U.S. – Undecided

Last updated on: October 4, 2008 at 1:01 pm By Fred Clark

“U.S. Forces,” Midnight Oil “Ultra Violet (Light My Way),” U2 “Umbrella,” Rihanna “Umbrella,” Manic Street Preachers “Un Gars Fragile,” Prototypes “The Unattainable Earth,” Daniel Amos “The Unattainable Earth (remix),” Daniel Amos “Uncomplicated,” Elvis Costello & The Attractions “Uncovered,” The Call “Undecided,” Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong And those who expected lightning and thunderAre disappointed.And those who expected signs and archangels’ trumpsDo not believe it is happening now.As long as the sun and the moon are above,As long as the bumblebee... Read more

L.B.: Oops

Last updated on: October 3, 2008 at 4:01 pm By Fred Clark

Sometimes I get a bit fuzzy on the distinction between stuff I posted and stuff I thought about posting. Falling into that gap apparently was the post I’d intended to do explaining my planned schedule, such as it is, for future Left Behind Fridays. So OK then, here that is. I’ll be taking a brief break from the collected works of LaHaye and Jenkins in order to do two things: 1) watch my beloved Mets in the playoffs, and 2)... Read more

Apple pie

Last updated on: September 30, 2008 at 7:43 pm By Fred Clark

Who doesn’t like pie? I no longer live just down the road from Linvilla Orchards, but it’s still that time of year. Apple season. Apple pie season. Consider this an apple-pie (or other-pie) tips and recipes open thread. (But don’t feel constrained to stick to the topic of pie. I mainly just wanted to get another thread up for an alternative to the likely more contentious previous post on you-know-what.) Read more

Shaking hands with the devil

Last updated on: September 30, 2008 at 7:27 pm By Fred Clark

I want to revisit the Associated Press article on Pulpit Freedom Sunday that I linked to yesterday. The article, by Dinesh Ramde, was headlined, “Wis. pastor shares his plan to vote for McCain,” and it concluded with a jaw-dropping, horrifying statement from Pastor Luke Emrich of New Life Church in West Bend, Wis. Emrich was one of the 33 pastors participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. Those pastors, conservative evangelicals, unsurprisingly endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket, and they did so on the... Read more

Zedekiah Sunday

Last updated on: August 5, 2013 at 3:49 am By Fred Clark

Yesterday was “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” a publicity stunt coordinated by the Persecuted Hegemon Legal Defense Fund, also known as the Alliance Defense Fund. The ADF began as a cooperative program launched by several of the leading members of the religious right, including James Dobson and Pat Robertson. It’s two-part mission is to: 1) Raise lots and lots of direct-mail money by telling scary stories about the ACLU and convincing gullible Christians that their donations are the only thing stopping mass... Read more

She doesn't care

Last updated on: September 28, 2008 at 7:41 pm By Fred Clark

One of the clearest and most concise explanations of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown that I’ve found is a special report that This American Life produced back in May called “The Giant Pool of Money.” You can download a podcast of that report from the show’s online radio archive. If you’re unclear as to what exactly happened and how and why, or if you just want a wryly engaging refresher on the subject, I recommend that you give it a listen.... Read more

Time, Time, Time

Last updated on: August 5, 2013 at 3:48 am By Fred Clark

Are those dreams or are those prayers? … “Time,” Phil Keaggy “Time,” T-Bone Burnett “Time,” Tom Waits “Time,” Tori Amos “Time After Time,” Allison Crowe “Time After Time,” Chet Baker “Time After Time,” Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time,” Willie Nelson “Time and Time Again,” Counting Crows “Time Is a Healer,” Eva Cassidy “Time Is Tight,” Booker T. & the MGs “Time to Begin Again,” Billy Crockett “Time to Get It On,” WNOC “Time to Goof Off,” Terry Taylor “Time Will... Read more

Manuel: Mets 'suspending' pennant race

Last updated on: September 25, 2008 at 8:18 am By Fred Clark

NEW YORK — Mets manager Jerry Manuel announced Wednesday night that, due to the urgency and gravity of the financial crisis on Wall Street, the New York Mets will be suspending their pennant race. “This is just too important,” Manuel said. “It’s time to put country first.” It’s unclear what “suspending” even means in this context, but Manuel hinted that it would likely include not playing the four games remaining on the team’s schedule. Manuel called on the Milwaukee Brewers... Read more

How not to apply for a grant

Last updated on: September 24, 2008 at 9:12 am By Fred Clark

I’m not usually in a position to say that I have more experience, knowledge and know-how than Ben Bernanke, but he really should’ve talked to somebody like me before heading to Capitol Hill yesterday to help Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson present a three-page memo asking for $700,000,000,000 of the public’s money. Three pages. Seriously: Under questioning by the Senate banking committee, treasury secretary Henry Paulson clashed repeatedly with congressmen as he admitted that he had only a rough idea of... Read more

Panic, therefore, panic!

Last updated on: September 23, 2008 at 11:44 am By Fred Clark

When in the course of human events a purportedly democratic official demands that the people give him $700,000,000,000 — no strings attached, by week’s end, or else — then the duly elected representatives of the people have one and only one responsible response: Say "No." Better yet, say "Hell no." $700 billion. Seven hundred billion dollars. Dollar sign, seven, 11 zeroes. Seven. Hundred. Billion. You could never count to 700,000,000,000. You could never count to 700,000,000,000 by thousands. If you... Read more