Are You Kidding Me?

This is the actual cover of the current issue of Vermont Catholic magazine, the monthly publication put out by the Diocese of Burlington. No, really.

Less than a week after an almost-$18 million settlement with the remaining 26 plaintiffs (you know, all those children who were diddled by priests for decades while the Church pretended it didn't know what was going on?), they still put a photo of a young man kneeling in front of the Bishop on the cover of their magazine.

Two pages into the magazine there is a letter from Bishop Salvatore Matano discussing the recent settlement, and apologizing for the whole ugly mess that, to be fair, started long before he even took the position as bishop in Vermont. Toward the end, he asks God for forgiveness for any insensitivity which he may have shown during this process. Hey Sal, keep trying.

Sure we know that this photo is depicting the rite of ordination but does the editor of the Vermont Catholic understand irony?

Still, while it might come across as insensitive, it clearly wasn't intended to be... probably? Well, the Catholic Church has always been culturally and socially tone deaf. Why change that now? When you think about the things that have driven people away from the Church historically, it has been largely due to the institution's unwillingness to look outside itself. Birth control, same sex marriage, abortion, homosexuality, females in the clergy, celibate priests: in each case, the Church eschews change and progress, and instead turns inward losing more and more members along the way.

The image on this magazine cover is further demonstration this disconnect. Why, in the midst of a sex scandal, would you put a photo on the cover that evokes the very act for which the scandal is known? Certainly, someone had to make note of this...

Thanks Plaid Crew for the story!~

White House Needs Informants

Have you had a debate with your co-workers about Health 'Insurance' Reform? An argument at the stall at the ball game? How about a fist fight with your wife at the kitchen table? Well, if you know anyone who dared to publicly oppose the government's plan to take over healthcare - the White House wants you to report that person (or persons) ASAP.

I mean, other than this site...

Found on the White House.gov website:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Emphasis added by me to, you know, add emphasis.

What exactly is this word “disinformation?” It seems to be used to describe opposition. So, the White House wants to be informed of any forwarded emails or blog posts or any “casual conversations” that could be taken as opposition to their health care overhaul plan? Okay.

The White House has not offered an explanation of what they plan to do all the tips on policy opposition they receive from citizen informers. Perhaps a little re-education?

To quote Ron Paul, “It is still surreal that in a free country we are talking only about HOW government should fix healthcare, rather than WHY government should fix healthcare.”

Hear hear, Doctor. But just one thing... who ever said we were a free country? Anymore anyway?

Thanks to RedState for looking at the White House.gov blog

No Earmarks on that Pork Barrel!

President Barack Obama's ban on earmarks in the $825 billion economic stimulus bill [AKA a giant barrel of pork] hasn't stopped interest groups, lobbyists and lawmakers who won't be able to funnel money to pet projects - they're just working around it, and being more secretive about it.

Some of those bacon-y projects? A Metrolink station that needs building in Placentia, Calif.; a stretch of beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., that could really use some more sand; a water park in Miami, a bridge to nowhere to no-wheres-ville... you know, pork.

Typically, thousands of useless tax-funneled projects would have been staple gunned upfront to get'er passed.... but now they have to try to get in on the back end of the process as "ready to go" jobs eligible for the stimulus plan.

The result, as The Associated Press learned in interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and state and local officials, is a shadowy lobbying effort that may make it difficult to discern how hundreds of billions in federal money will be parceled out.

"'No earmarks' isn't a game-ender," said Peter Buffa, former mayor of Costa Mesa, Calif. "It just means there's a different way of going about making sure the funding is there."

So, to boil this ham down - they're just changing the name 'earmark' to 'job appropriations.' As long as that Miami water park employs someone, then it'll get Congressional money. Sorry, your money.