Detainee/AUMF Sausage Making

This discussion (see also other posts) of the detainee bill seems on point though the "Udall solution" is limited. It failed but my senators voted for it. Gillibrand voted to end the the Iraq AUMF, part of Sen. Paul's principled opposition. I say a few words here.

Body of Proof

Ugh. The show is trying to force too much personal character stuff all at once and it comes off as phony. The actors can't pull it off; it's as if they know it too. Stick to the mysteries and the old path of less of that stuff! Everyone (but Curtis) doesn't need some "thing" going on.

Originalism Definition #878

I respect this guy's writings but the comments underline this spin on originalism is pretty telling. Also, it underlines even experts can be off on subjects outside of their immediate area of expertise. [More discussion added, including by "no comment" Balkin and me.]

NFL Update

Houston has a two game lead but also is down two QBs. The NYG lost, which adds to the "more of the same" (late season collapse, check) theme. The Closer is back and was pretty good.

Money Shot

Part of the "Hard Crime" series, this is a good read for those who don't mind some hard core ... crime. More here.

Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle

I received this book free from Book Sneeze in return for a review. The opinions are mine alone.

This book addresses the underlining reason why people view and obsess about pornography. This is a fairly mainstream attempt to argue that it is not merely for immediate sexual satisfaction but in place for broader reasons. Likewise, as do others, the reasons are far from benign.

Let me say upfront that I do not find it a problem to view some things of a pornographic nature. It is like watching or reading other fictional things that you would not do yourself, including some that are not ideal behavior.  For instance, action movies often have much too much violence to realistically or ideally express how things really should be like, or video games have a lot of violence. Doesn't mean the person is obsessed with violence. The problem occurs when a person is too obsessed with such things. Still, either way, it is interesting and helpful to understand what draws a person to this sort of thing, both mildly or in more obsessive levels.

This book offers an explanation with personal experiences and a biblical approach to our society's at times obsession ot pornography. In effect, it is a cheap and easy replacement to life's necessities, sort of how cheap sugar products lead to weight gain because we have a need for energy, but do not want or feel able to have more nutritious if harder to obtain regularly replacements. Since the goals here are love, companionship and so forth, there is (strange as it might sound) a divine connection.

 I think this sort of thing can be taken too far -- wanting a bit of porn is not really that 'deep' a lot of times, but it was thought-provoking and provided an interesting point of view even if you weren't with the author for the whole ride. Worth a look.

NFL Update

Don't really care about basketball coming back, but some do. Nothing too notable regarding the NFL, the Jets barely winning and Tebow coming back yet again etc. about bar for the course. KC held Pittsburgh to three points; the other ten gifts. The gifts cost them.

NFL Update

Can't rely on 3-7 teams: 20-19. Blah. Packers might have clinched the first seed, having a two game lead. Ravens won the 4Q. Detroit looked bad and now has to worry about getting to the playoffs.

Lower Canadian Court Upholds Polygamy Ban

See here (I comment) and here. The ruling is rather long so I didn't read it yet and it is only a lower court ruling. The way to go apparently is to not "formalize" your marriage. And, if leadership is marrying children, target that. Sure. Consenting adults? I'm off the bus there.

"V" is for Vengeance

Sue Grafton's alphabet series of mysteries started out under three hundred pages, first person. Now, she started to add other characters, and the result is over four hundred. And, it's too much. Don't really buy the start and so much what comes off as filler.

Downfall

A recent Eva Braun bio (miss) made Downfall a suitable re-watch, which also had a brief reference to the events in Sophie Scholl. The film at times seen through the eyes of a young Traudl Junge.

Pardon Me

It's time for the actually pretty new pardon turkey business. This brings to mind the paucity (see my comments there) of Obama pardons and even the few just given have a selective taint. Turkey is not necessary either way. I'm not having any. Go Miami!

Thanksgiving

The concept of offering thanks and to celebrate after the harvest has certain specific U.S. implications, but like winter celebrations, there is a more universal flavor to them. Happy holidays.

More on ULC

Looking at the original articles of incorporation (I have a printed copy) of the Universal Life Church, the church was originally formed to further the "Christian" religion, reflecting the religious background of its founder. It labels itself a "denomination" ("Life Church"). This is a somewhat limited reach and can also be seen in some of the courses offered that has a biblical or "western" religion focus.

A few years later, it re-establishes itself as the "Universal Life Church" that has a "philosophy of universal humanism." Its "doctrine" is that "each individual has the right to interpret God according to his own theory or concept." This allows "all religious beliefs" to be welcome, "for the underlining principle that will unite all people of all races, religions and nations is the universal idea of peace and prosperity." The use of "God" might bother some though one's "theory or concept" might see God as purely impersonal or a construction of society or a metaphor. Going to the website, "God" is not specifically cited here.

The church is still said to be "religious" in nature and non-profit, but there the "denomination" label disappears. The express interest to "unite" is shown by the "maxim" expressed in its booklet and website: "we are one," symbolized by a circle with various types of people inside. Their "goal" is to "break down the walls around all religion." In its opinion, this is done in part by education, including understanding "every religion is not complete within itself" and by combining various types, we learn we are "one people" with a certain combined place in the world.

A reasonable amount of content to separate it from other religions, again with shades of simplified / less organized Unitarian Universalism, down to starting out more specifically Christian and then expanding its scope to include more and more people with a "universal" flavor that promotes uniting (and respecting) various religions, each having something to offer. The "humanism" also connects it to ethical culture. 

Wah

The Pats whipped back to form KC (that is, sucks), not helping junior here. NYG fans are left to rooting for Miami on Thursday. Joy.

ULC Marriage Article

Part two of the article cited earlier is here. Notably, there is a court ruling that appears to override current NYC policy (who knows?), except in Bronx and Manhattan (First Department). Also, the satirical religions cited seem different, though perhaps not enough.

"The conservative case for healthcare reform's individual mandate"

In considering the individual mandate, conservatives need to address three questions. First, why is it so troubling that the government is requiring responsible individuals to purchase what they would purchase anyway? Second, is it fair or appropriate to make the responsible pay more in order to protect the rights of the irresponsible? Third, what should be done when the principle of limited government clashes with that of individual responsibility?

Or, put another way, is the principle of limited government so compelling that it should cause us to penalize the responsible and reward the irresponsible?

The whole op-ed is worthwhile, but it underlines that many "liberal" ideas (such as same sex marriage) can have "conservative" support, underlined in the latter case by Ted Olson (!) one of its leading advocates. This is different from the "libertarian" arguments in certain respects. Marriage, e.g., has certain conservative values that a libertarian might not support. Conservatives do support government power, even for moral ends, for certain purposes. For messaging purposes etc., they might want to pretend to be libertarians, but they are not.

This is far from surprising given this was a Republican idea. I'm unsure why they want to give Obama all the credit in that respect.

NYG Choke ... Fans Totally Unsurprised

NFL Update

Again, nothing too interesting, though one reader will appreciate the Bears score. At the Half, the Giants are losing 10-3. Shocker.

NFL Update

Nothing too interesting in the first round of games, except the Redskins' D not stopping Dallas and missing two long FGs to hurt the NYG and GB and Detroit toying with lesser teams a bit.