First of all, rumors of my demise, elopement, etc. are greatly exaggerated!
As you may recall, I have 9 computers in my house (Laurelin, Telperion, Numerramar, Earrame, Yavanna, Este, Tulkas, Vaire, and Anduril) plus 2 dead ones (Vingilot and Alcarondas) and an iPAQ (Sting). The loaner Athlon 2400 (Osse) is back in my office now.
Well, to make a long story short: it turns out that Earrame had
Anyhow, from just before noon yesterday until noon today, I had no web (httpd), mail (IMAP/SMTP), remote login (SSH), file transfer (SCP), or chat (IRC) capabilities. I did have AIM/ICQ and YIM sporadically so that I could whinge and pound on the doors of the ark that is the Internet.
I wasn't shaking, through, mmkay?
Second, my friends list is active with another political discussion that promises to dwarf the creationist debate from last week. You've heard of the conservative Christian university Bob Jones University, the largest private liberal arts university in South Carolina? Well,
tv_elf reports on this letter from its president, Bob Jones III, to President G. W. Bush, and her most excellent satiric response, worthy of Swift at the very least.
I'm quite impressed at the responses.wiliqueen follows up in this initial commentary and in this follow-up thread, the latter of which has some cogent remarks by others. As several have noted, it's hard to pick out a single point of contention with what I find to be an all-around odious letter, but I'll stick to a point of inappropriate labeling:
For goodness' sake, put away that broad brush, Dr. Jones. It's sheerest fallacy to insinuate that all liberals despise Christ, and as a point of political pragmatism, it is beyond myopic to tell a president who purports to seek bipartisan solutions that he owes liberals nothing. Heaven forfend a liberal should have voted for G. W. Bush - he should have returned those votes uncounted! Then again, perhaps "bipartisan" is a bad word to Dr. Jones.
I'd also like to quotewiliqueen's plea to Dr. Jones:
As for that SIKRIT Pagan AgendaTM:havocthecat done posted it! Well, I'll be durned. You don't see 
teunc posting its agenda, do you? (Hrmm...)
As for Dr. Jones's America: let's just say I am glad it presently exists only in his letters. Me, I had to import a pagan student from overseas - that's how frelling unamerican I am.
Why don't you write to your mental students?
-Banadad, referring to my mentees
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Banazir
As you may recall, I have 9 computers in my house (Laurelin, Telperion, Numerramar, Earrame, Yavanna, Este, Tulkas, Vaire, and Anduril) plus 2 dead ones (Vingilot and Alcarondas) and an iPAQ (Sting). The loaner Athlon 2400 (Osse) is back in my office now.
Well, to make a long story short: it turns out that Earrame had
DOS_AGOBOT on it and Telperion was infected with KLEZ.H. Silly me; I give Symantec AntiVirus 9.0 to all my students and friends and I don't install it on 3 of my own systems. Well, one of these started launching some kind of port scanning attack on a remote site. Cox Communications shut down my service at 11:27 CST Fri 12 Nov 2004. I am a wee bit miffed that Cox still counted this incident against their "three strikes policy", even though they know it is most likely a trojan horse virus. Gah.Anyhow, from just before noon yesterday until noon today, I had no web (httpd), mail (IMAP/SMTP), remote login (SSH), file transfer (SCP), or chat (IRC) capabilities. I did have AIM/ICQ and YIM sporadically so that I could whinge and pound on the doors of the ark that is the Internet.
I wasn't shaking, through, mmkay?
Second, my friends list is active with another political discussion that promises to dwarf the creationist debate from last week. You've heard of the conservative Christian university Bob Jones University, the largest private liberal arts university in South Carolina? Well,
tv_elf reports on this letter from its president, Bob Jones III, to President G. W. Bush, and her most excellent satiric response, worthy of Swift at the very least.I'm quite impressed at the responses.
wiliqueen follows up in this initial commentary and in this follow-up thread, the latter of which has some cogent remarks by others. As several have noted, it's hard to pick out a single point of contention with what I find to be an all-around odious letter, but I'll stick to a point of inappropriate labeling:You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ.
For goodness' sake, put away that broad brush, Dr. Jones. It's sheerest fallacy to insinuate that all liberals despise Christ, and as a point of political pragmatism, it is beyond myopic to tell a president who purports to seek bipartisan solutions that he owes liberals nothing. Heaven forfend a liberal should have voted for G. W. Bush - he should have returned those votes uncounted! Then again, perhaps "bipartisan" is a bad word to Dr. Jones.
I'd also like to quote
wiliqueen's plea to Dr. Jones:Hate me if you have to, but at least take some pity on the sane Christians -- and, in point of fact, sane Evangelicals (and yes, Virginia, they do exist) -- who end up getting splattered with your delusional war paint. Sheesh.
As for that SIKRIT Pagan AgendaTM:
havocthecat done posted it! Well, I'll be durned. You don't see teunc posting its agenda, do you? (Hrmm...)As for Dr. Jones's America: let's just say I am glad it presently exists only in his letters. Me, I had to import a pagan student from overseas - that's how frelling unamerican I am.
Why don't you write to your mental students?
-Banadad, referring to my mentees
--
Banazir
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You and I had a nice long discussion on this last night. Dr. Jones (aka BJIII apparently) is doing more assuming than any one person has the right to.
Oh, you don't know the half of it!
Why would you? It's not as if their SIKRIT agenda is posted on the Internet.
(tongue firmly in cheek - see??)
Speaking in tongues! W00t!
(OMG 1337 t0ngu3z!1!!!)
You and I had a nice long discussion on this last night. Dr. Jones (aka BJIII apparently) is doing more assuming than any one person has the right to.
I concur. IMO what's interesting and a cause for concern is not that he has the "audacity" to write to the president. Rather, it is the apparent supposition that he is inclined to listen to the exhortation to "put aside" everyone to the left of that there fulcrum. A Billy Graham letter that is not.
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Banazir
Despite its being named after its founder and his grandfather, I think it's still telling that it is a lineal hereditary presidency.
It's a great view of the hypocrisy of some religious institutions though. I wonder what ever happened to love thy neighbor in their belief system.
It seems to have gone the way of the Golden Rule, forms of which are to be found in many a world religion (Judaism, Christianity, Wicca, etc.). Here's a nice treatise.
Matthew 25:40 works well in this context:
After all, you know, there's nobody lesser than a liberal. ;-)
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Banazir
I gotta say I agree withy this 100%. Whoever does the Christ voice-overs that Bush thinks he's hearing in his head - Cheney, Rowe, or whoever - I'm pretty sure every liberal worth the name despises him. :-)
I gotta say I agree withy this 100%. Whoever does the Christ voice-overs that Bush thinks he's hearing in his head - Cheney, Rowe, or whoever - I'm pretty sure every liberal worth the name despises him. :-)
Eh, I don't think GWB hears Cheney or Karl Rove has his Christ. Hearing them as his VP and senior advisor are bad enough, you see.
As for the above quote: I think the operative word is your. I'm sure Dr. Jones honestly believes that because Christians share one Christ, he is qualified to impute his perception of that Christ to President Bush. As one of my professors used to say, "saying something emphatically and often does not make it true".
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Banazir
In your re-election, God has graciously granted America—though she doesn't deserve it—a reprieve from the agenda of paganism.
Who is Dr. Jones to judge whether or not America deserves anything. And just what is the agenda of paganism?
You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ.
And the liberals who worship that same Christ, what of them?
Undoubtedly, you will have opportunity to appoint many conservative judges and exercise forceful leadership with the Congress in passing legislation that is defined by biblical norm regarding the family, sexuality, sanctity of life, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and limited government
What are biblical norms? Don't get me wrong, I mean I do agree with a focus on family, sanctity of life, religious freedom (yo, Bob - that means for everyone, not just those of us who are Christians), etc. But what are those norms he is referring to?
Christ said, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my father honour” (John 12:26).
Nice biblical quote tossed in there for what purpose? It almost seems like an afterthought.
If you have weaklings around you who do not share your biblical values, shed yourself of them.
Weaklings? Uh. . .
Conservative Americans would love to see one president who doesn't care whether he is liked, but cares infinitely that he does right.
Thank you ever so much for answering for all conservative Americans. I happen to know of a few conservative Americans, Christians even, who voted for Kerry. What does that make them?
Sincerely your friend,
Friend? I don't know if that's true or not, but most 'friends' don't sign letters with their title following, do they?
PS: A few moments ago I read this letter to the students in Chapel. They applauded loudly their approval.
Nice to know there is, from what he says here, an entire student body with this attitude.
Again, don't get me wrong - I happen to be thrilled Bush won. But this letter just... wow. Really. Just wow.
(and you were too shaking! Withdrawal!!!)
Guh, my robot army will clean away all false religions... The church of jeff will ro><or.
... as opposed to the ideal Coulterian Republican party?
As I said, I am concerned for the future of humanity when you get your hands on some Sartre and Rand.
This is why (one reason out of many) I don't vote, guh...
Amen? :-P
Guh, my robot army will clean away all false religions...
The church of jeff will ro><or.
You see, I still subscribe to
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Banazir
No, my evil republican party.
World Domination...err, Manifest destinyAmen? :-P
Amen, The Passion of the Jeff compels you...
You see, I still subscribe to [info]zengeneral Adventism... if only because I can put in my failsafes (or extra "options").
... mental note: do a code review of any machine learning submitted for the robot army. ... also note: inspect training set
World Domination...err, Manifest destinyOh, you're a member of my party?
::checks your renewal status::
Amen, The Passion of the Jeff compels you...
See, I could see you being pummeled and crucified, but not for any apparent reason.
... mental note: do a code review of any machine learning submitted for the robot army.
Closed source and black box: it's the only way to fly.
... also note: inspect training set
"... I'll bet a fiddle o' gold against your soul,
'cause I think I'm better'n you..."
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Banazir
New Song - "The Devil went down to LJ, looking for a file to spool."
I need to write this spoof? Do I have time--looks at watch--maybe later. I'll post it next week after I set up some servers for next weeks Tests' in SQL Server.
On Topic- Response to letter : Guy should be trasked with a leather bound copy of King James Version by a Redneck Borg Drone.
He was in a bind
'cause he was way behind
and he needed to find a fool.
I need to write this spoof? Do I have time--looks at watch--maybe later. I'll post it next week after I set up some servers for next weeks Tests' in SQL Server.
Looking forward to it!
On Topic- Response to letter : Guy should be trasked with a leather bound copy of King James Version by a Redneck Borg Drone.
As long as it's KJV and not those gnufangled NIV and RSVs and ESVs and NABs (actually I have no idea whether BJU objects to any of those; I have heard nothing but good things about the NIV, except where it uses unmetric).
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Banazir
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Banazir
::checks your renewal status::
My party...
See, I could see you being pummeled and crucified, but not for any apparent reason.
I was, and I was reborn...
Closed source and black box: it's the only way to fly.
... yes, closed source is good...
"... I'll bet a fiddle o' gold against your soul,
'cause I think I'm better'n you..."
"my name's Jeffrey and it might be a sin but I'll take your bet and you're gonna regret 'Cause I'm the best there's ever been"
(damn you) (DAMN YOU!!) (THIS SONG IS IN MY HEAD NOW...) (AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT OUT, IS WITH A BULLET!!!) (... not really... )
So that should be "'puter o' gold", but OK...
(damn you) (DAMN YOU!!) (THIS SONG IS IN MY HEAD NOW...) (AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT OUT, IS WITH A BULLET!!!) (... not really... )
"K-State graduate student commits shotgun suicide; advisor implicated..." (shakes head)
Wait.
*blinks*
Did you just equate House of KDD with "House of the Rising Sun"?
NOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!
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Banazir
Did you just equate House of KDD with "House of the Rising Sun"?
NOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!
does http://houseofkdd.gotdns.org/ look like the House of the Rising Sun.... .. oh.. wait... hmmm... no, wait.. yea... crap
OK, somebody shoot me now.
Thank you. That is all.
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Banazir
My only point in this entry is to demonstrate that if any political viewpoint has a right to claim the Bible as its foundation, or to say that it is doing the social will of God, it would be what we currently call "leftist," "liberal," "socialist," or whatever stupid term you want to use. And it is a mistake to assume that the will of God does not extend to nations and there domestic and foreign policy.
Many Christians of all denominations, including a majority of American Catholics, would agree with him.
Thanks for this.
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Banazir
I hope the election of George W. Bush is seen as a wake-up call to all the liberal Democrats who oppose God's will.
It is His doing that George W. Bush is still our president. Millions of born-again Christians helped win this election through our prayers and votes. Jesus speaks through the Republicans.
The Democrats will not be able to win elections until they renounce their sinful ways and stop encouraging abortions, gayness, and trying to take away our guns.
Earl Balboa
Not to mention that in the so-called Ten Commandments, it explicitly says Do Not Kill - and yet apparently a needless war in which thousands of innocent civilians are killed is fine. Likewise it says among those ten, Do Not Commit Adultery, and says nothing about gay sex, and yet the former is not illegal whereas there are many attempts to restrict the latter.
And - isn't it a little blasphemous to say that Jesus speaks through the Republicans? Which of them? All? One particular one? Several at random? How can we tell? Take it on faith? Ask the Pope? Oh, no, wait, there are "Christians" out there who say that Catholics are not Christian...
Guns don't embrace babies, people do!
Not to mention that in the so-called Ten Commandments, it explicitly says Do Not Kill - and yet apparently a needless war in which thousands of innocent civilians are killed is fine. Likewise it says among those ten, Do Not Commit Adultery, and says nothing about gay sex, and yet the former is not illegal whereas there are many attempts to restrict the latter.
Yeah, we (humans as a race) aren't too good on the not coveting, honoring parents, and telling the truth, either. Funny how some violations lead to others.
And - isn't it a little blasphemous to say that Jesus speaks through the Republicans? Which of them? All? One particular one? Several at random? How can we tell? Take it on faith? Ask the Pope? Oh, no, wait, there are "Christians" out there who say that Catholics are not Christian...
Jesus speaks through Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and many other political denominations besides. He even speaks through right-wing extremists sometimes, who'da thunk it?
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Banazir
I'd say I hope this is a satire, but um, maybe not.
My first reaction was to look up Earl Balboa and look for anagrams.
It's interesting and telling that the author implies "renunciation of sinful ways" will enable the Democrats to win elections, as if a shift of position on reproductive choice, freedom from discimination and rights for homosexuals, and gun control are like holding one's arms up through a battle or trasking the ground six-seven times with an arrow.
Hrm. That gives me an idea...
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Banazir