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As some of you may know, I waste more time than I should in one of the Limbaugh forums on Usenet. In the last week, I have noticed something very interesting.

All of a sudden, there are a slew of Liberals trying to out evangelical the conservative Christians. Of course, their version of the faith looks very little like the faith in which I hope to be ordained one day. Apparently the new tactic is to try and confuse the average Christian into thinking that they are the real deal, and that left wing liberal theology is actually sound, orthodox Christianity.

Unfortunately, the level of biblical knowledge in our nation is such that they will probably have some success.

Tomorrow evening is the 5th of our midweek Lenten services. The topic for my homily tomorrow evening is the above text. Even if you have not been a church attender, you will probably be familiar with this passage.

The Pharisees tried to put Jesus into a no-win situation, they asked him if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Remember, these men were not referring to Roman law, but to Jewish religious law. The idea was that no matter how he answered, Jesus would be in trouble. If Jesus were to respond that it was indeed lawful to pay the taxes, then the Jews who followed him would not be happy, and if he were to state that the payment of the tax was against the law, the Pharisees would have something to take to the Romans.

Our Lord, of course, is smarter than the average Pharisee, in fact he is also smarter than the average American Church leader.

Jesus’ response was simple brilliance. After being shown the Roman coin used to pay the tax, Jesus simply said that it was proper to give to Caesar(the state), what was his, but that the Jews should also give to God, what was rightfully his.

This effectively ended the Pharisees desire to discuss taxes with Jesus.

The question for us, however remains.

What are we to give the state, and what are we to give to God?

As simplistic as it may sound, those of us who are Christians, have the calling to be faithful citizens of our nation, to participate in civic affairs, to vote, to oppose that which is wrong, and in the end, to be law abiding folks. We also have the higher calling to be good faithful citizens of God’s Kingdom, to cheerfully and faithfully follow where he leads, and to do his will, proclaiming the gospel wherever we go.

May those of you who are Christians, follow faithfully in both paths. To those of you who do not know Christ, you remain in my prayers.

There is the question of what we are to do when the government mandates conduct which is contrary to the clear teachings of Scripture. That however, is a subject for another post.

(With a tip o’ da beanie to LC Terrible Troy in Rott chat.)

Just sayin’ – if, by the sheerest of coinky-dinks, I should just happen to have some pyromaniacal Denizens somewhere in the vicinity of Taunton, Somerset, UK, where a certain limp-wristed oxygen-waster just happens to run a Web-europissweasel of a business…

…well, you know…

A BOSS caused outrage by saying he would rather employ a paedophile than former servicemen or women.

Karl Winn, 60, said that “ex-drug dealers, convicts and child molesters” made better employees than war heroes, The Sun reported.

Forces Recruitment Services – which help find jobs for former British military personnel – had emailed Winn inviting him to consider taking on ex-servicemen and women at the Webeurope design company he runs in Taunton, Somerset.

Winn, a former social worker, replied: “Personally, I’d rather recruit ex-drug dealers, convicts and even child molesters rather than consider anybody who has been in the pay of the British Government.

Knock yerselves out, guys.

Hate to say it, but tactics like this doesn’t help the IRS’ case against Joseph Stack any.

It was every businessperson’s nightmare.

Arriving at Harv’s Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. “They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending,” says Harv’s owner, Aaron Zeff.

The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff’s on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was … 4 cents.

We sit in our easy chairs and condemn the actions of Stack, who – as you’ll recall – flew a plane into the IRS building in Austin a few weeks back.

And then we see that, yeah…Stack did, indeed, have a point about the taxmen.&#160 I mean, I’m sure that that four cents would’ve been all we needed&#160 to cure our one-point-five trillion dollar deficit.

Sheesh.&#160

It would appear as if the Imperial Socialist Congress&#153 is poised to give FINGER.TXT to the American people.&#160 (And yes, I’m already experiencing an RCOB&#153 over it.)

Two good articles on possible responses thereto can be found here and here.

That’s your homework assignment for today.&#160 Go.&#160 Shoo.

As tech support for my family, it’s usually my responsibility to make sure that when someone moves, I move the computers.&#160 This is primarily because experience has taught me that movers are – when it comes to sensitive electronic equipment – ham-handed.

Thus, when my brother and his Spousal Unit&#153 moved a couple blocks down today, it fell to yours truly to get the boxes relocated.&#160 And, while I was at it, to do a little maintenance thereupon as well.

The point being, it was a One-Legged Man Day&#153 inside the Realm&#153 today.

With that said, today’s Grab-Baggage comes, as has been the case lately, from LC Rurik.

A Short Spelling Lesson

The last four letters in American……. I Can

The last four letters in Republican……I Can

The last four letters in Democrats……..Rats

End of Lesson

Class dismissed.&#160

The Department of Wasted Oxygen brings us this report on how the former Mr. Madonna Louise Ciccone is a mite peeved that folks are picking on his BFF, Widdle Hugetito Chavez.

If Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn had his way, any journalist who called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a dictator would quickly find himself behind bars.

Penn, appearing on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday, defended Chavez during a segment in which he detailed his work with the JP Haitian Relief Organization, which he co-founded.

“Every day, this elected leader is called a dictator here, and we just accept it, and accept it” said Penn, winner of two Best Actor Academy Awards. “And this is mainstream media, who should — truly, there should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies.”

O RLY?!&#160 ‘Zat so, buttercup?

Hey, Shawna!&#160 Your boy Hugetito is not only a dictator, he’s a fat little pussy to boot!

Come ‘n try to get me, chumpette.&#160 Unlike the spineless little pissweasel paparazzi you like to beat up on to demonstrate your manhood, I&#160 fight back.

The rant binge will be put on hold while we mourn the death of former pro-footballer & hellacious actor (and one of the truly good guys) Merlin Olson, who passed from cancer today at the age of 69.

Known as much for his brain as his brawn, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive tackle also graduated summa cum laude and Phi Kappa Phi from Utah State University in 1962 and earned a master’s degree in economics in the off-season during his 15-year professional career.

“Merlin Olsen was a coach’s player. Punctual, steady, gifted, a quiet leader, a player you could always count on,” says his biography on the National Football League Hall of Fame Web site. “He was a standout as a rookie and thereafter stood out in every game he played for the Rams in a 15-year career. Every game. Fifteen years.”

[…]

After his professional playing career ended in 1976, Olsen turned to acting, appearing in movies and more than 100 TV episodes. He also worked as a television sports commentator.

On TV, he may best be remembered for portraying the gentle Jonathan Garvey opposite Michael Landon on “Little House on the Prairie” from 1977 to 1981 and the lead role in “Father Murphy” from 1981 to 1983.

Merlin Olson was always one of my favorites.&#160 He was one of those few actors whom you got the sense wasn’t really acting when he played a role – because there was so much of him&#160 in the role, that that’s what he would really be doing if he’d lived in prairie times, or was a priest or whatever.&#160 (As an aside, it’s a shame he never ran for office, because you got the sense he’d have been good at that, too.)

I will miss Merlin Olson.&#160 This was a helluva man, one after whom one could pattern oneself and not do too shabby.

(Side note:&#160 Yes, I’ve seen the Wiki page where it says he was a Mormon.&#160 That aside, he was still someone I wish I could have known as a friend.&#160 That he did not worship the triune God (and likely died in his sins as a result) will not change my opinion of him one bit.)

I feel a rant binge coming on.&#160

But before I get started this evening, the Comment Of The Day&#153 belongs to Prendad over at Michelle’s site:

I finally got around to going fishing this morning – but after a while, I ran out of worms. Then I saw a cottonmouth with a frog in his mouth, and frogs are good bass bait.

Knowing the snake couldn’t bite me with the frog in his mouth, I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog and put it in my bait bucket. Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bitten – I grabbed my bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a little whiskey in its mouth. His eyes rolled back, he went limp! I released him into the lake without incident and carried on with my fishing, using the frog as bait.

A little later, I felt a nudge on my foot.. There was that damn snake with two frogs in his mouth!

First, the Dallas C’girlz made it a point to say that they were going to make a big splash in free agency.

During combine, owner Jerry Jones predicted next season’s roster could feature 10 or more new players and talked about current players competing for playing time. Changes will come through free agency, draft or players already in organizations.

Then free agency started, and the ‘Girlz did a sit-by-the-phone bit while big-name free agents signed with other teams.

Now it doesn’t seem to be that much of a concern for Owner Jethro (hat tip once again to the Startlegram’s Gil LeBreton).

No one is better than Jerry Jones at providing a Jerry Jones-ism to describe the Cowboys’ approach thus far in the NFL’s uncapped year.

“There’s no angst about getting anxious here,” the Cowboys owner said. “We’re just watching it unfold.”

“We’re pleased with what we have in place with the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said, “but if you look at our past several years, we’ve never jumped right out there in free agency.

“The last several years, we haven’t been big off the bat right out front.

Yeah, well – the last several years, the C’girls also haven’t been major players on the field – particularly so during, y’know Jerry, the playoffs.

I could&#160 be wrong here, but I’d venture to guess there’s something of a correlation.&#160 Particularly for a team that hasn’t been accused of drafting that well since Jimmy left.

Now, the Cowboys may – at some point – get to play the Super Bowl when it’s Arlington’s turn to host it.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, though, I’d say it won’t be this year.

LC Rurik, via email, sends us this – and it is well, well&#160 worth your time to go see.&#160 (You may be prompted to register – go ahead & do so; it’s free.)

Most of you are pretty well aware what I think of Whoreywood.&#160

Well, tonight’s their annual group circle-jerk (read:&#160 the Oscars), and Drudge (bless his Eddie Murrow heart) has done a masterful job in scoping out the definitive liveblog thereto.

Hie thee hence & partake.&#160 This ain’t just comedy gold – it’s comedy titanium.&#160 Goeth.&#160 Shooeth.&#160

[SCENE:&#160 On the bridge of the New Republic cruiser Nebulon, in the Coruscant system.&#160 Captain Anakin Madine watches on their viewscreen as ISS Titanic&#160 of the Fourth Intergalactic Realm&#153 finishes rigging its tractor beam and towing ISS Phoenix&#160 out of the system towards home.&#160 On Madine’s face, a smug smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth.]

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 Did you make sure and plant the bomb so that they’ll not find it, Lieutenant?

LIEUTENANT:&#160 Yes, sir.&#160 It will take an extremely sophisticated sensor sweep for them to even catch a trace of it.&#160 Fortunately, their sensors don’t appear to be as good as ours.

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 And the charge will go off once they enter hyperspace, correct?

LIEUTENANT:&#160 Yes, sir.&#160 It’s set to go at lightspeed, and it’ll take both ships out on detonation.

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 Very good, Lieutenant.&#160 Carry on.

[Cut to the bridge of ISS Titanic.&#160 Lord Darth Venomous appears lost in thought while receiving reports from the senior staff on ISS Phoenix.]

KORRIOTH:&#160 Bulkheads sealed off around the various hull breaches, m’Lord.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mm-hm.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Warp drive restored, Admiral, but don’t ask her to do Picard Manuevers just yet.&#160 Structural integrity fields in place, but not by much.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mmm.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Tractor beam stable, m’liege.&#160 We can go to warp anytime.

[This last report seems to snap Venomous out of his reverie – at least, just a bit.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Oh, uh, thank you, gentlemen.&#160 Captain, continue to monitor ship’s status while we’re towing.&#160 Ozy, get a repair schedule written up for Phoenix&#160 and posted within the next 72 hours.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Aye, sir.

VENOMOUS:&#160 K’ha, half-impulse until…hmmmmmmm…until…

K’HADIBAK’H (quizically):&#160 Sir…?

[His Rudeness now clearly has a disconcerted look on his face.&#160 The eyes are glowing solid purple.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 …until further notice.&#160 Carry out your orders, Lieutenant.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Yes, m’lord!

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral…?

VENOMOUS:&#160 Something doesn’t feel right, Kor.&#160 I can’t quite place it, but something’s definitely wrong.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Right – we’ve got a bird-of-prey blown halfway to Gre’thor.

VENOMOUS:&#160 No – it’s more than that.&#160 Much more.&#160 Captain, I want a Level 1 pinpoint scan done on Phoenix&#160 – every nook, cranny and bulkhead, inside and out.&#160 Get on it.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral, that will take days.&#160 Maybe even weeks.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Well, then – seeing as we’re on half-impulse, I imagine you have plenty of time.&#160 That’s an order, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 (sigh) Yes, m’lord.

[SCENE:&#160 ISS Titanic, main bridge, six days later.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Report, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Phoenix&#160 is clean, Admiral.&#160 No unusual readings or anomalies.

[Venomous seems to accept this.&#160 However, his visage is still one of intense consternation, and has been ever since he gave the order for the Level 1 scan.&#160 At long last, his countenance clears, and he makes a decision.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Helm, disengage tractor beam.&#160 Drop ship.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Sir…?!

VENOMOUS:&#160 Now, Lieutenant.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Aye, sir.&#160 (touches controls)&#160 Phoenix&#160 released and is moving on her own momentum now.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Move Titanic&#160 to one side and get out of her way, K’hadibak’h.&#160 Korrioth, tie into her main computer and gain access to her helm.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral, what—

VENOMOUS:&#160 Do it, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Aye, sir.&#160 [He sets to work.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 And while you’re at it, bring her engines out of standby and get them on-line.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Yes, m’lord.&#160 [He works quickly, then turns back to the Admiral.]&#160 Ready.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Captain, send Phoenix&#160 ahead, warp factor two.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Warp factor two, Mr. K’hadibak’h.

[K’ha touches the appropriate controls.&#160 On the viewscreen, Phoenix&#160 elongates, then disappears as the ship shoots into warp.

No sooner does the ship disappear into the familiar flash of light than another, brigher light fills the viewscreen from the massive explosion dead ahead.&#160 Even though Phoenix&#160 was well ahead of Titanic&#160 when it exploded, the shock wave from the blast sends the great dreadnaught reeling more than just a bit.

After the inertial dampeners kick in and settle the ship down, Venomous looks at Korrioth.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Well, well, well.&#160 What do you make of that, Captain?

KORRIOTH (rubbing chin):&#160 Most curious.&#160 It would appear that someone out there doesn’t like us.

VENOMOUS (nodding thoughtfully):&#160 Mmmm, yes.&#160 So it would seem.&#160 (turning to K’hadibak’h)&#160 Reverse course, helm.&#160 Take us back to Coruscant, warp two.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Warp two, aye.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mr. Korrioth, sound battle stations and charge primary weapons.&#160 Someone’s got a lotta ‘splainin to do.

KORRIOTH (wearing a wolfish grin):&#160 With pleasure, Admiral.

—

Denizens, the work machine’s gone belly-up again.

Last year, we converted the Big Box&#153 from SCSI to SATA.&#160 Time to repeat the process on the work machine.

Posting may or may not occur, depending on whether or not I can persuade the Vicar to post his sermon notes online for a bit.&#160 Watch this space.

Der SpatulaGoddess (long may she continue to exude humongously massive quantities of hawtness&#160 ) alerts us to the winner of the Demoscummic primary for the TX-22 seat in the Imperial Socialist Congress&#153.

And the winner is a certified…well, let’s just say she’s certifiable, shall we?

The victory in the 22nd Congressional District yesterday by LaRouche Democrat Kesha Rogers sent an unmistakable message to the White House, and its British imperial controllers: Your days are numbered. Kesha’s campaign hit relentlessly at a single theme, that President Obama must go, that his attacks on this nation – with his dismantling of the manned space program, his efforts to ram through a fascist, killer “health care” policy, his endless bailouts for Wall Street swindlers, while demanding budget cuts which will increase the death rates among the poor, the sick, the elderly and the unemployed – are not acceptable, and will not be tolerated.

Skeptics said that LaRouche’s approach is impractical, it won’t work, that Democrats will never support someone who is calling for the President’s impeachment. Obviously, the voters of the 22nd district disagreed with those skeptics, as Kesha received 53% of the vote against two opponents. As Kesha told the Galveston Daily News last night, when a reporter asked if she expected support from the Democratic Party in the fall election, “I am leading a war against the British Empire. I’m not worried about what Democratic Party hacks say or do.”

Oh, wowzers.&#160 A bona fide&#160 LaRouchie.

MERLIN:&#160 I thought they’d gone extinct once Sir Lyndon there retired.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Dinosaur eggs, snail darters and tr’krzk&#160 teeth.

VENOMOUS:&#160 There’s no such thing as a tr’krzk.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Not anymore, there isn’t.

VENOMOUS:&#160

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Well, she’s not all bad – she does&#160 want to impeach Bambi.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Perhaps, but you’d have a hard time convincing anyone that he’s on a leash held by “British imperial controllers”.&#160 They’re having enough trouble trying to hold off Sharia law over there while not going bankrupt.

VENOMOUS:&#160 No one ever said the LaRouchies had brains, Commander.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Point.

Anyway, the Congresscritter down in the 22nd is a GOPer by the name of Pete Olson.&#160 And I rather doubt he’s really got anything to worry about this cycle.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Shall I put the General on alert, just in case?&#160 That is&#160 close to the Southern Command.

KORRIOTH:&#160 He doesn’t need target practice that&#160 badly, does he?

VENOMOUS:&#160 Not as bad as some blind, bumpy-headed Tiberian bat I know…

KORRIOTH:&#160 HEY!!!!!

ALL (except Korrioth):&#160

ITEM:&#160 Well, it appears now as if Bambi is on board with reconciliation on so-called “healthcare reform”

The White House knows if Obama says “reconciliation” in Wednesday’s speech that will become the headline. This will thrust Obama knee-deep into arcane Senate procedures and rules — the last place White House officials want Obama to be.

The administration doesn’t deny Obama is already in the reconciliation soup by inference — it’s his health care bill, after all. But they still see some distance between him and what’s likely to be a contentious Senate tug-of-war over reconciliation.

(And do note I put “healthcare reform” in sneer-quotes (whereas no one else has) because it isn’t, and everyone here understands it won’t reform a damned thing.)

REACTION:&#160 From commenter happyscrapper on Michelle’s blog:

Get ready to fight, folks. This is it. This bill is the shot heard round the world and we will be at war as soon as it passes. I am serious. We are at war against our own progessive government. They must be stopped from their agenda of total destruction!! Lawsuits must be filed in every state!! We must defend the Constitution. If this is allowed to pass, we will no longer have a Constitution to defend. When that goes, our freedom and liberty are gone with it. This.cannot.stand!!

Are we, indeed, ready to fight?&#160 Collectively, that is?

I tend to think not.&#160 Not enough of us are, anyway.&#160 There are only a few who could be counted on, and the rest of us are either out of practice, out of shape (or both), or too ensonced in the latest “Bachelor” controversy about how Jakie tried to hit on his ex the day he got engaged to Vienna.&#160 (Gasp!&#160 Arrgh!&#160 SCANDAL!!1!ONE!!1!)

I wonder if we ever will&#160 be ready, quite honestly.