Click image for larger version.

Kari recently pointed out that every magazine featured her on the cover. This, to me, seems bizarre. It’s almost like a printed shrine to her greatness.

What do you think? Is this a good use of the Oprah brand or is this a little narcissistic?

The importance of one church in one state burning a stack of Qur’an’s is trivial, unless, it relates to a bigger trend. Perhaps that is the underlying assumption of this entire story: Americans have repressed hatred toward Islam, and this is the first of many outbreaks of anti-Islamic sentiment. I doubt it.

To the church in Florida, Dove World Outreach Center: do you think burning a stack of books is helpful? I can assure that printing presses will churn out more books than you can possibly burn. From a functional perspective, you will not win the war. Politically, you sparked a firestorm and brought media attention to your church, but what did you do with it? For an organization that focuses on outreach, how can this be helpful? (Editor’s note: how ironic that the church is named after a symbol of peace, the dove.)

I doubt that burning Qur’an’s will bring people closer to Jesus.

To the media: Why was this such a big story? And where were the editorials decrying the striking lack of fairness? In America, a group threatens to burn the Qur’an. In response, Afghans protested and burned U.S. flags. [Source 1, Source 2] They rioted. They burned U.S. flags. The irony here is that their actions were much more severe, but the U.S. ignored it. Applying their standards in return, the U.S. military would have weeded out the protesters for burning the flag. But we didn’t.

What alarms me the most is that I never read this point. America is great because you can burn books. You can protest and vote. You can say outlandish things. Our freedom of speech is great and something absent in the Islamic world. Say what you will, but our political system is better, even if crazy people get more media coverage than they deserve.

In an unusual direct appeal, the EU said Governor Rick Perry should introduce a moratorium on the death penalty and stop the impending 400th execution since Texas resumed capital punishment in 1982.

Our great state’s response:

“The reason our forefathers fought a war 230 years ago was to throw off the yoke of a European monarch so that we may have the freedom of self-determination,” Black said. “Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens.”

This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Texas A&M University because its content was used without permission.

Although technically and legally true, I can’t understand a single benefit of removing this video from the internet. Can you? Maybe they were afraid someone would deface the video and use it to mock A&M. That’s absurd because I coul grab the video when they play it on TV and do what I please to it. Maybe they were afraid to be associated with YouTube and it’s scandalous videos. I can’t even think of a reply to a question as absurd as that.
I’m guessing that A&M, along with most gray-beards across the land, fear the loss of control associated with media posted to the internet. They can’t control where it is or who looks at it, and therefore it causes fear among those who no longer comprehend marketing of today. The saw the video being used without permission and reflexively chose to yank the video from the internet.
So why’s this a big deal? Honestly, it’s not, but it does make me question the leadership and vision of those calling the shots in A&M’s marketing department. Their response should have been, “Sweet. Our video’s on YouTube. Let’s build on the buzz and think about ways to promote A&M through online video.” But instead, they feared the change and pulled the plug. So sad.

NOBEL peace laureate Betty Williams displayed a flash of her feisty Irish spirit yesterday, lashing out at US President George W.Bush during a speech to hundreds of schoolchildren.
Campaigning on the rights of young people at the Earth Dialogues forum, being held in Brisbane, Ms Williams spoke passionately about the deaths of innocent children during wartime, particularly in the Middle East, and lambasted Mr Bush.
“I have a very hard time with this word ‘non-violence’, because I don’t believe that I am non-violent,” said Ms Williams, 64.
“Right now, I would love to kill George Bush.” Her young audience at the Brisbane City Hall clapped and cheered.
“I don’t know how I ever got a Nobel Peace Prize, because when I see children die the anger in me is just beyond belief. It’s our duty as human beings, whatever age we are, to become the protectors of human life.”
Ms Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 30 years ago, when she circulated a petition to end violence in Northern Ireland after witnessing British soldiers shoot dead an IRA member who was driving a car. He veered on to the footpath, killing two children from one family instantly and fatally injuring a third.

Now this is easily one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever read. Ms. Williams basically said:
1) I’m violent (not non-violent)
2) I want to kill George Bush.
3) Protecting human life is the purpose of all humanity.
This would lead me to conclude that either Ms. Williams is crazy or that she has no idea what she is saying. No sane person with a reasonable philosophy could say they want to kill someone but protect human life. And sadly, the crowd erupted at this meaningless diatribe.