This Preposterous Week In Review

Anderson, Pastor Steve

• belief of that "every homosexual in the world is a deviant, is evil and is a predator"

• prayers of for the death of President Obama

• sermon entitled "Why I Hate Barack Obama" is delivered by so rabidly that one can imagine the spittle flying from the lips of

Bachmann, Representative Michele
• supporters of are urged by to defeat health-care reform by praying and fasting

Barton, Mischa • evident assumption by that people are total imbeciles who'll believe anything

Calley, William • 40-years-late apology is offered by

Cheney, Dick • claims by that the release of CIA documents would prove that the Bush Administration's enhanced interrogation techniques worked are, unsurprisingly, not borne out by release of said documents • Obama is accused by of -- oh, this is sweet -- politicizing the Justice Department

CIA • approved enhanced interrogation techniques of included "prolonged diapering"

Dowd, Maureen • bloggers who post snarky things on the Internet without signing their names are scolded by

Dunne, Dominick • death of at the age of 83

Ebert, Roger • 30 years of sobriety are chronicled by

Greenwich, Ellie • death of at the age of 68

For much more, including John McCain spilling water on himself and more quitting by Sarah Palin, click here.

Comments

[Ricky Sprague]

Many thanks for linking to my posting on Larry King's interview with the woman who cast Ryan Jenkins on "Megan Wants a Millionaire." It's very much appreciated.

[ydrittmann]

Patton Oswalt said it best; Pastor Anderson wants his Sky Cake and doesn't believe you should be happy with your Sky Pie.

[Dredd]

Yes, quite a preposterous week it was Paul.

And the two garbage continents floating in the oceans, twice as large as Texas already, got even bigger.

Perhaps they are symbolic ... ???

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-continent-found-garbage-gyre-ii.html

[Garioch]

"which was later shortened considerably." Calley's life sentence was shortened to 3 years of house arrest if I remember right, considerably shortened doesn't really capture that does it although it is pretty standard if not rather harsh for U.S. approved mass murderers I suppose.

[editorjuno]

ROTFLMAO --I swear, I read the last word of the Bachmann entry as having an "r" instead of an "s."

[noralou]

I fail to see how Roger Ebert's honest accounting of his alcoholism and his recovery through AA and its twelve steps and twelve traditions is somehow "preposterous". AA saved my life. Not treatment, not family, not the court system, but AA. I am not a Christian and I fit right in. I have a higher power of my understanding and no-one tries to change my beliefs. I just came home from an AA meeting. As usual, I feel the better for attending and participating. That isn't to say that AA is for everyone who has an alcohol problem. We don't force ourselves on anyone. It is unfortunate that the courts so regularly order people to attend "X" number of meetings a week. If you don't want to be there, most likely you will gain little to nothing from the experience.
On a humorous note, when the comedian Paula Poundstone was ordered - in an open, televised hearing - to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings she later remarked how that really blew the hell out of that second "A".

[Slansky]

You're right, there's nothing preposterous about it. I included it because I thought it was a good, heartfelt piece. The "preposterous" heading is there to convey the notion that most of what I choose each week falls somewhere on the scale between absurd and offensive, but I hate to be precluded from including other kinds of events that are either uplifting (i.e. Ebert's piece) or just plain sad (i.e. the major deaths that occur). The fun of compiling it each week is finding the idiotic and outrageous things, but I like to preserve the option of presenting a wider range of events. This is written for Time.com, and the point is to get people to click on it and let them know that it's primary purpose is to entertain, albeit acerbically. If you have a better word that would convey my general attitude and also encompass the occasional non-ridiculous entries, I would love to hear it, because I recognize the problem you have with "preposterous."

[noralou]

Thank you for clearing that up. I guess I can be a bit defensive when it comes to AA. There is so often talk about it being a cult or that you have to believe in a Christian god to belong, that I might have over-reacted to your including that story in your week in prepostorous review. You are right, I consider myself to be fairly good with words but I cannot come up with a better descriptive than did you.
Thank you for your always enjoyable weekly column.

[seancarman]

Paul -- maybe "Astonishing Events of the Week"? Fun column. -- Sean

[mamalisa38]

Pastor Anderson is so disturbing in so many ways. I don't believe in God but I have love and goodness in my heart not hatred and venom. I always thought that Christians were supposed to be so loving and kind to their fellow human beings. The things that are being said and the signs people are carrying make me sad and worried for President Obama. It's like living in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
The really sad thing is that they will never change.