Friday Morning Open Thread

Have at it my friends.  I’m regrouping:  reading news, thinking, and (gasp!) doing actual legal work.

I do have a few suggestions, though:

I’ve always known it’s an irrational way for me to think, but I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that there’s something symbolic about the Muslim loathing for dogs.  Dogs are the only beings that are capable of serving us and loving us conditionally.  They ask in return only kindness, plus some solid pack leadership.  It’s one of nature’s great bargains — and the Muslims reject it, treating dogs with extraordinary cultural hostility.  And don’t ask me why, but I feel that, somehow, this rejection of love is reflected as well in the Saudi war on Valentine’s day.  Islam shapes itself as something that is unloving and unlovable.  It is a culture that rejects affection.  It sees only sex, which it characterizes as dirty, but necessary, and its men shift the guilt for engaging in this dirty, necessary act by castigating the women involved as filthy, evil vessels.  These guys need to get some dogs and some roses and lighten up.

Things are getting incredibly . . . er, interesting in Iran.  (Hot?  Dangerous?  Frightening?  All those words work.)  Who better to learn from on this inflammatory subject than Steve Schippert and Michael Ledeen?  The show is ostensibly directed at the ridiculous Chris Matthews, but we know he’ll ignore it.  Still, it’s out there and we will benefit!

And Right Wing News has polled a bunch of self-identified conservatives (moi included, as Miss Piggy would say) to find their views on today’s issues.  The results are here.  Where do you fit in with the crowd?