Time to stand down...

Mark Davis, of WBAP fame, said today (I'm paraphrasing), "When the battle ends, it's time to put the weapons away." I hope that's true, but I know where I'd put my money if I had to. These people obviously didn't get the memo. (*Warning* Not for the faint of heart. HT - Instapundit)

(Today's "Insane Update")
As if the above link didn't qualify...Folk matriarch Joan Baez is nutso. (HT - Instapundit) Oh and so is Tuh-ree-za, but that's not really news. (Note: you really should check out that Joan Baez story. When you get to the part that makes your eyes go wide, consider the ramifications if, oh, say...Kid Rock pulled the same stunt. Hint: Media maelstrom)

Next, check out this article. Some people who get paid for their words and ideas do agree with me.

Finally, in the past I've mentioned that there are many who just don't get Christians. Typically, I base that more on simple ignorance of the issue than actual animosity. But this is different. It's mean. You should read it. Really. I will provide a few examples:
In explaining the "red states" thinking, author Jane Smiley states...

"Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don't believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell. Of course, the literal word of the Bible is tremendously contradictory, and so you must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question. A corollary to this point is that they make sure you understand that Satan resides in the toils and snares of complex thought and so it is best not try it."

Enlightening. Complex thought = Satan. Moving on...

"...and most important, when life grows difficult or fearsome, they (politicians, preachers, pundits) encourage you to cling to your ignorance with even more fervor. But by this time you don't need much encouragement; you've put all your eggs into the ignorance basket, and really, some kind of miraculous fruition (preferably accompanied by the torment of your enemies, and the ignorant always have plenty of enemies) is your only hope. If you are sufficiently ignorant, you won't even know how dangerous your policies are until they have destroyed you, and then you can always blame others."

Cling to it, people. Hold on tight!

After reading the article, I'm left wondering how I made it to work. All those complex turns and all. Conservatives, "The Right", evangelical Christians -- what ever label I'm currently tagged with -- are always accused of bigotry and hate. If that article is not an example of what those words really mean, I don't know what is. Especially when book-ended with Joan Baez's shenanigans. The intro to the article by Slate states that, "Slate asked a number of wise liberals to take up the question of why Americans won't vote for the Democrats." Wise? Do wise people make such broad arguments, basically lumping anyone who lives in a "red" state together? Don't wise people know as soon as you accuse your adversary of being a knuckle dragging imbecile that their argument becomes moot because name-calling is not considered a reasoned argument? Do wise people have the ability to make the claim that their conservative family members,"...are just greedy and full of classic Republican feelings of superiority..." and then not consider the fact that an entire essay on the only reason that the opposition doesn't buy into their "reasoning" is their inherit ignorance and not realize that might be seen as being superior? Seriously?

Well, if you want even a higher level of wacky entertainment, check out the comments to the article. One guy, a journalist who's written for some "reputable" news sources, actually says that Kerry won Ohio. His proof? Get this...the exit polls said so. I couldn't make this up as I tried.

Now, I will try to move away from politics...I love sports. One of those would be football. I'm also a fan of the Texas Longhorns. I have never run away from the tag of "geek". I readily admit, at times, that my emotional involvement in such things might border on unhealthy. As one more proof, I will now let you see something which made me genuinely happy, almost ebullient.

Q: How good is Frank Okam? I know he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country last year.
Daniel Simpson, Dallas

BROWN: Let's put it this way: Okam studies film so intently that he waits until the last possible moment to get into his stance so that he can see where the tight end and receivers are lined up in addition to his keys, which are usually the running backs. Okam says he studies enough film that he can usually tell what play the offense is running based on the formations and personnel in the game. When told that Okam was looking at receivers to know the formations, co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson said that is above and beyond the call of Okam's duty. Okam is just now learning the nuances of technique and how to split double teams. But he's already been an impact player, consistently getting into the backfield. He leads the team in sacks (two). He's going to be good. (Courtesy Inside Texas Football of DallasNews.com)

I know, I know.

Go away now, I'm done.