"Rev" Franklin Graham, birther (and Christian holier-than thou), suggests Obama is not a Christian

I never thought much of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son.  But President Obama just had to woo the guy, and look what it's gotten him.  Franklin Graham is now a birther.  But that's not all, he's questioning Obama's Christianity, on Easter no less.  Like most Republican political operatives who falsely wrap themselves in the sheep's clothing of faith, Graham is no better than Fallwell or Robertson.  Luckily his father doesn't have to see how far his son has fallen. Oops, dad is still alive.

Oh, and Mr. Graham, Happy Easter, you idiot. Read the rest of this post...

Whales change their tune over time

Go figure.

“We believe the song is continually changing because the males wish to be novel or slightly different to the male singing next to them," Ellen Garland, a doctoral student at the University of Queensland, said in a news release.

Other times, the whales may be picking up a tune they've heard before, sort of a sub-Pacific top 40.

“The way whales change their song can be compared to how humans follow fashion trends – someone starts a new trend, and before you know it, everyone starts wearing the same thing," Garland said.

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Big cats and Easter eggs

I found this Easter themed video on Reddit this morning. I always love seeing how the big cats play just like the little ones. When we visited a sanctuary in South Africa, we both played with two adult cheetahs who craved attention and loved to have the back of their neck scratched, just like our own cats. They purred and even got jealous when the other one was receiving attention. Just like our little cats. Read the rest of this post...

Yemen president agrees to step down

When will this happen in Bahrain and Syria? Al Jazeera:

Yemen's embattled president Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to a deal brokered by Gulf Arab mediators that would lead to a transition of power in the country after weeks of anti-government protests.

Tariq Shami, a presidential aide, told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the president had accepted in principle the proposal from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) that would see him step down.

The GCC plan would see Saleh submit his resignation to parliament within 30 days, with a presidential vote to be held within two months.

Shami said the opposition must first agree to the deal in order for Saleh to accept the plan.

"The president has agreed and accepted the initiative of the GCC," he said.

It's going to be interesting to see if the new government is as open to US cruise missiles being fired in Yemen. Something tells me that free-for-all is going to end. Read the rest of this post...

Child rape scandal clouds Pope John Paul's fast track beatification

Rightly so. How can such a scandal be overlooked when we know that he did nothing to stop it. If anything, he appeared to have taken the easy way out by sweeping it under the rug like others. It's not possible to overlook such a serious crime - moral or legal - when considering beatification, though the Catholic church surely will. The Guardian:

But as the crowds begin to arrive, doubts are being expressed over the decision to begin beatification proceedings for John Paul immediately after his death in 2005, instead of observing the usual five-year waiting period.

Some experts are questioning whether John Paul is fit for sainthood at all, pointing to his poor record in handling the sex abuse allegations against priests that came to the fore during his 26-year papacy. "I oppose this beatification and predict history will look unkindly on John Paul, who was in denial as the worst crisis since the Reformation happened in the church," said Father Richard McBrien, a theology professor at Notre Dame University in the US.

"My doubts are about John Paul being beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict," said the Catholic historian Michael Walsh. "It appears incestuous and akin to the habit of deifying one's ancestors."

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The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail

We're getting off to a good start here on Easter Sunday. After a few showers in the afternoon yesterday, we're back to sunshine this morning. The rhododendron out back is really opening up and looking great and I started to see yellow iris flowers starting to bloom out along the Marne during my ride yesterday.

I'm hoping to squeeze in few hours on the bike this morning before heading off for Easter dinner with the extended family. I'm assuming it's going to be a leg of lamb because that's simply what you do at Easter over here. Read the rest of this post...

China continues its attack on Tibetans

It's always more of the same with this regime. RFA:

Chinese security forces have detained more than 300 Tibetan monks at a besieged monastery in Sichuan, taking them away in buses and brutally beating local Tibetans who attempted to come to their rescue, exile Tibetan sources said.

Two of those attacked—an elderly man and woman—were killed, sources said.

The monks at Kirti monastery in the Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture had resisted a forced campaign of “political re-education” following the March 17 self-immolation death of a monk protesting Beijing’s rule in the area.

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