Today's Pix

Science Monday

I'm putting this up the day before Denver loses it's record 6th Super Bowl - actually, I'm  trying to put up a lotta stuff in advance, because if my Donkeys pull it off, I'm prob'ly gonna be drunk for several days.

So here's some great stuff from The Thinking Atheist:

Medical Neglect In The Name Of God

Sunday-Go-To-Meetin'

On Friday's podcast, Blue Gal did a Bible Bitch segment - generally too rare an occurrence IMO.  I'm pretty god-hostile, but she always gives me something interesting and useful.  Anyway, it centered around this Depression-era Methodist hymn:

O Young And Fearless Prophet --S Ralph Harlow, 1931

O young and fearless Prophet of ancient Galilee,

Thy life is still a summons to serve humanity;

To make our thoughts and actions less prone to please the crowd,

To stand with humble courage for truth with hearts uncowed.

We marvel at the purpose that held Thee to Thy course

While ever on the hilltop before Thee loomed the cross;

Thy steadfast face set forward where love and duty shone,

While we betray so quickly and leave Thee there alone.

O help us stand unswerving against war’s bloody way,

Where hate and lust and falsehood hold back Christ’s holy sway;

Forbid false love of country that blinds us to His call,

Who lifts above the nations the unity of all.

Stir up in us a protest against our greed for wealth,

While others starve and hunger and plead for work and health;

Where homes with little children cry out for lack of bread,

Who live their years sore burdened beneath a gloomy dread.

Create in us the splendor that dawns when hearts are kind,

That knows not race nor station as boundaries of the mind;

That learns to value beauty, in heart, or brain, or soul,

And longs to bind God’s children into one perfect whole.

O young and fearless Prophet, we need Thy presence here,

Amid our pride and glory to see Thy face appear;

Once more to hear Thy challenge above our noisy day,

Again to lead us forward along God’s holy way.

And here's the podcast:

Senator Big Gulp's Night Out

Can't improve on this. https://t.co/elRQzYvslk

— Mike Roberts (@EvilleMike) February 7, 2016

Go, Ben Go

Live TV is the best fucking thing ever.

Stop watching the debate and just keep watching this Vine of Ben Carson's entrance: https://t.co/75a51YFRP2 #gopdebate

— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) February 7, 2016

Pretending It Doesn't Matter

It bothers me a lot that they can't play football for more than a few minutes without somebody being in need of medical attention.

Football's my game.  I loved playing it.  I love watching it.  I get it and it gets me.  It's my game.  But there's something wrong with it, and I have to admit there's something wrong with it.

I just really wish I had confidence that the people who have the power to make the necessary changes will, in fact, make those changes.

hat tip = politicians are poodyheads

Pretending It Matters

On the eve of Super Bowl 50!!! 

So I guess the NFL needs to lose the bullshit Roman numerals thing when it comes to their annual biggest fucking thing in the whole world ever?  'Cuz the 'L' looks like a typo or something? Or it looks more like "Super Bowl - LARGE".  I've never quite understood why we feel the need to dress that kinda shit up by using substitutes for numbers - like we're trying to make it look more important than it actually is - why can't we just let it be what it is? 

So anyway, fuck that shit.  But wait - Roger Goodell had to sign off on the '50' thing, so maybe Mr Goodell is of more use than tits on a bull after all(?)  Or maybe, actually, somebody in Goodell's office handled it; well, more likely, it was somebody in the marketing department; or the PR firm that the NFL outsources all the important decisions to...so yeah, Roger Goodell is about as useful as tits on a bull.

Anyway, here's an oldie from Jay Smoothe - it starts as a reaction to some weird shit that flew around the web because of LebRon and Miami and the NBA and whatever, but Jay does a good job widening it out into a decent perspective on the pathology of Sportsball Mania in general.

Anyway - Go Donkeys!  Losing a 6th Super Bowl is a record that could stand for a very long time.  Make me proud, fellas.

Friday Nite Listenin'

By now, I suspect, this is something of a chestnut.  

Don't care.  Good guitar good poetry and good harmony never gets old.

Prologue --Milk Carton Kids

Spread The Blog

Honoring and remembering on this Blogroll Amnesty Day (thanks Tengrain).  They also serve who sit and type.

From Scarfolk Council:

Today's Tweet

At this point Democrats don't have a leg to stand on when mocking the GOP process. The infighting has been vile.

— Smartassicus Totalus (@Cynicalreality) February 5, 2016

Can't prove that by me.  I'm all in for Bernie.  Until or unless it's time for me to be all in for Hillary.

And BTW - The only thing dumber than somebody saying they won't vote because "you're just choosing between the lesser of two evils" is the willful blindness required for somebody not to understand that it's about pushing back against the greater of the two evils.

Smarten up and vote.  Then smarten up again, work together, and get shit done.