Points to Ponder:

Lord, take me where You want me to go; let me meet who You want me to meet; tell me what You want me to say, and keep me out of Your way. [Fr. Mychal Judge (d. 9/11/01)]

"None Dare Call It A Volokh Conspiracy" Dept.

To revisit an old segment once run on this humble website at sundry times and in divers manners, we have the this recent piece on the latest list of Supreme Court justice candidates announced by President Trump. Just a snippet to whet the appetite, click on the above link for the rest...

In May 2016, President Trump released his first short list for the Supreme Court. At the time, I was cautiously optimistic about the eleven names on the list. There were two names missing from that list: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, those omissions did not bother me. But it surely bothered these two judges, and their boosters. In September 2016, Trump added ten more names to the list, bringing the total to twenty-one. Neil Gorsuch was added to the list. Brett Kavanaugh was not. In January 2017, Trump nominated Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Fast forward to November 25, 2017, President Trump added five new names to the list. Now, Kavanaugh was added to the list. At this point, it was obvious why the five other names were added: to bring Kavanaugh into the fold. And after Justice Kennedy retired in June 2018, Kavanaugh was tapped to the Supreme Court...

Jadeveon Clowney back isn’t a big blow 

Let’s be honest — the Seahawks failed their off-season test

Seahawks’ quest to improve pass rush severely underwhelms

Points to Ponder:
(On the Far Left and the Far Right)

It is like the far left and the far right both ignore exactly half of the old "sins crying to God for vengeance", most specifically the half that is inconvenient to them.

The far right is all righteous about abortion and sodomy but does not give a shit about oppression of the poor or defrauding labourers of just wages.

The far left is all righteous about the latter two but do not give a shit about the former two.

Both are 50% wrong while prancing around as More Moral Than Thou presuming to pronounce on the eternal damnation of those who disagree with them.

Points to Ponder:

It is always easier to deal with people who are physically ill or deranged or even those who are spiritually bereft rather than when a derangement is a mental one. For as long as their mental faculties are sound, you can potentially get them to see what the problems in the other areas are. But if they have no concept of how to use logic or of reality, you may as well be banging your head against a brick wall. [Me (circa September 2, 2009)]

Will Rioting Sway the Election Picture?

Sean Trende's election analyses are always worth a read.

BLM exploits a society that equates symbolism with substance.

2016 all over again

It is starting to in the words of that great western philosopher Yogi Berra "look like de ja vu all over again."

Riot-Riddled Cities Aren't 'Donald Trump's America'

Resting on the bed
Typing up a quick haiku
For posting right now

Report: Seahawks bringing Paul Richardson back

Trump's Pardon of Susan B Anthony a Deft Political Move

Miscellaneous Musings on Cigars, Gambling, and Alcohol:
As it was today day eighteen years ago that this site was launched, I will delve a bit more into personal stuff about myself of the sort that has not been posted to this site in many years. The following was taken from some of what I posted in social media sources in the past couple of months. Without further ado...

Unless I am at a place like a cigar lounge, I always smoke cigars outside. Its one of my rules if you will. I have rules for a lot of things I do -to give three examples, playing blackjack, drinking beer, and smoking cigars.

With blackjack, I always went north to Tulalip or south to Emerald Queen near Puyallup and played at the Indian casinos and never played at any card house in town. Its not that I did not win, I did good for myself most of the time. But the travel made it an event. (I also refuse to play unless there is a human dealer; ergo, I have not played at the NY casinos in my time out here.) While far from my only rules, there are a few of the strictures I put in place for playing blackjack.

With alcohol, I have specific kinds of beer and wine I will drink (particularly beer) and if a place I go to does not have what I want, I drink water. Mixed drinks are for special occasions only, heck right now even alcohol is as I have weight to lose and until I again hit an acceptable place there, even occasional beer is off limits.

Likewise, with me cigars are an event. I even stopped smoking them in my cars back in 2012 -one of the few non-outside refuges I once allowed myself: not its only outside or places like a cigar lounge. That means it requires scheduling, etc and its far from a random thing.

I have structures I put in place for these things for various reasons let us just say.

Briefly on the Biblical Canon:

This exchange took place in social media yesterday. My words will be in regular font. Without further ado...

Catholism was founded on a political movement and has nothing to do with being a born again believer. Jesus said a man must be born again to enter heaven.  That has nothing to with good works or praying through Mary for Jesus to hear prayers.  That's why a nun can stand there. She would not know Jesus if he personally knocked on her door tonight.

...

no that's Catholic tradition and not Christian history. Peter was a Jew and the first believers were all Jews.  Paul, a Jew, preached to the pegans which caused a rift between Paul and Peter.  The first believers were still practicing Judaism but later changed under Paul's guidance and The Holy Spirit's conviction.  The Catholic faith was established later and attached to a political movement. 

Every Christian that professes Christ but does not live by the bible is as guilty as the nuns preaching the bible at a Biden rally

Theology has nothing to do with biblical truth.

The Catholic Church assembled the biblical canon based in no small part on its tradition. Furthermore, the biblical canon was not finally settled until nearly 400 years after the death of Jesus. You are in other words putting your faith in the Catholic Church getting the collection of books in your bible right. On what basis are you sure they got that right when you take issue with them in so many other areas?

Shawn there are books in the Catholic bible evangelicals  reject. I trust the Holy Spirit not a political organization.

That is a purely arbitrary position taken by evangelicals. How do you know if you cannot trust the Catholics on much of anything else --even on which books are in the OT-- that they got the 27 books of the NT right?

With all due respect "I trust the Holy Spirit" is a copout because you have wildly divergent views all claiming Holy Spirit guidance. Either the Holy Spirit is schizophrenic or most of those claiming Holy Spirit guidance are frauds.

Again, the source of the 27 book NT canon is the Catholic Church. Why should they be trusted there if you do not trust them on anything else?

Revisiting A Controversial Anniversary:
(And Reiterating A Recent Ethical Challenge)

I have written more on the subject pertaining to this anniversary in years past than I wish I had in retrospect. Rather than saying anything new at this time, I have decided to repost two threads previously written on this subject. One is a retrospective commemoration published three years ago.{1} The other is one that begin taking explicit shape{2} in my mind when the aforementioned commemoration material was being drafted.{3} See the footnotes below for details.

This is all I plan to say on the subject for the foreseeable future except I will expect anyone I see publicly{4} bloviating on these subjects during the season for it to take up the proposed ethical challenge I recently published{5} or quite frankly to shut the hell up about it. No more needs to be said on these matters at this time than that; ergo, that is all I will say.

Notes:

{1} Commemorating A Controversial Anniversary (circa August 17, 2017) 

{2} I say explicit shape because I had long had in mind at least implicitly addressing the subject in this sort of fashion if ever I was to involve myself in it again.

{3} On the 1945 Atomic Bomb Controversy and A Proposed Ethical Challenge (circa August 9, 2020) 

{4} Particularly various and sundry pundits, agenda provocateurs, and apologists.

{5} See footnote three.

Pope: Mary's Assumption huge step forward for humanity

Points to Ponder:

Unless I am at a place like a cigar lounge, I always smoke cigars outside. Its one of my rules if you will. I have rules for a lot of things I do.

As the birther morons have resurfaced like the political herpies that they are, I will at this time repost two threads{1} written in 2012 for social media which were later reposted to this site when after it was reactivated. Without further ado...

On Natural Born Citizenship (circa October 29, 2018)

More on the Subject of Natural Born Citizenship (circa October 31, 2018)

Hopefully the birthtards going after Kamala Harris will stick to areas of legitimate targeting of her{2} and ignore these kinds of idiocies.

Notes:

{1} I wrote a lot on these subjects back in 2012 on social media when this site was suspended. Only a few of the threads have been posted here -two 

{2} Of which there are many.