Government regulation of book price in Germany: how lovely!

The worst thing is that this, in effect, is a 60 percent tax on BOOKS, effected by means of price controls.

Mark that: BOOKS ARE BEING TAXED.

Books are the things that separate civilization from barbarism. The things that keep us from having to spear our own food and cook it over brushfires. The things that, more commonly, give us a worthwhile thing to do at the doctor's office.

And they drive up the price!

Admittedly, there's relatively few books worth buying in any case (browse any bookstore and you'll see what I mean), but those that are are being unjustly taxed.

Makes me wonder: are there laws on reselling books in Germany?

In Memoriam: all victims of the September 11th attack.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may Thy perpetual light shine upon them.

Forget Cambodia.....

I feel like invading the whole Middle East.

More practically, it might not hurt to offer refugee visas to any Iraqi Christians who might want it - America is a 99 percent terrorist-free nation.

"Wall between church and what? Never heard a'that!"

Or:

Excerpt from Act II, A Man for All Seasons.

CROMWELL: We'll do whatever's necessary. The King's a man of
conscience...if the King destroys a man, that's proof to the King that it must
have been a bad man, the kind of man a man of conscience ought to
destroy...

Australians re-enact Matthew 21:34-41

"When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants 28 to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' "

Whether or not your bishop and priests are intelligent, prudent, or holy, you have to respect them. No garden-hosing, no sticking uncalled-for statues on the altar, and no misuse of the Eucharist - it's just not moral.

"Having large families should be frowned upon...

...as an environmental misdemeanour in the same way as frequent long-haul flights, driving a big car and failing to reuse plastic bags, says a report to be published today by a green think tank."

Notice the mention of cars.

I have noticed that in comic strips, Web surveys, and other such outlets, environmental "misdemeanors" are standard examples of vice. This bothers me, not for scientific reasons.

Namely, it's the tendency to make unimportant choices equal to important choices. Driving a large car may bring the earth to destruction. Evil. Abandoning your wife and children so you can drive a small car - ah, not too bad, most folks do it, it's understandable, yadayadayada...

Personally, I view environmentalists of this streak as global nativists. In other words, they percieve increased population primarily as a threat to their pampered way of life (and if American/European life isn't pampered, you may refer to me as Molly henceforth). Therefore, they try and stop population growth in order to keep a status quo, environmentally and otherwise.

The problem is, population growth is objectively good. Let nobody tell you different. It is only a problem when population grows faster than food/work supply. And in that case, the problem is not with the population but with the lack of provenance for them.

And one quote, with my rebuttal:

"The greatest thing anyone in Britain could do to help the future of the planet
would be to have one less child."

I reply: Curse the planet, spare the child.

I'm miffed.

Some &*(%^Y*^Y*()%Y*)%#*)Y*)#$ jerk has invented a thingyjig where - without opening any pop-up window - annoying images just come out of the page. At the Site Meter page, for instance, three boxers with video-game consoles for heads just started bouncing around the screen.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaagh!

Out of my nightmares...

People in tasteless liturgical vestments.

For one thing, Roman collars and pectoral chains don't really mix.

My favorite is the "White chasuble with floral print and red trim plus purple undergarments." Out of my nightmares, I tell you...

Hat tip to Mulier Fortis.

And it had to happen in the Octave of Easter!

Johnny Cash's house burnt down just the other day.

I know he's dead, but that doesn't mean we should torch his house.

Unrelated quote:

"Live fast,
Die young,
Bull Rider."

- "Bull Rider" as sung by the Man in Black.