Atheist Ads on Buses Rattle Fort Worth [NYT]

As you enjoy the festivities in Washington, please permit me to throw ice water on your fun.  I do this because, of course, we all know what is coming.  Barring a miracle, the Dems will lose the House, and the Senate will probably hang on the vote of Joe Lieberman, of all people.

Not a surprise, in light of the usual performance of out-parties in midterms.  But the whos and hows this time around make my head hurt.  For example, take Sharron Angle (please).  When asked about her views on foreign policy, her response left something to be desired.  Like, for instance, an actual thought.  She said: “I’ll answer those questions when I’m the Senator.” 

She said this the week before an election.  And she still could win.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall when she goes in for the inevitable policy boot-camp Jim DeMint is going to run for his new minions.  That will be hilarious.

Seriously, though:  The Dems had momentum and a clear mandate for change.  They passed sweeping legislation — not a whole loaf by any stretch, but something tangible.  And they are about to lose to a bunch of people who are as content-free as a documentary on the life of a mayfly.  And not just content-free, but people who actually break into fits when asked to think about something.  What this says about politics, and about Americans, is almost too frightening to contemplate.  It is enough to say that, if ever there was a moment for sanity, it is now.

With that: OPEN THREAD!  Laugh to keep from crying, everyone.

Nagasaki:

(NEWSER) – Bells tolled today as Nagasaki marked 65 years since the last time a nuclear weapon was dropped on a civilian population, reports the BBC, an attack that killed 70,000, leveled an entire city, and ultimately ended the last world war within a week. Though the US ambassador to Japan attended a similar ceremony for the first time three days ago in Hiroshima, John Roos did not attend today’s service.

Did we need to drop the second one?  The first?

“The United States has confirmed that the ambassador to Japan will attend a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Hiroshima atom bomb drop for the first time.” [telegraph.co.uk]

The Official Papal Visit Store is now online for your last-minute sacramental shopping:

Pope baseball caps, pope key-rings, pope tote bags, beatification T-shirts and more went on sale Tuesday, as the official online store for Benedict XVI’s visit to England and Scotland opened.

Papalvisitstore.com stocks about three dozen items, including customizable T-shirts (20 British pounds, or about $32) and the official souvenir program (10 pounds, or about $16).

Shown here is the “Icon two fold Bespoke with Pope Benedict XVI’s prayer and image. Gilded event logo on the front,” classified under “Religious Artifacts”. Yours for only seven quid! (Version without Benedict frightening the bejesus out of you: eight quid.)

Pope shop opens ahead of Benedict’s British visit [CNN, via PourMeCoffee]

Er, “By Popular Demand” means it’s been mentioned in two threads and an email:

Monroe fire officials set damage at $700,000 after lighting struck and burned down a 62-foot-high Jesus Christ statue and an adjacent amphitheater at Solid Rock Church late Monday.

Church leaders are vowing to rebuild the iconic “King of Kings” statue — also dubbed “Touchdown Jesus” — which alone was valued at $300,000.

We don’t know about you, but we kinda like the result. Gives it that Terminator look.

‘Touchdown Jesus’ statue at Solid Rock Church on I-75 destroyed by lightning, fire [Cincinnati.com]

Fresh on the heels of a silly debate over building a mosque near the WTC site — because, of course, only Christians and Jews died in the towers that morning — comes an even sillier campaign of bus ads giving New Yorkers even more to bitch about:

The ads, sponsored by an organization called Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), direct viewers to refugefromislam.com, a website designed “for people who are thinking of leaving Islam or are leaving Islam and need resources” to protect them from harm.

Practicing Muslims who find the ads offensive should “ignore it,” SIOA leader Pamela Geller told CNN. “It’s not directed to them.”

Fine, fine. And when we buy our LEAVE CHRISTIANITY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE ads, we’re sure everyone will understand.

Ads on NYC buses target those wanting to leave Islam [CNN]