Ready-made Sermon

Yesterday, at the (one and only) local auto parts store, I happened to run into the pastor of THE (one and only–*heh*) “First Christian Church” here in America’s Third World County Hub “City”. (No, no one was hurt.) I stopped him with,

“Hey, Dave!” (Yeh, an easy name to remember :-)) “I have a ready made sermon for ya. As I was driving through Xxxxx, XX earlier this morning–you know, in the 45mph zone–a church van that said ‘First Christian Church, Xxxxx, XX’ (not his church) zoomed by at 55-60mph. Great ‘witness’ eh? Not only does the law not apply to them, but the scriptures they claim to live by (that require them to obey the law) don’t either. Have fun preaching that sermon!”

When Good Monitors Die

Well, Bubba’s fav monitor died–his old 17″ HP. Earlier this summer, his “spare” (second in a two-monitor display) also died.

Not a great summer for displays.

Not to worry. I had an “old” predecessor to the KDS X-Flat (I think it went by “Avitron” in those long ago days of yore) hanging around as a spare this time (before, it was another name brand spare), so he’s not missed a beat.

Lesson? Just because you get that new super-duper, neato-keano display, keeping the old, working (and sometimes very, very nice indeed) monitor handy is a Very Good Idea.

Just a lil FYI…


THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂

If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

If you want to host your own linkfests but have not yet done so, check out the Open Trackbacks Alliance. The FAQ there is very helpful in understanding linkfests/open trackbacks.

Yeh, Right…

Stop the ACLU has a post from the Twilight Zone…

CAIR Accuses Bush Office Of Being Anti-Muslim

prince-abdullahs-boyfriend.jpg

What?!? “Prince” Abdullah’s boyfriend is anti-Muslim?


THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂

If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

If you want to host your own linkfests but have not yet done so, check out the Open Trackbacks Alliance. The FAQ there is very helpful in understanding linkfests/open trackbacks.

The Death of the West

Western Civilization owes its very life to the influence of the Christian church (in the sense of the catholic–not Catholic–church). And that is probably why Western Civilization now appears moribund: the Christian influence which has been so strong for most of the past two millennia is now waning. As Dr. Chris Hook, a medical doctor, put it in an article on bioethics for Reformation Online,

This year, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain, has at last brought back to the Church’s attention of the life and work of William Wilberforce and the his colleagues in the Clapham Community. Wilberforce has long been one of my personal role models, his memory spurning me onward in my work in bioethics, when otherwise I have despaired and wanted to leave it all behind. It is my hope that this recent attention will illustrate what God can do with communities of committed Christians who bring together expertise from various fields and financial and social resources and influence to change society. Slavery was but one issue this group faced and hoped to reform, and they faced similar opposition to what those wishing to defend human dignity today face: the power of commerce, government, academy and a lifeless, bloated and self-centered church. Yet with God’s guidance they were able to collect their joint resources and changed an empire, in spite of itself, and the world.

Of course, the “Wilberforce effect” is simply the kind of blatantly obvious effect genuine Christian communities have had upon Western Civilization in the past. Other, more fundamental processes, seem utterly hidden from most folks’ (including politicians *spit* Mass Media Podpeople and soi disant historians) eyes. Nevertheless, it is the loss of Christian influence, largely as “Christian” churches lose their Christianity, that has resulted in a society with no integrity, no heart, no soul–a society with no reaon for existence but greedily and foolishly seeking instant pleasure and wealth with little or no thought for tomorow.

Hence, we have politicians *spit* and Mass Media Podpeople and Academia Nut Fruitcakes advocating measures for our society that, like the recent Senate shamnesty bill, are immoral, shortsighted and foolish. We have a citizenry that has collectively sold itself into slavery to indebtedness for its whole lifetime and the lifetimes of its grandchildren. We have “artists” expressing the heart and soul of our society in “art” that is either literal or figurative shit.

And yet. Perhaps there is a remnant. Perhaps, as was shown in the public outcry about the recent Senate shamnesty bill, there are still enough people sticking their fingers in the many holes in dikes holding back the barbarian waters… perhaps.

One can only hope.


THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂

If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

If you want to host your own linkfests but have not yet done so, check out the Open Trackbacks Alliance. The FAQ there is very helpful in understanding linkfests/open trackbacks.


Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, Right Celebrity, DeMediacratic Nation, Jeanette’s Celebrity Corner, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, DragonLady’s World, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, and Public Eye, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Issue 5: A decaying moral fiber

Originally stated as, “A decaying moral fiber, especially in America’s so-called “Christian” churches.” And, of course, once again I’ll not do more than skim a very, very small aspect of the issue, leaving you, faithful reader, to do your own homework to discover the veracity of my observations… or not..

Now, before some subliterate self-lobotomized moron jumps in making a defense of “slut and rut” sexual mores resulting from a thoroughly moribund sexual morality and attacks the raising of this issue as mere prudery, let me remind us all that morality relates to all of our daily lives, not just sex.

Honesty, respect for property, respect for persons, etc., that results in a condemnation and avoidance of lies, thievery and unjust violence against and manipulation and coercion of individuals: those are hallmarks of moral individuals and a moral society.

What we have is… not that.

Simple example: heck, forget cops who speed on their way to a donut break–an all too common occurrence. What about so-called “Christian” pastors who break traffic laws speeding to a preaching gig?

…it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. — Romans 13: 5-7

So-called “Christian” pastors who think nothing of disobeying traffic or other laws are worse than politicians and LEOs who break whatever laws they wish, because in breaking the law, these so-called “Christian” pastors know they are accountable not only to the State and to society at large for their behavior but have represented themselves as accountable to a Higher Power for obeying the laws of the land.

But even if the shepherd of a flock leads the sheep astray by his actions, the sheeple of individual flocks of self-proclaimed “Christians” are still responsible for their actions.

Years ago, a group of us were discussing the passage above (and others) in a morning study group one Sunday. A deacon who was present had responsibilities in the service that followed, and interrupted the service for a personal confession and act of repentance. Between the time of the study group and the morning service, he had gone out to his car and removed his radar detector which he placed on the communion table saying that he was “convicted” of his sin in using it to disobey the law and get away with it. He made a public commitment then to start obeying the law.

Laudable, on its face.

After the service, of course, he picked the radar detector back up and re-installed it in his car and drove off as usual.

Now, you may think I’m playing nit-picker singling out traffic scofflaws as examples of moral depravity among churchgoers. Well, imprimis, traffic scofflaws can stand simply as examples of the many ways in which “good” church folks are often anything but. And those who stand as some sort of authority figures within churches who are scofflaws in one area of their lives have no moral suasion when speaking in others. And, as with the deacon mentioned above, most often the outright lies and blatant hypocrisy are moral wounds that even more deeply hamper “good churchgoers'” ability to impact society for good.

And after all, why should they even try to do so when their congregations are more and more openly embracing the “bread and circus” atmosphere of society at large in order to draw “seekers” in for fleecing?

Bah. The fundamental lie that blemishes most so-called “Christian” churches today is that they claim to be “people of the Book” all the while picking and choosing and explaining away or just flat denying what the Book they claim to use as their manual for life says.

And that’s the fundamental immorality of much of so-called “Christendom” today: the lie of claiming to be followers of Christ while trampling on His teachings.

(Liars are always immoral, by definition. )

Go ahead. Apply these thoughts to yourself, if you claim to be Christian, or even if you claim–if only in your own eyes–to be as “good” as a Christian ought to strive to be. Are “white lies” acceptable to you? Where do you draw the line between telling the truth and lying? Does it make any difference that you draw your own line? No. Does it make any difference that intellectual and spiritual laziness and dishonesty permeates much of what calls itself “Christian” today? Yes. Such, “Well, sure I do such and so (or, alternatively, “fail do any bit of real good at all, at all”), but I’m still a good person!” lies do nothing to persuade onlookers who see only the lies, the hypocrisy, the self-serving disrespect for law*, the fact that so-called Christians cannot be discerned in behavior from those who are outside the club. (Indeed, because of a long association with Christians–both genuine and typically fake–I avoid doing business with anyone who sells themselves and their services by promoting their self-proclaimed Christianity as a reason to do business with them. Almost always a sure sign of fakery, IMO.)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is… Romans 12:2

Anyone who denies that distinctly Christian principles and manners of thought and behavior form the basis for (former?) American success in creating a free and open society is an idiot, a liar or an uninformed idiotic liar. And one has to ask oneself what the motives of the liars who deny the Christian foundations (or who deny the value of those foundations, as the ACLU and its ilk regularly do) are. Still, as those values steadily erode and I watch more and more Christian churches wallow in pellagianism, embracing “hip-hop theology” and denying the life and work of the One they putatively claim to follow, I have to wonder, “Where is the Amos to call these contemporary faux Christians to account?”

I dunno. It certainly doesn’t seem to be something many (most?) of the pulpits of contemporary “Christian” churches seem wont to do. I do know a prophet is without honor in his own country, and that anyone who points out that the emperor’s new clothes… “ain’t thar” is in very deep doo-doo.

As the current quote at the head of this blog reads,

“Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell

Methinks we need a few more revolutionaries.

*BTW, is there such a thing as a true Christian who nevertheless disobeys the law deliberately? Of course there is. One instance in the New Testament gives an example of the only legitimate excuse a person claiming to be a Christian may have to deliberately disobey the laws of his community. Other excuses are bushwah, B.S., phony, lies. None of the folks I’ve heard make arguments for churches running “sanctuaries” for illegal aliens meet the criterion for biblically proper civil disobedience. None. Not one. Zero, zilch, nada, a big suck on a sour lemon’s worth. And never is simple personal convenience, pleasure or advantage a legitimate excuse for flouting laws, at least not for people who claim to be following the Nazarene. People who claim to be followers of Christ but who routinely and habitually and illegitimately flout the laws of their community without pang of conscience are plainly and simply liars, hypocrites and the truth is not in them–and that’s a fundamental failing of morality.


THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂

If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

If you want to host your own linkfests but have not yet done so, check out the Open Trackbacks Alliance. The FAQ there is very helpful in understanding linkfests/open trackbacks.


Issue #4: Apologists and outright proponents for barbarian savages

N.B. Wow! Friday the Thirteenth actually occurs on a Friday this month!

As those of y’all who read the post that spawned this one know, the original statement of an issue that is “plaguing this ailing republic” was, “Apologists and outright proponents for barbarian savages (AKA, Muslims, Rap “artists” *spit*, Mass Media Podpeople, Academia Nut Fruitcakes, the American Commnunist Licentious Union and politicians of all stripes across a nonexistant “aisle”).”

Now, some of those mentioned are flat out savages, others are barbarians or barbarian wannabes and still others are classes of people (at least I’m still according them the status of human beings, although many are doing more and more to class themselves as savage animals–and yeh, I recognize the tension between those two words). Muslims? Easy. Any class of people who honor, even venerate a savage, brutal mass murderer, rapist, pedophile, slaver and thief such as Mohammed are themselves savage, brutal mass murderers, rapists, pedophiles, slavers and thieves at heart. Indeed, anyone who does not openly and actively and consistently condemn persons who engage in such behavior are enemies of civilization.

And that is why I consider all Mass Media Podpeople, poltiticians *spit*, Academia Nut Fruitcakes and their ilk who not only fail to condemn such savage behavior to be enablers of the savage, brutal mass murderers, rapists, pedophiles, slavers and thieves-at-heart who comprise the world of Islam.

Rap “artists”? I don’t need to label them as savages tearing at the heart of civilization, ripping chunks of its flesh upon which to gorge themselves to the plaudits of idiots. They’ve labeled themselves as such by their proclaimed belief structures and behaviors. (Oh, and I despise anyone who calls these worms “artists” without putting the word in scare quotes to indicate a disagreement with the assessment. These coprophilic crapheads are not the least bit artistic in any way, shape, fashion or form.)

The ACLU… what can I say? At heart, never better than liars, twisting the words of the Constitution and the events of history and misrepresenting current events in order to achieve its end: the destruction of the Republic. Don’t believe me? Then do your own homework. Study its history and read what its founders saaid its aims really were. That its original aims are still the same today can be discerned by the fact that EVERYTHING it does–including the ocassional “good” in order to maintain a veneer of respectability–is still consistent with Roger Baldwin and Crystal Eastman’s initial aim of “…destroy[ing] America’s culture and traditions.”

Yes, I know that brief clip is not a direct statement by Baldwin and/or Eastman, but it is a fair summation of some of their direct statements. And although Baldwin later recanted much of his communist cant, and the organization openly “purged” itself of overt communists, it has never slacked in its push to do exactly that: destroy America’s culture and traditions by means of lying about both our culture and traditions and by twisting the law to its ends.

Now, what do all these savages and barbarian wannabes have in common that allows them such success? Stupid Americans. Indeed, since the NALS (National Adult Literacy Survey) of 1993–and the dumbed-down, highly-“spin-factored” National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) that has followed–it’s been public knowledge among folk who can read that a majority Americans can’t read well enough to find their way out of a paper bag. Look ’em up yourself; you have a computer and Google. But do NOT just swallow the lies on the front page of the NAAL main site. Dig into the data; read at least a bit of the survey itself (to demonstrate to yourself what idiots there be who could not process the dumbed-down survey questions). Oh, and here’s a link to a section of a John Taylor Gatto book that ‘splains the literacy problem in simple terms.

And here’s a Gatto-point that directly illustrates why and how the savages and barbarian wannabes are winning so many rounds in the fight to destroy America:

Ninety-six and a half percent of the American population is mediocre to illiterate where deciphering print is concerned. This is no commentary on their intelligence, but without ability to take in primary information from print and to interpret it they are at the mercy of commentators who tell them what things mean. A working definition of immaturity might include an excessive need for other people to interpret information for us.

I’d disagree with Gatto only on one point: “This is no commentary on their intelligence… ” Yes, Mr. Gatto, it is. When that many folks allow themselves to be enstupiated, then they have allowed themselves to be made less intelligent. (And yes, I know that is rather redundant. Been reading Psalms and Proverbs recently, as anyone who read the post that spawned this could tell. *heh*)

THAT is a central strategy of the savages and barbarians and barbarian wannabes: and it has a spiraling effect. Keep ’em dumb. Make ’em dumber. Indeed, promote crap “art”, lie to the enstupiated illiterates via their only means of “information”–visual and audio mass media–and roll right on over them.

Keep debasing the citizenry until it is barbarian, savage, illiterate, ever more stupid and cannot discern the differences between civilization and Islam and its ilk, has no national identity, and so embraces its own destruction through open borders, is addicted to bread and circuses, so that the enstupiated masses become nothing but Eloi for the savage Morlocks.

I saw a commercial the other day while flipping through the idiot box searching for something worth watching (a failed endeavor) that emphasizes the descent into stupidity. A commercial encouraging those who have stupidly lived on borrowed money for so long that they can now be convinced that they can borrow their way out of debt! The “hook” of the commercial? “People are smart.” No, only people who are so stupid that they think the only way out of crushing debt is to borrow their way out need to be told they are smart while doing yet another stupid thing. And people who will buy the idea that they are smart to borrow their way out of a crushing debt will buy and eat the SoaS (an infamous sandwich, appropriately named) being pushed by those whose goals are consistent with the utter and complete destruction of our society.

As Pogo so famously said,

pogo_clipped.jpg

(See the original, uncropped, 1971 Earth Day poster here.)

So, what to do?

Teach someone not only HOW to read but TO read. And to read voraciously. Not everyone is suited to doing so. Frankly, folks on the lefthand side of the Bell Curve will do well to learn to read newspapers–and not just the funnies. That would be an improvement, even though America’s newspaper pages are filled with apologias–outright advocacy at times!–for behaviors bent on destroying the Republic. But follow up teaching TO read with active conversation. Much of what’s missing nowadays are the “cracker barrel cabinet” discussions of yore where folks hammer out public policy on the local level in one-on-one dialog with folks they know and trust. Grassroots activism at its best. Our fractured society, ever more enstupiated citizenry and the lack of real dialog that results will be what allows the barbarians we have nurtured in our bosom to destroy us.


THIS is an open trackbacks post. Link to THIS post and track back. 🙂

If you have a linkfest/open trackback post to promote OR if you simply want to promote a post via the linkfests/open trackback posts others are offering, GO TO LINKFEST HAVEN DELUXE! Just CLICK the link above or the graphic immediately below.

Linkfest Haven, the Blogger's Oasis

If you want to host your own linkfests but have not yet done so, check out the Open Trackbacks Alliance. The FAQ there is very helpful in understanding linkfests/open trackbacks.


Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, CORSARI D’ITALIA, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

T-13, 1.35: Gas Guzzling

This will partially duplicate (or develop) a list on car maintenance from a coupla weeks ago, but only partially:

13 Ways to Improve Your MPG

Of course, the best thing to do in to lower gasoline expenses these days of high-priced oil would be to take commonsense steps toward energy independence as a nation (and as much as possible, as an individual), including holding President Fifi Mohammed Bush to his word to make the sponsors of Islamic terrorism PAY for their crimes (which would mean deposing the Saudis and buying their oil for the Saudis’ lifting cost of $5/barrel), build a ton of pebble bed reactors (well-known, hyper safe technology) like the Chinese are doing, telling the green idiots to go pi$$ up a rope in general and in particular whenever they open their pie holes to place barriers in the way of building refineries, nuke plants, etc.

But where the rubber meets the road, we can all stretch our petro use (and our gas dollars) by doing some simple things.

N.B. My current “most driven” car, used for the majority of driving errands, is a 1997 Saturn SL 1.9L, 5-speed manual transmission. Current mpg, combined real world city/hiway: between 40 and 44 mpg, depending on variables.

Car maintenance:

1. Make sure your ignition system–spark plugs, spark plug wires, ignition modules, etc.–are in good condition. Clean and regap (or replace and properly gap) spark plugs to proper tolerances (this tool is really handy if you have an air compressor). CHeck, or have checked, the spark plug wires for proper conductivity and resistance. One missing or weak spark can make a big difference! Check spark plugs for signs indicating other problems.

2. Check your air filter. Your car needs air to “breathe” just as badly as you do. Most car manuals recommend changing your air filter at least once a year or every 15,000 mioles, whichever comes first. I prefer changing it earlier if it looks dirty. Just take your air filter out and shine a flashlight from the inside pointing out. You’ll be able to see if there’s significant dirt accumulation. If your air filter is clogged, your fuel mixture may be too rich, wasting gas.

3. Make absolutely certain that your coolant system is working correctly! If your car is running too hot or too cold, or even if your onboard computer thinks it’s running too hot or too cold, your car will likely not be working efficiently. You may need a mechanic to determine this, but an inexpensive OBDII reader can help you out here, too (as well as in other areas of car maintenance and repair). $75 ought to buy a “good enough” OBDII reader. With that and a decent repair manual, you’ll be $$ ahead in the mileage and repais game.

4. Engine oil and tranny fluids. Change your engine oil regularly and use a good oil filter, not the cheapo crap “made by the same folks just not as well” brand. And do consider spending more on a really good oil. Mobil 1 and some of the other name brand synthetics will pay for themselves, IMO, as long as your car doesn’t already burn oil or have oil leaks–problems you should address anyway. BAd tranny fluids? Probably transmission problems that will not only suck the life out of your mpg but also drain your pocket books to the tune of a couple of thousand $$ is you let it go too long.

5. Tires. Keep them properly inflated, with wheels balanced and properly aligned. Check your tires at least once a week for proper inflation. Remember: after your car’s been driven a while, the tires will be hot and register a higher pressure. Check them at the same time of day, after the same or similar amount/kind of driving each time for consistent measurement. How much pressure? Depends on your tires, your car and your driving, really. I usually go with the car manufacturer’s recommendation (usually a bit onb the “soft” side of what the tire manufacturer lists as acceptable) while I’m “breaking in” a new set of tires, but after they are well “driven in” (maybe a couple of hundred miles) I not only have the balance rechecked, but I start modifying the pressure toward the “max inflation” listed on the tire. I then watch tire wear, “feel” and listen to and observe driveability at the new inflation pressure. Pressure, alignment and balance not only affect tire wear, safety and driveability but fuel economy as well.

6. Clean, efficient fuel system. You don’t want crap from a dirty fuel line or system lousing up your car’s efficiency. At the very elast, change the fuel filter as recommended in your car’s maintenance manual. USe a gasohol mix in the winter and you’ll probably have fewer problems year round with corrosion. Just sayin’–it’ll remove water and you’ll “burn” more of it to be exhausted out your tailpipe (of course, cheap exhaust system parts might not “like” that. So?).

Driving Habits

By far, the most neglected means of improving fuel economy lie in improving driving habits.

7. Getcher stikin’ foot outa the fuel injectors! (Dumbass!) Yeh, you! I can still vividly recall sitting in a Shell Oil driving simulator at an auto show in the early ’70s–some time before the oil embargo and “soaring” gas prices, gas lines (resulting from Jiminy Carter’s price freeze idiocy) and a national frenzy about fuel economy. No, this was quite some time before all that hit, so I had lotsa time without anyone jogging my elbow to sit in that simulator and get feedback on my “driving”… from a fuel economy-oriented perspective (makes me wonder in retrospect just what SHell knew about upcoming events… ). The chief lesson learned? Imagining a raw egg between my foot and the accelerator really does work to improve fuel economy. Unless I’m in a mood for scrambled eggs…

8. PLAN your route for the greatest efficiency. Know where you’re going ahead of time and plan for as little (or as manageable as possible) traffic as you can. That might mean planning the time you drive or the route itself or both. Plan to avoid as many bottlenecks, slowdowns and stops as possible.

9. Drive ahead. Sure, keep a close eye (and ear!) as possible on the traffic nearest to you, but also keep an eye out for upcoming bottlenecks, needs for lane changes, etc. Plan ahead, drive ahead.

10. Make your driving as smooth as possible. Accelerate as quickly as you safely can (with a notional raw egg between your foot and the accelerator! :-)) to merge with traffic safely and as seamlessly as possible when entering a freeway; when exiting, again try to match the flow of traffic.

11. Avoid traffic lights, except when entering a busy throughfare from a less-busy sidestreet. If traffic lights are unavoidable, try to drive far enough ahead to avoid stopping at as many as possible, even to “floating” to a near stop, while continuing to move, waiting for the traffic ahead to move. Accelerating from even 10mph costs less gas than accelerating from 0mph.

12. If you’re driving a manual transmission car, “pulse and glide”when it is feasible. Coasting, out of gear, down a long hill at 70mph (and 800rpm) is much better use of fuel than driving down that same long hill at 70mph (and 2000 or more rpm).

13. Here’s the hard one for me. I’m pretty well-balanced as a kinesthetic-visual-audial perceptor. For me, the car I’m driving becomes an extension of my body–I “feel” and hear and see the road from the car’s perspective, as it were. That also means cars impinging on “my” space are like people impinging on my personal body space. So, it’s easy to become a tad emotional about the idiots making drive time into “push and shove time”. Can’t do that and drive efficiently. View it all as pattern recognition and manipulation. At most, a tennis game or baseball game or some such. Something removed from a race track, football, soccer or other competitive contact sport (*heh* racing=”contact sport” *heh*). Placement, control, planning, strategy and tactics. It pays off, not only in fuel economy but in safety.


Noted at the Thursday Thirteen Hub

Kitty Genovese All Over Again?

Sort of. If you do not recall (or are too young for the incident to have been a part of your personal past readings of contemporary Americana), here’s the story of Kitty Genovese.

There are many differences between the death of Kitty Genovese and the death of LaShonda Calloway, but one similarity stands out above all the differences: the callous disregard for human life displayed by onlookers.

In Kitty Genovese’s case, it was no less than 38 people who witnessed the attack who refused to “get involved” or render any aid whatsoever. In LaShanda Calloway’s death, no fewer than five people stepped over her as she lay bleeding to death in a convenience store in Wichita Kansas on June 23 of this year. One woman, shown on the store’s security tape, stepped over LaShanda Calloway four times, pausing only once… to take pictures on her cell phone.

That anyone could show such disregard for the pain, suffering, threat to the very life of a fellow human being is appalling. That five people could step over a person in such distress (no one even called the incident in for a little over two minutes!) and simply continue shopping, apparently never even mentioning the incident to a store worker, is even worse.

But what is missing in Mass Media Podpeople “reports” of the incident? What is so politically incorrect that it merits not one single solitary word of mention?

The ethnicity of those involved.

[Notice: I lived in Wichita Kansas lo these many, many moons ago. The neighborhood mentioned hasn’t changed all that much, apparently. Later, I lived in “the good part of the ghetto”–as labeled by its residents–in KCMO. I’ve personally witnessed such callousness of behavior and the particular lack of reporting by Mass Media Podpeople in such instances.]

Think about it.

Not just the neighborhood but LaShanda Calloway’s name and the behavior of the onlookers all rang bells with me. I turned to my Wonder Woman, related the incident and said, “What ethnicity was LaShanda, her attacker and the callous onlookers?” We both knew from past experience what fitted the names and behaviors best.

They were likely all black.

Now, before you accuse me of a racist bent, think about it.

Later, I confirmed from another (much later) report by viewing a picture of Calloway’s family that indeed she was black. Since Mass Media Podpeople would have been all over a white-on-black crime like, urm, white on rice, and you can bet your sweet patootie would have done their best to inflame a Reginald Denny moment (with attendant black rioting and looting and burning) had the animals who ignored Calloway’s plight been white, we can be relatively confident that this is another case of black-on-black crime all around.

And that, my friends, will NOT get any airplay or column inches in Mass Media Podpeople World.

That’s not racism on my part, but it is racism on the part of Mass Media Podpeople.

h.t. Shadowscope.


Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Big Dog’s Weblog, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, Leaning Straight Up, CommonSenseAmerica, The Pet Haven, Conservative Cat, High Desert Wanderer, Conservative Thoughts, Gone Hollywood, and Public Eye, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.