Same here, the news covers it until we are all numb to it. Grasping at any angle they can. I shut the tv off last night. Listened to music, surfed the net, and drank some beer. Eventually I went to the dvr after I exhausted the Internet.

I think the only time I could really justify sitting in front of the TV and watching would have been 9/11 where things were unfolding live. Otherwise, I'm off.

Seekingalpha:
1. The investment by Delta Air Lines (DAL) in an oil refinery looks risky, according to Reuters' Robert Campbell. The Pennsylvania refinery lost $63M during its first quarter of operation and the prognosis looking forward doesn't look great for the company to see the fuel savings it originally forecast.

2. Airfares came in 0.6% higher during March, according to consumer price data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The year-over-year increase in fares was 3.77%.


It is the media mind you so in order not to be a hypocrite :D take it with a grain of salt.

The concept of "Holy War" is supported in the Old Testament by Deuteronomy 20:12 ... "leave nothing that breathes." Israel's god commanded the total and complete annihilation of Canaan including women, children and livestock. I'm no scholar of such things, but the concept seems to have taken hold in all three religions who have their basis in Judaism. So my problem isn't with "Muslims" as much as it is with anyone who reaches back to a political discussion of an ancient war and believes it is some sort of telegraph from God to justify whatever they wish to do to their perceived enemies. IMHO what we have a problem with is spill over from our support for a Monarchy while we preach "democracy." The disaffected in Saudi Arabia take their frustrations out where they can. Their leaders manipulate ancient texts to justify atrocity in the "name of god."

In other words; the fact a 8 year old kid got killed would not upset a fundamentalist at all.

Hey quick question: If a reserve pilot gets a GS at the end of the month, do they get their PB days the following month?

Good observations. I'm a pastor's kid and grew up reading the old testament stories (and had them read to me) & was a bit terrified of the vengeful, bloodthirsty God those stories sometimes painted. There's certainly plenty of room for a violent interpretation in Christianity's holy texts, and indeed it was a spectacularly violent religion for a good 700 years, from the Crusades to the Spanish Inquisition to the 30 years war. The Quran is pretty similar in that there are plenty of militaristic verses which have been used to justify both military conquest and individual violence over various portions of the religion's history. The same is true of virtually every other world religion; even Buddhism, which in its origins and teachings is rather peaceful, has spawned its share of violent a-holes who were still able to reconcile their actions with their religion. In each case, religion (and its close bedmate, political belief) has been and can be a civilizing force, and has been and can be an extremely destructive force. It's at its most dangerous when believed literally and absolutely, when the follower leaves no room in his heart for those who believe differently, and when disaffected people start to feel the world would be a better place if only it were rid of those pesky nonbelievers. Then anything becomes defensible, including killing an innocent 8 year old. Whether it was religious nuts or political ones that did this, the thought process is the same...and really, isn't too far removed from the thought process of too many religious and political believers in this country (left and right). :(

Bar, are you saying there is an objective right and wrong, and if so, what do you base that on?

Good thoughts. At this point it's kind of hard to speculate about whether or not it was even religiously based though. After all, some times there's just secular evil in the world. And it was tax day, and it was patriot's day, and it was just a random large gathering of people. I don't know that Dennis Lehane (who the original quote came from) was specifically referencing religious causes or just any zealot with a "cause".

That said, I agree with you. Nobody who would place a pressure cooker full of ball bearings in a crowd of people could have any regard for human life no matter how young or old.

My wife's sister and her husband finished the race together yesterday at 3:53. Counting our blessings today that they weren't a little bit slower.

They go into a pay back day "bank" and you can use them as additional vacation days, or use them to drop trips if you save them til a month when you hold a line. They don't automatically show up on your schedule the next month.

As I see it, more people have died in the name of religion than any other way... makes one wonder what the heck the piety is really all about! Be wise!