Is This Patriotism? PART I: Tough Talk

Many of our nation’s political figures have become fire-breathing opportunists. They condescendingly point fingers during town hall meetings, or threaten other nations and then smile. 

This country used to elect imperfect people who, despite personal flaws and often failed policy- still practiced restraint and favored diplomacy, especially in regards to matters of foreign policy. 

Not anymore. In this post 9/11 era, we hear threats far more frequently from our own politicians than even Al Qaeda. Remember what Representative (and ‘08 GOP presidential candidate) Tom Tancredo once told a radio show host?  He said a Tomcredo presidency would “take out their holy sites” should Islamic terrorists pull off a multi-city nuclear attack on our soil. Yes, he actually clarified that he was talking about bombing Mecca. Way to distinguish between criminals and innocent Saudis, Tom. Innocent until stereotyped, I guess.

During the GOP presidential debates, the rhetoric had a vengeful tone. Mitt Romney had this to say about the lasting value of one of the not-so-bright spots in recent American history- the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp:

To Indiana Jones fans: a spoiler-free warning

After watching the first trailer for ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ my excitement quickly turned on me. Everything about this installment seems to be a bit limp, from the action sequences that have a very “stunt show” vibe to them, to the look of it all- which juggles phony CG with overstuffed sound stages. 

The film has just screened ahead of the May 22nd release date, and even the most favorable review (so far) claims it to be only the third best of the series (calling ‘The Last Crusade’ the weakest of the bunch, which is a nutty view in my book). However- two other fans are less happy, and here are some spoiler-free excerpts:

Faith and Mysticism PART I: this sounds creepy.

Should we welcome, and even search for episodes of elevated spirituality?

Last night I went to Seattle Pacific University to watch two friends of mine- host Dick Staub and pastor Earl Palmer, as they spoke with other experts about author C.S. Lewis and his views on faith and mysticism. 

I can’t help but think of levitating spheres, prisms with rainbows and Yanni music when I hear the word ‘mysticism.’ It has been associated with self-righteousness, and many (including myself) are often skeptical about those claiming to have had such experiences. I say this as a Christian, which is admittedly ironic because I believe in God, the supernatural and a Bible which is filled with fantastic and mysterious events. As a person of faith, I still favor an intellectual explanation or a rational argument over the warm fuzzies.

“And here…we…GO!” The third Dark Knight trailer has arrived

I’m leaning a little heavily on stuff from The Dark Knight, but The Broken Telegraph is only a week and a half old, and during that time they’ve just kept on releasing more (blaming “them” is so much easier).  So if you’re interested in watching the third trailer- which was just released hours ago- look no further:

China completes two record-breaking structures

The People’s Republic of China (such an ironic title given their record on human rights) have finished two structures that are claiming a place in the record books- until Dubai reads it as a taunt.

First up is the world’s longest sea bridge, which links Shanghai to the industrial city of Ningbo. The bridge is a total of 22 miles long, and extends across Hangzhou Bay, cutting the distance between the two cities from roughly 250 miles to about 50 miles.  Have another look:

Iraq: mission accomplished, and home in six months?

I just finished reading the newly released ‘Mission Accomplished! Or How We Won The War In Iraq.’  Many remember the President’s infamous visit to the aircraft carrier in May of 2003, where he emerged from a S-3B Viking aircraft wearing a flight suit and later gave a  ”victory” speech that was premature to say the least. The title of the book borrows from the huge banner that hung behind the President as he spoke to the cameras on that day- only this time it’s meant to be tongue in cheek.  It’s a quick read and a pretty devastating one, too.

“Our mission is clear in Iraq. Should we have to go in, our mission is very clear: disarmament.” -George W. Bush, March 6, 2003

‘Mission Accomplished’ works so well because it is really just a compilation of quotes- about Iraq and related matters- spoken by everyone from the hawks at the top of the Bush Administration to the trumpeters in the media. The authors (Christopher Cerf and Victor S. Navasky along with illustrator Robert Grossman) frequently interrupt the rhetoric with factual rebuttals and clever sketches, but they mostly let the politicians and pundits hang themselves by their own words.

“Our forces have been given a clear mission: to end a regime that threatened its neighbors and the world with weapons of mass destruction and to free a people that have suffered far too long.” -George W. Bush, April 14, 2003

These two guys did a massive amount of research, and I want to share a bit of it with you in hopes that you’ll share your thoughts with me. First, a look back at the stated mission in Iraq (keeping in mind the previous two quotes): 

Get well NOW!

I was talking with a friend on the bus ride home about a challenge facing my wife and I (outside of our marraige). He listened, smiled, and only had this to say: “just remember that there are a lot of people out there who are struggling as well.” I thought it was a weird response. But I actually appreciate it now, because he attempted to solve… nothing.

His statement also graceously reminded me of my small place on this large and complicated globe (something easily forgotten when we learn of a threat to our calm and controlled lives). A little context goes a long way. His comment was subtle and authentic, and as I think about it more- very rare. 

A closer look at Batman’s new suit

 

So here’s the new poster from The Dark Knight. Absolutely shiver inducing, is it not? The poster arrives just days after Warner Brothers surprised the audience at the New York Comic Con with the debut of the third trailer (which is going to be released within 2 weeks or so).

I have a large compartment of turbo geek built into my psyche, which releases nerd goo every time something related to this movie comes out. 

That being said, I am not a fan of the new suit.

3…2…1…predictable!

I just checked, and there are about 2.99 million blogs on WordPress alone. According to the “ticker” as older parents like to say- 107,627 new WordPress posts have been published since the day began. And what about sites like blogspot, livejournal, typepad, blogger, EgoPad (not a blog site but it should be) and the many others? They probably have millions of these abominations too.

According to this article , there are at least 112.8 million blogs, plus 72.82 million under China’s umbrella (they get counted separately; something about the Great Wall clause). That’s 185.62 million blogs in total floating around the World Wide Series of Tubes. Quite a few.

So here comes mine, millions on top of millions of blogs too late.  It’s the remake of Psycho, basically (meaning totally unnecessary). And yet- I’m excited about it, and I’m glad that you found your way here.

So in honor of this mini-celebration, I’m going to post a photo that will certainly set your dial to ‘Festival.’  Shall we? 3…2….1…

Welcome to The Broken Telegraph.