Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries ….
- Schumer amendment on public option fails by 13-10 vote. – Okay, can we please clear this mess from the Senate Finance Committee and move to some floor votes on these amendments? Clearly the Dems there are going to shoot down anything except for something that supports their GOP and Insurance Company allies.
- Ensign On Why Gun Deaths Shouldn’t Be Factored Into Survival Rates: ‘We Like Our Guns In The United States’ – We have the best health care in the world if you factor out auto accidents and shootings? Ah, I see. Maybe better health care would help people who are in car accidents and gun battles survive better. Nah.
- Senate Finance Committee votes 15-8 against Rockefeller amendment on public option.: Faiz Shakir
- Right-Wing Panel Agrees Obama Is The ‘First Muslim American President’ – Sorry, is he Hitler or a Muslim? Or a Communist? They can’t seem to decide which name to call him this week.
- “Loose Forth the Blood-Drenched Sword of Jesus Christ” – Yeah, Jesus preached all the time about his blood-drenched sword. I mean, I’m sure He talked about swords in the Gospels somewhere …
- Get ‘Em While They’re Hot – 2010 – Well, at least Phyllis Schlaffly remembers that pants are sinful.
- Franks: I Meant Obama Was An Enemy of “Unborn Humanity” – “Never mind what I said, here’s what I meant, but I was right anyway.” Got it, Rep. Franks.
- Wiley Drake Is #23 on Obama’s Enemy List – I’m sure there are all sorts of folks who are disappointed not to be on Obama’s secret “enemy list.” It’s okay, folks — it doesn’t exist anyway.
- Rep. Trent Franks Declares President Obama an “Enemy of Humanity” – And the hate talk gets ratcheted up yet another notch. George Washington and Abe Lincoln would be proud, Rep. Franks.
- Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus software is now live and free – I’ll certainly be watching the news on this one to see how it behaves. I don’t have a problem per se with using something from MS, though the AV ecosystem will be poorer (and thus more fragile) if MS manages kill too may competitors this way.
- LotR re-read: “Frodo and the Great War,” John Garth – Tor.com – This sort of analysis can become both simplistic and overwrought, but I have no problems believing that Tolkien’s WWI experiences informed LotR, in substance and in (some) detail.
- How a tiny bug slew T. rex – life – 29 September 2009 – New Scientist – Never thought I’d feel sorry for a T.rex, but …
- Firefox 4 Design Direction – Some interesting design thoughts here. I don’t agree with all of them, but it’s a sign that the Firefox folks are continuing to look at how to improve things.
- After aneurysm, Assurant Health causes further headaches — chicagotribune.com – Silly person! You think insurance is about paying for your medical bills? No, it’s for you paying for your insurance! Got that?
- Right-wing icon Schlafly: Feminism is ‘the most dangerous, destructive force in our society today.’ – Wow! Feminists are 19x more dangerous than Teh Gayz? I can’t wait to see the new GOP legislation attacking this vile and despicable group.
- Vatican: we may be bad, but others are worse – Gist of the message: “Because, as moral leaders and the heirs to the Keys to the Kingdom, really, we’re no worse than all those Jews and Protestants. Besides, the bad guys were gay, and we already hate them, so what more can we do? Enough with the law suits already!” Wow. Too bad ACORN didn’t have someone to write press releases like this.
- Baucus bill would let private group, with ties to industry, write the rules for implementing the entire health care bill – Well, might as we cut out that whole “Congress” middle-man. I mean, that’s efficiency!
- Boneshaker: Cherie Priest’s swashbuckling steampunk Seattle story – Yeah, that’s sounding pretty cool. But waiting for the paperback.
- Two literary pet peeves – Agreed.
- Should Restaurants Be Allowed To Ban Laptops? – This is certainly within any restaurant’s purview, just as a dress code is. On the other hand, any restaurateur who tells me I can’t read my book had best have my check with him or her. Acceptability works both ways in a free market.
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I regret to inform you that Jesus did say “I come to bring not peace but a sword”. Along with “Blessed are the peacemakers”.
You are correct. I was thinking of his admonishment to Peter at Gesthemene that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
Matthew 10 basically speaks of division and sacrifice, of those who will not listen to what Christ’s disciples teach, of the conflicts it will cause even among family members, and of the persecution that his followers will endure as “sheep in the midst of wolves” (and their blessedness for doing so, for taking up their “cross” to follow him).
It does not advocate wielding the sword, let alone “the blood-drenched sword of Jesus.” It talks about being willing to lose one’s life, rather than taking those of others. The sword in the passage, as I read it, is about metaphorical disharmony and conflict, about the sword that will cleave relationships (even familial ones), and even the sword that will be raised against Christians.