Parenthetic Nation

According to Real Clear Politics, the Electoral College map is starting to like this:

( IL )

Deep blue states on both coasts (right and left parens) with only Illinois solidly for Obama.

Sixty Grit asks, Did you drop an "L"?

( ILL )

In Case You Missed It...

...the best "Downfall" parody ever:

Shots Fired Across Bow From USS Wisconsin

Conversations with Henry

Henry: Why'd you have to go and mention Henry Eyring?  He's a "hot button" issue in the politics of science.

Me:  Why's that?

Henry: Well, he was a Mormon you know.  He gave up his seat at Princeton to move back to Utah to run things.

Me: Does that even matter?

Henry:  Of course not. But Eyring was one of those—along with Gilbert Lewis—who should have won the Nobel Prize...but didn't.

Me:  You're not saying that his religion had something to do with why he didn't win?

Henry:  I'm not not saying that. But you do know that he's related to Mitt Romney? link

Landslide (1975)

Fleetwood Mac - Landslide from Tillmann Obendorf on Vimeo.

My Response To Macho

I once wrote about someone I admire, Helmut James von Moltke.  As an aside, I'm rather proud that one of my blog posts on him is my most visited one--it's the one that recounts his chilling encounter with evil incarnate. link

Now it so happened that von Moltke was raised in the Christian Science Church (FTR, I'm not a Christian Scientist). Anyways, von Moltke's parents first translated Mary Baker Eddy's work into German. According to ueber macho blogger Crack Emcee, who garners the apparent respect of numerous high profile bloggers, anyone associated with what he brands cult characteristics is forever tainted with the "cult characteristics" and is to be mocked and parodied.

Just the other day on Althouse, Crack was running down Mitt Romney again--in his eyes guilty of holding fast to tenets of the Mormon faith. That's just absurd--akin to holding Helmut James von Moltke hostage to every last jot and tittle of Christian Scientism.

I asked Crack the other day on Althouse what he thought of Mary Baker Eddy--here's what he said:

A nut job, responsible for the deaths of a lot of kids. Come on, you could've guessed that one, couldn't you? Would you deny your kid a blood transfusion based on her bullshit? link

My reading of Crack is that he believes strongly in guilt by association. Crack is a bigot in that regard. Show me the evidence that Mitt Romney colors his political thinking and potential future actions by the details of his faith.

I'm going to requote something written by von Moltke's widow, Freya, which I put back here:

However, questions of faith were also, or became, personally vital for almost all the members of the group.  Even if they were not churchgoing Christians, it was their faith in divine work, and, in fact, the faith rooted in Christian heritage, that gave them their foundation and their courage.  Their faith also imposed upon them the duty to act against the destruction of fundamental humanity (evolved from Christianity) by National Socialism and to risk their lives for this. However, for them it was not only a matter of great heritage, out of which our western treasures had grown, in spite of all atrocities committed by the church and by Christians throughout the centuries; rather, they also believed in the future of Christianity.  Christianity has a way--just when it appears bankrupt--of becoming alive again in a new and different manner. They believed that. Faith is tested by one's actions. People attach themselves to many gods and are always in danger of being led astray by false gods--as was the case then with the false gods of National Socialism.

Mittbestimmung

Mittbestimmung:  noun. The determination of Mitt Romney to become president. An English-German portmanteau word derived from Mitt + Bestimmung. Also a riff on Mitbestimmung, with reference to Romney's participation in government.