Quote of the Day, 7-31-09

“Once upon a time laments about the pitiful condition of the Arabs were restricted to the printed media. Now more than 500 Arabic satellite stations broadcast their mournful dirge 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” -Al-Ahram Weekly

Quote of the Day, 7-23-09

“Welcome to the Information Age! Where the voices in your head may freely converse with the digital avatars of similar paranoids who reside thousands of miles from your bunker!” -Sadly, No!

Idiots Abroad: Church to Rape Victim: Frack You

This week’s Idiots Abroad Award goes to the Catholic Church.  Why?  Funny you should ask…

Declaring that "life must always be protected", a senior Vatican cleric has defended the Catholic Church’s decision to excommunicate the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old rape victim who had a life-saving abortion in Brazil.

Yes, you got that right.  Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re said that even though the girl was nine years old, pregnant with twins, and, oh YEAH, those twins were there because her stepfather may have been sexually abusing her for several years, the fetuses were the top priority.  Nothing like someone who has their priorities straight.

And here’s the kicker.

The unnamed girl’s mother and doctors were excommunicated for agreeing to Wednesday’s emergency abortion yet the Church has not taken formal steps against the stepfather, who is in custody. Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, the conservative regional archbishop for Pernambuco where the girl was rushed to hospital, has said that the man would not be thrown out of the Church, because although he had allegedly committed "a heinous crime", the Church took the view that "the abortion, the elimination of an innocent life, was more serious". (emphasis added)

Whuh?

Oh, and to top off the festival of assholery, the guy may also have been abusing his other stepdaughter, who is 14 and disabled.

This guy, if there is any justice, will rot in a deep, dark corner of Hell.

Even the President, Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, has waded into the row. "As a Christian and a Catholic, I deeply regret that a bishop of the Catholic Church has such a conservative attitude," he said "The doctors did what had to be done: save the life of a girl of nine years old. In this case, the medical profession was more right than the Church."

May I just say, right on, sir.

For severe assholery and refusal to compromise in the face of child rape, I hereby award the Idiots Abroad Award to the Catholic Church.

Quote of the Day, 3-10-09

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13 (NIV)

Quote of the Day, 3-4-09

“[River comes out of a vision to find herself holding a gun, which Mal takes from her.]

Mal: Fully loaded, safety off. This here is a recipe for unpleasantness. [to Simon] Does she understand that?

River: She understands. She doesn’t comprehend.

Mal: Well, I’m glad we’ve made that distinction.” -Firefly

Quote of the Day, 3-3-09

“[Book pulls out a rifle.]

Book: This should do.

Zoe: Preacher, don’t the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?

Book: Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.”

-Firefly

Quote of the Day, 3-2-09

This week’s quotes come courtesy of the wonderful sci-fi series Serenity.

“(Wash is playing with plastic dinosaurs.)

Wash: (as Stegosaurus) Yes…yes. This is a fertile land, and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it…this land. (as Allosaur) I think we should call it your grave! (as Stegosaurus) Ah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! (as Allosaur) Ha ha ha! Mine is an evil laugh! Now DIE! (as Stegosaurus) Oh no, God, oh dear God in heaven…”

(Source: Wikiquote)

Axis of Weevil: Iran Imprisons Freelance Journalist

According to NPR, Iran has imprisoned freelance reporter Roxana Saberi.  Apparently, she was arrested when she tried to buy wine, but that was probably just a pretext.  Iran has arrested several other journalists and researchers in recent years for various reasons, generally on suspicion that they were American spies.  Most of those arrested, like Saberi, held dual Iranian and American citizenship.

I’m not going to overreact and spout drivel about Iran being an existential threat to the United States.  For frack’s sake, we don’t need any help threatening our continued existence.  Even so.  This is Not Cool.  According to the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists, Iran was, as of December 1, 2008:

the world’s sixth-leading jailer of journalists.

The countries that are worse than Iran?  China, Cuba, Burma, Eritrea and Uzbekistan.  Yes, Iran is in some very savory company there, eh?

Quote of the Day, 2-27-09

“Experience teaches that a strong memory is generally joined to a weak judgment.” -Michel de Montaigne, Essays

Quote of the Day, 2-26-09

“For truth itself does not have the privilege to be employed at any time and in every way; its use, noble as it is, has its circumscriptions and limits.” -Michel de Montaigne, Essays