This is odd for me to read.

Yeah, I can see that.

I think Kansas could take Ohio in a Jesus smackdown.

Speaking of which, have folks heard of Red State (the movie)? I've ordered the DVD - maybe we can have a Chicagoista viewing... thing.

But the point of this site, and the film, is hopefully more than commercial. The film was created with a simple premise; knowing what was known in 2004 why would anybody vote for George W. Bush? And while the movie gives us some insight into this question it was never intended to be an end in itself but a beginning.

A beginning of a conversation.

A conversation that will take us away from objectifying and demonizing others so that we may see our problems and differences clearly. A conversation that acknowledges the humanity of “the other side” and hopes to find compromises and solutions, where possible. But a conversation that does indeed see the threat to liberty that some among us present and has as it’s ultimate goal the eradication of this threat.

“I’m looking at the data,” said Ron Luce, who organized the meetings and founded Teen Mania, a 20-year-old youth ministry, “and we’ve become post-Christian America, like post-Christian Europe.

Well from what I understand, the more socially conservative denominations are growing, Catholics are increasing (immigration is probably a factor here), and mainline denominations are shrinking. On the other hand, the non-religious are growing. The best I could find in data is this article, but it's four years old. So it's a complex picture.

[link]

Holy cats. So Robert Anton Wilson is dying, and earlier this week his friends put out a call for donations because he was in danger of being evicted.

In four days, the internets collected $68 K.

Speaking of donating money, the Amish community that lost those five girls have received nearly $500,000 in donations since the shooting, and it's rumored though not confirmed that the family members of the victims have insisted that some of that money go to the widow and children of the shooter.

it's rumored though not confirmed that the family members of the victims have insisted that some of that money go to the widow and children of the shooter.

I heard that, too.

The truth is, even if he had life insurance, it's not going to pay out. He committed suicide. And really? His kids don't deserve to suffer because their dad was a whackjob. It's incredibly generous of the community.

Wow. Just Wow.

Crap. My frozen TV dinner thingie seems to have been thawed and refrozen at some point. I should have just returned it. But I'm tired and don't want to walk back to the grocery store.

it's rumored though not confirmed that the family members of the victims have insisted that some of that money go to the widow and children of the shooter.

That's really something.

I gotta admit I feel sorry for that guy's kids, that has to be such a horrible thing to live with.

The mother of one of the girls buried yesterday invited the shooter's widow to the funeral, which I find even more incredible than the money--such a level of forgiveness is just...wow.