It only works for Catholics and a few random other Christians. The Pope really should have consulted GK first. Or me, at least. I was Pope for a while back in '63 (swear to God!) while they were trying to replace Pope John XXIII. Hey, somebody hadda do it. I found out the hard way. Muslims are even more difficult, especially over the past millenium. They're worse than us southerners when it comes to "Fergit, hell!"

On the other hand, I suppose GK can expect a lot more "horsemeat" to be thrown at him, which of course will have missed the point altogether. Us elders have it rough right now, but soon we will be running the damn country (holy Jesus, one of us already is! "Zhit! Zhit! Fire ze missiles!").

On second thought, maybe we should keep the Capitol in my beloved swamp and if Ford wants to bet the farm on a bad idea, let them. This was gonna be Toyota Country one way or the other, sooner or later. It just took longer than Tojo expected. Wait til you've driven a Moroccan Medjoub 2000i.

Ahhh, yes. Free at last, to ramble, babble incoherently and, like Marion Barry, be right once in a while, if only by accident. The joys of being an elder.

He's just a dick.

There is a subtle difference.

We, as a people, clearly are actively involved in sundering what little common thread we have shared up til now. It appears we are enjoying it, too. All of us. Not just here and there. Well, actually HERE is a great example, here at Salon.com where freedom of speech, progressive and even experimental thought has been cultivated over the years. Now suddenly it's all back and forth, just like the show Joan describes. (I didn't watch it, but did watch the clip linked to her article - against my better judgement).

We continue to divide, like one-celled goobers, over every tiny "event" that takes place. Where is the sane and measured discourse dreamed of fondly by our founders? OK, here, let's try it again: the Pope is Catholic (and yes, a bear shits in the woods - get it out of your system), and so represents an ancient and still extremely large and powerful religious organization: arguably the first official Christian one, for better or worse. The current Pope is no John XXIII, that's for sure. He's probably also no Clement V. Somewhere in between, as usual, lies the fact of the matter. He screwed up - at least in my ever-so-humble opinion. It was telling. It was, one might even think, enlightening.

The individuals who have responded to it from the Muslim world are roughly the equivalent of members of the delightfully misnamed "Aryan Nation", God's Lightning, or random lunatics like Pat Robertson or maybe even Timothy McVeigh. There is no difference.

As several writers here have pointed out, Christianity has some blood on its hands, too, especially the Catholic Church, but certainly not ONLY the HRCC. It's a fact.

It's also a fact that Joan apparently believed what she'd been told when she accepted the invitation to be skewered on Hannity & Co., and yes, she probably should have been more cynical in this instance and seen it coming - and been better prepared. But not everyone has lived with wolves, and some people think they might be nice to us if we be nice to them. Then they get eaten or at least mauled.

A mistake was made only in dignifying the non-discourse by showing up. As it is clear no American wants to agree, even momentarily, with any other American, why then would one want to walk into the propeller blade of the Fourth Reich's vaudeville routine? Again, some people just can't bring themselves to believe the evil that lurks in the hearts of some men (and women - you know, Ann Coulter, women like that). It has been a trademark of the left that one must at all times believe in the innate goodness of others, whether they are lying, useless conservative talk show hosts, earnest farm boys with truckloads of ammonium nitrate, or some uncouth sheik from East Bumfuck. A certain discrimination is required, and that's where the left has consistently dropped the ball. It would be funny, this time, had it not just led to yet another disillusioned liberal getting shredded by some money grubbing hustlers who next week could well be hawking some ayatollah's line - if the money is right.

These times are beyond "interesting." They are "most peculiar, mama." And they suck.