More's the pity as Bill Clinton's legacy of betrayal is allowed to continue and good soldiers like Choi are let go.