As judge advocate familiar with both the law of war and with SERE training, let me say that there is a huge difference between waterboarding in SERE training and waterboarding prisoners or detainees. We have a volunteer military and participation in the SERE school is voluntary. The military does not force any servicemembers to undergo waterboarding and for those who do elect to have this training, the waterboarding will cease immediately if the servicemember signals for it to stop. The... Read more

Dig that rockin’ Bobby Sherman beat! Read more

…I have seen in ages. Like that *other* tale of suffering and woe, the book of Job, everything is altered by the preface. If you didn’t know that Job is allowed his suffering by God, you’d have a radically different view of the action of the story. Likewise, if you didn’t know that the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek you’d take this performance as an absolutely earnest display of archetypally banal and dreadful Jesus Music. What I find most hilarious is... Read more

is, like Buzz Lightyear, always sure. Presiding over his little cult of personality among Evangelical youth culture here in Seattle, he enjoys a charism of infallibility that the Pope can only dream of. Not only does he rule the roost in matters of faith and morals, but his absolutely flawless understanding of Christianity even extends to film reviews: There you have it. No redeeming value whatsoever. The most evil film of all time. Driscoll locuta est. Causa finita est. Me:... Read more

Just got this in the mail: We regret to inform you that your morally inexplicable disapproval of torture has resulted in your being expelled from the Society of Evil Overlords. Please divide your lickspittle lackeys inequitably among the Evil Overlords in your area, and immediately turn in your black cloak, as well as any devices you may employ to cast fear into the mindless minions. Your storm troopers are not eligible for unemployment benefits, as their predicament is entirely their... Read more

…on The Boy Who Cried Anti-Semite. There are real anti-semites in the world. The problem is that the word get tossed around with such ease that it becomes radically devalued. When everybody is an anti-semite, then nobody is. People stop believing that anybody is an anti-semite when fools like Abe Foxman label somebody like Rush Limbaugh (about a zealously philosemitic as you can get) an “anti-semite”. Likewise, the habit of labeling anybody who cocks an eyebrow at Israel an anti-semite... Read more

in Nigeria. Read more

Behold! The most remote spot on earth! That is all… dudes. Read more

The absolutely sincere, non-ironic, not-tongue-in-cheek Jasper sees through my webs of trickery and deceit and writes: Mark Shea is using the word ‘Dude’, if anybody had any questions before about this phoney, this shoould answer them. Do not trust this liberal. I’m gonna be giggling about that for days. Read more

a reader writes: Hi. I just wanted to ask for prayers for my me and my family as we struggle with very very difficult times. May God through Our Lady be merciful, and especially keep the little ones from desperation. Father, grant your gracious and bountiful providence to this struggling family through your Son Jesus. Mother Mary, pray for them! Read more