Dr. X's Free Associations

Mark Steyn on Christians

This guy [Anders Breivik] isn’t a serious Christian. He’s a devoted New York Times reader, and he’s an extremely well-read guy.  Hewitt interview

I didn't know that a Christian wouldn't regularly read the New York Times or that Christians can't be well read.

Steyn may not have intended for the truth (as he sees it) to slip, but I think it did. That happens when a person tries to maintain politically strategic disingenuousness on a subject. Here and there, the truth will leak out.

Chicago Photos: Currency Exchanges

The currency exchange below, at Western Ave. and Devon in West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, is open 24 hours.

This being my third currency exchange post in the last couple of weeks, I suppose I should create a special currency exchange category.

Currency exchanges are part of the fabric of life in the Chicago area. Although I believe they exchange foreign currency, that is the least of what these ubiquitous exchanges actually do. They handle license plates, auto title transfers, firearms owners cards, vital records requests, city vehicle stickers and zone parking stickers, watercraft licenses, phone minutes, check cashing, utility bill paying, municipality bill paying, money orders, wire transfers, notary public, and they may perform a host of other minor quasi governmental functions. They operate by adding small fees and surcharges for their services. Sometimes a currency exchange provides the quickest and most convenient way to do business.

More Currency Exchanges: Chicago and Rush; Howard and Paulina.

Is Pamela Geller's Guilty Conscience Showing?

Pamela Geller may scoff at the notion that her relentless, raging hatred of liberals and Muslims might bear even the slightest relationship to the massacre perpetrated by one of her Norwegian fans, but now we learn that Ms. Geller has edited a post featuring a very disturbing 2007 letter from a Norwegian fan.

Charles Johnson, Little Green Footballs,* reveals the modification to the post via the internet archive. Here is the line Geller excised from the Norwegian fan letter she published:

We are stockpiling and caching weapons, ammunition and equipment. This is going to happen fast.

While the excision doesn't mean Geller bears responsibility, it does seem to indicate either a sense of guilt, or it says, at the least, that Geller knows that the facts are more incriminating than her denial would suggest.

Chicago Photos: More Devon Avenue

New mixed-use retail and residential construction project. I wonder if that mural is permanent.

Devon Avenue, Chicago

The World Market. Left click for larger view.

Devon Avenue is in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side. This neighborhood has a high concentration of Indian and Pakistani Americans and immigrants. Also, lots of good Indian food.

Chicago Photos: Devon Avenue

Children's Clothing displayed in shop doorway.

Local Photos

Currency Exchange, Howard and Paulina Streets, Chicago.

Below, a police camera, upper left corner of photo, monitors activity at this intersection.

These PODs (police observation devices) are all over Chicago now. And there are red light cameras everywhere and boot vans that drive the streets automatically processing license plates of parked cars to identify ticket scofflaws. Yet, in Illinois, it is a felony to audio record a police officer doing his job in a public place. This means, effectively, that you're also in deep trouble if you video record police encounters, unless you can show, after you've bailed out of jail, that you had the audio function on your video camera/cell phone disabled.

Chicago at Night

The Wrigley Clock Tower.

Circumcision

I see that a judge struck down the ballot proposal to criminalize childhood circumcision in San Francisco. I was reminded of a scene from Fargo. This isn't a representation of my views; the clip is merely presented for my amusement, and maybe yours, as well.

Chicago Photos

This is the North Shore Channel of the North Branch of the Chicago River.