In an awesome development, I have been chatting with Mr. Deity (which, by the way, makes me officially a prophet. I’m working on letting my beard grow long now), and he has offered to answer almost any questions you might have. What would you ask an omniscient, omnipotent being? Leave your questions in the comments, I’ll pass them on, and then I’ll stroll down from the mountain with the answers chiseled on digital stone tablets.

I don’t want to catch any of you frolicking with golden calves while I’m getting the words of the Lord now, you hear?

And keep in mind that I’ll only pass along the interesting questions. Asking for lottery numbers…not interesting. And you know I’d keep those answers for myself, anyway.

A doctor in Nebraska, Dr. Leroy Carhart, has stepped forward and said he will train his staff to take over the important role lost when George Tiller was murdered. That’s courage, and I applaud what he is doing. I hope more doctors take on this essential task.

That’s the good news. The bad news? Look at what Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, a fellow who is obligated by his position to support the law, had to say.

I’m disgusted and I’m saddened, and I hate it that he’s here in Nebraska and I hate it that he’s in America. I mean, this guy is one sick individual.

I hate it that the people who enable murder can be found in positions where they are supposed to promote justice.

I just got a bunch of email from various people warning me that my cell phone number (no, you can’t have it) is going to be sold to telemarketers next month, and I need to call a certain phone number right away to get it blocked. I must have a cynical mind, because my first thought was that if I were a telemarketer who wanted to fish up a bunch of ripe cell phone numbers, I’d send out bulk email telling people who hated telemarketers to call me on their cell phone.

I was right. I checked Snopes, and there is no proposed sell-off of cell numbers, and calling the number given won’t help you in the slightest.

This has been a public service announcement. If you receive that email, do not call, just hit delete.

These aren’t quite pointless polls, since comments are actually being solicited instead of mindless clicks, but you can still swamp the forces of silliness in thise two blog entries.

One asks, Charles Darwin: brilliant scientist or agent of Satan?. You can give any kind of answer you want, like “Charles Darwin was a brilliant scientific agent of Satan!”. Have fun.

The second one sounds even more fun: recommend new names for Falwell’s Liberty University. I’m going to have to echo Hitchens’ infamous comment about Falwell post mortem, and suggest that since the place has voided itself of it’s biggest chunk of effluent, it should now be called Matchbox U.

Hey, FBI, why aren’t you enforcing the FACE act?

(via Survival of the Feminist)

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It’s only missing a fourth item: a cube of real butter to represent reality, the subject science studies, with all the dangerous deliciousness it stands for.

What a strange experience…I’m actually leaving Morris, Minnesota for a weekend and I’m bringing the Trophy Wife with me. She’s usually left behind (no doubt sighing with relief), but this time she’s coming along with me to Tempe, Arizona. It’s probably only because our daughter is there this summer, but I’ll take it.

Anyway, behave yourselves while I’m away. I should be able to check in and clean up after the trolls, but my net access may be a bit infrequent for a while.

Oh, and I’ll see some of you at Rúla Búla tonight!

When it’s got a squid in a top hat on it. I could wear this one to the ritziest of places.

Simon Singh, the science writer who had the temerity to say that chiropractic treatment for ear infection was “bogus”, and who was found guilty by a British court of libel, has decided to appeal the decision. That takes real guts — libel law over there really stacks the deck in favor of frivolous complaints of libel — but if he wins it could help enable future open criticisms of quackery.

Oh, how I despise PETA. Now they’re putting up new billboards in Kansas —can you guess why?

Lindsay Rajt, campaign manager for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the billboards were prompted by the recent shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller, who was killed Sunday at his church.

“The discussion of the value of life is front and center right now in the public conversation,” Rajt said today.

“We think we would be irresponsible if we don’t talk about how we’re all guilty of extreme cruelty to animals every time we sit down to a meal that includes meat.”

They have two billboards: one that says “Pro-life? Go vegetarian” and the other says “Pro-choice? Choose vegetarian”. PETA reminds me of the undertaker in Yojimbo: a town is tearing itself apart, and the only one prospering is the ghoul who’s happily selling coffins to both factions. I can only hope their ham-handed campaign repulses both sides.