Happy Friday, Kids!

Since the Quail has been a whole lot of gloom, doom, and coverage of droughts, flies, and other signs of the endtimes today, I have some non-news to report.

Today...in Snakes!
- A local Texan, Jackie Bibby, set a new world record on Monday by lying in a bathtub for 45 minutes with 87 rattlesnakes, none of which were defanged. If this guy isn't single, he should be. Yikes.
- Theives in the West Midlands, UK stole a six-foot boa constrictor, ten other snakes (including a four-foot Black King snake), cash, and a Nissan Micra. The robbery itself is weird enough, but who the hell keeps that many snakes on hand?

African Pundits Make Keen Insights into U.S. Politics
- AllAfrica.com reprinted Nicholas Sengoba's column from this week's Kampala "Monitor" about Why "Big Brother Is Better Than Elections". The article actually parallels the reality show to Ugandan politics, but I find that you can just as easily substitute "American elections" and "American Idol."

Biscuits and Beer: All That's Missing Are the Fine Bitches (Who Will Be at Quail-fest Tonight)
- For those of you who are punking out, not coming to tonight's Quail extravaganza, and going to Atlanta instead, note that the Candler Park Flying Biscuit has a Sweetwater beer dinner special tonight, November 9. Basically, the Biscuit will be serving a special three-course meal with three separate Sweetwater select brews. More details after the jump.

Oprah Gives Love Advice
- CNN has a link to Oprah.com on "How to (Not) Get a Man", looking at the advice given by books like "The Rules" and explaining why that doesn't work. Now, like every other middle class woman--hell, every woman--in America, I love me some Oprah. Which is why I'm not going to make a joke here about Oprah not actually having a man herself. I'll leave that to y'all.

[Insert Magic Wand Joke Here]
- And "Equus," also known as the "Naked Harry Potter Play," is coming over to Broadway in September 2008. Daniel Radcliffe will be reprising the central role for the play's '08 Broadway run.

Athens Graphic Novel Event!

We are T-forty five minutes from Sid Jacobson's forum on his most recent project. For those of you who don't know much about Sid Jacobson, check out this interview from Slate. A quick reminder about the event details.

"More than Superman: The History of Comics from Yellow Journalism to The 9/11 Report"
Host: Sid Jacobson
Time: 3-4pm
Date: TODAY!
Place: Student Learning Center, Room 214

Does praying for rain equal an admission of incompetency?

Yesterday, Greg posted a story about a city in Tennessee that has completely run out of water, and in that piece, made brief mention of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue's call to pray for rain.

Granted, I think the people who find comfort in prayer should pray for rain; however, the American Humanist Association, like many others I'm sure, justifiably is pretty irritated by this request.

From the article: "Humanists see Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue's call for a rain prayer to be a divisive distraction from the work of government." I think this is pretty cut and dry. While I would agree the water situation has gotten to the point that an act of God will be the only way it can be mediated, is a mandate for prayer an admission of the capitol's failure as a governmental entity?

My argument with this situation is not regarding the prayer itself. Clearly, we're fucked as far as our water supply goes, regardless of its causes (massive drought, poor government planning, lack of individual conservation, the list goes on). I also understand that prayer is an important part of life for many Georgians, and I won't go so far as the bitter humanists and say it doesn't work; the fact is that I don't know if it works or not, so why not try?

Yet, the message implied from this action is that God created this disaster and only He can get us out of it, which from a governmental (and individual) standpoint misdirects responsibility from our own negligence.

Nuclear Apocalypse Friday!

In my post about the situation in Pakistan earlier in the week, I neglected to mention the biggest issue of all: What is happening with Pakistan's nukes?

Luckily, In From the Cold has it covered. From the post:

"This much we know: trying to monitor, control (or even, eliminate) Pakistan's nuclear arsenal amid escalating violence would be difficult, if not impossible, for a variety of reasons. Three decades after Islamabad launched its efforts to get the bomb--and almost a decade after the country's first announced nuclear tests--there is much we don't know about Pakistan's program, including the status of its weapons, their locations, and security measures in place at various nuclear-related facilities."

Scary stuff. I am hoping that our military leadership is more competent than our civilian leadership, because this is a pretty awful situation. How should this effect our stance towards the current political standoff?

OK, sorry about all the doom and gloom. Have a good weekend everybody. If you are in Athens tonight, be sure to stop by our little shindig. I promise there will be no discussion of nuclear weapons, internet pornography, or condo booms.

Does Internet Porn Reduce Sexual Violence Against Women?

At the last Pasty Quail editorial meeting we debated the merits of recent study that suggests that the rise of freely available pornography on the internet has contributed to dramatically lower rates of sexually violent behavior against women. For more background on the study, Reason Magazine now has an article discussing the issues. From the article:

"Since 1993, violent crime in America has dropped by 58 percent. But the progress in this one realm has been especially dramatic. Rape is down 72 percent and other sexual assaults have fallen by 68 percent. Even in the last two years, when the FBI reported upticks in violent crime, the number of rapes continued to fall."

The data certainly seems conclusive at first glance, but, as we discussed on Monday, it is impossible to create a controlled environment for something like this. Although 1993 was one of the first years that internet access became widely available to Americans (AOL launched its Windows compatible version in January '93), there could be any number of contributing factors to the declining rate. Its an interesting theory to contemplate nonetheless. What do you think?

Apparently, God doesn't really like Kentucky basketball

Contrary to the opinions set forth by a new Kentucky recruit's prophetic mother, God appears to favor his own, a little Baptist school named Gardner-Webb.

As many people no doubt have heard, this little Cinderella story defeated #20 Kentucky at home on Wednesday night, and though it was the second game of the season, this spells some pretty heavy embarrassment for UK. I know at least one member of the Quail's team is unhappy about this outcome, but, being a North Carolina fan since childhood, and a UGA fan since being at school here, I revel in the desecration of one of the most storied programs in college basketball history.

Southern Baptist Convention censures dissenting opinion

Anyone surprised?

The Southern Baptist Convention has censured one of its preachers, Wade Burleson, for "multiple violations" of the organization’s International Mission Board's policy.

From the article: "The censure motion stated that Burleson had 'repeatedly failed' to abide by provisions in the code of conduct adopted in March 2006 governing trustee service, including requirements that trustees 'refrain from public criticism of Board approved actions' and 'scrupulously avoid either the fact or the appearance' of having disclosed information or private conversations from trustees meetings.

The motion also cited requirements that trustees 'speak in positive and supportive terms as they interpret and report on actions by the board, regardless of whether they personally support the action' and that trustees 'are to refrain from speaking in disparaging terms about IMB personnel and fellow trustees.'"

I understand that there isn't an issue from the committee's perspective: their rules are cut and dry. However, the censure raises questions of how the "committee" actually functions; what is the point of a committee if there is to be no disagreement on its decisions?

Here's Burleson's own take on the matter.

'Saudi and Egyptian Nukes Would Mean Apocalypse', Says Israeli Minister

This is exactly why we can't have an Iranian Nuke. From the Jerusalem Post:

"Egyptian and Saudi Arabian intentions to begin or revive their nuclear programs in the face of Iran's continued race toward nuclear power present an "apocalyptic scenario" for Israel as well as for the rest of the world, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday."

The jury is still out on whether the Iranians actually have the capability or will-power to build a bomb and the necessary delivery systems. However, as they inch closer to those achievements, the other states in the region are certain to get nervous and start thinking about their own preservation. If a nuclear arms race takes off in the Gulf, we are all in very big trouble.

Perimeter Center Preparing For Next Condo Boom

The AJC has a story about the area directly surrounding Perimeter Mall and just North of Atlanta. From the article:

"A dozen towers — some 20 stories tall — are on the drawing board. If all the towers are erected, more than 10,000 people would live in 5,805 condo units scheduled to be built over the next three to 10 years. This puts Perimeter in line to become the kind of mini-city emerging at Atlantic Station, along Peachtree Street near the Fox Theatre in Midtown and in Buckhead. People can live within walking distance of their jobs, shops and a MARTA stop."

The traffic in that area can be horrendous; let's hope that with more people actually living there (as opposed to driving in for work and shopping) that they will be more inclined to walk or use public transportation.

Also, does Atlanta really need more condos?

Breaking News from FOX: There Are Pictures of Drunk People on Facebook!

A short but eloquent photo essay from the nice folks over at Newscorp FOX.

Today's Agriculture Story: Giant Balls of Frozen Flies to Save North Carolina Produce

Seriously.

The problem: Mexican Fruit Flies have been found in produce in North Carolina. This destructive pest can destroy massive amounts of crops; they lay eggs in various types of fruit, which is eaten by the larvae and causes the fruit to rot.

The solution: Breed millions of male fruit flies, and sterilize them with radiation. Then freeze the flies, to put the to sleep. Take a huge ball of froze, sterile flies and drop them from an airplane into agricultural land. Since fruit flies only mate once, and mating with sterile male flies means that no offspring are produced, this is an extraordinarily effective way to limit the damage of these pests.

Science is awesome.

Fed Chairman Bernanke to Congress: We Will All Drop Dead

Bert Bernanke, chairman of the Fed, testified before the US Congress yesterday. Apparently there is some kind of crisis in the sub-prime mortgage market, and the massive infusions of cash and interest rate cuts aren't doing anything to help.

While Bernanke stopped short of saying that we are diving headfirst into a recesiion, he did say that growth in the US economy could be expected to slow dramatically through the remainder of '07 and at elast into early '08. Here's a quote from the new big cheese: "Quite frankly, I think we are at a moment of economic crisis stemming from four key areas: falling housing prices, lack of confidence in credit-worthiness, the weak dollar and high oil prices."

Really, this whole economic crisis has little practical effect on me. I have almost no assets, and my wilderness survival skills should be good enough to keep me alive in a post-industrial, post-apocolyptic United States. For those of you that actually own things, or didn't learn wilderness survival skills in the Boy Scouts, I wish you the best of luck.

More Web Antics From Radiohead

Pitchfork claims that Radiohead will be doing something on the internet tonight. Check the link for more information.

Orme, Tennessee: Atlanta's Canary?

CNN has an article about a small town in Tennessee that has totally run out of water. The city has limited all water usage to just 3 hours every afternoon. From the article:

"Volunteers take turns three days a week driving a tanker truck or Orme's diesel-belching 1961 fire truck to a hydrant near Bridgeport, Alabama, 2½ miles down the road. Making several round trips, they haul about 25,000 gallons of water back to Orme each day."

I might be wrong, but I don't think Atlanta will totally dry up. However, I would not be surprised to see complete limits on water use during certain hours of the day.

I tend to think that Sonny Perdue's plan to pray for rain is a little tacky. Unfortunately, that might be the only thing left to do in our attempt to stave off a major economic disaster. (Thanks Kyle)

Smokers Need Not Apply: And This Time, It's For Real

To give you an idea of how much ground the "No More Smoking" crowd is covering, here are recent pieces by OneElf, Dan, and one by me.

Westgate Resorts, the largest private employer in Central Florida, has instituted a new policy barring employees from smoking cigarettes (no word on cigars or pipes). This includes smoking on the employees' own time, in the privacy of their own homes. President and CEO David Seigel had this to say: "When I found out it was legal to discriminate against smokers, I put the policy in place."

Unfortunately, Rob Reiner could not be reached for comment.

NEWSFLASH: Religious Endorsements for President all around

The religion blogosphere was up in arms yesterday over Pat Robertson's endorsement of Rudy Giuliani in the Presidential race. As CNN reports, former presidential candidate and Kansas senator Sam Brownback also announced he would support John McCain, but the main focus in the following opinions center upon Robertson's intensely conservative social politics in a conflict of interest with Giuliani's relatively liberal social agenda.


First, Mollie at GetReligion simply lays out the facts, pointing out the very situation I've mentioned above. Why would one of the most notorious social conservatives in the U.S. support a candidate that is effectively pro-choice and not a champion for anti-homosexuality?

Well, Gary Stern addresses that very question: "There appears to be no other Republican candidate for evangelicals and conservative Catholics to rally around. Maybe security has become enough of a concern to conservatives that they are willing to look the other way at Giuliani’s support of abortion rights."

With conservative judges on the bench, are the pro-lifers just not worried about the abortion issue? Or, is the argument less relevant because of birth control and understanding more about sexual education?

I would doubt either, so the question remains prominent, addressed again here by BeliefNet's David Kuo, who asks: will this spell doom for the social conservatives? Aside from the abortion issue, if Giuliani is elected through support by the Christian Coalition, what happens to the war on homosexuality?

However, as Stern mentioned, the overriding issue surrounding Robertson's support for Giuliani seems to be his stance on security. BeliefNet's resident unapologetic political conservative Rod Dreher says, “Robertson explained that fighting Islamofascism is an issue of overriding importance to him, and that Giuliani is the best candidate in that sense. That makes sense to me. I don't agree with him, but what Robertson is saying is that this particular issue is so important that it cancels out Giuliani's objectionable stances.”

Dreher also gives a grocery list of other candidates seeing support from major religious figures.

In the end, then, it seems as though a more compromised stance is unavoidable from the conservative side of the current political spectrum. Will the disagreement between Religious Right groups spell defeat for the Republican candidate, whomever it may be? Again, this situation shows the importance of religious influence on the election; I guess, that is, if it affects the outcome. Only time will tell.

Deep Breath: News Dump

As I've been having trouble getting my synapses to fire all day long, hopefully my thoughts conveyed themselves well in my previous post. I have another one online, so hopefully that will make its way up today. In the meantime, here are some new news items and some leftovers for your early afternoon perusal.

- Possibly of highest importance, the Canadian Dollar is now at $1.10. Shit. In fact, there’s a lot more going on with the dollar, and here are a BUNCH of economic issues.

- From the world of film, here's a review of the new Bob Dylan flick. If it's anything like any other Dylan film, it should be pretty awesome.

- Floating in the abyss of the weird, Scientologists are being harmlessly useful.

- Finally, in lighter news, Disney's Michael Eisner calls the Hollywood writers' strike "stupid." Hmmm, is that because they're trying to take money from you that's rightfully theirs? Incredible.

The Church Business

Yesterday, I mentioned the spiritual dilemma of one of the largest megachurches in the U.S., which displayed a unique change of heart from one of the chief purveyors of American Christianity's love affair with capitalism. Though pastor Greg Hawkins' statements may send his community up in arms (what do you say when your pastor admits he's been incorrectly preaching to you, and you've believed everything he's said?), I admire his honest attempt to be a beacon for the Lord, and reevaluate himself where he sees issues with his ministry — for better or for worse.

On a slightly related topic, I have a couple more stories regarding the other side of church doctrine, the one that is after the bottom line.

First off, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that U.S. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is probing several preachers across the nation (two of which are in the Atlanta area), all "known for preaching that financial blessings are part of Christian life." This invocation is not terribly uncommon; however, Grassley's inquiry comes in context with these preachers' propensity to live well beyond the means of their congregations.

For example, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Ministry in Lithonia, Ga., already was investigated by the AJC, which ran a story in 2005 "that looked into Long's founding of a charity that paid the minister more than $3 million over a 3-year period, bought him a $1.4 million house and paid for the use of a $350,000 Bentley car."

Other stories of the like fit in here, and it raises the question of where all the money these churches are making goes. Clearly, there is much charitable work being done, and obviously, much of the capital goes into improving church facilities (see the sprawling campus of Marietta, Ga.'s Johnson Ferry Baptist Church for an example); however, much of that money often goes into the pastor's pocket.

While I do hope that these allegations are untrue and that they are isolated cases, the cynic (some might call it realist) in me believes that these investigations are occurring with legitimate cause. These large churches, especially in affluent areas, make ungodly amounts of money (pun intended), and under the whole "separation of Church and State" premise, many of the church leaders sneak their way around paying taxes.


Moving westward, New Life Church in Colorado Springs — famed parish of the notorious Ted Haggard — is in rebuilding mode in the wake of Haggard's homosexuality scandal.

Basically, Haggard was one of the chief voices in American Evangelicalism, consistently decrying homosexuality as well as dealing with other moral/political issues, until he was mired through the outing of his relationship with a male prostitute in addition to his penchant for methamphetamine use.

Yesterday, The Colorado Springs Gazette reported on New Life Church a year after Haggard's dismissal.

Immediately following the scandal, "active membership dropped from 14,000 to 10,000 and donations to the church dipped by 10 percent. Layoffs hit the church’s staff. The church has withdrawn from the national political scene. And New Life members say their swagger is gone, replaced by humility."

However, since Haggard's replacement at the top of the church hierarchy, New Life is back on its feet: “Sunday attendance has jumped from 6,000 to 7,500 since [new pastor Brady] Boyd was named senior pastor in August, and thousands attend high school groups, college groups or small groups throughout the week. Giving is growing, now down about 8 percent to 9 percent from its peak. The church has a $12 million operating budget and 150 full-time staff members.”

In other terms, these situations are quite reminiscent of the famous Enron scandal — or any other large corporate misdeed, for that matter — and the key point in these news items are their financial ramifications. The way in which these churches are represented paints a picture not of a house of worship, but simply a corporation with a corrupt leader.

This, then, begs a question that is commonly overlooked in our capital-obsessed media: what does this do to spirituality in these congregations? If financial success is preached as a sign of Godly favor, how does the revelation that this success has not been legitimate for some of these pastoral figures affect the beliefs of the masses?

Music News

- The CMAs (Country Music Association Awards) were last night. For a list of highlights and the winners, click here.
- Idolator has an excellent piece on Optimal Media Production, a German company hoping to revive the dying recording industry by selling discs that are vinyl on one side and CDs on the other and scratch-and-sniff discs. I wonder what Amy Winehouse's next album will smell like.
- In "stating the obvious news," Bloomberg has a piece on a recent study revealing an "alarming number of references to sex, alcohol, and drugs" in popular music. For their next trick, Bloomberg hopes to report that the sky has turned a deep shade of blue.
- Did you know that a recent UNC study revealed that your brain actually diminishes your ability to see when you try to listen to complex sounds? BBC News has the scoop.
- And Creative Loafing tackles T.I.'s latest federal firearms charges and notes how the recent culture war of hip-hop in America shows that "hip-hop is on trial, and everybody's snitching".

Facebook Unveils A New Advertising Platform

Facebook has unveiled a new ad platform that allows participants to target specific social groups based on their sex, age, relationship status, geographic location, and interests/activities. Also, businesses can start their own facebook page, which fans of the partcular product or company can then join; those who join will likely receive updates from the company on their feed and have the opportunity to send invites and information to other friends.

It will be interesting to see how Facebook continues to make the transition from elite college-oriented social networking site to a mainstream destination for web-surfers. Will their efforts to monetize this traffic ruin the things that made Facebook worth going to? Will more corporate involvement simply inundate the system and destroy all of the social aspects of the site?

We have been experimenting with the social advertising options on Facebook over the past few weeks. So far we have had only lukewarm results, but we have not spent much money on it either. If you happen to see our ad come up, please let us know.