Surprise, surprise

Democracy Now! reports that a new U.S. State Department report indicates that 45% of the world's terrorist attacks are now occurring in the very place that the U.S.-led War on Terror is focused: Iraq.

The State Department is expected to report today another rise in the …

Colbert and Elaine Pagels

[Sigh] Elaine Pagels. I suppose it was only a matter of time before she would try to cash in on the gospel of Judas stuff. I'm surprised it took her so long to write this book.

A Native perspective on Virginia Tech headlines

Via Infoshop News:

"The worst shooting rampage in American history?" "Massacre and Mourning, 33 die in worst shooting in U.S. History," and "Rampage called worst mass shooting in U.S. history."

"What first appeared to be a single shooting death unfolded into the worst …

The Nation on the VT shootings: ?A Tragedy? of Monumental Proportions?

By John Nichols / The Nation / April 16, 2007

There will be plenty of rapid responses to the gun rampage on the Virginia Tech campus, which has claimed the lives of as many as 31 students  making it the deadliest school shooting incident in the history of the United …

?A nation awash in violence and blood?

Stephen Hand over at TCR News Musings -- one of the best Catholic blogs on the 'net -- has it right in his brief, moving reflection on today's shooting at Virginia Tech:

I do not know how in 54 years I have not become numb to the terrible reality of violence. A heart …

32 senseless deaths

Emily is definitely right on in her post about the "today we're all Hokies" stuff going around on WVU Mountaineer fan websites, blogs, MySpace and Facebook profiles.

She also found this gem of an article at Common Dreams.

The tragedy at Virginia Tech was caused by …

Baghdad Residents Accuse U.S. Troops of Randomly Firing on Family

From Democracy Now!:

In Baghdad, residents of the al-Amil district have accused U.S. forces of opening fire randomly on people during a raid late on Sunday. Four people from one family died. Two others were wounded. Eyewitnesses blamed U.S. troops.

Iraqi Man: "People …

Vatican board game

I think I want this.

How ?consistent? is Fr. Euteneuer willing to be?

In response to the recent shooting at Virginia Tech and the U.S. Supreme Court ban of Partial Birth abortions, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer -- who recently made headlines for taking Sean Hannity to task for his pro-birth control stance -- made a statement calling for Americans …

Fingers crossed?

Tonight or tomorrow I'll be backing up all my files and updating all of my blogs to the newest version of WordPress, which should take care of some of the issues I've been having with the sites. Everything was transferred last night to a new webhosting service (my …

N.T. Wright singing Bob Dylan?

Today I was sent a Facebook group invite for an event going on here in Toronto in late May called Empire Remixed. This year's event will feature Shane Claiborne, who some of my readers should be familiar with. He's the author of The Irresistible Revolution, a really …

Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers

From Infoshop News:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been recruiting former military and government intelligence officers for a branch of its global security office aimed at identifying threats to the world's largest retailer, including from "suspect individuals and …

What Would Jesus Buy?

Rev. Billy of Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping is one of my favorite theatrical-protest-troublemakers. I was introduced to Rev. Billy a few years ago when my band at the time played a show with him in New York City sponsored by the now defunct hardcore …