I was planning to spend much of the day blogging about the end of the world. As good residents of the blogosphere know, there was something special about August 22. Something about a Hidden Imam and a flying horse if I remember correctly. Bernard Lewis published a piece in the Wall Street Journal saying that this day has apocalyptic overtones for lunatics like the guy running Iran, and the fact that he had promised his answer vis-à-vis his nuclear intentions for August 22 was portentous.

I have a ton of respect for Bernard Lewis. He’s forgotten more about Islam than I’ll ever know. Hell, he’s forgotten more about everything than I’ll ever know (except probably pro wrestling – I bet I have the edge there). But his carefully worded warning fell on deaf ears at the Soxblog household. It’s not our enemy’s way to telegraph his punches. Besides, as much as Ahmadenijad might desire an apocalypse, he happily lacks the ability to affect one at this juncture.

But all were not as sanguine as the Soxblogs. Some people were sufficiently alarmed by Lewis’s warning that they thought something big was going to happen today. If not the actual return of the Hidden Imam, they expected a major (read nuclear) act of terror.

A friend and I exchanged emails last night about how stupid this all was. What was particularly off-putting about it was the “boy who cried wolf” nature of the situation. What made it especially upsetting is that a lot of the most respected and intelligent residents of the blogosphere bought into this silliness.

So I was planning on spending the day monitoring the big fat nothing that I knew was going to happen today. The fact that Iran had singled out August 22 as a day of special significance meant it was the one day on the calendar we could be sure nothing would happen.

But instead, I got an opportunity to play a round of golf at Salem Country Club, probably the second best track in greater Boston and the site of the U.S. Senior Open a few short years ago. So my decision came down to whether I should hang around the modem and bear witness to the non-apocalypse or play golf at a magnificent course. Even though my game is currently in the doldrums (although I remain a prohibitive favorite in the Townhall.com annual golf outing), the decision was a no-brainer. Besides, I had my cell phone with me – I figured if the apocalypse started happening (or if the Hidden Imam became unhidden), someone would let me know.

You’ll note this post is devoid of links. Among the bloggers who peddled this rubbish are people that I respect – I have no desire to add to their embarrassment. (Well maybe a little, but I am occasionally a petty man and try to rise above such ignoble urges.)

But, as Allah has pointed out, these people did our country no favors this week. There are a lot of people desperate to believe all is well and that we’re perfectly safe. These are the people, like highly respected Time Magazine columnist Andrew Sullivan, who think the terror bust in London was a Karl Rove-orchestrated P.R. stunt. Until these people get a grip on reality, we’ll struggle to fight this war successfully, being such a divided society.

We have to win the hearts and minds of our countrymen, too. Today, August 22, was not a positive step in that direction.

Complaints? Compliments? Email me at Soxblog@aol.com.