Thanks, everyone

Posted by Vulture Six on behalf of Vic at Darth Apathy.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their well-wishes, support, and prayers regarding my sister.

Sadly, they have all been in vain.

After a series of bone scans, CAT scans, and MRI's, we have learned the true extent of the spread of cancer. In addition to the breast cancer and the bone cancer, which we already know about, there have been additional complications. The cancer has spread to the lymphatic system, to the spinal cord, and to the liver. According to the doctors, the prognosis is terminal. At this point, it's just a matter of time.

-Vic

Unexpected Company

To all the visitors so graciously directed here by LaShawn Barber:

Welcome. Make yourselves at home. Curious about the name? I can explain. Ditto for the mangled Niemoller quote.

While you're here, have a beer and something to eat. Give the place a tour, and feel free to sign the numerous "guest books". I'm a benevolent dictator when it comes to comments -- flames, Trolls, and blatant non sequiturs are likely to be deleted and their posters may be banned, but respectful, well-reasond disagreement with me is welcome.

Separation of Church and War

(Orignally Posted 8/15/05 at 7:22 AM PDT)

While the comments section on my own Blog remains a fairly tame place with few dissenters, let alone trolls, my daily surfing takes me to some Blogs where the discussions can get somewhat heated, shall we say. For this reason, I’ve become fairly familiar with some of the arguments proposed by those whose political views differ from my own in defense of their own beliefs or in rebuttal to mine.

When the discussion turns to the issue of the War in Iraq, or even of war in general, it’s not uncommon to encounter an appeal to my religion, an argument that goes along the lines of “How can you call yourself a Christian and support war? Didn’t Jesus teach you to turn the other cheek?” Often this argument will be coined as a reproach of hypocrisy – “How can you, as a Christian, support/oppose X position, and not oppose war? You hypocrite!”

For the moment I shall actually avoid getting into the details of Christian Pacifism vs. Just War Theology – that’s another post, and one I’m working on. I shall also refrain from an in depth discussion on the differences in kind between the issues raised in comparison and the one at hand. What I wish to explore in this post is another interesting dichotomy posed by this type of discussion, one of which I’m sure my opposites are unaware.

I’ve noted with bemusement that, more often than not, the individuals who, in discussion, will try to convince you that Christians should oppose war on a theological basis are the same individuals who, if a Christian Blogger tries to base their position on any one of a number of other political issues – Abortion, Evolution vs. ID, Gay Marriage, Drugs, Education, etc. – will immediately cry “Separation!” and loose the dogs….

So let me get this straight. When it comes to the issue of war, you are suggesting that I should let my faith (or at least, your interpretation of it) inform my politics. But when it comes to any other issue, if I let my faith inform my politics, I’m suddenly posing some grave threat to the constitution, and must be stopped at all cost? What’s the difference? Does the fact that war is a foreign policy decision somehow exempt it from the same uber-interpretation of the First Amendment that you apply to domestic issues? Or is it, as I suspect, that you apply a different set of rules to each situation in order to give your own position the advantage?

Seriously, if there’s anyone reading this that has made both those arguments to a righty: Oppose war because your faith says you should; Keep your faith out of politics because it’s a personal matter; I’d love to hear from you. Please explain to me why it’s ok to apply my religious beliefs to one issue, but not to the others. I’m sure the explanation’s a good one.

UPDATE:

LaShawn Barber yesterday asked her readers an equally intriguing question. And I think the questions have a point in common -- what do you do when two values you hold highly conflict with each other? Which do you really believe in more than the other?

I'm just jealous because she actually has people who are willing to give answering the question a shot.

And Then I Woke Up

Thanks for the memory to the Llama Butchers.

Your Summer Ride is a Jeep

For you, summer is all about having no responsibilities. You prefer to hang with old friends - and make some new ones.

What's Your Summer Ride?

Of course, that's not what I ACTUALLY drive! The questions don't seem to allow for marital and parental status, and that's the only reason my summer ride isn't "Station Wagon" or "Minivan".

One Prayer Down, More to Go

For some time now my good friend Vulture Six has been trying to regain custody of his children from his ex-wife. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say, the woman is not a fit mother and the only way children would be worse off is if they were sent to live at Wonderland. If Scott wants to share details that's up to him.

Well, he just gave me the good news that he finally has a court date - October 13th. Please keep Scott and his kids in your prayers.

And Then There's The Other Side....

Thanks for the Memory to Vulture Six at Vultures Row.

A while back I made it very clear what I thought of those on the Left who claimed to be for peace but failed to speak out against violence by their own side. Time to put my money where my mouth is.

This Stupid White Trash Inbred Mouthbreathing Paleolithic Piece of Work does NOT Freaking Speak for Me!

Look, I may disagree with a lot of what Cindy Sheehan and her associates are saying, and the way they are saying it. But violence in response to what is so far a peaceful protest is NOT the way to respond. Had antiwar protestors assaulted this man and he attacked back in self-defense, that would have been one thing. But plowing your pickup into a row of crosses, risking injury to people just standing there, no matter how wrong I think those people may be, is JUST PLAIN WRONG! Not to mention, as Scott points out, the crosses represented Americans killed in service of their country. Regardless of your opinion of the people erecting the memorial or their motives in doing so, you respect the memorial! Judas Jump-Up-and-Kiss-Me Priest, People! Ever heard of the baby and the bathwater! Get a freaking clue. And for God's Holy Sake, if you claim to represent me, damn well represent me in deeds as well as words, or shut your mouth before I shut it for you!

Deeply Hurt

A few days ago, my friend Vic over at Darth Apathy posted an interesting news link. I found it amusing, but also deeply hurtful that he immediately thought of one of our mutual acquaintances, but forgot me, knowing as he does my enthusiasm for quality craft beers.

Regardless, I pass on the news here:

Man Acquited After Prosecutors Fail to Prove that Miller is Beer

I don't think they could have accomplished that task even if the head of Miller himself were a witness for the prosecution!

Bush Lied, (Fewer) People Died

Thanks for the Memory to Demosophist cross-posting at The Jawa Report.

For some time, one argument put forth by those opposing the War in Iraq has been the death toll. They would have us believe that we have unleashed a bloodbath upon what was previously a relatively safe, if not free, country.

The Strategy Page puts lie to that argument with new information indicating that the death rate in Iraq is now lower than it was under Saddam's regime.

Imagine that.

So if you're an Iraqi, you're LESS likely to die in Iraq now than before the invasion, AND you now have the right to vote AND a multi-party slate of candidates to choose from.

But just remember, you're worse off.

Happy Birthday

Vultures Row wishes a very happy first birthday to Memento Moron: Remember, Thou Art Stupid. It's been a great first year.

Quick Note

To whomever is viewing my Blog from army.mil:

Welcome. Enjoy your stay. Thank you for your service. You are not unappreciated.

When You're HOT You're Hot

Thanks for the Memory to Martini Pundit.

For the most part, I'm not a big fan of self-promotion as a fashion statement, like T-shirts that say "Princess", etc. The Vanity plate I saw yesterday that said "Cutee" made me want to reply "No, no you're not," regardless of what the driver looked like. But I've just been reminded that there's an exception to every rule. Even this one.

When Kristen Maddox wears a T-shirt that says, "I'm HOT", I have to respond with "Yes, yes you are!" But while Kristin is quite a lovely young woman, that's not what makes her HOT. As the article explains, HOT stands for Helping Our Troops. That's the name of the non-profit she founded to help support our troops by sending care packages to the troops. But what makes her effort special is that her shipments are to specific service personnel who have requested specific items in their care packages.

Damn. This young woman spends almost all her time and money on this effort. she gives of herself, makes sacrifices, to make sure the men and women standing in the thin red line know that someone on the home front has their back. She's not just a pretty face. Along with looks and a brain, she obviously has a heart that's bigger than the entire Golden State. So yes, she's a hot hottie who's HOT.

You can help her be even more HOT, and be HOT yourself, by going to her website and contributing.

See HOT. Be HOT.

What Lies Beneath... Or Not

Oregon's quarter came out this year, and I've finally had a chance to look at it, even spend it. I'm still disappointed.

Like most Oregonians surveyed, I wanted this design to be chosen:


But Governor Kulongoski went with this one:


He said this about the process of choosing a quarter design: "This is a unique opportunity for Oregon," said Edwards. "Our quarter will communicate to the nation and the world our values and Oregon´s natural beauty."

I think this one falls short.

I have to admit, in it's final minted form it's a rather pretty design:



But despite my love for Crater Lake, it really doesn't convey the significance of the Oregon Trail design. The Oregon Trail was the single most defining event in the history of this state, and indeed, one of the most important events in the history of the NATION. It's that significant.

The rationale behind Kulongoski's decision was at least in part a desire to avoid upsetting Native American groups. And while I understand that the colonization and settling of this continent by Europeans is a sore issue for First Peoples, pretending it didn't happen isn't going to make things any better for anyone. There's more to this state than pretty scenery. There's history here, there are stories to be told.

In a way, the image on the quarter itself suffers from the same lack of depth in portraying Crater Lake as it does in portraying the depth of this state. You see a shiny, flat surface to the lake. What it doesn't -- indeed what it CAN'T portray, is the fact that Crater Lake, at over 1,400 feet, is the deepest fresh water in North America. It's also some of the cleanest, clearest, bluest water anywhere in the world.

So come visit this state. When you do, go see Crater Lake -- it's worth the trip, and the quarter doesn't do it justice. The sight will take your breath away.

And while you're at it, see the rest of the state too. Take in all the beauty about which I've blogged. Visit Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark spent their Pacific winter. Visit the Oregon Trail museums (we have 2), and the Brownsville Pioneer Museum. learn about our culture, our history, as well as our scenery. The quarter doesn't do them justice either.

Better Late Than Never

A while back, when I blogged on my Steelhead recipe, I made a suggestion regarding a salad to serve with it. I've refined that recipe a bit since then.

I developed a vinaigrette recipe for a cooking competition I was too late to enter, but thought I'd share the recipe with you anyway.

The ingredients are, again, focused on Oregon flavors. As I've mentioned, we produce almost the entire US crop of filberts (hazelnuts), and are the top berry producing state in the nation -- included in our crop are Blackberries, Marionberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Huckleberries *gasp* and cranberries. In addition, an Oregon cheesemaker, Rogue Creamery, is considered one of the best blue cheese makers in the world. Personally, I don't like blue cheese, but TFR loves it and it goes well with this recipe.

Blackberry Vinaigrette

1/4 Cup blackberry wine*
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/3 Cup oil**
1 Tsp. sugar
1 Tsp. minced garlic
Pinch salt
Pinch white pepper (more or less to taste)
1 Tbsp. chopped celery

*You can heat this to cook off the alcohol if you want, but I don’t bother. If you do, let it cool before continuing.
** I use hazelnut oil, which can be hard to find and expensive. Other options include almond oil, sesame oil, or, of course, extra virgin olive oil.

Filbert & Blue Cheese Salad

Dry Ingredients:
6 Cups raw fresh spinach leaves
1/4 Cup chopped filberts
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup blue cheese

Toss all dry ingredients. Drizzle lightly with blackberry vinaigrette, transfer to individual salad bowls. Makes 6 servings.

Sgt. Rusty Taught The Moron to Blog

It was one year ago today that I posted my very first Blog entry.

A lot has changed since then.

The Rathergate scandal (Which resulted in my busiest readership month yet). The candidate I backed won the presidency (not that I'm taking any credit for that). Numerous news events, including the Kelo decision, Terri Schiavo, and of course, daily events in Iraq.

And I've changed. I became a father during this past year. Amazing how it changes your perspective. Even being a PROSPECTIVE father does nothing to prepare you for the sudden and dizzying shift your paradigm makes when you hold a tiny life you helped to create and for whose sustenance and protection and nurturing you are jointly responsible.

I'd like to thank all the people who have helped make Blogging so enjoyable. Starting with the Blogfather who gave me the final nudge, [Update to the Blogmother who gave me such good advice in those early days, to the newsmakers and my family who provided my material, to the other Bloggers (especially Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy) who linked to me, and especially to my readers, the casual perusers and the people who, amazingly enough, make me a regular part of your reading schedule. It still blows my mind that on occasion I manage to write something people think is worth paying attention to. Thatnk you all, and here's to more to come.

A Call to Arms (Or At Least To Google Bombs)

If you pay attention to the top of my Blog, you've noticed that. like many conservative Bloggers, I'm a big fan of the cartoon Day by Day, by Chris Muir. Chris does a good job of skewering the left, and being funny while he does it. At the same time, he doesn't hesitate to poke fun at conservatives when they don't think before they speak.

Well, today's cartoon, as you can see, has nothing to do with politics. He's asking for help supporting the cancer clinic that is keeping his sister alive. It's simple, really. Click on the link to their site, and it will help their Google ratings. They're running an ad on TV soon, so the combined exposure should help them garner business and keep them operating.

I'm still not savvy enough to know if that's how a Google Bomb works, but if not, I think someone should start one of those too.

Mmmmmm....

Yesterday I went to the local Fred Meyer to pick up the ingredients for dinner. I'd noticed the day before that they had some wild-caught Coho, and while I still prefer steelhead, wild salmon is also excellent in my filbert-encrusted dish. While their, I also noticed they also had fresh buffalo in stock (as the occasionally do), so I picked up some tenderloin. As it turned out, two key ingredients in my salmon dish were unavailable, si I'll have to pick them up today, and went ahead and cooked the buffalo last night.

I made my green beans to go with it, and also cut into four pieces a loaf of potato rosemary artisan bread from the FM bakery department. I buttered thes and toasted them on the grill. The tenderloin I cooked simply -- salt and pepper, and cooked it hot and fast, to avoid drying out the buffalo. I acheived both beautiful grill marks AND medium rare perfection. I complemented the meal with a bottle of Bridgeview's cab-merlot blend.

It was a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Peter Jennings Signs Off

No breaking news here, everyone knows that Peter Jennings died of lung cancer last night.

Over the last couple of years, as the MSM has seemed increasingly adversarial towards the President, up to and including the open hostility displayed by the likes of Helen Thomas, it struck me that, at least from my perception, Peter Jennings made the most admirable effort among the Big 3's anchors to separate his personal opinions from his presentation of the news. I had respect for him due to that.

Furthermore, I was greatly impressed with his candor regarding his illness and the smoking habit that caused it. Especially human and oddly touching was the fact that it was the impact of the 9/11 attacks that caused him to take it up again. No one will ever be the same who witnessed those events, and Jennings' death bears witness to their continued influence on us.

In the end, though I no longer have much regard for the news arms of the old major networks, Jennings always struck me as genuine and personable. His death is tragic and he is to be mourned.

Look at the Bones, Man!

Thank (a lot!) for the Memories to TrekMedic251 for getting me suckered into taking THIS quiz!

Take the quiz: "Which Holy Grail Character Are You?"

The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog
That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!

Hmmm... interesting results. Not nearly as impressive as being King Arthur, but hey, being unstoppable short of deploying an instrument of Holy wrath against me ain't such a bad gig.

Alton Brown Tells It Like It Is

Be careful what you ask for, Alton. You just might find yourself audited, and NOT by the IRS!

Well Pasta Due

Last night I had a chance to try out a new recipe on TFR, and she heartily approved.

Anyone who knows my eating habits might find this hard to believe, but the one type of side dish I have the most difficulty creating is a starch. I'm great at cooking veggies, not so much at eating any (except a very few -- I'm finicky that way). So last night I had a dilemma.

I was making steak sandwiches, using beef flank steak instead of Buffalo tri-tip this time, and had decided on my green beans as the veggie. But I wanted one more dish, something starchy, maybe cool, and so I decided to try an idea I'd had for turning caprizzi into a pasta salad. This is what I came up with:

Caprizzi di Ferrari

2 cups radiatore pasta

6 ounces fresh mozzarella

4 Roma tomatoes

1 bunch fresh basil leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves minced garlic

Salt

Pepper

Bring 3-4 cups salted water to a boil in a pot over medium heat. When water
reaches a boil, pour in 2 cups radiatore pasta (any smaller pasta, such as
rotini, will do, but I prefer radiatore). Cook 10 minutes or until al dente.
Strain, rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled.

While the pasta is cooking and cooling, cut the mozzarella into ½-inch cubes.
Slice the Roma tomatoes into similarly sized chunks, removing the seeds. Rinse
the basil in cold water and julienne. Combine all three with the now cold pasta
in a glass bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and
garlic, and mix well. Drizzle over the pasta mix. Salt and pepper to taste (I
like it with more salt & pepper, but that’s up to you), mix gently but
thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 1 hour. Makes 4-6 servings.

I gave it that name because of the colors and the fact that radiator translates as radiator (at least, that's what Babelfish tells me). I discovered radiatore by accident and love it. It's a rolled (slightly spiral) square of pasta that's flat on the inside and has wavy ridges on the outside. It's a smaller pasta, but has substance -- you can get it in one bite, and can really sink your teeth into it. Enjoy!