Astonishing?

Phil Robertson

The Media Research Center, on their Facebook page, calls the response, over the past 24 hours, to Duck Dynasty's outspoken star, Phil Robertson's firing, "astonishing."

I can understand why they would say something like that. But what should be truly astonishing is the extent to which the bigoted, narrow-minded, holier-than-thou attitude of the religious left, most recently exemplified in the A&E Network's firing of Mr. Robertson, is taken as normal thinking.

Robertson's views are much closer to normal, and thankfully much more prevalent, than the views of those freaks at GLAAD. Just saying.

"Silent Night" is Offensive to the Religious Left

Well, I've got to start somewhere. So, there's this ...

School officials at Kings Park high school on the northern Long Island coast in New York have demonstrated their commitment to academic freedom by forcing their religious beliefs on their students. In the view of these hypocrites, the old Christmas hymn, Silent Night is offensive. Consequently, they have disallowed the hymn to be sung as originally written (John F. Young translated Joseph Mohr's "Stille Nacht" into English).

Offensive phrases include: "Holy Infant" and "Christ the Savior."

Kings Park high school has existed since at least 2007, but only now, as its students prepare for their annual Christmas concert, has its pharisaical leaders felt brave enough to declare--A&E Network-like--that the words to Silent Night must be banned.

"Welcome to the Kings Park Central School District," the district's website proclaims. 

"The Kings Park School District will provide an excellent education for all children. Students will be given the opportunity to develop academically, physically, socially, and emotionally, while learning the necessary skills to communicate effectively. This will be accomplished in a stimulating and challenging environment that maximizes every resource available."

Yeah, right. This will actually be accomplished by the school's censoring of historical texts.

In demonstration of the high school's official's higher learning, we are informed that their "intent was to avoid offending non-Christians." So they end up offending practically the whole audience.

No, their intent was to demonstrate to their students, to their students' parents, and to their community how enlightened they are, how superior they are to mere citizens. Their intent was to shove their own religious views down the throats of their aforementioned audience.

The article concludes by telling us that the school's principal later apologized and that officials promise that something like this "won't happen again."

Don't hold your breath.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones Interview (circa 1970)

This interview occurred after Dr. Lloyd-Jones' retirement from pastoring at Westminster Chapel, in London, for nearly 30 years. It is a remarkable interview, the like of which is seldom seen on live television these days. Ms Joan Bakewell, the interviewer, gave the doctor a pretty fair hearing ... and he took great advantage of it!

Post Doctrine 2015 ... Here's Hoping

"There are things that we have learned that make us a more effective force on the battlefield, and I think we want to go ahead with those lessons."  -- Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, on why the Army should increase focus on Strategic Landpower.

General Robert Cone

Well said. But you won't find much about those words in a Doctrine 2015 publication. Apparently, the guidance is that there isn't enough room to write about them, that we have to cut down on the contents in order to make the doctrine more "accessible." So, no side stories. No snippets from history. No illustrative case studies or vignettes. No quotations from effective leaders. No interviews.

Like other good ideas half-way thought out, Doctrine 2015 will pass. When it is finally realized that all these new-fangled publications--ADPs, ADRPs, ATPs, and FMs with only tactics (not) and procedures (sometimes)--really haven't made all that much of an improvement in terms of actual doctrine, there will be a new campaign with new buzz words. When it finally dawns on the brass that Soldiers are getting most of their doctrinal information from social media--because who wants to click through six, eight, or a dozen publications for something--that old standby, the field manual will make a comeback. 

And maybe, the powers that be will actually be anxious to capture those valuable lessons learned in doctrinal publications once again. It could happen!

Halfway There

After week-8 of a 16-week class -- MATH 125, Math for Liberal Arts Majors -- my grade stands at

92.9% (based upon completion of 39.5% of the material). This is an A-. In a math class!

It's possible that I can still make an A.

It's also still within the realm of possibilities that I bomb the whole thing.

What will happen?

Stay tuned.

---------------------------
June 12, 2014

Forgot to update this after I finished the class. Believe it or not, my final grade was an A-. After sixteen long weeks of frustration, I was very happy to escape with a grade like that.

Now, on to other things.

Think It'll Work?

See if you can find the cheap burglar alarm I installed.

Elections have consequences ... even in North Carolina

North Carolina On Cusp Of Passing Worst Voter Suppression Bill In The Nation

Liberals have a unique vocabulary. For example, they describe common sense voter legislation, such as are presently under serious consideration in the Old North State's capitol as "voter suppression" bills. There is much whining and snivelling going on at ThinkProgress.org and in certain state senators' offices.

North Carolina General Assembly
complex in Raleigh, NC

In the North Carolina General Assembly, lawmakers are about to enact legislation requiring voters to prove they are who they say they are. No more same day registration or voting outside of one's district, which plays havoc with the system to the advantage of Democrats. They probably won't even let dead people vote, or convicted felons, or non-citizens.

Man, those Rascally Republicans.

'Bout time!