Leaving on a jet plane

JAL ready to leave for Tokyo. I’m still waiting for my (delayed ) flight to LA.

Subliminal messaging

In CNN’s manufactured lifestyle article today (headline “More teens becoming ‘fake’ Christians”), a lovely white woman, dressed demurely, stands in front of an antebellum mansion. Her complaint? Teens today say they are Christian, but in reality this is what they believe:

Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good — what the study’s researchers called “moralistic therapeutic deism.”

This scores a bit of a religious criticism trifecta (must they always operate in threes?):

1. Morality cannot exist without religion (their religion, naturally)
2. Mandatory potshot at psychology, and by extension science
3. Belief in God without church trappings means god-is-in-lowercase.

The subliminal message? White people are no longer the absolute power in this country. Get back in the Big House by getting back to your (traditional American) Faith.

Hmmm, and wasn’t that Glenn Beck’s message at yesterday’s Whitestock rally in D.C.? Why, yes it was!

Note to America: If you find something is wrong with teenagers believing the purpose of their faith is to do good, and feel good, the problem is not with the teens.

Korean lessons

I’m not talking about learning the language. Korea is going through a massive change in governance as a result of exposed corruption at the top levels. Today three nominees for Prime Minister all had to resign their campaigns because of new revelations:

As just one of the men said, “I feel really sorry for causing trouble to all the people with my own problems,” Kim said in a nationally televised announcement. “I’m resigning from the post today with the thought that I should no longer be an obstacle to President Lee Myung-bak in his carrying out of state affairs.”

And in the U.S.? Let’s not even go to the corrupt, lying heads of insurance, banks, healthcare and other “free market” enterprises that flout laws with no consequence other than monetary rewards. They make crime pay, in spades. Let’s just stick with the obvious recent examples from our own corrupt political class such as Rep. Charles Rangel.

Speaking at a political forum in Harlem on Monday night, Rep. Charlie Rangel appeared to sharpen his public defiance of President Obama’s suggestion that he retire “with dignity” over his ethics woes, The New York Times’ Michael Barbaro reports:

“Frankly, he has not been around long enough to determine what my dignity is,” Mr. Rangel said of the 49-year-old Mr. Obama. “For the next two years, I will be more likely to protect his dignity.”

I find it just as odious that Pres. Obama wants Rep. Rangel to “retire with dignity” rather than be prosecuted for criminal activity as Rangel’s tit-for-tat response.

Both are sign of deep trouble.