Spectre’s Sayings

Florida Today is reporting that the Orion spacecraft is too heavy, and that NASA will be missing their target launch date.

I just watched the new JibJab video, and despite all the people saying they liked it, I just found it kind of blah.

Discover Magazine has an article with cool photographs of Jupiter’s Red Spot chewing up and spitting out a storm.

Check out this QuickTime™ animation of the Moon making a transit of the Earth. The animation is a composite of photographs of the Earth taken by the Deep Impact spacecraft conducting its EPOXI mission. The animation is courtesy of NASA

For those who may be curious, yes. Yes, I did watch Rush on The Colbert Report last night.

Here’s a video of some of the show’s hype:

And here’s a video of Alex, Neil, and Geddy talking to Stephen and then playing “Tom Sawyer”:

I tried New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale for the first time last night. It had a very strong, very pleasant floral hop aroma, but there was very little bitterness to the taste. The copper-colored brew had a smooth, substantial mouthfeel, and a simple but not unpleasant taste. I quite liked it.

I drank one of those 22 oz. “bomber” bottles. I had rather disturbing dreams last night.

Brendan Loy has a good blog post about the Tennessee man arrested for “unlawful photography” after photographing cop on public highway.

I hope Mr. Conover has a really good lawyer. The unnamed sheriff’s deputy, and the Johnson County sheriff’s office, need to be held accountable for their crimes.

Levant to Congress: put Canada on the watch list of human rights abusers.

An excerpt:

In other words, Canadian human rights commissions — secular government organizations — are prosecuting religious fatwas. It’s a soft jihad against any criticism of radical Islam. It’s called “lawfare”, and it’s a greater danger to our western values of freedom, religious pluralism and the separation of church and state than the hard jihad of terrorism is. Even if targets like Maclean’s eventually “win”, they lose; the process is the punishment – and the chill affects everyone else.

Canadian human rights commissions, however, are not respectful of the sensitivities of all religions. Less politically correct faiths are regularly prosecuted by them. This May, an Alberta pastor named Stephen Boissoin was given a lifetime gag order, never to say anything critical of homosexuality – not in a church sermon, not even in private e-mails. As well, in what can only be called a Maoist verdict, he has been ordered to renounce his religious beliefs, and to publish a self-denunciation in the local newspaper.

This is Canada we’re talking about. Not Iran, not China, not Cuba.

It’s a good column. Read the whole thing.

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Almighty and everlasting God, your precepts are the wisdom of a loving Father: Give us grace, following the teaching and example of your servant Benedict, to walk with loving and willing hearts in the school of the Lord’s service; let your ears be open to our prayers; and prosper with your blessing the work of our hands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Update: Here’s a link to Pope St. Gregory the Great’s Hagiography of Benedict (Book II of the Dialogues).

A new look at rocks brought back during Apollo show that the moon has water.

George Will corrects Investor’s Business Daily about just how essential beer is.

Read Deacon Greg Kanda’s Homily for July 9, 2008: Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, the Chinese Martyrs.

Check out this blog post.

It seems like the Democrat-controlled Congress, led by Nancy Pelosi, now has record low approval ratings. Next to Congress, President Bush is Mr. Popularity.

But Nancy’s not worried, folks. After all, what’s important isn’t what the American people want. Nosiree! It’s what the interests of her caucus are. That’s what’s important.

Update: This website will tell you the most popular word in Congress on any given day. Neat.