Those New 95 Theses revisited- and two more added

Back in 2008, two Lutherans writing under the pseudonyms Athanasius and Chrysostom wrote a new 95 Theses addressing an emergency in the life of the Church fully as grave as that addressed by Martin Luther in his theses of October 31, 1517. While the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod now has leadership more  sympathetic to the concerns of "Athanasius" and "Chrysostom" than it did at the time, the struggle goes on in that church body. In many denominations, however, that struggle is barely even being waged. In some, the errors they describe are not even challenged.

Since the emergency persists, and remains acute, I thought it appropriate to observe Reformation Day by re-posting these New 95 Theses. I think it only reasonable and charitable to observe that I take the "new Papacy" decried in them not as the contemporary Roman Catholic church or the reign of Pope Benedict XVI  but rather the continued power and influence in all denominations of those who- in most cases doubtless unintentionally- have sold the Gospel of Jesus Christ for a bowl of man-made pottage through the false teachings of the Church Growth Movement, "Purpose Drivenism," the notion that financial success, institutional survival or popularity with the world is even a legitimate concern of the Church  whose only mission is to proclaim Christ crucified to the world that crucifed Him,

Kyrie eleison!

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.

2. To “repent” means to be contrite for one’s sins and to trust Jesus Christ and solely in His completed work for one’s forgiveness, life, and salvation.

3. Those who describe the Christian life as purpose-driven deny true repentance, confuse the Law and the Gospel, and obscure the merits of Christ.

4. Impious and wicked are the methods of those who substitute self-help and pop-psychology for the Gospel in the name of relevance.

5. This impious disregard for the Gospel wickedly transforms sacred Scripture into a guidebook for living, a pharisaic sourcebook of principles, and sows tares among the wheat.

6. Relevance, self-help and pop-psychology have no power to work true contrition over sins and faith in Jesus Christ.

7. Like clouds without rain, purpose-driven preachers withhold the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the cross and enslave men’s consciences to the law which they cleverly disguise as so-called 'Biblical Principles'.

8. By teaching tips for attaining perfect health, debt-free wealth, and better sex in marriage, the purveyors of relevance undermine true fear, love and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

9. They are enemies of Christ, who distort the Word of God by tearing verses from their original context in order to use them as proof texts for their self-help, pop-psychology agendas.

10. Injury is done the Word of God when it is used as a source book for practical, relevant “life applications.”

11. In the name of relevance, our Lord Jesus Christ is reduced to a life-coach whose “gospel” assists and motivates people to achieve the objectives of their self-centered delusions of grandeur.

12. Apart from the Holy Spirit, the seeker cannot understand the things of God for these are “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).

13. The natural man does not naturally seek the Gospel. “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Is. 65:1)

14. The true Seeker of men’s souls is our Lord Jesus Christ who came to seek and to save the lost by His death on the cross (Luke 19:10).

15. The truly “seeker-sensitive” church proclaims God’s wrath against our sin and His mercy for Jesus’ sake.

16. The preaching of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to purpose-driven pragmatists and foolishness to church growth consultants.

17. The true gold of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

18. But this treasure is a stench in the nostrils of fallen and sinful men because it exposes man’s complete lack of ability to save himself by his own religious efforts.

19. On the other hand, the fool’s gold of self-help is preferred by sinful men, for it creates the illusion of moral progress and a life that is pleasing to God apart from repentance.

20. The gold of the Gospel is the net by which Christ would make us fishers of men.

21. The fool’s gold of self-help is a snare by which purpose-driven purveyors of relevance attempt to capture the riches and approval of men.

22. The church is holy sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd.

23. How can sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd when false shepherds preach self-help and pop-psychology?

24. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance are not shepherds of men’s souls but wolves in sheep’s clothing.

25. Purveyors of relevance claim that self-help, life-applications and biblical principles are the means to reach the unchurched because they meet people’s felt needs.

26. Yet a person’s greatest need is one he does not by nature feel, namely the need for the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

27. The true means by which fallen sinners are reached is the preaching of Christ and His sacraments. (Romans 10:17)

28. The true need that mankind is seeking but does not know is justification by grace through faith for Christ’s sake.

29. Since justification is through faith and not through works, natural man neither seeks it nor desires it.

30. Therefore, the teaching of justification by grace through faith is neither seeker-sensitive nor relevant to a world that naturally seeks self-justification.

31. To be in the church is to be union with Christ through faith.

32. Regardless of the number of people in attendance, the church does not grow unless men are granted repentance and faith by God through the action of His Word.

33. Scripture clearly teaches that the means by which God grants faith are the the hearing of the Word of Christ (the Gospel) and the water of Holy Baptism.

34.Therefore, even if a congregation, through their own marketing methods and business prowess were able to draw 100,000 people every Sunday, if the Gospel is not heard and the sacraments are not administered according to the Gospel there is no church and the true Church of Jesus Christ has not grown by a single soul.

35. If numerical growth is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of Islam and the Mormons.

36. If financial success is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of pornography and gambling.

37. Cancer and crabgrass both grow rapidly, as does the church that obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

38. The purveying of purpose-driven relevance is the theology of glory; the preaching of Christ crucified for sinners is the theology of the cross.

39. The theologian of glory says that the kingdom of God is visible now in buildings, people, and dollars; the theologian of the cross says that the kingdom of God is an article of faith.

40. The theologian of glory asks “How much?” and “How many?”; the theologian of the cross preaches Christ regardless of how much or how many.

41. The theologian of glory prepares people to receive health, wealth, and happiness; the theologian of the cross prepares people to suffer and die in faith.

42. The theologian of glory preaches that God wants to grant you favors; the theologian of the cross preaches the favor of God for the sake of Christ crucified.

43. The theologian of glory proclaims 40 days of purpose; the theologian of the cross preaches daily dying and rising in Jesus.

44. God established the Church to be a “mouth house” of forgiveness not a madhouse of activity.

45. Christ wills that His voice be heard in His Church and not the voice of man when He says, “He who hears you, hears me.” (Luke 10:16)

46. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance obscure the voice of Christ and so draw the sheep away from the Good Shepherd.

47. Christ saves from sin and death not through the motivation of the sinner to do good, but through baptismal death and resurrection.

48. The mission of the church is not to transform the world but to disciple the nations by baptizing and teaching (Matt 28:19-20).

49. Anyone who preaches a vision and demands allegiance to it sets up a new papacy among the churches.

50. A synod or church body is a human institution that exists by the will and consent of its member congregations and pastors.

51. A synod or church body is not merely an affiliation of churches that agree on a common purpose.

52. A synod or church body is not the Church, properly speaking, but a fellowship of churches sharing a common confession of faith and practice.

53. Synods are not of the church’s essence (esse) but for her well being (bene esse).

54. Synodical leaders are not lords over the churches, but servants of the churches and stewards of their common possessions.

55. Synodical leaders are not called to promulgate visions but to execute the collective will of the synod’s churches.

56. The old papacy arrogated the Church’s treasury of merits; the new papacy arrogates the Church’s treasury.

57. The old papacy said, “As the coin in the coffer clings, so the soul from purgatory springs.”

58. The new papacy says, “As the coin in the church coffer clings, so another program out of debt springs.”

59. The old papacy counted plenary indulgences; the new papacy counts money and people.

60. The old papacy suppressed the Gospel through canon law; the new papacy suppresses the Gospel through constitutions and by-laws.

61. The old papacy was a friend of Caesar; the new papacy is a friend of Mammon.

62. The old papacy bound a man’s conscience for the sake his wallet; the new papacy binds a man’s wallet for the sake of his conscience.

63. The old papacy promulgated infallible dogma; the new papacy promulgates undebatable visions.

64. The old papacy claims to sit on the seat of Peter; the new papacy claims to sit on the mandate of the majority.

65. The old papacy reserved the right to judge doctrine and practice; the new papacy judges doctrine and practice by commissions and committees.

66. The old papacy issued “bulls;” the new papacy issues task force reports.

67. The old papacy had a college of cardinals; the new papacy has high-priced consultants.

68. Just as popes and councils have erred in the past, so synodical leaders and synodical conventions err in the present.

69. A synod that is concerned for the true unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace does not excuse unionism and syncretism.

70. Unity in doctrine and practice means discernible interchangeability in teaching, preaching, and practice.

71. Unity in doctrine and practice does not consist in signing confessional statements, but in word and deed.

72. Worship is doctrine put into practice.

73. As one worships, so one believes.

74. As one believes, so one worships.

75. Christian worship consists in God’s service to us through His giving and our receiving in faith the gifts of Christ’s Word, Body, and Blood, and our service to God by our prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

76. Worship that is focused principles for Christian living obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His gifts and is detrimental to faith and salvation.

77. While Christian liberty allows that worship forms need not be altogether the same in every time and place, unity in faith and practice requires that worship forms must not be altogether different in every time and place.

78. Worship forms serve as identifying banners in the confessional field of battle.

79. Peculiar and novel worship forms obscure the unity of the churches and extol the creativity of the worship leaders.

80. In matters neither commanded nor forbidden in the Word of God (adiaphora), the churches of God are free to change ceremonies according to circumstances, as may be most beneficial and edifying to the churches of God. (Epitome, Art X.4)

81. Such changes must avoid all frivolity and offenses, particularly with regard to those who are weak in faith (Epitome, Art X.5).

82. Where the Gospel is at stake, concessions in ceremony must not be made so as to suggest unity with those who deny the Gospel (Epitome, Art X.6)

83. Therefore, it is contrary to the doctrine of adiaphora to hide the substance of Lutheran doctrine behind a non-Lutheran style of worship.

84. To create and sustain saving faith, God established the office of the holy ministry in the church to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments according to our Lord’s institution.

85. No one may publicly preach, teach, or administer the sacraments in the churches without his being called and ordained.

86. Those who introduce novelties into the church are the true agents of division.

87. The ordination of women is a novelty that has caused great division in the church.

88. The introduction of worship forms not held in common by the churches is a cause of division and a stumbling block.

89. The church belongs to no man but to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, and Lord of the church.

90. Woe to the false prophets who cry, “Unity, unity” when there is no unity.

91. Again, woe to those who say, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.

92. Again, woe to those who say, “Gospel, gospel,” when there is no Gospel.

93. Blessed are those who say, “Cross, cross,” when there is no cross.

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through all suffering, death, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many trials and tribulations, rather than through the assurance of outward peace, unity, and happiness.

There is another issue which has become acute since then. It strikes even more directly than those dealt with above at the Gospel, and while the LCMS has thankfully remained free of it, other churches- including the Evangelcial Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), tragically have not. This issue, too, needs to be addressed:

96. Our Lord Jesus Christ is betrayed, the nature of His Gospel distorted, and precious souls for which He died sacrificed when intellectual dishonesty and the idolatrous exaltation of political correctness over the Word of God and the confession made by the Church "always, everywhere, and by all" (St. Vincent of Lerins) declares homosexual behavior- clearly and unequivocally condemned in every stratum of both Testaments- to somehow be acceptable for Christians, compatible with justifying faith, and even equivalent to conjugal relations between husband and wife in the divinely-ordained institution of holy matrimony.

97. Woe be unto those who make that equation! For in so doing they deny the Faith, place themselves outside the limits of the Church catholic, and incur the apostolic condemnation of Romans 1:32.

May the Lord, indeed, have mercy.

Why October 31 is really important

Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther
on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences

Posted on the door of the Castle Church
at Wittenberg, Saxony
October 31, 1517
_______________

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.

3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.

4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.

14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.

15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.

17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.

18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.

19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.

20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.

21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;

22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.

23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.

24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.

25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.

26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.

27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].

28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.

30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.

31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;

34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.

35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.

39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.

40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].

41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.

45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ's merit, are that treasure;

61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.

66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.

67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.

68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.

70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.

71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!

72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.

76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.

77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.

78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.

79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"

84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?"

85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?"

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"

88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"

89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?"

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

HT:  Project Wittenberg

Works of Martin Luther: Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.(Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Vol.1, pp. 29-38

Those Trick-or-Treat Blues

When I was a kid back in Chicago, trick-or-treating was for Halloween. Here in Iowa, for some reason they do it on some other night somewhere around Halloween, called "Beggar's Night." It varies from town to town, but here in Des Moines, it's tonight.

Anyway, in memory of those chilly (but fun) nights long ago when even in a city the size of Chicago you could more or less trust total strangers not to put Drano in your cookies or razor blades in your apples or kidnap your child, here's a little thing by Rich Kos, aka Svengoolie:

The deaths of Vladimir Kamarov- and of the Soviet moon program

A while back, I did a post about Pravda's concession that Soviet cosmonauts died before the USSR succeeded in putting Yuri Gagarin into orbit and returning him safely to earth.

Now further information has emerged about Soviet space failures- and all I can say is "Wow."

At the time, the official story is that cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov died when the parachute on his Soyuz I capsule somehow became wrapped around the capsule instead of deploying and slowing his descent. But a new book claims out that Soyuz I  had several design flaws that Komarov and others knew about before the flight even began- flaws so serious that Komarov did not expect to return alive! Apparently he agreed to go through with the mission only because his backup pilot was his best friend, the first human being in space, Yuri Gagarin. Had Komarov refused the mission, he believed that Gagarin would have died in his place.

Komarov, it is said, died cursing those whose negligence had sent him into space in a faulty vehicle. Others dispute this account of Komarov's last transmission, and claim that it was edited to make it sensationalistic.



Meanwhile, few people realize that the Soviet Union was desperately trying to get their own cosmonauts to the moon before Apollo 11, and had to give up only when a last-minute test of the booster they'd developed for the mission blew up on the launching pad:

Register poll: Iowa Caucuses a two-man race- and a virtual tie

Herman Cain and Mitt Romney are in a virtual tie for the lead in the Iowa Caucus battle, according to a new poll by the Des Moines Register. However, Cain leads Romney by 17 points among those who say that they are certain to participate in the caucuses, and holds a 3-to-1 lead over the former Massachusetts governor among those who identify themselves as conservatives.

Romney ties with Ron Paul for the lead, however, among Iowa Republicans who say that their minds are already made up. Ron Paul is about ten points behind Cain and Romney among all respondents, with the same 12% he seems to get in virtually every Iowa poll. None of the other candidates score in double digits. Since Paul seems unlikely to advance beyond his hard-core 12%, at this point Iowa looks like a two-man race between Cain and Romney, with Cain apparently holding the stronger hand of the two.

While the race remains fluid, some observations are possible on the state of the race at this point. First, Romney cannot ignore Iowa. With numbers this strong, he cannot emulate Jon Huntsman (and John McCain last time out) by not making a major effort here. He has no choice but to make a fight of it. He has everything to gain- a victory here, coupled with a win in New Hampshire, might well virtually guarantee his nomination. And he has nothing to lose. He will almost certainly finish in the top three in Iowa, if only because the more conservative vote is so divided. And that is really all he has to do here.

Secondly, Michele Bachmann- the native Iowan who won the Ames Straw Poll last August-appears to be toast. Her campaign cannot survive even in the short term if she finishes in the middle of the pack in her native state, and her already slim chances of winning the nomination probably depend upon her winning it outright. That seems unlikely.

Rick Perry is also in big trouble. It is possible for him to stage a comeback of some sort in the southern and southwestern states, but it's hard to see a hard Right candidate like Perry getting anywhere if he bombs in Iowa- as he appears to be doing.

Despite Paul's strong showing, he has a low ceiling. In fact, he seems unlikely to rise above the 12% he gets in the Register poll, a number amazingly consistent with his numbers in past polls.  His constituency is fanatical, but limited- apparently at just about 12% of Iowa Republicans. The libertarian Texan's liberal-like positions on foreign policy have a very limited following in the Republican party, and even economic conservatives often find his economic policies extreme to the point of being bizarre. He probably won't seriously challenge for the lead, or do all that well outside Iowa. But that 12% seems even less likely to shrink than to grow- and that's enough run a comparatively strong race here. He'll probably be competitive for third place.



At least at the moment, Cain appears to be emerging as the alternative to Romney. Again, things could change once more conservative state Republican parties have their say later in the nominating process, but barring some major blunder it seems likely that Can will establish himself as the option of Republicans who find Romney unpalatable if he wins in Iowa.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign, which appeared not long ago to be gasping for air, has found strong enough legs at least that the Georgian should be able to remain a credible candidate until the caucuses. He continues to get into trouble by saying what he thinks. In my opinion, his description of Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to overhaul Social Security as "radical" was right on the mark, but it was extremely unpopular among Iowa's very conservative Republicans.  He won't be a factor on the night of January 3, and he may drop out not long afterward. But look for him to stick around as a dependably independent voice in national Republican politics.

Should Cain stumble- which I don't expect- Rick Santorum is waiting in the wings. While the Register poll does not reflect it, there has been scuttlebutt here in Iowa that Santorum's campaign is gaining traction. He seems to be the second choice of a great many people who favor other candidates. I would not be surprised to see a surprisingly strong showing for the former Pennsylvania senator- and, should Cain stumble, I would not rule out a possible victory for Santorum, catapulting the social conservative into the GOP's top tier.

It's still a long way until the first week in January. But a coherent picture appears to be developing in Iowa. It appears to be a race between Cain and Romney, with Romney's chances dependent on the degree to which the other candidates can syphon votes off from Cain. But the hard Right vote is divided enough that Romney has a real chance to win simply by virtue of his status as the only relatively moderate conservative in the race.
And given a victory in Iowa for Romney, only the legendary perversity of New Hampshire's primary voters can prevent their primary from effectively anointing Romney as the nominee.

Should Romney finish second- as I suspect that he will- a victory in New Hampshire would still make him the prohibitive favorite. But it seems very clear that Romney cannot afford to play it safe by avoiding Iowa. And it is equally clear that should he finish third or worse, Romney's candidacy will be seriously damaged. Depending upon the results in Iowa, the moderate conservative mantle might very well then pass to Jon Huntsman.

A candidate-by-candidate analysis of the race by a Register analyst can be found here.

Baseball's vacant world championship

It's been an exciting post-season for the Pestilential Ruddy Fowl, and my hat is off to them. Their dramatic victory in Game Six of the World Series was one of the greatest games in Series history. And their consistency and success in the arbitrary crap shoot that is the modern MLB postseason does them credit.

But I'm very much afraid that, knowing full well how little it matters, I cannot regard them as world champions, for the same reason I could not acknowledge that title for the 1997 and 2003 Florida Marlins, the 2002 Anaheim Angels, or the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

There is a reason why they play a 162 game season in baseball. There are no upsets in this game. It takes that long of a season to really prove anything in baseball. True, even in the good old days they played a single, best-of-seven World Series between the two pennant winners. But even that was pushing it to the max.  At the level at which major league teams- even the bad ones- play, a short series doesn't really prove much. One might justify allowing the element of luck or chance to play its role in determining  a world champion in a single best-of-seven series between two teams which have proven themselves the best in their league over the course of the regular season. But except as a tie-breaker for a regular season result, to employ even a second short post-season series is to rob the result of all real integrity.

To make the ultimate champion win three such series - one of them a farcical best-three-out-of-five- is to rob both the process and the championship itself  of all credibility.

A short series proves virtually nothing in baseball.  It's at least as much about luck and how hot or cold a team is than it is about merit. A gauntlet formed by a series of short series proves very little more. Baseball is a game of hot streaks and cold streaks, of arbitrary influences that tend to even out over the length of a season, but simply don't have the chance to in a single series. Piling series upon series doesn't lessen the element of blind chance; it merely increases its opportunity to assert itself. And the abomination of starting off with a best-three-out-of-five series- you might as well toss a coin- makes things even worse. In the present state of post-season affairs, one cold streak- even losing three of the right five games- is fatal even for a team that has dominated throughout the season.

The present structure of the MLB post-season is a joke. There's no getting around it: the best test of a baseball team is the regular season, and there's an ugly cynicism about throwing the result of the regular season out on the basis of a single best-of-five series. The issue is pretty much the same as the issue in the players' strike several years ago: greed. More teams in the running late in the season means greater profits for everybody, whether those teams deserve to be in the running or not. And three post-season series can't help but be more remunerative than only one.

Of course, there is a downside: people tend to stop watching by the time the World Series comes around. What was once the highlight of the sporting year now takes third place behind the Super Bowl and the NBA playoffs, and deservedly so: it's no longer much of a spectacle. Who, after all, can be all that excited by a series between, say, the third and fifth best teams in baseball, especially at a time when the country is suffering from post-season baseball fatigue?

And then, there's the crowning insult, the one that makes it impossible for me to recognize the 1997 and 2003 Marlins, the 2002 Anaheim Angels, the 2004 Red Sox, or the 2011 Cardinals as world champions: the wild card. There is simply no way that a team which has failed in the best possible test- the regular season- in its queest to become champion of its own division deserves to even be in the World Series, no matter how well it fares in Major League Baseball's post-season crap shoot. And there is no way that a team that failed in its season-long quest to become champions of its own division can possibly deserve to be regarded as champions of the world.

The kind of post-season baseball currently operates works well enough in football or hockey, in the first case because the better team generally wins even a single game and in the second case because prevailing in the meritocracy of the NHL playoff gauntlet is, if anything, even a greater accomplishment than winning in the regular season. But baseball is a game whose very nature is such that it takes 162 games to prove your mettle, and the element of chance so prevalent in the present playoff structure (because so prevalent in any single game, or short series of games) renders baseball's post-season even less redemptive than it would be otherwise of a failure to qualify as deserving of the title "champion" in the best test of all: the regular season.

And now, they're talking about adding a second wild card. From there, there's only one step left: throwing out the regular season entirely, putting the names of all the teams- even the ones that finish in the cellar- into a hat, and having a blind-folded blonde simply draw out the names of the teams that get to play in October.

There is one situation, in any case, in which, should my Cubs ever get to the World Series again, I would root against them: if they get there as a wild card "winner." The only disgrace greater than not having won the World Series since 1908 would be to finally win it when they have no moral right to be there in the first place.

First Lady: GOP expression of religious beliefs and opinions which differ from hers threaten freedoms of religion and speech

Fascinating. Depressing, and certainly not surprising. But fascinating, nonetheless.

Mrs. Obama questions the legitimacy of Republicans publicly espousing their religious beliefs and expressing opinions which differ from hers, and in so doing claims that it is they who are seeking to limit the rights of others to freedom of speech and religion.

The Jewish culture has a wonderful term for the quality she displays here. It’s “chutzpah-” classically defined as that quality exhibited by a man who murders both of his parents, and then throws himself on the court’s mercy on the ground that he is an orphan.

Is there anything as ridiculous and hypocritical as a liberal who accuses someone else of being a religious bigot for holding beliefs which differ from hers, or of trying to stiffle free speech for saying something that is politically incorrect?

HT: Drudge

In honor of Halloween, a Chicago tradition

First, it was Screaming Yellow Theatre. Then, it was Son of Svengoolie. And now, Svengoolie rides again- this time nationally, on MeTV. He even has his own website!

Generations of Chicagoans have been both amused and bemused by the combination of rubber chickens, bad horror movies, worse jokes and even worse song parodies rendered first by Jerry G. Bishop and now by Rich Kos as the coffin-dwelling host of a TV program that transcends generations as surely as it transcends considerations of good taste.

First, Jerry G. Bishop, the original Sven, back in my day:



Next, Kos- the current Sven- gives his take on Lon Chaney, Jr. and The Wolf Man:



And then, there was the week when they showed Bride of Frankenstein:



And, as a special bonus... a tribute to Sven's favorite suburb, where my parents lived when I was born and not far from where I grew up:

The man who makes too much sense to be president

Here is a good article on the best qualified candidate for president- in fact, the best qualified candidate to run for president since George H.W. Bush.

He would undoubtedly be the hardest Republican for Barack Obama to beat. He reeks of integrity and genuineness, and what he has to say makes so much sense in the midst of all the nonsense being sprouted by the current Republican field that he seems like a lilac bush in a field of stinkhorns.

And that's just the problem. Despite his qualifications, his genuineness, his integrity, his intelligence, and his common sense, he hasn't got a chance.

In fact, a strong case can be made that his common sense is the reason why he hasn't got a chance. That Jon Huntsman is destined to be an also-ran in 2012 is not merely an indictment of our political culture; it's the perfect example of what's wrong with it.

Maybe in 2016. Or, if we're blind enough to re-elect Obama, in 2020, when our vision is hopefully as good as Gov. Huntsman's.

Another polls shows Cain leading the GOP pack

A  New York Times-CBS poll has confirmed once again what seems to be the general consensus: among  pundits:: that Herman "If You're Unemployed It's Your Own Fault" Cain leads the pack in the race for the GOP presidential nomination next year.

Recent polls are divided as to whether Cain or Romney is favored by more Republicans.

Despite this fact, predictions are becoming even more common that Mitt Romney- the only Republican who so far can match President Obama's general election numbers in the polls - is almost certain to be the nominee.

If Cain maintains his lead in Iowa, though, it could be interesting. Romney has yet to decide whether to contest Iowa. A case could be made that the impact of a Cain victory here could be muted if Romney hadn't made a serious effort. On the other hand, if Cain fades, the degree to which the vote is divided among candidates to Romney's right could actually result in an Iowa victory for the former Massachusetts governor- a victory which might indeed prove a knock-out blow to the rest of the field in the first round.

HT: Drudge, Real Clear Politics

Bears administer jolly good thrashing to Bucs

The Bears nearly managed to blow it at the end (it was 21-5 at the half), but they hung on for a 24-18 victory over Tampa Bay at Wembley Stadium in London yestersday. Matt ("All Day") Forte rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown in becoming the first NFL player since 2004 to break the 1,000 yard barrier in the first seven games of the season. They're now 4-3.

But it's too early for delusions of competence for the Ursines. They get a week off to rest, and then meet the Eagles in Philadelphia before a game they're very much looking forward to: a rematch with the suddenly beatable Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

Those two games will tell us a great deal. The Bears will probably have to win both to have a shot at the wild card (they're not going to catch the P__kers, I'm afraid).

In the meantime... BEAR DOWN!

Jim, the Anabaptist Fireman

He's the one who won't put save your house unless you're old enough to accept him as your personal fireman and ask him into your home.

Odds make 'Hawks favorites to win the Conference, and third favorites to win the Cup

The magazines have made the Sharks and the Caps the favorites to win the Cup. Paddy Power- the Irish betting site- makes it the Caps and the Pens, with us third. We're 10/3 favorites to win the Western Conference, with the Sharks and Canucks at 4/1.

Odds to win the Stanley Cup:

Capitals 6/1
Penguins 13/2
Blackhawks 8/1
Sharks 17/2
Canucks 17/2
Flyers 10/1
Bruins 10/1
Kings 12/1
Dead Things 14/1
Lightning 16/1
Sabres 18/1
Rangers 25/1
Ducks 25/1
Habs 33/1
Preds 33/1
Oilers 35/1
Flames 40/1
Canes 40/1
Blues 40/1
Devils 40/1
Leafs 50/1
Wild 66/1
Jackets 66/1
Isles 66/1
Stars 80/1
Dogs 100/1
Jets 100/1
Panthers 100/1
Sens 150/1

Apparently Daytwah's 6-0-0 start hasn't impressed the Irishmen.

Obama orders total U.S. withdrawal from Iraq; Iran rejoices

President Obama has decided to play into Iran's hands and risk the dearly-bought victories of American arms in Iraq by totally withdrawing from the place by the end of the year. The reason, sources say, is an inability to reach agreement with the Iraqi govenment to grant the kind of legal immunity to American forces routinely given them in every other country in which the United States has a continuing military presence.

It should be said in the president's defense that even under George W. Bush, the positon of the United States has always been that American troops would leave if the Iraqis didn't want us there. The failure of the Iraqi government to agree to an an arrangement which is a given in countries in which the United States has an ongoing military presence can well be seen as a vivid indication that the Iraqis apparently don't want us there very much.

Obama's decision, according to Time's Fareed Zakaria, is a major victory for Iran. Zakaria is anything but alone in his assessment. Even Hillary Clinton used the occasion to issue a largely empty warning to Iran not to take advantage of the decision.

Mitt Romney says that “President Obama’s astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women. The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government."I lean toward the latter. Doubtless the president had the political benefits of withdrawing from an unpopular war in the back of his mind, but this administration has established its ineptitude in the realm of diplomacy quite nicely in the past three years. Besides, I'm not quite enough of a cynic not to believe that the impact on the deficit was a major factor. Despite its cost morally and strategically, the decision will save the Federal government billions.

Obama campaign aide Ben LaBolt cynically charged Romney with a willingness to leave American troops in Iraq "without identifying a new mission." The mission, of course, is to ensure that the Iraqis themselves are able to deal with Iranian interference and domestic extremism before leaving them to their own devices- a condition American commanders in the field, who were described as "livid" when the plan was first rumored a few months back, do not believe to have been met.

Mr. Obama's opponent in the 2008 election, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), put it well:

Today marks a harmful and sad setback for the United States in the world. I respectfully disagree with the President: this decision will be viewed as a strategic victory for our enemies in the Middle East, especially the Iranian regime, which has worked relentlessly to ensure a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. It is a consequential failure of both the Obama Administration -- which has been more focused on withdrawing from Iraq than succeeding in Iraq since it came into office -- as well as the Iraqi government.

“I share the desire for all of our troops to come home as quickly as possible. But all of our military commanders with whom I have spoken on my repeated visits to Iraq have told me that U.S. national security interests and the enduring needs of Iraq’s military required a continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq beyond 2011 to safeguard the gains that we and our Iraqi partners have made. I am confident that no U.S. commander of any stature who has served in Iraq recommended the course of action that has now been taken.

“Nearly 4,500 Americans have given their lives for our mission in Iraq. Countless more have been wounded. Through their service and sacrifice, the possibility of a democratic state in the heart of the Middle East has been opened to millions of Iraqis. I fear that all of the gains made possible by these brave Americans in Iraq, at such grave cost, are now at risk.”

"A hermful and sad setback for the United States in the world." That about sums it up.

Are the "Occupiers" ill-informed perpetual adolescents?

So says Roger Kimball.

And I agree with him. All you have to do is read their signs to see that these people are badly in need of medication.. Next to this crowd, the Tea Party looks positively sane. And yes- the "occupiers" are indeed anti-business and anti-captialism. Their denials make it appear that they are also anti-honesty.

No, they're not "the 99%." They're a tiny percentage of the lunatic fringe. And by the way, 2009 IRS figures show that the top 1% of the population in income- the ones whom the demonstrators claim are not carrying their fair share of the load-  reported 17% of the nation's total taxable income while paying 37% of the nation's total income taxes!

Earth to Occupiers!

Meanwhile, according to Gallup President Obama's approval rating is now 41%. Apparently the real majority is better informed.

HT: Real Clear Politics, Drudge

I'm afraid The Onion has a point!

The Onion, a satirical internet newspaper, is running a story headed "Bears Somehow Proud of Beating Vikings."

If Bears fans were in need of perspective- which we seldom are, since our team is so good at putting themselves in perspective after briefly raising our hopes- this story might well provide it.

Yes, indeed.

Gotta love that Corey Crawford.

Antti who?

We're back, folks. Here come the 'Hawks!

Cain, Romney, and (shudder) Paul lead in Iowa

According to Rasmussen, Herman ("If you're unemployed, it's your own fault") Cain now leads the pack in Iowa.

But the real story may be that Mitt Romney is running a reasonably close second in a state whose Republicans and Democrats each tend to congregate around the zany ends of the spectrum.

The poll gives Cain 28%, to Romney's 21%, Ron Paul's 10%, Newt Gingrich's 9%, Michele Bachmann's 8%, Rick Perry's 7%, Rick Santorum's 4%, Jon Huntsman 2%.  "Somebody else" gets 4%, and "not sure" gets 8%.

Huntsman is not contesting Iowa.The results for Bachmann- who won the Ames Straw Poll in August- and for Perry- who recently led the pack in Iowa- are ominous. Bachmann is a native Iowan, and her campaign almost certainly could not survive a finish below the top three in her native state. Perry, whose campaign is reeling nationally, would also find such a poor finish in Iowa a difficult blow from which to recover.

Only a third of respondents say that they are sure that they won't change their minds, however.

Among those "certain" to caucus Cain 's lead over Romney grows to 31% to 18%.  This could be crucial, because Cain has no organization here in Iowa to speak of- and organization can be a major factor in getting supporters to devote an entire cold, winter's evening to the caucus.

HT: Drudge

Somebody needs to help this child

A lesbian couple in California is subjecting the son of one of them to an exceptionally viscious and unnatural form of child abuse: they're feeding him hormone-suppressant drugs to delay puberty because he (and they) want him to be a girl.

Growing up in a home without a male role model is known to have serious effects on the development of both male and female children, and there's no way to know how much of this boy's desire to be a girl flows from his environment. What is clear, however, is that this treatment at age 11 runs a significant risk of causing him to develop cancer.

"Transgender" persons believe themselves to be psychologically of one gender although they are physically of another. Whatever questions may be raised legally- and especially ethically- by the rejection of the gender to which one is genetically assigned, the government needs to protect children from a threat to their health and even their lives through the confusion of rebellion against nature with societal "openness."

If the boy wants to have gender-reassignment surgery when he's an adult, that will be his decision. But his health ought not to be endangered by an attempt to act prematurely on a decision which will have life-long consequences for someone who is still, after all, a child.

Bears 39, Vikings 10

Well, something had to go right this weekend.

First, Ohio State completed only one pass- but knocked Illinois from the ranks of the unbeaten and the Top Twenty anyway. The favorite pastry of the football teams I favor- the turnover- made the difference. Then, the Iowa Hawkeyes beat my Northwestern Wildcats for the first time in four years and the second time in seven. The 'Cats came back from a 17-9 deficit, but it was too little and too late.

And if that wasn't depressing enough, yesterday the St. Louis Cardinals won the National League pennant despite not being good enough to win their own diviision. Should the Redbirds defeat the Texas Rangers in the "World Series," as far as I'm concerned the world championship will be vacant- not because they're the Cardinals, but because, as a wild card team, they have no moral claim to the title.

But at least the Bears thumped the Minnesota Vikings last night, 39-10. The justly-maligned offensive line looked as good last night as it looked bad the previous Monday against Detroit- a team the Bears are anxious to  encounter again. They'll have their chance in three weeks, this time at Soldier Field.

Major Wright and Chris Conte played safety for the Ursines, replacing Chris Harris and Brandon Merriweather- and played it well. Offensive Coordinator Randy Martz augmented Jay Cutler's pass protection by using tight ends as additional blockers. It worked; despite the fact that the Vikes have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, Cutler was able to spend much of Sunday evening in something other than mortal terror for a change. Cutler was sacked only once, threw two touchdown passes, and went 21-for-31 for 258 yards.  Minnesota defensive end Brian Robinson summed it up: “It’s tough to get a rush with six, seven people blocking."

Any hope the Bears have of making the playoffs depends on beating the Bucs at Wembley Stadium in London next Sunday, and beating the Lions at home three weeks hence. And a victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia in between wouldn't exactly hurt, either.

BEAR DOWN!!!

She's come undone

Nancy Pelosi froths at the mouth. Note that what she's inveighing against is simply a prohibition against taxpayers having to pay for abortions through Obamacare:

A thought for Saturday evening

Go, U Northwestern!
Kick the Hawkeyes' butts!
Then we'll roll 'em over
And we'll kick them in the guts!
Go, U Northwestern,
Wildcats, brave and true!
Stomp on that team from Iowa till
Their black and gold is black and blue!!

Shame, Mr. President. Shame.

Egypt's Christian minority is suffering in the throes of an increasing persecution. On Sunday, the Egyptian military massacred more than two dozen peaceful Coptic Christians who were protesting the burning of a church.

President Obama has called for restraint- on the part of the persecuted Christians! His statement on the massacre pointedly equates the peaceful dissent of the victims from an act of religious persecution and their murder by Muslim military thugs.

This is Barack Obama in a nutshell. Everybody seems to see it, regardless of their political philosophy. Conservatives complain about his wimpish willingness to sacrifice principle to the cause of getting along with everybody- including bullies and monsters- in the arena of foreign policy. Liberals (oh, excuse me.... progressives; liberals are ashamed to be called "liberals" these days) complain about his wimpish desire to sacrifice principle to the cause of getting along with everybody- including (shudder) Republicans.

Not, of course, that there's any more real equivalence between the two than there is between peaceful and persecuted Egyptian Christians and their murderous Muslim Egyptian persecutors. Democracy thrives on comity and compromise, and both commodities have been in short supply in recent years. If anything, Mr. Obama exhibited more common sense and maturity in the recent debt ceiling controversy than did his opponents.

But the give-and-take which is the lifeblood of democracy is not the same as the craven equation of the peaceful persecuted with the violent persecutor. The president's craven, reprehensible response to the religious crisis in Egypt is an all too typical example of the spineless, wimpish foreign policy which has characterized this administration.

Not only our national interest and our national self-respect, but the very principle of moral perspective, demands Mr. Obama's replacement by somebody who knows the difference between shooting somebody for being of a different religion and being shot for that reason.

HT: Drudge

Yeah. Pretty much.

Steve Rosenbloom of the Trib kind of has the Bears' number- which, in case you haven't been paying attention, is currently 2-3.

I predict that they will finish at least .500. But they had a lot of people convinced that they were better than that. They're not.

Odds favor Romney and Cain

Here are the odds on the various candidates winning the Republican presidential nomination next year, according to Irish betting site Paddy Power.

Mitt Romney leads the pack at 8/15, followed by Herman Cain at 7/2 and Rick Perry at 4/1. Frighteningly, the odds against Ron Paul, according to Paddy Power, are only 16/1.

Michele Bachmann, the "flavor of the month" when our local right-wing whack jobs here in Iowa made her the winner of the Ames straw poll back in August, continues to fade. Paddy Power now has the odds against the Lutheran apostate's nomination at 40/1.

A thing Vancouver men will not stand for

This is carrying gender equality a little far- even for Canada.

HT: Drudge

Yes, Mr. Obama is, indeed, a sorry president

Our weak, obsequious president- who routinely demeans both his office and his nation by bowing to foreign monarchs, including the Emperor of Japan- reportedly has sought to apologize for the ending of World War II and the saving of countless American and Japanese lives by the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Japanese said no. Not clear whether it's because they hold a grudge,or because they have the good sense to realize that Pearl Harbor, Japanese war crimes, and the entire war in the Pacific resulting from Japanese aggression would render such an apology proportionally absurd.

But never underestimate Barack Obama's eagerness to apologize for America.

HT: Drudge

This should probably be made clear

Hat tip to Dan Lester on Facebook:

Aussie golf course has REAL water hazards

Doubtless the Carbrook Gold golf course near Brisbane is Greg Norman's favorite place to play.

Well, maybe not. They call Norman "the Great White Shark." But contrary to popular (Peter Benchly-aided) belief, it's not great whites but bull sharks (left), such as the ones which inhabit Carbrook's water hazards, that are the fiercest and nastiest kind. Bull sharks are believed to kill more humans than any other species, and to be responsible for many of the fatalities blamed on other kinds.

These scariest of sharks do not shy away from fresh water, and have been found in the Mississippi River as far north as Illinois and Indiana.

A gallery of the world's ten most dangerous shark species (in ascending order) can be found here.

YES! BoSox curse-breaker Epstein will be the Cubs' new GM!

The Associated Press is reporting that Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein, who built teams that won Boston two world championships in the last decade after it had gone since 1917 without one, will be named the Cubs' new GM within 48 hours.

His actual title will reportedly be President of Baseball Operations. The report says that he will sign a five-year contract worth more than $15 million.

He will be the first Cubs executive ever to have played with Pearl Jam.

Epstein, the architect of the demise of the Curse of the Bambino (allegedly wrought when Boston traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees), will now have a crack at the only longer drought in major league history. The Cubs have gone since 1908 without winning a world championship; the problem is allegedly  the Curse of the Billy Goat, supposedly initiated bythe refusal of Cubs' management to allow tavern owner Billy Sianis to bring his horned, bearded and smelly mascot into Wrigley Field for the 1945 World Series.

The Cubs lost the Series to the Detroit Tigers in six games, and despite what seemed like a sure thing in 1969 and close calls in 1984 and 2003 haven't been back to the Fall Classic since.

Lions 24, Bears 13

Well, the Bears did set an NFL record last night.

For most false start penalties.

The Bears' season is now, of course, toast. And after such a promising start, too. They're not going to finish either first or second on the NFC North, and hence will not make the playoffs. Maybe the Bears will wake up and get rid of Jerry Angelo after the season. Maybe. I won't count on it, though.

I can't say I begrudge Detroit the victory, though- for the same reason I'm rooting for the Tigers to somehow still win the World Series. I feel about Detroit kind of the way I felt about New Orleans during the Saints' Super Bowl year. It's a city that's taken some awfully hard knocks, and it deserves some good news.

Being a loyal Blackhawks fan, however, i want to make it clear that my sympathy does not extend to the Red Wings.

And there's another reason why I have a soft spot in my heart for the Lions. The Bears lost in the NFL championship game in 1956.  The next year, when I was seven, was the first year I was really aware enough of them to be a fan. That's the year they began a long epoch of being the second-best team in the Western Division, behind first the Lions, and then the Colts, and then the Packers.

There were only two divisions in the NFL back then, just as there were only two leagues and no divisions in Major League baseball. Just as I (like every other fan whose team didn't make it) automatically had a rooting interest in the World Series even so- you rooted for the champion of your league- so I rooted for the Western Division champs in the NFL championship game.

I feel sorry for younger fans, who are prevented by the multiplicity of divisions and paths to the playoffs in both sports from having a stake in the World Series and the NFL championship game every year, no matter how bad their own teams are.

The Lions won our division in 1957, and I well remember rooting them home to a decisive 59-14 victory over the Browns in the title game. So I'm willing to forgive Detroit for yesterday's result.

Provided they beat the P___ers. Twice.

Herman Cain disqualifies himself

Several weeks ago, I overheard an elderly woman on the bus complaining to a friend that corporations didn't care about people like her.

I was tempted to ask her to imagine that one of those corporations produced a product which she bought regularly because of its high quality and low price. I then would have asked her to further imagine that a competitor came out with a better product at a lower price still.

Would she continue to patronize the first company? I'm certain that she would have replied in the negative; after all, she appeared to have lived long enough to accrue at least a bit of common sense.

I then would have replied, "WHAT!? You don't care about that first company? How utterly heartless of you!"

My point would have been that it's no more a corporation's business to care about her than it is her business to care about that corporation. Rather, it's the role of both to act in their own economic self-interest. That's the way our system works- and our system works more often than not because that's the way human nature works. It's perfectly true, of course, that to act otherwise might, under certain circumstances, be praiseworthy, as an example  of selflessness above and beyond what could be considered normal or reasonable. But our economic system is built on the notion that people- and corporations- act, not out of charity toward one another, but out of a desire to benefit economically.

The people who are "occupying" Wall Street and demonstrating in other cities all over America fail to grasp that basic fact of economics. They do not deserve to be taken seriously. As one of the many Americans who have suffered a great deal from the current economic downturn- a disaster caused not by corporate greed alone, but by corporate greed combined precisely by a failure on the part of corporations to act intelligently in their own self-interest (bubbles- including the housing bubble- are the result of stupidity and hubris in a far more immediate sense than they are the fault of the profit motive as such), I share their annoyance at the behavior of Wall Street in the crisis, and a part of me is outraged at the fact that corporate bailouts, golden parachutes and simple institutional insulation from the consequences of their own actions have protected the people who actually deserve to suffer.

But I don't blame capitalism for the shape the economy is in- and whether they are honest enough to admit it or not, that is precisely what the demonstrators are doing.

I have to admit to a soft spot in my heart for presidential candidate Herman Cain. True, he lacks the experience in government a president needs; I'm committed to Mitt Romney, with Jon Huntsman as my fall-back choice. One by one,all of  the other Republican candidates have made statements or taken positions so feckless as to disqualify them, in my view, as potential presidents. Until now, I hadn't come across that sort of thing from Cain, a self-made man who, as an African-American, is in a unique position to reach out to an original part of its constituency which the Republican party lost a long time ago.

But alas, Mr. Cain has joined the club. He, too, has disqualified himself as a potential president. He, too, has joined the ranks of the Ron Pauls and the Michele Bachmanns and the Rick Perrys, and become nothing more than a bad joke.

He told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, "Don't blame Wall Street. Don't blame the big banks. If  you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself."

I'm sorry, Mr. Cain, but I can't do that. And I won't do that. I'm about to be employed full-time in a permanent job for the first time since the collapse of '08, and that hiatus is not my fault. Nor are the millions of Americans who have spent these nightmare years in the same boat as I have- or worse- to blame for the nightmare that their lives have become.

Most of us are not looking to assign blame. We'd be satisfied with a job instead.

And as it happens, we live in an age in which illiterate techies are highly employable by a society which does not particularly value the ability, for example, to write a coherent sentence or spell one's way out of a paper bag. Age alone is enough to keep an unemployed person unemployed, and a shocking number of companies follow the unconscionable practice of refusing to even consider employing anyone who has been out of work for a year or more. This does more than blight the lives of a very large number of Americans who find themselves in such a position through no fault of their own; if it continues, it will cripple the economy (and by extension the very companies which follow this policy) by creating an unsupportably huge percentage of the population who will be permanent non-consumers. And no, Mr. C, It will not be their fault. And both they and the millions of other Americans who are facing a crisis they never imagined they'd experience deserve better than to have you tell them that it is.

Good grief, man. You're running for president! Anyone who can so completely lose touch with his own political self-interest as to make such a statement at a moment when the huge percentage of Americans who are unemployed is the biggest issue facing the nation raises serious doubts about whether he has the judgment required to be president. Mr. Cain, you statement  isn't simply incredibly insensitive; it puts you in the same category with Michele Bachmann and her attribution of "blame" for the Arab Spring to President Obama!

And yes, I, too, am tempted to blame Wall Street, to some extent. If I don't, it's because selfishness is a part of the human condition- the very human condition which makes capitalism the most successful system in history at providing for the needs of the people who live under it. So is stupidity. The tragedy is that capitalism is unable to turn stupidity to our benefit the way it normally turns selfishness.

No, I'm not interested in blaming anybody for the current situation. I'm interested in finding a solution. I think the Republicans are more likely to lead us to that solution, and to a restoration of the prosperity which now seems to be a thing of the past, than are President Obama and the Democrats.

But I cannot consider a candidate with the insensitivity, the cluelessness, and the unmitigated gall to tell me and the millions of others who are suffering the consequences of a crisis we never made that it's somehow our fault. And nobody else should, either.

This has got to be the most idiotic- and the most disqualifying- remark any presidential candidate has made in my lifetime.

Cain leads Romney by 20 points in one poll, and trails him by five in another

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A Zogby poll released yesterday has Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain not only leading the pack, but a full twenty points ahead of his nearest rival, Mitt Romney.

The poll puts Cain in a statistical dead heat with President Obama in a hypothetical matchup.

Meanwhile, a CBS poll released Wednesday puts Cain and Romney in a tie for first place among Republicans, with 17% each. A Quinnipiac University poll puts Cain in second place, trailing Romney by five percent.

Whatever the reason, the Cain boom is real. I would not be either surprised nor disappointed by a Romney/Cain ticket next year. The former Godfathers' pizza executive may not have the experience necessary to be president- yet. But he's clearly struck a responsive chord in the nation's Republican voters.

HT: Drudge

BREAKING: Palin will NOT run in 2012

Radio talk show host Mark Levin says that Sarah Palin has told him that she will not be a candidate for president in 2012.

One less unelectable distraction from the task of beating Barack Obama. Palin has pretty well discredited herself as a potential president by her comments during the last three years, and apparently has the sense to realize it. Would that Bachmann, Paul and Perry had so much sense.

ABOVE: Tolerant, reasonable, peaceful Democrats greet Palin, then the Republican candidate for vice-president,  at a rally in Eugene, Oregon during the last campaign. Had Palin run, we could have expected more of the same.

Polls show Obama in big trouble

Two polls- one from Rasmussen, and the other from Gallup- are bad news for Mr.Obama.

First, the generic Republican now beats President Obama by six points.The problem for Republicans, of course, is that they have to run a specific person against him.

And four in ten Americans now "strongly" disapprove of POTUS's performance in office.

Unless the Republicans do something really, really stupid- like nominating Bachmann or Perry or Paul or Palin or some other sure loser- a new president may well be taking office a year from January.

Oh, how the media and Hollywood will howl....

HT: Drudge