Tensegrities

One step forward! Andrew Sullivan notes some key points.

Update: some key points.

Here’s a fun music video for those of us who love the Macintosh.

I have to admit it: I have NOT been paying enough attention to the news lately to discover that some people apparently believe Sen. Obama could be considered an apostate Muslim. Of course, most people have no clue what the word “apostate” even means (it has to do with formally renouncing one’s religion).

Should you discover at some point that you need a thoughtful response to this idiocy, Juan Cole provides a lengthy scholarly refutation of the claim.

Read this.

I have NO idea of what the backstory is behind this little video, but it certainly kept me riveted for a few minutes.

Yet another reason why I love my husband: he rants about things I care about.

The Washington Post is running a series of articles reporting on the treatment of people detained pursuant to immigration issues. One of the recent articles reports on the ways in which very dangerous sedating/anti-convulsive drugs are being used to control detainees. There’s a piece written by a doctor up at dailyKos that puts some of this into perspective, and it frightens me. It ought, I think, frighten any of us who care about due process and appropriate treatment. Dragging people off the streets, drugging them into submission, shipping them off — what kind of country are we becoming? And who will be next?

I can’t help thinking of Martin Niemöller’s poem:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

As a white, middle-class, straight, married, mother of kids, I suspect I’m pretty far down the list of people in danger — but that’s all the more reason I ought to be paying attention. And frankly, all of us have a far more powerful reason to care:

Matthew 25:37 ff

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’