Following Up On The Juan Williams Thing...

He was recently invited to the Diane Rehm show on NPR.

Neither I nor the listeners who called in thought he redeemed himself. On the other hand, what other news organization would allow their staff to openly question and discuss the firing of an employee? (though technically I understand Diane is employed by American University, but this topic has been discussed on NPR's news programming)

However, this has inspired a tumblr blog: Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things

Via LGM: How to Know “Muslim Garb” When You See It

Awesome stuff such as

Blueing Myself

An Arrested Development linkfest

DigitalSpyUK: Cera: 'Arrested Development film is scary'

"I feel scared by all the expectations on it at this point. People ask me about it a lot. And to make a movie that already has expectations built in before the script is even written seems intimidating."

[this sounds a lot like Liz Phair talking about how she felt after making 'Exile']

TheStar.com: Arrested Development, creator Mitch Hurwitz has told GQ magazine that a script is being written for the long-awaited Arrested Development movie. But first Hurwitz and co-executive producer Jim Vallely have to get Running Wilde up and, er, running. Then, when the script is finished, they’ll have to coordinate the schedules of all the TV show’s former stars to get it filmed. “It is our absolute next priority and we can't wait to do it,” Hurwitz said.

Reuters: "Arrested Development" movie script half done

"It's not going to be a big money maker," Hurwitz added. "It's going to be fun, like a family reunion.

"Christians understand their faith only in privatized terms"

I have been wondering how conservative Christians in America can hold so many discordant views. Reading this helped me understand a little why they are so crazy but not the how.

See HuffPo: Why Conservative Christians So Often Fail the Common Good

The Vatican Preps To Proselytize On Alien Planets

Via NPR: Vatican Scientists Seek Evidence Of Alien Life

Too Strange To Make Up

President Bush really did see the Iraq War as a mission from his God. Yikes.

See SecularHumanism: A French Revelation, or The Burning Bush

Chirac recounts that the American leader appealed to their “common faith” (Christianity) and told him: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East…. The biblical prophecies are being fulfilled…. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.”

This bizarre episode occurred while the White House was assembling its “coalition of the willing” to unleash the Iraq invasion. Chirac says he was boggled by Bush’s call and “wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs.”

Maybe more of Bush's religious fanaticism will be revealed in Cheney's upcoming memoir?

The Least Effective Presidents

It seems to me that the two self-described evangelicals have been the two least effective presidents. Yet there is a group of voters who want more evangelicals in office. A search for this topic turned up this story at NPR: The 'Religionization' Of The Oval Office

12 Shia Imams

As demonstration of my ignorance, today I learned on the Diane Rehm show that there are 12 Shia Imams. Twelve. That reminded me of Battlestar Galactica and some Google searching turned up this interesting forum thread detailing how often 12 is used in culture.

Why only 12 Cylon models?