Yeah, Right, Whatever

I'm not sure if this will help anyone or not, but... it doesn't hurt to try...

State OES has learned that trapped victims on the Gulf Coast are calling

family, friends, loved-ones, or anyone they can get a call out to in

California asking for someone to rescue them. These requests need to go

immediately to the US Coast Guard's Rescue Line at 800-323-7233 and

immediate assistance will be sent.

Please distribute this information as widely as possible.

Also, for non-emergency assistance for victims, they can call (800)SAL-ARMY.

(h/t to Ace) Well... someone thinks they finally figured W out. Their conclusion? He's the Anti-Christ. (Here's the cached page with all the info.)

He snorted cocaine ... He dodged the draft....His friends knew him as an alcoholic womanizer with a bad temper....a complete failure at business until his wealthy friends rescued him. Yet within a few short years he was elected Governor of Texas, and quickly catapulted into the White House in spite of losing the popular vote. Then he was re-elected with last minute help from Osama Bin Laden, in spite of high disapproval ratings. He still couldn't think his way out of a wet paper bag without the advice of his staff .....and yet he's been able to declare an endless war and institute some of the most radical changes in American history ....

....... How has He done it?

I submit to you that George Walker Bush is the ANTI-CHRIST. The violence and destruction that began when Bush first entered office, is now certain to culminate in the apocalypse, as predicted in the Bible over 2,000 years ago.

This person then uses questionable numerology and a unique view of prophesy to "prove" that W is the Anti-Christ. (We won't even go into the whole "he's not flashing the Longhorn sign" argument- I live near Austin, and I'm surrounded by burnt orange devotees. That is DEFINITELY the UT sign.)

I remember back in the 80s and early 90s that Gorbachev was the Anti-Christ. Then it was John Paul II and Sun Myung Moon. And we can't forget Prince Charles, Juan Carlos, Kofi Annon, Bill Clinton and Vlad Putin.

There may be people who disagree with me (and feel free to keep it civil in the comments), but I think that it's more important to be looking for the return of Christ, rather than the rise of the Anti-Christ. Besides, I read the end of The Book... I know Who wins.

This is going to sound jingoistic... and I don't think I care.

Lately on several cable stations, I've been seeing a couple of Jack in the Box commercials, and they are driving me NUTS. There's only one thing out of the ordinary about them is the fact that they are in SPANISH. Which wouldn't be a bad thing on a Spanish-speaking channel, but these are on English language channels.

This confuses me. Obviously, if they're watching Food TV, then the Spanish speaker can also speak English (I don't think FTV has a SAP channel). So... that commercial is targeting a very specific market and alienating the vast majority of viewers. Does that make sense to anyone?

I've already got a problem with legal immigrants coming to the US and not learning English (and, no, I'm not picking on Spanish speakers. Other nationalities do it, too). To cater to them just makes it worse. I guess Jack just lost himself a customer.

Sarah asked for information on the memorials I mentioned in this post. I noticed that someone had posted this link in her comments, but I wanted to pass it along (as well as this link to their sister site) to everyone else, in case you'd like more information.

Here is their mission statement:

Our mission is to create, establish, and help maintain hometown memorials in honor of the brave men and women who have lost their lives defending the United States of America in the war against terrorism.

I think this is a wonderful way to honor their service and sacrifice.

The number one high school football player in the country is going to sign a letter of intention today, and the announcement is going to be made live on ESPN. And Myron Rolle is number one for a reason- excells at any position he's asked to play, faster than other players his size, stronger than players larger than him.

This fanfare is nothing new. It happens every year (although there seems to be more and more hype each year). What is new is that this kid seems to have a good head on his shoulders. What do I mean? Well, Myron Rolle has a 4.0 GPA at a prestigious Ivy League prep school in New Jersey, and he has plans for his future. Yes, the NFL is part of those plans (after hopefully graduating from college in 3 years- he's taking college level courses in high school now) , but those are far from the only dreams he has. Once his football career is over, he wants to go to medical school and become a doctor.

And, that's not all. Like Marvin Williams, Myron is a Believer who isn't afraid to talk about it.

Rolle has time and again expressed his love for God and family with an amazing sense of thankfulness and humility towards all the media attention around him. In a day and age when respect, honor and integrity appear to be lacking so greatly in young America, Myron Rolle bucks the trend with the footprints of an emerging titan.

I'm not sure I agree with the writer's contention that respect, honor and integrity are lacking in young America. I will agree that those character traits are not as common as they once were, but I believe that they are more common in this group of kids than in their immediate elders. In the same way that the youth of America are more conservative than the Gen Xers, they are also more polite and respectful. I think one leads to the other. And with young people like Myron Rolle and Marvin Williams providing positive examples, they can only get better.

I wish Myron Rolle all the best in everything- his academic pursuits, his college (and hopefully NFL) career, and his personal and spiritual life. I will definitely be watching his career. When I read stories like his, I can't help but smile and think "that kid's alright."

Well, the blame game has begun. Hurricane Katrina was the fault of the GOP or global warming (or both), or maybe even God's wrath, depending on which political hack you listen to. I guess they spend so much time studying environmental science that they ignore atronomy. You see, if you combine the two, you find out that hurricanes follow a cycle of ocean temperatures (and we're at the peak of the cycle right now) AND that ocean temperatures mirror sunspot activity (more sunspots, warmer water), AND that sunspot activity has hit a 1000 year high. That might explain Katrina. Just maybe...

But that's not why I'm posting this. Tomorrow TTLB is having Katrina Relief: Blog for Relief Day tomorrow. Over a hundred bloggers (as of right now) have signed up to participate (including many members of The Cotillion).

When I was a little girl (we're talking 4 or 5 years old, I think), waitresses would give my parents funny looks when I would order a cup of coffee with my breakfast. Come to find out, my parents and I might have been onto something.

That morning cup of coffee may do more than just perk you up. A new study shows that coffee is the primary source of antioxidants for Americans.

This finding may come as a surprise to some since scientists and nutrition experts usually tout fruits and vegetables as the best source of antioxidants – chemicals that prevent cellular damage. But, this study shows for the first time that Americans get most of their antioxidants from their daily fix of java.

Researchers say that one to two cups of coffee should be beneficial. There have been other studies that show that coffee can reduce bad cholesterol levels, fight Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and who knows what else.

Sounds like the perfect health drink to me.

For some reason, we have no pics of R... maybe because she's the one who had the camera. But... here are some shots she took at Camp Reality (she didn't get any of Camp Casey... I wonder why...)

These first three are from the thank you display that Akef Tayem created.

Here's one of Camp Reality:

This next one is of Lt. Sid Franklin and one of the incredibly nice women from Camp Reality. And... someone else... don't know how she got in that shot...

Very interesting road trip...

Last weekend, some people from Stormfront (if you don't know who they are, think David Duke with a bad attitude) decided to go to Crawford to "reclaim" the anti-war message. (Don't ask- trying to figure them out gives me a headache). Anyway, this was part of their "come and join us" message:

The facilities at the Crawford Ranch Camp Casey are excellent: good food, shade, tents,
water, toilets, parking, and all basic necessities are there in ample supply. Most
supplies are free. All you need to bring is yourself, a good shade hat, and a
long-sleeved shirt.

The gang from Camp Casey who are posting online confirm this. They were joking (on that thread) that, yes, that's all true, but the Stormfront thugs wouldn't get any of it.

In my post about our trip yesterday, I mentioned that the folks at Camp Casey seemed... organized... professional... there are quite a few of them who are camping there for the duration... good food and supplies... now Mother Sheehan's Mystery Bus Tour...

How many tens of thousands of dollars are being spent in that small town in Texas? And who's paying for it? And why?

The longer this goes on, the more it becomes less about a mother's grief and more about discrediting the President. Then again, I'm not sure it was ever about a mother's grief.

Yesterday morning, I picked up R, and we headed north. We weren't exactly sure how to get where we were going, but I had the general directions- 35 North to Moody, hang a left, and then turn right on 317 and go north until you get to Crawford. Look for the Yellow Rose downtown- they would give us more detailed directions.

You read right... we drove up to Crawford. I'd love to say that we had a special invite to have bbq at the Western White House, but that's not quite right. We were there to...well, like I said yesterday, we went to reclaim something that was being used by someone who had no right to it.

Many of you remember the story of R's brother's death a couple of months ago. Needless to say, her family was not very happy with the idea that protesters might have his name on a cross in a ditch to further their political agenda. (The final straw, I think, was when you-know-who said that the fallen soldiers were supporting her in the afterlife.) So... our road trip had one purpose- to remove his name (and/or photo) from any display at Camp Casey.

I'm serious when I said that those were the directions I had. I looked up Crawford on Mapquest, and I had figured out from the news reports where Camp Qualls was located (downtown next to the Yellow Rose, which is on the corner of the only intersection in town with a stop light.) Can't be that difficult, right? Really, it wasn't- you roll into town, and there's the Yellow Rose. You really can't miss it.

We pulled in, and there were two people sitting under a canopy at Camp Qualls. We asked how to go about getting the cross. "Go down this road, and turn right at the Lutheran Church. Follow the road down until you get to Camp Casey. Talk to the McLellan County Sheriff's deputy there." uh... ok...

Driving the five miles out to Camp Casey, we saw plenty of signs. Not a single one said anything bad about the President or the War on Terror. You really get the idea that the people of Crawford kind of like their new neighbor. (Might have been the signs that said, "YOU are a guest. The President is our neighbor.")

You start around this corner, and you can see the crosses on the left side of the road, dying flowers attached to each one, some with trinkets and momentos on them. We started to try to read them, seeing if we could see Mark's name. That wasn't going to work, so we decided to park and walk. Then we saw Camp Casey (part of it at least) on one side of the road (a bunch of tents, large signs, canopies, and a bus), and "Camp Reality" on the other side of the road (a few signs, a few canopies, and some displays), with Lt. Sid Franklin's Sheriff's SUV in the island in between them. We parked, and walked over to some of the folks at Camp Reality.

R asked one of the men there if she could go find her brother's cross and take it. He said no, and said that we needed to talk to Lt. Sid and find out how to do it. About that time, this very sweet woman came up and asked us if we had lost someone. R said, "my brother" and she got wrapped up in the biggest hug you could imagine. It was just a little emotional. After a few minutes (I wrote down Mark's and Kyle's names for the people there so they could keep track), they walked us over to Lt. Sid, and he officially took down R's information. (Since I'm not a relative, I couldn't request that Kyle's name be removed, but I now have the information on how his family can request it.)

Evidently, when the crosses were first put up, family could just go and take them (those are the ones that are now at Camp Qualls). I don't know if there were altercations or what, but that has been stopped. Now, families give the information to the Sheriff's representative, and he takes care of it. Also, they are trying to keep the Camp Casey and the Camp Reality people separated as much as possible.

Once the details were taken care of, we were given a tour of Camp Reality. There is one father who is trying to raise money to get a bronze statue (of the rifle, boots, and helmet) placed in the hometown of each fallen soldier. There is also a thank you tribute to the President and the military from the Iraqi men, women, and children who weren't killed by Saddam's thugs thanks to the invasion.

Before we left, a reporter asked R if he could ask her a few questions (and, I think if he hadn't been holding a video camera at the time, she might have said yes). Then, we briefly spoke to a couple of the protesters who were over on the Camp Reality side. They were very nice, and very sympathetic towards R. One of them even asked if she could give us a hug. Then we were given cold water and wished a safe trip home.

We got into a van, and I asked R if she wanted to go down to the other section (I'm guessing that's where the media circus was located). She said no, that she was just going to trust that Lt. Sid would take care of everything. Personally, I think she was just afraid that one of us would end up cuffed and in the back of Lt. Sid's SUV.

So... that's what we did... Now... Here are my impressions...

First (and this one is the one that's probably going to get me in trouble with someone), I think I know why there are more protesters than counter-protesters. It's not that there are fewer people that actually support the President (the election from less than a year ago kind of sheds some light on that one)- it's just that they have jobs. I know it sounds horrible, but it makes sense. The protesters' ages ran from retiree to 20-something. On the Camp Reality side, the people were (I hate trying to guess people's ages, but... ) more toward the retiree end (evidently there are a lot more counter-protesters on the weekends). I couldn't help but wonder how all of the protesters could camp out on the side of the road for 5 weeks... Don't they have jobs, responsibilities, lives?

Second, it's not that Camp Casey looks more "organized", per say... but they do look like they've done this a time or two. Professionally printed signs, flyers, a shuttle... Camp Reality (and Camp Qualls) was more of a gut response to what they viewed as a dishonor- homemade signs, no central organization. Perhaps it's because of my own personal bias, but... the Left has a ready-made protest organization, ready and willing to jump in at a moment's notice. The Right, for the most part, doesn't protest- we're not angry all the time.

Next, the people at Camp Reality (and Camp Qualls in town) were awesome- so helpful, so compassionate. They each had their reasons for being there (a son or brother who is active duty right now... a Viet Nam vet who doesn't want what happened to them to happen to anyone else... a son who was lost in Iraq... people who just want to stand for what they believe in), but R and I were grateful that they were there to help us out. Some of them are out there every day in the heat, and they're doing a great job.

Someone recently asked me why more pro-WoT Gold Star Families don't speak up (against the group at Camp Casey, and against the anti-war protesters in general). I've been thinking about it, and (though R hasn't confirmed it) I think I have an idea. Most Gold Star Families, the ones who believe in what their children/spouses were doing with their lives, just want to be left in peace to mourn. They have faith in our country, and in the mission their family member was on. They don't want to be part of a movement. If pushed, they will take a stand (as we saw this past weekend with the "You Don't Speak For Me, Cindy" tour), but they would prefer solitude to grieve and heal.

Finally, the people of Crawford are awesome. It's a cute town, with beautiful country all around it. It's such a small town, and they seem to be holding up well under the deluge of humanity that descends on them everytime the President comes back to the ranch. The poor woman at city hall seemed a little frazzled, but that only makes sense, considering the weekend they just went through.

I'm glad we took the drive. I'm sad that it was necessary (first, that Mark died, and then that some people decided to use the names of the Fallen for their own political gain), but I'm glad that we could go. It wasn't some great protest, it wasn't some grand gesture. It was just... doing what had to be done.

You know, one of the signs at Camp Reality was right- "Camp Reality- and, yes, sometimes it bites."

This morning, I am off on a quest... a quest to retake something that is being used by someone who had no right to claim it.

I'll explain later.

Almost, but not quite.

As competitors from around the country took turns exposing Mr. (Marvin) Williams' (selected No. 2 overall in last month's NBA draft- ed) virtual shortcomings, the soft-spoken 19-year-old demonstrated restraint beyond his years. "Golly," he finally blurted after someone named Dominique in Arizona scored for the umpteenth time. Several ensuing outbursts proved no more objectionable.

Mr. Williams' "yes sir, no sir" respect in addressing reporters confirmed an uncommon discipline neatly folded within his personality. More than mere country manners, this public display was intentional. "Somebody's always going to be looking at you, so you can always affect somebody's life whether it's just being nice to somebody or helping somebody out," he told WORLD.

Since dominating local courts in the small naval town of Bremerton, Wash., Mr. Williams has understood his power to influence. While helping the University of North Carolina Tar Heels claim a national championship this past March, he joined several teammates in offering regular pre-game prayers. Millions of dollars later, nothing seems to have changed. "God blesses us all everyday," Mr. Williams said. "Without Him, none of this would be possible, so you've definitely got to give Him the glory."

There's a young man with his head on his shoulders. I wish him all the best in his new career, and I pray he has a good (IOW, not a sheister) financial advisor.

OK, everyone! Let's sing the Birthday Song!!!


Hippo Birdie 2 Ewes

Hippo Birdie 2 Ewes

Hippo Birdie Deer Ewe

Hippo Birdie 2 Ewes

Happy Birthday, Mom! Hope you liked your presents!

Okay, Gang... Give Mugga some love! (But, keep it clean, ok? Please?)

Got this from Denita...

More Emotional You have: 70% SCIENTIFIC INTUITION and 77% EMOTIONAL INTUITION

The graph on the right represents your place in Intuition 2-Space. As you can see, you scored well above average on emotional intuition and above average on scientific intuition.Your emotional intuition is stronger than your scientific intuition. Your Emotional Intuition score is a measure of how well you understand people, especially their unspoken needs and sympathies. A high score score usually indicates social grace and persuasiveness. A low score usually means you're good at Quake. Your Scientific Intuition score tells you how in tune you are with the world around you; how well you understand your physical and intellectual environment. People with high scores here are apt to succeed in business and, of course, the sciences.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 53% on Scientific You scored higher than 84% on Interpersonal

Link: The 2-Variable Intuition Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Emotional? Who, me? Why, I never... how DARE they!!! I'm... a bit overwhelmed right now... it's just so unfair... excuse me... I need a moment alone now...

You aren't going to believe this one...

London Zoo has unveiled a new exhibition - eight humans prowling around wearing little more than fig leaves.

The 'Human Zoo' is intended to show the basic nature of human beings, over the bank holiday weekend.

"We have set up this exhibit to highlight the spread of man as a plague species and to communicate the importance of man's place in the planet's ecosystem," a London Zoo spokesman said.

Well... if you believe that man is no more than an animal, then I guess it makes sense to put some of them in an exhibit at the zoo. (And... they are wearing more than fig leaves... sorry, guys.) And I guess it would be easy to buy into the idea that we are nothing but a plague on this planet.

Me? I think it's just goofy, and a waste of money.

Yes, we can all sympathize with the fact that Cindy Sheehan's son died at the hands of terrorists (no, Cindy, NOT just someone who wants the US out of their country- these people want the US to disappear all together). We can never understand what she and her family have gone through, because most of us have never gone through something like that.

That being said... this woman has officially taken a nose dive off the deep end.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is now purportedly "channeling" her slain son, Casey, from heaven, suggesting he's calling President Bush "an idiot," and she claims to have "tens of thousands of angels" supporting her cause to bring home immediately American troops serving in Iraq.

"When I get up [to heaven], he's gonna say, 'Good job, mom,'" the California woman said in a speech last night upon her return to Crawford, Texas. "He's not going to say, 'Why'd you make me spin in my grave?' you know. And I can just hear him saying, 'George Bush, you are really an idiot. You didn't know what you were doing when you killed me. You didn't know what you were getting into.'"

She publicly thanked her son and others who died in the Iraq War, and claimed to have the backing of Casey and his fellow fallen soldiers in the afterlife.

I'm not going to take this apart theologically (from my belief system... well... it ain't happening...) She can believe that she's talking to her dead son, and that he's telling her that the moon is made of cheese for all I care. (Okay... I think she needs massive amounts of grief counseling. She's losing what's left of her family because she cannot accept that people who hate our way of life killed her son, and she's placing the blame on people who do not deserve it.) She can have attention-seekers join her. She can have her little protest, and take her bus trip to DC. Let her be the media's darling for a while. That's fine. It's not helping her cause, but that's fine. She's got to do what she's got to do.

My problem with her "channeling" her son is that she says that "his fellow fallen soldiers" are backing her. (We won't even get into the fact that she's the only person who has said that Casey was against the war, but wanted to do his duty. This doesn't sound like someone who was just doing his duty.) It was bad enough when her followers placed crosses with the names of fallen soldiers on the side of the road (without permission from their families). Now she says that those fallen, those who gave their lives for freedom, are backing her. THAT, in and of itself, is proof that she's not "channeling" Casey or any other fallen soldier, because I know of at least one of those fallen who would NOT have backed her. (If any of his family is reading this and disagrees, let me know... but... for some reason, I don't think that will be the case.)

Many of the men and women who have given their lives in service to the US in the last 4 years stood behind their Commander in Chief, and they gladly served. Yes, there were some who disagreed with the policy, and they chose to do their duty, anyway. No, they didn't want to die. They understood the risk, and they signed on the dotted line, knowing that one day they might have to lay down their lives so that others might live.

Ms. Sheehan, if you feel like dishonoring your son's life and service, that's one thing. It just shows you to be more concerned about your personal agenda than his memory. It's another thing to dishonor the memory of others who voluntarily entered the military and gave their lives for (what one day I feel will be looked at as) a noble and just cause.

I just saw Cindy Sheehan's commercial on, of all places, FoxNews. Same whining, new format.

Ms. Sheehan, do you really think that President Bush doesn't know how you feel about him and this war? Do you really think that Casey's friends, the ones who are still in the military, still fighting for freedom, don't know what you think of them and that you think that Casey's killers are freedom fighters?

As for the commercial itself... it's not going to sway anyone. If they're anti-war, I'm sure it will pump them up. If they're pro-Iraqi freedom, then it will probably pump them up, too. And, well... this is going to sound incredibly cruel, but as someone who has to pay attention to camera shots once in a while, they got a little too close with the close-up on Ms. Sheehan. Reminded me of the quote from Tootsie... "How do you feel about Cleveland?" (if you've seen the movie, you'll get it... if you haven't, I'm not going to explain it... and, no... it has nothing to do with her physical appearance- it has to do with the camera work... nothing more... nothing less...)

Recently, a study came out that said that fetuses do not feel pain until the third trimester. That seemed so cut and dry (and not what I remember hearing in earlier studies) that I got the impression that something smelled... fishy...

Come to find out (first by listening to Laura Ingraham today, then checking into it a little more), I was right.

But their seven-page article has a weakness: It does not mention that one author is an abortion clinic director, while the lead author - Susan J. Lee, a medical student - once worked for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

JAMA editor-in-chief Catherine D. DeAngelis said she was unaware of this, and acknowledged it might create an appearance of bias that could hurt the journal's credibility. "This is the first I've heard about it," she said. "We ask them to reveal any conflict of interest. I would have published" the disclosure if it had been made.

UCSF obstetrician-gynecologist Eleanor A. Drey, medical director of the abortion clinic at San Francisco General Hospital, said: "We thought it was critical to include an expert in abortion among the authors. I think my presence... should not serve to politicize a scholarly report."

Hmmm... so the researchers did not think that being the director of an abortion clinic who could benefit from this research's "findings" constituted a conflict of interest? It doesn't "politicize a scholarly report"? If a tobacco company pays for research, it's automatically suspect. If a pharmacutical company pays for outside research, it's suspect. If a chemical company pays for research, it's suspect. If a group wanting to prevent doctors from having to explain to their patients that their baby might just be in pain as the doctor sucks it out of her womb stacks the deck with people who provide and promote abortions, I think that's just a little suspect.

But I'm just cynical that way.

Here's the CNS piece that I mentioned last night.

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the current home of hundreds of wounded veterans from the war in Iraq, has been the target of weekly anti-war demonstrations since March. The protesters hold signs that read "Maimed for Lies" and "Enlist here and die for Halliburton."

The anti-war demonstrators, who obtain their protest permits from the Washington, D.C., police department, position themselves directly in front of the main entrance to the Army Medical Center, which is located in northwest D.C., about five miles from the White House.

Among the props used by the protesters are mock caskets, lined up on the sidewalk to represent the death toll in Iraq.... Kevin Pannell, who was recently treated at Walter Reed and had both legs amputated after an ambush grenade attack near Baghdad in 2004, considers the presence of the anti-war protesters in front of the hospital "distasteful."

When he was a patient at the hospital, Pannell said he initially tried to ignore the anti-war activists camped out in front of Walter Reed, until witnessing something that enraged him.

"We went by there one day and I drove by and [the anti-war protesters] had a bunch of flag-draped coffins laid out on the sidewalk. That, I thought, was probably the most distasteful thing I had ever seen. Ever," Pannell, a member of the Army's First Cavalry Division, told Cybercast News Service.

"You know that 95 percent of the guys in the hospital bed lost guys whenever they got hurt and survivors' guilt is the worst thing you can deal with," Pannell said, adding that other veterans recovering from wounds at Walter Reed share his resentment for the anti-war protesters.

"We don't like them and we don't like the fact that they can hang their signs and stuff on the fence at Walter Reed," he said. "[The wounded veterans] are there to recuperate. Once they get out in the real world, then they can start seeing that stuff (anti-war protests). I mean Walter Reed is a sheltered environment and it needs to stay that way."

McCarron said he dislikes having to resort to such controversial tactics, "but this stuff can't be hidden," he insisted. "The real cost of this war cannot be kept from the American public."

They also think that the wounded are being smuggled in under the cover of darkness to avoid the media . No... they come in at night so that there is more room to work at the hospital (without a bunch of out-patients and visitors walking around). And if the media thought it would bring in readers or viewers, they'd be there in a heartbeat. Especially if it would make President Bush look bad.

If you're not happy with the war, it is your right to protest. But... protesting at a hospital, where brave men and women are trying to put their lives (and their bodies) back together and can do nothing to change policy, is pointless and cruel. They were willing to give it all (and some of their friends did) for these people's right to protest. They should honor the veterans, not drag them down.

Sami Habbas came to the United States with his parents when he was three years old. He became a citizen, served in the military during the Vietnam War, and is now a grocer.

Imagine how he must have felt when he went to check his mail the other day and received a credit card offer addressed to "Palestinian Bomber." What makes matters even worse is that two operators at Chase greeted him with, "Hello, Mr. Bomber. What can we do for you?"

How about proof-reading the contact lists that you buy from a vendor? (Better yet, quit buying the dang lists! Even those of us whose names you don't get wrong are getting sick and tired of getting all of those "offers" in the mail.)

I start every morning hitting several sites. The boys and I listen to Ken Davis, I play a couple of brainy-ish games, I check my e-mail, and I read some comics (BC, Prickly City, Pardon My Planet, Day by Day, and Mallard Fillmore).

I love Mallard. Why? Stuff like this:
(courtesy of the Seattle PI)

'Nuf said!

Just when you think the anti-war protesters can't sink any lower...

Drudge has his siren out (and I'm not going to link to it until there's an outside link- he's flashing it, which means it will disappear), and I'll copy the whole thing.

ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS TARGET WOUNDED AT ARMY HOSPITAL
Wed Aug 2005 24 21:20:05 ET

Anti-war protestors besieged wounded and disabled soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C, a new web report will claim!

CNSNews.com is planning to run an expose featuring interviews with both protestors and veterans, as well as shots of protest signs with slogans like “Maimed for a Lie.”

The conservative outlet will post video evidence of the wounded veterans being taunted by protesters, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Developing late...

Like I said... this is beyond low. These soldiers were wounded protecting these people (and trying to give other people a better life), and this is the thanks they get?

Now is a good time to direct y'all to people who want to support the troops:
Soldiers' Angels which has a whole bunch of links to other sites
America Supports You

I'll post more as I find out more.

But Wait! There's More: In Seattle, evidently the way to welcome home veterans is to severely beat them.

Two soldiers who just returned from a year in Iraq were badly beaten in an attack outside Pioneer Square.... Police say the victims were with two women who'd been groped by the suspects. One of the women threw a hot dog at the suspects and walked away.

They didn't get very far. The three suspects ran after them and began attacking the two men -- two soldiers who'd come home from the war.

The graphic videotape shows both victims getting beaten over and over again, and then after one of the victims loses consciousness, a suspect starts stomping on his head.... Both victims suffered broken jaws, while one suffered a broken arm and both had other broken bones and several bruises.

So maybe they didn't know that the guys were soldiers. Maybe they were just upset because the guys' girlfriends didn't like their come-ons. Either way... just too much...

It's become abundantly clear that the MSM won't cover any feel good stories from Iraq, so it's up to the bloggers. And I'm happy to oblige.

Today's story comes from Ali Base, where US and Iraqi air crews worked together to get an 8 year-old boy the heart surgery he desperately needs.

Although 8-year-old Baher looks happy and healthy, Iraqi and U.S. Air Force C-130 crewmembers knew his true condition when they gave him the ride of his life Aug. 22.

Baher and his mother, Afaf, were headed to New Orleans to repair a hole in his heart via a new program called Operation Mend a Heart. Airmen and Soldiers were glad to get the healing process underway.

“I was very happy to (be a part of the aircrew to) help him,” said Iraqi air force navigator Atiya from Squadron 23 (Transport). His full name is not used because of personal security. Atiya was one of the C-130 crewmembers who flew Baher from Baghdad International Airport to Basra Air Station on the first leg of his journey....

From Basra, Soldiers from Humanitarian Operation Center Army Civil Affairs were waiting to whisk the family to Kuwait to obtain the proper visas and paperwork they would need for their ultimate destination -- Tulane University and Hospital Clinic in New Orleans where Baher will receive surgery to correct his congenital heart defect.

The $100,000 surgery, which is donated by Tulane, was facilitated through Operation Mend a Heart -- a joint effort among Tulane, the U.S. military and coalition forces. More than 10 different U.S. and coalition military and civilian agencies are involved in the effort.

For more information about Operation Mend a Heart, check out the Tulane web site.

The US military has provided medical transport for civilian patients for decades (Scott AFB, near where I grew up, provided layover care for patients being transported cross-country for care.) I like the fact that they are extending that to the Iraqi and Afghani theaters of operation. Not that I ever doubted it, but some people need to be reminded (constantly) that we're not the bad guys.

A woman has filed a complaint against her doctor. Why? Did he proposition her? Did he grope her? Was he negligent in his care of her medical needs?

Nope. He told her she was fat. Obese, to be exact.

The New Hampshire attorney general is investigating a Rochester doctor because a patient complained that he bluntly told her she needed to lose weight.

Dr. Terry Bennett said that he's outraged by what he calls a baseless complaint. A patient was apparently insulted when Bennett told her that she was obese and could only get healthier by losing weight....

Bennett said that it's a lecture he gives to many of his overweight patients.

"It's your weight, ... and there's dozens of programs," Bennett said. "You don't have to come in here. You can join Jenny Craig. You can go see Weight Watchers."

Bennett said he tells obese patients that their weight is bad for their health and their love lives. But the lecture drove one patient to write a letter to the Board of Medicine, which has passed on the complaint to the Attorney General's Office....

Bennett said that the Attorney General's Office tried to get him to settle the matter by agreeing to attend a medical education course, which he refused.

"I'm sorry," Bennett said. "If she's watching, I'm devoutly sorry to have offended you. I didn't mean to offend you. I meant to tell you the truth. And that's what I tried to do."

The Board of Medicine would not comment on the case, but Vice President Kevin Costin said, "Physicians have to be professional with patients and remember everyone is an individual. You should not be inflammatory or degrading to anyone."

Bennett said that he thinks his apology should be enough.

Truth hurts, doesn't it, Lady? (and, yes... I can say that because I have heard from my doctor that I would be a lot healthier if I dropped some weight. And I'm trying.)

Granted, the AG has to investigate every complaint that comes into the office. But... a "medical education" class? MORE doctors need to be willing to say "look, you are engaging in unhealthy behavior. If you want to feel better, put down the doughnut and put on your walking shoes."

Some people can be swayed by gentle encouragement. For everyone else? To quote an old friend of mine- "Some people need to be offended."

Yesterday, I commented on the pregnancy problems at one Canton high school. Now we find out the name of the school's sports teams. The Canton Timkin TROJANS.

That would be funny... if the rest of the story wasn't so sad.

Obviously, the kids understand. Maybe the officials need to sit through a Health class or two.

There are 490 female students at Timken High School, and 65 are pregnant, according to a recent report in the Canton Repository.

The article reported that some would say that movies, TV, videogames, lazy parents and lax discipline may all be to blame.

School officials are not sure what has caused so many pregnancies (emphasis mine- B), but in response to them, the school is launching a three-prong educational program to address pregnancy, prevention and parenting.

Videogames cause pregnancy? Wow... that's news to me. Maybe they need to teach a few of those girls to keep their knees together. What do you want to bet they're not teaching an abstinance-based program at that school.

Public schools scare me some days... and some days more than others.

So... earlier today, I mentioned the Dolce & Gabbana pants that are sure to be all the rage... nowhere. But... wandering over to The Corner, I found one disturbing fashion trend that is catching on... in Gaza.

Hamas revealed over the weekend that dozens of women in the Gaza Strip have joined its armed wing, Izzaddin Kassam, and were preparing to carry out attacks on Israel.

Pictures posted on the Hamas-affiliated Palestine Information Center Web site showed masked women, dressed in military fatigues and armed with Kalashnikov rifles and pistols, receiving training at a secret location in the Gaza Strip.

According to Hamas, the women were being trained in planting roadside bombs, firing rockets and mortars and infiltrating Jewish settlements.

You'll notice how the black hijab accentuates the camouflage of the abaya. The headband provides the perfect final touch for the well dressed terrorist.

And, so, as the properly accessorized Islamofascist strolls through Gaza on her way to Israeli towns, we're left to wonder what in the WORLD Sharon was thinking. They shouldn't have moved the settlers out, they should have moved more soldiers in.

Eh... not overly exciting, but... here are a few tidbits:

• Pat Robertson thinks we should take Chavez out of the picture... permanently.

  Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for the United States to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas.
  
  "If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson told viewers on his "The 700 Club" show Monday. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."

  Uh... um... besides the fact that is against stated US policy to off heads of State, it's probably bad form to actually announce to the world that you'd really like to send Mr. Chavez to his Just Rewards. (It's not like a whole bunch of people are thinking it... it's just not a real good idea to mention it... and, besides... you're giving the rest of us on the Religious Right a bad rep... )
  
• Evidently, there's love in the air in Ohio.

  Congressman Dennis Kucinich has married a British woman, shedding the bachelor status that made headlines during his long-shot presidential campaign in 2004.
  
  Kucinich and Elizabeth Harper, who works for a monetary-policy think tank in Chicago, married on Sunday before about 250 guests outside City Hall, where he once served as mayor.

  No comment was made on the style of tinfoil beanie worn by the bride and groom for the event. Seriously, I wish the Kuciniches all the best.
  
• Pennsylvania Republicans are getting upset with a group of Young Republicans because these young folks did the unthinkable... they dared to publicize the fact that the Legislature voted themselves a raise and other perks last month.

  Pennsylvania Republicans are threatening the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania (YCOP) for sponsoring a public information campaign exposing a hefty pay raise passed for lawmakers, judges and top executive-branch officials. On July 7 at 2 a.m., state legislators voted to give themselves a pay increase of more than 30% without debate. YCOP is demanding repeal.

  Well, boys and girls, when you portray yourselves as "smaller government" Republicans, voting yourself a raise... in the middle of the night without debate... is going to get you some bad press with your constituency. Something to think about next time, eh?
• California Senator Diane Feinstein is going to "grill" Judge John Roberts about abortion during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing next month. Nah... that's not really news... this is what is news.

  Feinstein, a moderate Democrat, has emerged as a pivotal figure. (emphasis mine)
  

  On what planet is DiFei considered a moderate Democrat? Wherever that is, I do NOT want to go there.
  
• Barbara Streisand is releasing a new cd... complete with an anti-war song. She joins the Stones and Green Day in the latest wave of "Let's slam Bush."

  Barbra Streisand, the Rolling Stones and Green Day rarely hit the same note, but all of them are turning heads with new songs or videos about life in wartime.

  You know, I really don't have a problem with people opposing the war (if they've actually bothered to rub two brain cells together and come up with logical arguments and not just another verse of "Bush Lied, People Died", etc.) My problem is with people who oppose the war simply because of who is in the White House. That's pointless and demoralizing.
  
• Speaking of opposing the war... Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D TX) visited the protesters at "Camp Casey" (what do you want to bet that he would NOT have been happy about that camp being named after him?).

  U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee visited the anti-war inspired "Camp Casey" near President Bush's ranch on Monday, lending support and words of encouragement to several families whose loved ones died in Iraq.
  
  "It is time to bring our troops home," Lee said at the demonstration started by Cindy Sheehan, of Vacaville, Calif., on Aug. 6.

  That's the plan, Ms. Lee... once we're finished with the job. Not before.
  
• So... the plan is that Israel pulls its settlers out of Gaza and the West Bank, and then there will be peace between them and the "Palistineans"... right? Looks like someone didn't get the memo...

  In a news conference in Damascus, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad today boasted all Palestinian groups remain united in the goal of annihilating the Jewish state of Israel.
  
  With Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia looking on, Ramazan Abdullah, secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian movements have reached agreement on a joint strategy after Israel's evacuation of the Gaza Strip.
  
  "This war would continue till full liberation of Palestine, restoration of the denied rights of the whole Palestinian nation and briefly speaking uprooting of the usurper Israeli regime," he said, according to a translation by the official Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency.
  
  There would be no disputes between the groups, he asserted because "all Palestinian groups share the mutual concern of securing Palestinians national solidarity, favor restoration of social order and full establishment of Palestinian government organizations, they have all agreed on the need to move toward those objectives solidly and harmoniously."

  Go read the whole article, and then explain to me why President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon think, for an instant, that these people can be trusted.
• An October concert series in Arizona will try to raise money and push for amnesty for illegal aliens.

  In the tradition of aid concerts that have raised money for everything from poverty in Africa to hurting farmers, a pro-immigrant activist in Arizona has planned a series of concerts intended to push federal amnesty for illegal aliens currently in the U.S. ...
  
  "It's not about making money or just listening to music," he is quoted as saying. "It's about sending a message to Congress about the need to stop border deaths."

  You know, he's right. Congress needs to do something to stop all of these border deaths. A twelve foot razor wire fence would be a good start...
  
• Speaking of illegal immigrants and their impact on American society...

  An illegal alien, Jose Ramirez, 28, has been arrested and charged with the brutal beating of a 15-year-old girl who allegedly ignored his whistles at a construction site in Spotsylvania County.
  
  Police say the 15 year old girl suffered a broken nose, bone fracture to the right side of her face and received approximately 30 stitches to her face and back of her head.
  
  Police say the 15 year old girl was walking by on a road, when Ramirez, who was working on a construction project at a nearby townhouse, whistled at her.

  The good news is that this animal will be prosecuted. (This is strictly conjecture, but... if this guy reacted like that because a teenage girl didn't respond to him, then... maybe they should check DNA evidence and cross-check on other assaults... that just doesn't sound like one-time behavior to me.) I just want someone to tell me that the construction company that hired him will be fined for hiring an illegal alien. That's going to be a big part of stopping the flow of illegals into this country- cut off the supply of jobs, and they won't cross the border anymore.
  
• Dolce & Gabbana have unveiled a new clothes line and a new ad campaign... and a lot of people think it's just a little... skimpy...

  Fashion designers and advertisers continue to push the twin envelopes of skin and taste as a European firm features an ad for ultra-low men's pants that clearly shows the model's pubic hair.
  
  The fall 2005 men's wear line of Dolce & Gabbana includes jeans that plunge so low they've been dubbed "pubic pants," the Houston Chronicle reported.
  
  Though runway models debuting the jeans in January removed any visible hair, the print ad models haven't gone to such trouble.

  uh... here's the "censored" version of the photo. (If you want to see the unaltered version, go here. I'm not going to post it on here. It's just... not attractive.)
  
  
  
  I don't get it. Those can't be comfortable. They're not even all that attractive. Memo to designers- metrosexual is out... geek and thug are in (uh... not at the same time, though... that would be bad). You know that there are guys out there that will buy these things. And there are about 10 guys on this planet who could make those pants not look completely disgusting... if you have to ask, you aren't one of them.

OK... that's it. Later!

While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.

Costas, hired by CNN as an occasional fill-in on "Larry King Live," refused to anchor Thursday's show because it was primarily about the Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba. Chris Pixley filled in at the last minute.

"I didn't think the subject matter of Thursday's show was the kind of broadcast I should be doing," Costas said in a statement. "I suggested some alternatives but the producers preferred the topics they had chosen. I was fine with that, and respectfully declined to participate."

Don't take this the wrong way, but I am getting sick and tired of the Natalee Holloway story. I cannot begin to imagine what her family is going through, and I know that there can be no closure until she is found (alive or dead). Does her story have to be on every night on Greta's show? (I don't usually watch other news channels, so I don't know how it's playing over there.) I realize that it's August now, and there is NO news in August for the most part. But, dang... this isn't helping anyone find her- it's just making the people in Aruba angry and making those of us Stateside who watch the news get... well... bored.

Thank you, Bob. There has to be something else to talk about than Natalee.

No... the French aren't invading anything (this is a non-fiction piece, after all). The French are being invaded, however... by FROGS.

A campaign in France to exterminate frogs may sound like the beginning of a civil war, but these are no ordinary frogs.

Hunters working for the government's wildlife agency will be stalking ponds in south-west France this weekend, aimed with flash-lights, rifles, silencers and night-vision sights.

They have been mobilised for the most intensive effort so far to terminate a plague of giant Californian bullfrogs which is threatening to disrupt the ecology of the Gironde, Dordogne and several other départements.

The aggressive and voracious bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), introduced illegally 37 years ago, can grow to more than 4lbs in weight and almost 2ft long. It consumes other frogs, fish, lizards and even small birds.

Since the frogs were first released, as a joke, on a private pond near Libourne in 1968, they have colonised ponds, lakes, marshes and gravel pits all over the département of the Gironde. They have been found in the Landes area to the south and in the Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne and Loir-et-Cher départements, further north....

Destroying the frogs is not easy, however. The Gironde fisheries protection association attacked a pond full of bullfrogs with electricity a few years ago. The frogs fought back. The hunters battled with them for two hours. They killed just one frog before they gave up. Assaults on the frogs have also been made with nets and by draining ponds, to little effect.

Game-keepers and volunteers working for the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (National Hunting and Wild-life Agency) have now developed night-fighting techniques. The frogs are easier to locate at night because their eyes reflect torchlight...

Even so, experimental attacks on ponds and lakes over the past 11 months have killed only 120 frogs. A much bigger offensive, starting this weekend, aims to exterminate all the bullfrogs in France within five to 10 years.

There is just something funny about the Frogs being invaded (and beaten, up until now) by a bunch of, well... frogs! What they to do is hire a few good ole boys from somewhere deep in the South and have them teach their "frog hunters" the finer points of giggin' frogs.

Oh, wait... no self-respecting Southern Boy would lift his pinkie toe to help the the French. Oh, well... Happy Hunting, Jaques!

This one should be easy. "Expert". Let's go to the dictionary:

1. A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

Why am I bringing up this easily defined term? Because people seem to have a problem not with the term, but in recognizing one when you see one.

Case in point. This morning on FoxNews, two former Congress Critters (one Republican, one Democrat- this is the fair and balanced channel, after all) were talking about the comparison that Chuck Hagel (RINO, Nebraska) made between Iraq and Viet Nam.

A leading Republican senator (the only people who think he's a leading Republican are the senator himself and the media- B) and prospective presidential candidate (as if he has a snowball's chance- B) said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (RINO, Nebraska), who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq. Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.

"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Hagel said on "This Week" on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

And what makes Senator Hagel an expert on this? That would be his two Purple Hears and other military honors he received in Viet Nam. No, seriously. The Democratic pundit on the show actually said, "I think we should listen to him, because he's a decorate Viet Nam veteran."

At what point does "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt" make you a military expert? I have nothing but respect for Viet Nam veterans. They deserve our honor and gratitude. And, yes, some of them have gone on to become military experts. Most of them, however, did their job and came home, leaving military strategy behind. And, then there are those who did their job, were honored for their service, and then used that service for their own political gain.

Chuck Hagel was Deputy Administrator of the VA under President Reagan. I would be willing to at least call him "knowledgeable" if not an expert in the area of veterans affairs. Military strategy? uh... no.

... but I couldn't help myself...

A stalking foray atop a power pole left a lucky feline jolted, frizzled and dazed but otherwise OK after he fell off the 40-foot pole and sparked a fire outside a fire house.

The frazzled cat was discovered when paramedic-firefighters Andrew Chrzanowski and Jeremy Hall responded to the fire Wednesday morning after the lights went out at the Topaz Ranch Estates fire house.

They originally thought the little guy was dead, but they did first aid on him when they discovered he was breathing.

"We both thought that with the amount of burns he had he wasn't going to make it, but then we started to look more closely and we saw it was all superficial," Hall said. "The fire just burned all his hair off."

"The doctor said it looks like he was in a flash fire and got singed from head to toe," Duzan said.

The cat will be put up for adoption if it is not claimed by its owner, she said.

You know, I think I might just stock up on Benedryl for a little fighter like that.

... is evidently $24,000,000.

A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. liable Friday for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx, awarding his widow $253.4 million in damages in the first of thousands of lawsuits pending across the country....The jury awarded $450,000 in economic damages for Robert Ernst's lost pay, $24 million for mental anguish and loss of companionship and $229 million in punitive damages.

Granted, those numbers will drop because of Texas law (the widow will get no more than $26.1 million). But, according to this jury, Ernst's life was worth $24 million (because that was the "loss of companionship and mental anguish amount- that's the dollar amount on his widow's pain). I hadn't realized you could put a price tag on pain, on suffering... on life.

Let me make my position clear. If a company is guilty of intentional negligence, then they should be sued. For damages, and yes, for pain and suffering. If they did wrong, they should be held accountable. So, I guess I'm ok with the $26.1 million. I just know that no amount of money will bring her husband back. (No, I have NO idea how I would react in this situation. I can only guess.)

My problem is with juries who have a "we'll show them!" mentality. $229 million in punative damages? They want to punish people (the stockholders) who had nothing to do with the decisions that were made. Oh, yeah, that makes sense.

TORT reform... it's a beautiful thing...

An Arizona ranch once owned by a member of an armed group accused of terrorizing illegal immigrants has been turned over to two of the very people the owner had tried keep out of the country.

That is the only time in the entire news piece that you'll hear Edwin Alfredo Mancia Gonzales and Fatima del Socorro Leiva Medina referred to as "illegal immigrants". The rest of the time, they're called "immigrants" or not referred to at all. And I think that's important in this debate.

What Casey Nethercott was accused of doing was wrong, no doubt about that (although I do find it interesting that the jury deadlocked on whether or not he actually assaulted the men, but convicted him on a weapons charge). Violence is not a way to solve this particular problem.

That being said, there is something fundamentally wrong with people who were breaking the law being awarded money because someone broke the law in order to stop them from breaking the law. If I was the judge, I'd call them even. Deport Medina and Gonzales back to El Salvador and plop Nethercott in jail for the weapons charge. Don't encourage them.

So, last night, T1 asks me what I'm reading. I told him that the book was titled Exodus , and it was about how Christians are leaving liberal denominations and flocking to more conservative churches. I could see the gears grinding...

"Mom, what's a liberal? And what's a conservative?"
"In religion? In politics? In general?"
"Start with in general."

That led to a brief conversation, which ended with, "So, Mom... you're a conservative, right?"
"Yes."
"What do liberal Christians believe?" So... I went through some of the things that separate the liberal and conservative churches [homosexuals in ministry and leadership, Divinity of Christ, literal Resurrection, existence of God (in some extreme cases)].

T1 looked at me, picked up the Bible that was sitting nearby, and said, "So... they believe that this doesn't say what it says? Or they think it means something that it doesn't mean?"
"Yes."
"Idiots." And then he walked off.

Yeah... it was a proud Mama moment...

Here are a few things that caught my eye:

• Researchers discover a new kind of stem cell (cord-blood-derived-embryonic-like stem cells (CBEs)) that have characteristics of both embryonic and adult stem cells.

  American and British researchers say that they have found, in umbilical cord blood, a new type of cell -- neither embryonic nor "adult" -- which is more versatile than the latter while avoiding the ethical dilemmas surrounding the former.
  
  And in a further development, the scientists have found a way to mass-produce the new cells, sidestepping the problem of limited supply of embryonic cells.

  If preliminary research proves conclusive, then that would take away the pressure to use embryonic stem cells, right? Or do the advocates for using ESCs care more about using them than curing disease?
  
• Austin has become the first city to require (some) pharmacies to fill birth control prescriptions.

  The measure, approved unanimously by the Austin City Council, requires Walgreens, the city's pharmaceutical contractor, to fill prescriptions for patients on Austin's medical assistance program "in-store, without discrimination or delay," even if an individual pharmacist declines to fill a prescription based on personal beliefs.

  You know, I'm not sure how I feel about this. The pharmacist should have the right to hand off the prescription to someone else if it violates their personal beliefs. On the other hand, the person getting the prescription filled should be allowed to get it without delay or lecture (which I've heard stories about). My problem is with the city council making this decree without there having been any complaints. It's just another case of the Austin City Council acting all enlightened and better than everyone else. It gets old after a while.
  
• Scientists are "creating" new life in the lab. So a new breed of biologists is attempting to bring order to the hit-and-miss chaos of genetic engineering by bringing to biotechnology the same engineering strategies used to build computers, bridges and buildings.
  
  The idea is to separate cells into their fundamental components and then rebuild new organisms, a much more complex way of genetic engineering.... But with success also comes ethical questions.
  
  For example, national security experts and even synthetic biologists themselves fret that rogue scientists or "biohackers" could create new biological weapons - like deadly viruses that lack natural foes. They also worry about innocent mistakes - organisms that could potentially create havoc if allowed to reproduce outside the lab. uh... morality aside (IMO, God creates life... man tinkers with it), this just sounds like a Richard Preston novel waiting to happen.
  
• In what is sure to be considered a sign of the Apocalypse, the 9th Circus Tent of Appeals actually ruled to limit coverage of abortions by Armed Forces medical benefits.

  In Thursday's 3-0 ruling, judges said they were not judging the "wisdom, fairness or logic" of congressional legislation that limited abortions under military medical plans.
  
  Lawmakers served a legitimate governmental purpose by denying such benefits because of "an interest in potential life," Judge Richard C. Tallman wrote for the San Francisco-based court.

  I guess they need to get it right once in a while, right?
  
• Viruses and worms, oh, my!

  Courtney Wilkins, a microbiology and immunology student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, successfully infected the Caenorhabditis elegans earthworm with the mammalian vesicular stomatitis virus and had it replicate....She said that, with the research, there is now the opportunity to understand how viruses move from one host to another, and what proteins they attach to in humans, she said. Chow said it will also help scientists understand how this virus deals with different kinds of immune systems in insects and mammals.
  
  Since her discovery, Wilkins' has taken her research to the American Society of Virology conference at Penn State University in State College, Pa., and also to the International Worm Meeting at UCLA.

  I'm sorry... I know that this may end up being important medical research... and a very interesting story for science buffs... but... the International Worm Meeting? That's just... funny...
  
• From the "ACLU is insane" file...

  Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are appealing the conviction of an Easton woman who was accused of endangering a child by using cocaine while she was pregnant.
  
  Defense attorneys had sought an acquittal, arguing there was never a risk of harm to another person -- because a fetus doesn't meet the definition of a person under state law. But a Talbot County judge ruled that the person who suffered the risk was the baby after it was born.
  
  ACLU attorneys said prosecuting women for their actions during pregnancy is unprecedented elsewhere in Maryland and claim it is an attempt to create a new crime by charging pregnant women for harming their fetuses.

  I'm usually against writing new law, so... how about re-writing the law that says who a person is? This woman (and I use the term only in the technical sense) did something that, in turn, caused damage to the mass of tissue that later somehow became a baby (I'm not going to call him her "son" because that would imply that she should be referred to as his "mother"). Her actions will cause this child a lifetime of problems. But, noooooo! She shouldn't be held accountable for her actions, because she didn't do anything to another person. Go ahead. You tell that boy in a few years that he's not a person... see what he says.
  
• I'm close to speechless on this one...

  The ever-inventive American funeral industry has come up with a new way to commemorate the deceased with the patenting of a video headstone.... The weatherproof, solar-powered video "serenity panel" fits into a pre-cut etching on a tombstone, columbarium or mausoleum.
  
  "What we're trying to do is create the ultimate funeral experience," said Joe Joachim, whose Miami company is marketing the Vidstone.

  The "ultimate funeral experience"? I'm sorry, but this seems more than just a little... creepy. Keeping a loved one's memory alive is one thing... this is a bit much.
  

That's about it for now...

A new comic book mini series is scheduled for release in October of this year, and the creator has already received two death threats and one suggestion that he off himself. And it's only going to get worse.

What's the big deal? Well, the series is set in 2021, and liberals have taken over the United States. Osama bin Laden is Afghani ambassador to the UN, and Chelsea Clinton is the US President (with Mikey the Moron as her VP). The heroes in this little nightmare? G. Gordon Liddy, Ollie North, and Sean Hannity (complete with mechanical enhancements created by Oscar, a "peaceful Muslim").

In 2004, Muslim terrorists stopped viewing the weakened American government as a threat; instead they set their sights on their true enemies, vocal American conservatives. On one dark day, in 2006, many conservative voices went forever silent at the hands of terrorist assassins. Those which survived joined forces and formed a powerful covert conservative organization called “The Freedom of Information League”, aka F.O.I.L. ...The F.O.I.L. Organization is forced underground by the “Coulter Laws” of 2007; these hate speech legislations have made right-wing talk shows, and conservative-slanted media, illegal. Our weakened government has willingly handed the reins of our once great country to the corrupt United Nations. The Department of Political-Correctness is required to assist U.N. monitors to properly edit all print and broadcast media. Live broadcasts are a thing of the past; all transmissions are monitored by the U.N. and any ‘offensive’ material is dumped.

Do you even have to ask if I'm going to get these? I don't even really like comic books, and I'm going to read these, if for no other reason than this quote from the series' creator:

If he's successful in duplicating that experience, "comic shops nationwide will be rushed harder than a Ted Kennedy assault on a Liquor Barn grand opening!"

One final note about Justice Sunday II. One thing that struck me was the blatant bias of the media. I was there. I heard just about everything. And, yet, reading the MSM accounts, I have to think they were somewhere else. Or were napping during the entire thing.

First, there's the whole bit about Senator Frist "not being invited." Here's what one media source wrote (but they were all pretty much the same):

Frist, a surgeon, wasn't invited to address "Justice Sunday II" because he angered the events' organizers by voicing his support for expanded human embryonic stem cell research.

I guess it doesn't matter that Tony Perkins, the president of Family Research Council, explained, in detail, that Senator Frist has already spoken at two events, and they were trying to get as many voices as possible, AND that the speaker's list was completed prior to Senator Frist's announcement in favor of some stem cell research. I guess it's the MSM's SOP to ignore what people say and just write whatever you want.

Then there's the protesters.

Protesters were also vocal, both outside Two Rivers Baptist Church, where the rally was held, and across town, where a group of religious leaders held a rally to counter what they saw as an extremist message.

“This is so Americans can see the ’Justice Sunday’ sponsors and Tom DeLay don’t have any exclusive hold on religion,” said Glenn Smith, an organizer of “Community of Faith and Unity Gathering.”

Rita Nakashima Brock, founder of Faith Voices for the Common Good, said “Justice Sunday II” was calling for a theocracy instead of democracy.

“Those people meeting with Tom DeLay, Chuck Colson and Jim Dobson think they own the Bible and that God speaks only to them,” Brock said.

Like other bloggers, I listened intently, and I never once heard the speakers call for a theocracy. In fact, they went out of their way to say that they do not want to impose their views, just add their voices to the debate. But I did hear the protesters yell slurs at the cars pulling into the parking lot at the church (my favorite, while not vulger in the least, was at least almost funny. One woman would yell "Sheep!" at every car that turned into the lot. I bet she was hoarse by the end of the evening.) I guess it's what the protester's spokespeople say that really matters.

Then there were the reporters who somehow managed to listen to the entire event and still get their reports in before it was over. (If you'll notice, the first one was posted to the wire before the event even started.)

I have to give credit where credit is due. Jeannine F. Hunter, the religion writer for the Tennessean, wrote a very good piece about the event. It was all fact, no hype. She reported simply what was. (I met Ms. Hunter while I was there... she's a very nice person.)

I know I shouldn't be surprised when the MSM acts with bias. It's what they do. I guess I've just never seen it in something I witnessed personally.

A lawmaker in Arizona might be on to something.

A state lawmaker believes Arizonans are so frustrated with illegal immigration that they're willing to raise fees -- and possibly tax themselves -- to build a fence along the state's southern border. Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, is crafting a measure to ask voters next year to spend the money to erect a climb-proof fence wherever possible from Yuma to east of Douglas.

I'd go one step further and and delete the word "wherever", but that's just me. I think that a vast majority of Americans living in ALL border states would be willing to chip in for a fence (with seismic activity sensors to detect when someone's trying to tunnel under it).

Of course, not everyone agrees (go figure!).

But Yuma County Supervisor Tony Reyes called the idea "stupid."

Even assuming some landowners would allow a fence to be erected, Reyes said all that will do is move illegal crossing to another location. He said that's what happened when fences and increased patrols in California and Texas, as well as along a few spots along the Arizona border, pushed people out into the more dangerous desert.

Not if it covers the entire southern border. Harsh? No, not really. If you can span the entire border, then people wouldn't be able to get to the more dangerous desert.

I realize that many of these people just want a better life. I get that. I'm not lacking compassion here. Unfortunately, along with these people of good will (who don't pay taxes and still take advantage of healthcare and school and heaven knows what else), vermin with less honorable intentions are crossing the border with them. These miscreants are bringing drugs with them; they're robbing people along the border; they're destroying crops and livestock; they're killing people who get in their way.

There are legal ways to get into the country if you just want to get a job. I'd like to limit the criminals ability to get here.

A new North Carolina law will require that domestic abuse victims be informed by the court how to apply for concealed weapon.

“We’re not interested in them shooting their abusers,” said Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina. “We’re interested in delivering a message: When police can’t protect these people, they are capable of protecting themselves.”

The measure becomes law Oct. 1 unless Gov. Mike Easley decides to veto it. His office declined Wednesday to comment on his plans.

The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the legislature, would also add protective orders to the evidence a sheriff can consider when determining whether to issue an emergency permit to carry a concealed weapon. Normally, an applicant must wait 90 days for such a permit.

How often are battered spouses murdered after being granted a restraining order? Law enforcement personnel can't be everywhere all the time. There has to be a way for these victims to protect themselves. The mere fact that their spouse just might have a gun might keep one of these goons from attacking the "love of their life" again.

This morning on Fox & Friends, I listened as they interviewed Carl Basham, a Marine who has been denied in-state tuition by Austin Community College.

Despite being a Texas native, a registered voter and holder of a state driver's license, a decorated Marine has been denied lower in-state tuition at a community college because he spent too much time out of the state while serving two tours of duty in Iraq.

Carl Basham says he was shocked when personnel at Austin Community College told him a few weeks ago that he didn't qualify as a Texas resident "for tuition purposes." Basham was born in Beeville, Texas, registered to vote in Travis County in 1998, holds a Texas driver's license and does his banking in Austin, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Sounds terrible, right? Everyone should be outraged, right? I mean... this guys served two tours of duty in Iraq, and the mean school said that he can't have in-state tuition because he was out of the state- fighting a war.

Well... let's see what ACC has to say:

First, this is not a widespread problem applicable to all who have served their country. This is an individual situation involving one person who lived in another state before entering the military and who listed the other state – not Texas – as his permanent address in military records.

Texas residency is guided by state law, as reflected in the Texas Education Code. As a taxpayer-funded college, ACC is not able to pick the laws with which it complies. Additionally, this type of situation is complicated when a resident moves out of Texas for several years prior to entering the military, enlists in the military in another state, and lists that state as a home of record and permanent address in all military papers.

Contrary to some reports, ACC has assisted the student with his fall enrollment. Yet again, we are not able to ignore the state law which guides residency designation. The law mandates we treat all applicants equally. ACC has applied the current state residency law to the student in question, made many calls on his behalf to ensure that any documentation needed to comply with the law was understood, and confirmed with him his eligibility to receive Pell Grant and VA educational assistance. If public elected officials choose to change Texas’ public policy on residency to make it even more flexible for those who serve their country in the military, ACC would certainly be supportive.

Uh... if ACC has its facts straight, then Basham is the one who goofed. If he was planning on returning to Texas after his time in the military, he should have put that down as his HOR. I know it's harsh, but ACC has to follow the rules. Basham is the one who filled out his paperwork- they have to proceed according to the law. If he doesn't like it, he should talk to his Congress critter and have the law changed.

On the other hand, if ACC is just trying to cover their backsides, then Basham should fight it. I mean... it is Austin, after all. I can't say that I wouldn't put it past them.

All I ask is that the media gets its facts straight before it bashes either side. Yeah... I know... too much to ask, I'm sure...

I'm sitting here, watching FoxNews as they broadcast the withdrawal of settlers from Gaza.

I'll admit it- I'm somewhat conflicted about it. I'm against Israel making any deals that will lessen their ability to protect themselves, and I do not believe that the group of people who call themselves Palistineans have any right to the area (and, even as the Israelis are making these concessions, some PA people are saying there will be no rest until they have all of Israel). And my heart goes out to the Jewish settlers who have lived there for decades (and were welcomed at first, in some cases). I don't think that this is a good thing at all.

Yesterday, I watched as Israeli soldiers broke their way in to homes, let the people have their say (usually calling the soldiers horrific names), then gently carried them away. Many of the soldiers disagreed with what they were told to do, but they believed (well, hoped, at least) that their commanding officers and government officials are doing what they think is best for the future of Israel.

But now, here is what the AP had to stay about the "seige" of the synagogue at Kfar Darom.

Israeli forces stormed the main synagogue of Neve Dekalim Thursday, one of the last bastions of resistance to the Gaza pullout, to remove about 1,500 protesters inside.

In nearby Kfar Darom (the oldest settlement- mentioned in the Talmud- held off the Egyptians during the war in 1967- ed), riot police with helmets and shields broke open the door of the synagogue where protesters had barricaded themselves, fired water cannons on the crowd and began removing the protesters.

As forces cut through the barbed wire to reach the roof, protesters threw sand and a blue liquid at them and also sprayed them with foam. Some used sticks to try to push away the ladders used by security forces to reach the roof.

Today, I saw what seemed to start as unarmed civil disobedience- men and women barracaded into synagogues. When the soldiers finally broke into the women's section of the synagogue, the women hugged the soldiers before they got onto the buses that would take them away. It was peaceful. They had made their statement of protest.

Then, the men's side was invaded. The men dumped oil all over the steps leading up to the synagogue, and then they went up to the roof. They threw paint balls at the soldiers, then sand, then water , possible some kind of acid, and some sort of oil. They kicked and punched and jabbed at the soldiers with wooden sticks. It ceased being civil disobedience and became something ugly.

I have no idea what these people are going through. I won't pretend that I do. It seems like they broke their own rules, though... by their actions, they caused several of their Jewish brothers (I don't think any of the female soldiers were involved) to be injured (mostly by the oil on the ground). Violence against fellow Israelis is divisive, not helpful.

Not only is Israel being attacked on most sides by Islamic fanatics (and don't tell me that they're not fanatics- we all know better), now there is a bitter struggle between Israelis. That may do even more damage to the People that God Loves than anything their enemies could ever do.

I pray for the peace of Israel, both from outside, and within.

Pope Benedict XVI forgot to bless the pilgrims who came to his summer residence.

Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged that he was absent-minded after forgetting to bless the hundreds of pilgrims who attended his weekly audience at his Castel Gandolfo summer residence.

He said his mind was already in Cologne, where he was to travel Thursday to participate in the 20th World Youth jamboree.

The crowd gathered in the palace courtyard was surprised to see the Pope return to his window several moments after leaving after greeting pilgrims in several languages.

"I ask for your forgiveness, but I have forgotten the most important greeting, the greeting to the pilgrims in the Italian language," he told them.

eh... we need to give the poor guy a break. He's a shy man from all account, and he's still trying to get used to his new job. He's trying.

Recently, I pointed out that Senator Ted Kennedy (D. Massachusetts) used to be pro-life. Al Gore and Senator Kerry also held pro-life positions until that stand became inconvenient to their political career.

Time to add Senator Durbin to the Flipper list.

"I believe we should end abortion on demand, and at every opportunity, I have translated this belief into votes in the House of Representatives. I am opposed to the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions and will continue to support amendments to prohibit the funding of elective abortions for federal employees and Medicaid recipients," Durbin wrote, concluding: "I continue to believe the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade should be reversed." (Aug. 14, 1989)

Let's contrast that with what he said recently to Tim Russert.

Durbin acknowledged his contradictory position on the issue to Russert.

"I came to Congress not having seen what I think is the important part of this debate and not understanding, if you will, really what was behind it," Durbin claimed.

"And I finally came to the conclusion that we really have to try to honor the Roe vs. Wade thinking, that there are certain times in the life of a woman that she needs to make that decision with her doctor, with her family and with her conscience and that the government shouldn't be intruding," added Durbin.

The Illinois Democrat complained that pro-life advocates in Washington would not accept legalized abortion even in circumstances when Durbin believed it was justified.

"It's true that my position changed," Durbin admitted.

Well, I guess I can give him some credit for being a flipper.

Hmmm... they change their position because it's inconvenient for them... I guess they would sympathize with the 95% of women who choose to terminate their pregnancies because a baby would be inconvenient. It all makes sense now...

s. invicta... sounds harmless, right? Hardly...

I went outside this morning to trim the rose bushes a bit. I'm currently sporting about 10 fire ant bites on my right foot. Grumble... grumble... grumble... I'm just lucky that I'm not sensitive to them like T2.

h/t to Kate

the Prankster (47% dark, 26% spontaneous, 26% vulgar)

your humor style: CLEAN | COMPLEX | LIGHT Your humor has an intellectual, even conceptual slant to it. You're not pretentious, but you're not into what some would call 'low humor' either. You'll laugh at a good dirty joke, but you definitely prefer something clever to something moist. You probably like well-thought-out pranks and/or spoofs and it's highly likely you've tried one of these things yourself. In a lot of ways, yours is the most entertaining type of humor because it's smart without being mean-spirited. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Conan O'Brian - Ashton Kutcher

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 83% on dark You scored higher than 0% on spontaneous You scored higher than 33% on vulgar

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating

No, not about the boys' new school. They have a good cafeteria, and their vending machines are filled with bottled water. Unlike the policy recommendations of the American Beverage Association.

The association's board voted unanimously Tuesday to work with school districts to ensure that vending machines stock only bottled water and 100 percent juice in elementary schools, although most of these schools are already soda-free.

The group is also suggesting that middle school students have access to additional drinks, like sports drinks, no-calorie soft drinks and low-calorie juice drinks. Middle schools could have additional machines with soft drinks and full-calorie juice drinks available for organizations that may hold meetings at the school, but the beverages couldn't be available during school hours.

So... being the concerned parent that I am, I did a little research (took 2.46 seconds on Google... more or less).

According to this site, a 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 40 grams of added sugar, which provide about 160 calories but little else of nutritional value. Granted, that's a lot of sugar... and no real nutritional value. So, juice must be better, right? Well... according to this site, a 16 oz serving (which is what will come out of vending machines at your average school) will provide 56 grams of carbohydrates (that's sugar), 224 calories, and 200% of the RDA of Vitamin C (one of the easiest vitamins to get your daily dose of). So... they're going to offer kiddies beverages with more sugar and more calories, all for some Vitamin C?

No, I don't think that kids should be given access to unlimited (except for the amount of cash in their pockets) amounts of carbonated beverages (although it didn't seem to hurt me when I was growing up). A healthier option would be to replace the candy machines (which, I know, are no longer in schools either) with vending machines that have... wait for it... fresh fruit, and maybe a power bar or two. Bottled water instead of soda machines (kids don't drink enough water- the vast majority of Americans don't drink enough water). Leave juice for breakfast.

But... what do I know? I just ran the numbers...

So... I was at Walmart (again- why in the world do I not buy stock?) and I saw something that completely caught me off guard. I mean jaw-dropping off guard.

The stockers were filling the shelves... with Halloween costumes. I checked my cell phone- yup, I was right. August 17th, and there are Halloweeen costumes on the shelves.

This drives me insane! Halloween goodies get purchased in October. Pilgrim decorations get taken out after my birthday. I do not put up my Christmas tree or start Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving.

Things like this make me grumpy. Very grumpy.

... for lack of a better word.

Researchers discovered that most chimps are lefties (handedness, not political inclination).

When it comes to fishing tasty termites out of their mounds, wild chimpanzees don't have the right stuff. Most, in fact, are southpaws. A three-year study of 17 wild chimps in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, found that 12 of them used their left hands when using sticks to probe for termites.

Four were right-handed and one was listed as ambiguously handed.

"Contrary to previous claims, wild chimpanzees show population-level handedness in tool-use," reported the research team led by William D. Hopkins of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta. Population-level handedness indicates a preference for one hand in a large group.

In my mind, this raises evolutionary questions, but not the ones raised by researchers.

A larger question concerns the evolution of language, Hopkins said in a telephone interview.

Most people, right and left handed, use the left hemisphere of the brain to process language, he explained.

The argument has been made that if humans developed language after the split from apes, and language is related to handedness, then there shouldn't be handedness in apes, he said,

"This reinforces the view that the whole historical link between language and handedness is probably not a correct one and people need to rethink those ideas," Hopkins said.

Yeah, people need to rethink many ideas. A larger question is how... if most humans are righthanded (which they are) and chimps are mostly southpaws, then... how could that have possibly happened with consideration to evolution? Wouldn't that have been maintained through the process if it is indeed the stronger trait? Or... maybe... just maybe... God made them different?

Perhaps another... uh... monkey wrench in the theory.

BTK killer Dennis Rader is facing his victims' families today during his sentencing hearing. They struggle to find words to express to the court the pure hell Rader put them through. And, on top of that, they get to deal with this:

Judge Gregory Waller must rule on whether he will serve his 10 sentences consecutively or concurrently.

Prosecutors want Rader to get the longest possible sentence - a minimum of 175 years without a chance of parole.

Yeah... you read that right. His worst possible sentence is 175 years in prison without a chance of parole. What's wrong with that, you ask? The great state of Kansas won't can't execute him for his crimes. You see, the Kansas State Court said that their death penalty law was unconstitutional.

The Kansas law states that when juries find arguments for and against execution equal, their decision should favor a death sentence.

But a majority of the justices said such a requirement violates the Eighth and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution, according to court officials.

The Eighth Amendment addresses "cruel and unusual punishment." The 14th Amendment addresses guaranteed rights, due process and equal protection for U.S. citizens.

The Kansas statute's "express language was clearly intended to mandate the imposition of a death sentence when the existence of aggravating circumstances was not outweighed by any mitigating circumstances," the opinion states.

But... no... there's no such thing as an activist judiciary.

Another gem from Strange Cosmos (yeah, some are a little tacky):

New Over-the-Counter Medications:

St. Mom's Wort- Plant extract that treats mom's depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to six hours.

Empty Nestrogen- Highly effective suppository that eliminates melancholy by enhancing the memory of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn't wait till they moved out.

Peptobimbo- Liquid silicone for single women. Two full cups swallowed before an evening out increases breast size, decreases intelligence, and improves flirting.

Dumerol- When taken with Peptobimbo, can cause dangerously low I.Q. causing enjoyment of country western music.

Flipitor- Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.

Antiboyotics- When administered to teenage girls, is highly effective in improving grades, freeing up phone lines, and reducing money spent on make-up.

Menicillin- Potent antibiotic for older women. Increases resistance to such lines as, "You make me want to be a better person ... can we get naked now?"

Buyagra- Indictable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency and duration of spending spree.

Extra Strength Buy-One-all- When combined with Buyagra, can cause an indiscriminate buying frenzy so severe the victim may even come home with a Donnie Osmond CD or a book by Dr. Laura.

Jack Asspirin- Relieves the headache caused by a man who can't remember your birthday, anniversary or phone number.

Anti - talksident- A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers.

Sexcedrin- More effective than Excedrin in treating the, "Not now, dear, I have a headache," syndrome.

Ragamet- When administered to a husband, provides the same irritation as ragging on him all weekend, saving the wife the time and trouble of doing it herself.

While I like the idea of "antiboyotics", I'm trying to get funding for research into girlfenesin, an expectorant that promotes elimination of girls from boys' systems. If so, I'm going to stockpile for the insanity to come.

I was doing a search using "Google News" and I came across this link... does this sound like an unbiased news source to you?

Cindy Sheehan's Reputation Gets Expert Management From Fox

If you want the job done right, you hire a professional. So tonight Fox hired Mike Paul, reputation management expert, to join John Gibson to do a more polished and professional trashing of Cindy Sheehan's reputation. Gibson and his guest, with cool professional objectivity, pondered the political ramifications of a Bush meeting with Cindy Sheehan. Maybe Paul was responsible for that new snapshot they had tonight of Cindy Sheehan and Michael Moore photo shopped together. Nice touch, Mike.

I don't object to this blog being on the internet (even if they do thank Gore for it). I do object to Google citing them as a news source.

... of the Mac Truck that ran over me?

I'm officially under the weather. I've spent most of the day asleep. I woke up long enough to tell the boys to have a good day (first day of middle school) and put some dinner in the crock pot for tonight.

Now I'm going to make myself a cup of hot tea, sip it, and go back to bed. I'll be back... later...

What a way to spend my first blog-day!

... when you're having fun!

One year ago today, I started blogging. Has it really been a year? Wow...

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me over the past year. Thanks to the folks who stopped by almost 26, 000 times in the last 365 days. And, special thanks to George W. Bush, John F. Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and the 2004 LCPYFL Bengals (the boys' football team last fall) for providing me with plenty of content fodder as I got started on this little adventure. I couldn't have done it without you!

On my way back from the airport today, I drove through Wendy's for some lunch. At the window, I was asked if I would like to make a contribution to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I was told that, if I did, I would receive 5 free Frosties.

Does it seem odd to anyone else that they would be offering a product with 55 grams of sugar per serving to people who are donating money to combat a disease that robs children of the ability to process sugar properly (and, therefore, they can't have them)?

Now that I'm back in Austin (and slept- a little... I think), I'll give you some thoughts about the event.

First, have I actually met a blogging jerk yet? I don't think so. The group that I met yesterday are very nice, incredibly intelligent, and annoyingly talented people. Special thanks to Charmaine for bringing us together for this. Also present were Trey Jackson, Joe Carter, Jackson Miller (I guess he was our only liberal blogger), Karol Sheinin, Ed Morrissey, Leon H from redstate.org, Lance McMurray, and Bill Hobbs. There were some other local bloggers there, but I didn't get a chance to meet them. (oh... and that "I've never met a blogging jerk" part... not in any hurry to change that, either.)

Next, I will admit that I wasn't sure what to expect, but I will also admit that I didn't have nearly as much of a problem with this being set in a church as some of the bloggers did. (I understand their opinions, and I can see exactly why they'd feel that way... I guess I just have a different take on it... more later). Also, unlike some of the other bloggers, I wasn't surprised at the superb production value of the program- it just made sense that this group of people wouldn't put on a shabby production.

Now, I feel like I need to confess something and make an apology. Both in my earlier post, and in Jackson's post, there was mention of the (probably) cross-dressing protester. Jackson didn't name names, but I think I'm one of the ones he was talking about. I was laughing about Patricia, and that was wrong. Jackson was right- that wasn't what Jesus would have done. I'm sorry that I made fun of Patricia (no... I'm not going to apologize for making fun of some of those signs) and I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

I'm not sure if I told you, but the bloggers were given full press credentials. Very cool. As part of that, we were allowed into the press conference before the event and access to the press filing area (and munchie table). When the press conference was held, several of us noticed how... focused the reporter from Reuters seemed to be- she wanted to know why Tom Delay wasn't at the press conference. And the answer ("he's not here yet") obviously wasn't good enough, because she kept harping on it. Well... when everything was said and done and we were getting some post-event munchies, it was pointed out that the Reuters story (about the completed event) was posted to the wire at 6:38pm Central. The problem with that? It wasn't over until 7:30pm CST. And... to top it off... her report (that John Roberts was not endorsed) was wrong. He wasn't strongly endorsed... but he was definitely endorsed. As we were pondering all of this, it was also mentioned that no one saw her in the press areas (in the filing room or in the sanctuary) once the press conference was over. Oh, the things that make you go "hmmm...."

I posted earlier that I was concerned by the strength of the religious message. The more I thought about it, the better I felt about it. It was telecast TO church to motivate church members to become active in the process. Why not make it a religious message? It makes sense.

I'm going to do a separate post on religion and politics, so I'll leave you with this... Ted Haggard was asked (by yours truly) how he felt about the bloggers being at the event. His response was as follows.

In the same way that the liberals fear the rise of Evangelicals, so should the traditional press fear the rise of the bloggers.

Since I last posted... well... everything else happened. Silly me for forgetting the power cord!!!

Chuck Colson was next. He was powerful, talking about how everyone should be persuing justice. He also told an interesting story about a friend of his. His friend is a pastor, and some gay rights protesters threw a bunch of condoms on the alter of the church. His friend just smiled and said that being angry with them would be like being angry with a blind man for stepping on your foot- they just don't see.

Bishop Harry Jackson was next. Wow. Talk about a powerful speaker.

"Justice is not broken, and She is not blind. She is not blindfolded. She is sitting down on the job!" (a reference to one of the statues of Justice)

As an aside, several of us had the opportunity to sit down with Bishop Jackson after the event. His idea of how to bring what he calls the New Black Church (old fashioned values with laptops) and the white Evangelical churches was amazing in its... well... simplicity. You start with Scripture. Take the topics at hand, show the ministers how the Scripture applies to those topics, and then the ministers- who have more influence over their congregations than many nationally known "faces."

A lot has been made of Bill Donohue's part of the program last night (just scan through what the other bloggers wrote live) , and I don't have much to add. I'm just glad he's on our side. He was a bit snarky (always a good thing), and he made one interesting point (which I've heard before, but bears repeating again and again.

"If any other segment of the US population was demonized like Evangelicals are, it would be called bigotry."

Zel Miller received standing ovations at the beginning and end of his speech. That man missed his calling- he would make a powerful preacher. There were some great quotes, most notably:

We have no smoking signs at gas pumps to warn us of that danger, but we are not allowed to have warning signs posted about the dangers of living a sinful life.

And:

When they make it harder for us to pray, we'll just pray harder.

Phyllis Schlafly spoke as wonderfully as ever, and ended with an admonishment that everyone should tell Congress to do their duty and reign in the out of control judiciary.

Cathy Cleaver Ruse spoke about some of the issues that will be coming before the SCOTUS this term- parental rights (in relation to underage girls seeking abortions), euthanasia, and partial birth abortion. (Three subjects sure to fire up the audience- and she was very effective).

Ted Haggard discussed whether politics and religion should go together. He commented again that it's not a matter of wanting to impose a theocracy on the nation, but to put more arguments into the debate.

Dr. Sutton wrapped up the event. Because of time issues, he had to talk very quickly, and maybe cut part of his speech. He ended with the proclamation, "Let the Church arise."

Rebecca St. James sang "This Is Our Time" as the credits rolled.

That wraps up what happened. Next I'll dive into what I thought about it.

Rep. Tom Delay is on stage... bad mic... oops... quick catch, though...

The right of free speech and assembly is more than a right- they are a responsibility.

Judge Roberts seems to understand the important but limited roll of the judiciary...

Respect and admiration does not take away responsibility of Justices.

Political activism is mostly, but not exclusively, a tactic of the Left.

We've heard the arguments... we just disagree...

Judicial autocracy is not in the Constitution.

The Constitution is there to shield us from the minority forcing its will on the majority.

Justice Sunday is not a protest against anything.

Drat... 3 minutes of battery left.. time to shut down and change computers.

Jim Daley (President, Focus on the Family)

Christians have a right to speak on the public square as well. These rights come from God, not man.

Isn't it obvious who wants to be god in this country?

video from Dr. Dobson:

The courts are tearing at the fabric of this nation... arrogant judiciary... judicial tyranny...

75% of people surveyed (CNN Gallop poll) favor the display of the 10 Commandments.

People care more about property rights than anything else (reference to Kelo case).

SCOTUS, by their own admission, is more concerned with opinion in Europe than anything else.

Judge Roberts need to be protected from the radical fringe elements and keep the confirmation process from becoming a circus.

Important rulings will come down over the next few years... definition of marriage... religious liberty... partial birth abortion... euthanasia... parental consent...

Bring balance to the judiciary... participate in democracy... pray urgently...

Thoughts so far:

I can't say that I disagree with what I've heard so far. What concerns me is that some of the speakers are speaking in such a strong religious manner that they may turn off some of the less fervent among us. I understand that the message is intended for a religious audience (this is being simulcast in churches around the country), and... in that... they're doing a great job. But they're also risking hitting every single "negative" stereo-type out there...

God Save the United States and This Honorable Court... the prayer that opens the Supreme Court sessions... interesting...

Dr. Jerry Sutton is on stage... standing O...

He's excited. I'd like to hear him preach sometime (he's VP of the SBC, by the way... )

Now Tony Perkins (Pres, FRC) is onstage now...

In the last 40 years, the Court has become more hostile to religion and taken a more activist role, usurping the authority of other branches of government.

"We do not claim to speak for all Americans, but reserve the right to speak. "

I'll hit post after every speaker... maybe...

Right now there is a really good praise and worship band singing. They're good, but... quite enthusiastic. Which is not a bad thing... except there are a lot of people in the audience (which looks like a packed house) who aren't evangelicals. I just hope they're not too uncomfortable. (hmmm... then again... sometimes a little discomfort is a good thing, right?)

A few of us just wandered outside to get a peak at the 10 or 15 protesters who are standing on the other side of the street. (Pictures to follow).

Most of them had NOW signs, with a few interesting ones thrown in. Evidently "Roberts isn't justice" and we live in a "Democracy, not Theocracy". I'm glad to know that at least one of the protesters is a Christian (at least that's what her sign said). I'm a little concerned about the tall "lady" in the flowery skirt (the one with the thick ankles and large Adam's apple- "her" name is Patricia).

There was one sign that I just didn't get. Um... What does "Outlaw Viagra, not Abortion" have to do with anything (or each other for that matter)?


UPDATE (5:45 pm): I wanted to give the protesters credit for hanging in there with it being as hot as it is out there. Never mind... Ed went out there to talk to the protesters. He commented on the heat (trying to give them credit, also)... their response? "It's not nearly as hot as it is in Baghdad with body armor on!" uh... well... sure... I guess...

The press conference just wrapped up. Several of this evening's speakers answered questions.

In a nutshell, Justice Sunday is an opportunity to inform the Christian community of how the Courts impact their lives, educate them on what the Courts are supposed to be and do, and activate them (get them involved once again in the process). This organization isn't trying to take over- inflict its will on the country. They just want to be one of many voices heard on the subject.

There were a lot of great quotes. One of the ones that really grabbed me was the idea that, in the same way that the Bible provides the standard for the local church, the Constitution is the standard for civil government. If the Bible ceases to mean what it means, then the standard for the church falls apart. The same can be said if the Constitution ceases to mean what it means due to the concept of a "Living Document," and the standard for civil government falls apart.

The other interesting exchange occured between a reporter and Bishop Harry Jackson. Bishop Jackson was asked if it would be detremental to minorities if there were not activist judges and if there was not a concept of a Living Constitution. He responded that the Constitution is a living document in that there are processes in place to alter the Constitution (ie. ammendments) that have served minorities and women for many years. He also stated that it is better to have strong processes not vulnerable to waves of public opinion in place to fall back on as opposed to maverick judges who change laws at the last minute.

I'll rummage through my notes for some more goodies... but here's your first dose.

So... I'm here at Two Rivers in Nashville, getting ready to live blog Justice Sunday.

A few observations from the trip here:

• The blueberry muffins at Austin's airport (ABIA) can suck all of the life-giving moisture from your body. The coffee's not all that, either.
  
• What environment are you trying to blend into if you wear pink camoflage?
  
• Having your flight attendents whine cuss about how horrible their jobs are while they sit in the boarding area (in uniform) is probably bad PR, if not just plain bad form.
  
• Bush Intercontinental Airport is huge... and is much, much bigger when the telescoping handle of your carry on decides that it no longer wants to be part of the deal.
  
• The best time to discover that you've forgotten the power cord for your laptop is NOT once you've landed at your final destination (thanks, Charmaine, for bringing the spare laptop!)
  
• The drivers of the shuttle to the Radisson Opryland are cool (and the hotel is nice, too!)
  

There's the mindless drivel for today. The press conference will be starting soon.

Here's a list of the other bloggers covering this: Voluntarily Conservative, Alarming News, Captain's Quarters, Evangelical Outpost, BillHobbs.com, Nashville Files, Charmaine, and Jaxn.org.

In a few hours, I'll board a plane for Nashville (via Houston) for Justice Sunday. Stay tuned to this site for liveblogging (it will be webcast on the FRC site, I think... if not, check the Justice Sunday site to see if it's on in your area).

OK... now it's nap time.

You'd think that being rated as #1 in your field in an online survey would be a good thing, right? Well... it usually is... unless you're a group of monks and your beer has been named World's Best by the RateBeer web site.

Monks at a Belgian abbey have been forced to stop selling their famous beer after it was voted the best in the world and was promptly sold out.

The abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in western Belgium is home to some 30 Cistercian and Trappist monks who lead a life of seclusion, prayer, manual labor -- and beer-brewing.

A survey of thousands of beer enthusiasts from 65 countries on the RateBeer Web site in June rated the Westvleteren 12 beer as the world's best.

But the abbey only has a limited brewing capacity, and was not able to cope with the beer's sudden popularity.

"Our shop is closed because all our beer has been sold out," said a message on the abbey's answering machine, which it calls the "beer phone."

And the abbey has no intention of boosting its capacity to satisfy market demand.

"We are not brewers, we are monks. We brew beer to be able to afford being monks," the father abbot said on the abbey's Web site.

A quick search found Westvleteren 12 beer available for €8 plus shipping from Belgium. Or... $10.95 plus shipping from Virginia. Unfortunately, my favorite online location for adult beverages is out of stock. Go figure.

It does sound yummy. Not yummy enough for $11 + shipping for it.

When someone takes a step of faith, everyone rejoices. When someone takes a BIG leap of faith, and you've been standing by, praying... waiting... watching... that's a whole new level of rejoicing. (No, I'm not going to give you any spoilers- go read it yourself!) Yeah... I'll admit it... there's this tiny part of me that's a little bummed that I wasn't actually there for the event. But... I'll get over it. Quickly.

Love you, Denita! Major hugs! Welcome to the Family!

My alarm clock went off at 2am this morning. I woke up the boys, and we headed outside.

Fortunately, when we got out there, the sky was mostly clear. I laid down on the driveway and invited the boys to join me. They didn't believe me, at first, but T2 ended up joining me after a few minutes (and several of my "There's one!" that he missed because he wasn't looking straight up at just the right moment).

We were in the front yard for about 10 minutes, and I think I saw about one meteor a minute, but some were so faint that I almost had to wonder if I really saw them. (T1 said that he thinks he saw some faint ones, as well.) After about 10 minutes, we all saw the same really bright one (had to be a little bit bigger than a grain of sand to start out with), and we decided to call it a night because of the clouds moving in.

It was very cool, no denying that. I just wish that we were in the middle of nowhere so we could have seen more. Or, barring that, I wish my neighbors would bother to turn off their porch lights once in a while. There was too much "light pollution" for us to get a good look at the sky.

That won't keep me from hauling the boys out of bed next year to see some more shooting stars. Only bad weather could do that.

Since there's nothing really rantable in the news (unless I wanted to talk about Mrs. Sheehan or Able Danger... which would just cause my blood pressure to rise), here's a quick look at some of the quirkier news articles that caught my eye...

• A judge in Virginia has voided part of the state's DUI statutes.

  A district judge has ruled that key components of Virginia's drunken driving laws are unconstitutional, citing a decades-old U.S. Supreme Court decision.
  
  The state law presumes that someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher is intoxicated, denying their right to a presumption of innocence, Judge Ian O'Flaherty ruled in dismissing charges against at least two alleged drunken drivers last month.

  Uh... how else are you supposed to prove someone's drunk as a skunk?
  
• Bao is a big guy... in fact, he's the biggest guy.

  A Chinese herdsman measuring 236.1cm (7ft 8.95 in) in height was confirmed by Guinness World Records headquarters as the tallest naturally-growing human being in the world this July.

  What's scary is that he was "average height" for kids his age until he got to be 16. And I thought my kids were tall..

• Most scientists believe in God.

  About two-thirds of scientists believe in God, according to a new survey that uncovered stark differences based on the type of research they do.
  
  The study, along with another one released in June, would appear to debunk the oft-held notion that science is incompatible with religion.
  
  Those in the social sciences are more likely to believe in God and attend religious services than researchers in the natural sciences, the study found.
  
  The opposite had been expected.

  Good point. Based on what you hear (in the MSM, of course), you'd think most scientists are atheists. Wonder how most of the people surveyed feel about evolution... just askin'...
• The artist who caused a stir when she misspelled several words in a mural at a library has finally fixed her errors.

  On Tuesday, Maria Alquilar worked under the blazing sun, using power tools to reshape and install tiles changing "Eistein" to "Einstein" and "Van Gough" to "Van Gogh."
  
  But Alquilar -- who last year claimed artistic license and said she wasn't going to fix the faux pas because people were being too mean about it - - was in no mood to talk.

  Artistic license? If this was a piece to be displayed at a gallery, I'd almost give her a pass on that one (only because I think many artists are pompous idiots and I would expect nothing more or less from one). But this was for a mural at a library. Could she not run in and look at a dictionary or something? An encyclopedia would have done wonders. Or... maybe she could have just googled 'em all and been done with it.
  
• According to police, a man shot his wife... because of dirty dishes...

  A man charged with shooting his 17-year-old wife after an argument over dirty dishes was ordered to stand trial on criminal homicide and other charges.
  
  At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, police said James Russell Petrie, 27, of Richhill Township, Pa., told them he was watching "Dr. Phil" — a psychologist's self-help TV talk show — on July 7, when his wife came downstairs and also started watching the show.
  
  Petrie said he asked his wife, Jessica, why there were still dirty dishes in the sink. She told him she would "get to them," angering her husband, who felt he was being ignored, police said.
  
  That's when Petrie took a .22-caliber gun and shot his wife in the head, police said.

  Dang... talk about harsh! Maybe he needed to watch a little more Dr. Phil. Needless to say, the dishwasher is running, even as I type.
  

I stayed up to see the meteors last night. No luck- too many clouds to see anything at all.

Oh, well... I'll set the alarm clock, and we can try again tonight.

This weekend, I'm going on a little trip. A quick trip. An awesome trip.

Where am I going? Nashville for Justice Sunday II at Two Rivers Baptist Church. And I have Charmaine Yoest and the Family Research Council to thank for this very wonderful opportunity.

In a nutshell, they (the FRC, not Charmaine) are covering my (and a few other bloggers') travel expenses so that I (we) can attend. In return, I get to live blog the event. They have not asked me to present the event in any particular light- just to blog it as I see it. Besides the travel expenses, I've heard they will also be providing munchies, but, unless there are large quantities of sushi on hand, that won't sway me much.

I just wanted to say thanks to the FRC for providing this opportunity (and Charmaine for putting the blogging part together). And... because of what some other bloggers have said, I wanted to let everyone know what the scoop is before I even get on the plane. Like I said... full disclosure and all that.

And... in a moment of snarkiness, I'd like to thank the organizers of the "Justice Everyday" counter-protest that will be somewhere near the church. Thank you for providing plenty of blog-fodder for us to chomp on. Oh... a fisking we will go... a fisking we will go...

Um... do not click on this link unless you're not squeamish. If you're squeamish, here's the 4-1-1 on what's on the video.

Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran sprinted toward the sinking liner, both outfielders watching the ball and diving toward the same spot.

They didn't see each other and smashed face-to-face in what many of their New York teammates said was one of the scariest collisions they've ever seen. The Mets who ran to the fallen pair during the seventh inning of the 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday said Cameron was dazed and bleeding from the mouth.

Cameron was taken off the field on a stretcher, his body immobilized and his neck in a brace. He was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he underwent two CT scans. Cameron broke his nose, had multiple fractures of both cheekbones and a slight concussion, and was to be hospitalized overnight, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said. Cameron was placed on the disabled list.

Beltran had a sore left shoulder and a cut near his left temple. He was taken to Scripps Clinic where he will remain overnight for evaluation and tests, Horwitz said late Thursday night.

Ouch. Just ouch. Beltran's lucky if he doesn't have a concussion. And... from what you can see on the video, Cameron was lucky he didn't break his neck.

Get well, soon, guys. My thoughts and prayers are with you (even if you are Mets). (yeah, I had to add that, only because I know someone's going to question my praying for a Mets player. Mets and the Cards just don't get along... but we Cards fans are a caring bunch... really... )

Sorry this is so late, but... it's been one of those days...

* Let's start with a little weirdness... in South Korea, a guy died after playing computer games 50 hours straight.

South Korean newspapers reported that Lee had recently been fired from his job because he spent too much time playing computer games. When he failed to return home by Friday, however, his mother asked his former colleagues to find him.

When they reached the cafe, Lee told his friends that he would finish the game and go home. He died a few minutes later.

That is just plain... scary...

* uh... message to the guys out there... if you marry three women (without bothering with the pesky divorce decrees)... get a social secretary to keep them apart.

British police confirmed that after Melvyn Reed woke from his triple bypass heart operation earlier this year, his complicated marital affairs took a turn for a worse. All three of his spouses had turned up at the same time, despite his efforts to stagger their visits.

Media reports say that, upon realizing that something was amiss, the wives held a meeting in the parking lot, and learned that they were all married to the same man.

What surprises me about this is that any of the women would choose to stay with this moron.

* Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer admits that they don't always get it right.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says not all rulings from America's highest court are correct, admitting judges don't have "some great special insight," and he defends the practice of studying courts in foreign countries to help decide cases in the United States.

Um... well, except that whole violating the oath he took to protect and defend the Constitution, he's got at least part of it right.

* A third juror has expressed doubts about Michael Jackson's innocence.

A third juror from the Michael Jackson trial has expressed doubt about the defendant's innocence, saying she believes the entertainer is a child molester but she had reasonable doubt about the charges against him.

Unfortunately, I see her point. She's fairly sure that he's a freak who preys on children. Because of the poor prosecution and iffy testimony, she can't be sure that he did this particular act of vileness. So... blame her or blame the prosecution?

* Steven Vincent might have been shot last week because of his reporting... or because of his upcoming wedding.

An American journalist who was shot dead in Basra last week was executed by Shiite extremists who knew he was intending to marry his Muslim interpreter, it has emerged.

Steven Vincent was shot a week before the planned wedding to Nouriya Itais and had already delivered a $2,500 dowry to her family.

Granted, we don't know this for sure yet. But... either way... is that a reason to gun down someone?

* The 9th Circus Court of Appeals actually did something right when it refused a request to block implementation of a voter-approved law in Arizona.

A federal appeals court refused Tuesday to block part of an Arizona law that denies some public benefits to illegal immigrants, saying the plaintiffs had no right to sue.

The voter-approved law appeared on Arizona's November election ballot. The portion at issue bars illegal immigrants from getting certain public benefits and makes it a crime for public employees to fail to report undocumented immigrants who seek the benefits.

Oops... the plaintiffs had no right to sue because it didn't effect them. I guess that's because they're citizens of the great state of Arizona, legally here participating in society. So... I guess those who are effected need to sue... oh, but wait... they can't because THEY'RE HERE ILLEGALLY AND HAVE NO RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION. Oh, well...

* An Oklahoma man was arrested for trying to take an IED onto a plane at the OKC airport.

Charles Alfred Dreyling Jr., 24, was detained on Wednesday morning after a security screener using an X-ray machine saw the device in his luggage as he tried to board a flight to Philadelphia at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City.

uh... wow... not the sharpest knife in the drawer, eh???

* Texas has become the 4th "majority-minority" state.

Texas has become the fourth state to have a non-white majority population, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday, a trend driven by a surging number of Hispanics moving to the state.

According to the population estimates based on the 2000 Census, about 50.2 percent of Texans are now minorities. In the 2000 Census, minorities made up about 47 percent of the population in the second-largest state.

You know... I don't have a problem with that. The problem that I have is that the culture that is completely unique to the United States is being lost to "multi-culti" mumbo-jumbo. For generations, people came to this country and transformed themselves into Americans- speaking the language, adopting the customs. Now, immigrants are encouraged to not learn English and to not try to assimilate. We're losing that which makes us the UNITED States, and that's what bothers me.

* The Oxford Dictionary has come out with its latest edition, with a bunch of new words. And some people are evidently not too happy about it.

People appalled by the uglification of English have fresh meat to chew on today with the publication of a new Oxford dictionary.


The language of Shakespeare, Milton and Keats has officially taken delivery of a host of new words following their inclusion in the latest single-volume Oxford Dictionary of English. Needless to say, each one is more hideous than the last.

These people are obviously word-snobs who haven't noticed how the language of Shakespeare, Milton and Keats was changed by people such as Shakespeare, Milton and Keats. Languages are one of two things... "Dead" or, well... "alive." Languages that haven't gone the way of the dinosaur have grown and changed over the centuries (dare I say "evolved"?) and, in some cases, hardly resemble their former selves. I mean, really... have you ever tried to read Old English? It's not happening without a Ph. D.

*The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks tonight (well, tomorrow morning at 3am).

For as long as records exist, the Perseid meteor showers have always been strong. This summer's Perseid shower will be exceptional. The moon is mostly out of the way later in the night, and higher-than-normal activity rates are expected over the United States.... For now, a nice outburst is projected for Aug. 12, 2005, at 08:18h UT (= 04:18 EDT and 01:18 PDT), when Earth will encounter the dust ejected in the return of 1479. Rates can go up four fold to about 240 per hour on top of the 80 per hour annual activity, for a brief period of time (approximately 1.2 hours).

What? Do you really think that I would do something as silly as set my alarm clock for 3am, wake up my kids, and drag them outside to see a bunch of shooting stars? hmmm... where is that alarm clock anyway????

I guess I should take a nap now, eh?

For some reason, it seems like funerals bring out the best in ministers. Sitting in a pew at First Baptist Church, Sulphur, Oklahoma on Tuesday morning, I couldn't help but think back a few months to when I sat in a pew at St. John's Catholic Church in Smithton, Illinois. There were differences, of course, in the preaching styles of a middle-aged Catholic priest (who didn't really know the person he eulogized) and a just-a-bit older Baptist minister (who had known the person he euologized for decades). But the similarities were striking.

Brother Eddie spoke to us about books- long ones, short ones, boring ones, ones you can't put down. Then he talked about Grandad's story... a long story (took almost 89 years to write), full of laughter and family. Pages of trucks and tractors and firetrucks fill the chapters (he loved to restore old tractors once he retired from his trucking business). Love of God, family and community graced every page.

Grandad's story (like Grandma's legacy) was in that church Tuesday morning. Not just family, but friends... lots of friends. When the service was over, everyone filed by the casket and paid their respects to MeeMaw and the rest of the family. I hadn't really paid attention as we walked in to the number of people in the church, and, as they walked past us, I was floored. Older people (who had known him for decades), younger people (whose lives he had touched in one way or another), friends who came to support the family... they just kept coming and coming. The love that he had felt for those around him was clearly returned.

The final chapter of his story wasn't written last Saturday, when he told his wife of 65 years that he was tired and wanted to go home to be with the Lord. With apologies to Paul Harvey, that was just the first page of the rest of his story.

I'm not sure how many of you are reading Day by Day every day (and if you're not, WHY NOT???) but, if you are, then the name Chris Muir is quite familiar to you. Well, he's asking a favor, and I'm more than willing to oblige.

All you have to do is click the button below... over and over again. It won't cost you a dime, but it will help with PR for a cancer clinic that is keeping Chris' sister alive and well.




Ummmm... just in case you can't see the button that I tried to put just above this paragraph... just click here. I'll fix the code when I get back to Texas.

Today we were saddened to hear of the passing of Hubby's grandfather. He was a wonderful man who filled everyone's life with joy.

We will be heading up to Oklahoma tomorrow. The funeral is on Tuesday. We'll be back Wednesday or Thursday.

Yesterday, I was the "guest co-host" on KIXL's Homeward Bound show. I had no idea what to expect (from a technical standpoint), and I was a bit nervous.

I got to the station around 3:15, and I met Andrew, the producer/director. He showed me into the studio, and I looked around for a few minutes until Jim Wagner (the host) arrived. Both of them were incredibly welcoming and made me feel right at home. Jim explained the schedule and what we would be doing during the different segments, and then we just chatted until the show started.

During the show, we talked about several different topics, mostly headline news-type stuff, which was perfectly fine with me. We had two callers. Since, technically, I was there as a replacement for Paul Pryor, the "sports guy," I read the sports at the bottom of each hour. Jim asked me some questions about being a mom of twin boys and about my blog. And, then, all of the sudden... 120 minutes had flown by and the show was over.

I had a blast. That was a lot of fun, do in no small part to Jim putting me at ease. From the reviews I've heard, I did a pretty good job (my own review- I didn't stink). Would I do it again? You bet! If Jim and Andrew want me to come back again, I would be honored.

Let's take a break from the world of politics and war and see what's going on in the world of science:

• Let's start with the obvious. The Space Shuttle Discovery is undocking from the ISS and preparing to head home. It has been cleared for re-entry now that repairs have been made and a "problem" with the thermal blanket was considered not a hazard for landing. It is scheduled to land at KSC way too early in the morning (4:48am EST) on Monday. (And... yes... I'll probably be watching it... )
• Speaking of the STS, the Atlantis launch in September might have to be scrubbed unless the engineers at NASA can figure out the problem of the foam on the External Tank.
  
• Intelligent Design and Evolution have been in the news quite a bit lately. Earlier this week, President Bush stated that he thought that ID should be mentioned in the classroom and that the fact that there is debate in the scientific community over the validity of the theory of Evolution. Looks like that's making some people a bit upset.

  "If [Bush] meant that intelligent design should be given equal standing with the theory of evolution in the nation's science classrooms, then he is undermining efforts to increase the understanding of science," Spilhaus said in a statement. "Intelligent design' is not a scientific theory."

  And evolution, Dr. Spilhaus, is not without its MANY detractors. Here's an explanation of what ID is and isn't.In other Darwinism news, the Catholic Church seems to be having an internal debate on the subject which has gone quite public.

  The Vatican's astronomer has rebuffed a cardinal's attack on Darwinism, causing a new war of words in the Catholic Church over evolution.
  
  In the article Finding Design in Nature in last month's New York Times, Cardinal Christoph Shonborn reignited the row between the Church and science by denying Darwin's theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith.
  
  This week Father George Coyne, an American Jesuit priest and a distinguished astronomy professor, attacked Shonborn's views in the Tablet, Britain's Catholic weekly.

  This isn't going to be pretty. Yet another division in the Church... great...
  
• Evidently the big, bad humans were responsible for the deaths of several species of giant mammals in North America shortly after the last Ice Age. Then again, isn't it always our fault?
  

  Weapon-wielding humans, and not warming temperatures, killed off the sloth and other giant mammals that roamed North America during the last Ice Age, a new study suggests.
  
  The arrival of humans onto the American continent and the great thaw that occurred near the end of the last Ice Age both occurred at roughly the same time, about 11,000 years ago. Until now, scientists were unable to tease apart the two events....
  This could also explain why more than three-fourths of the large Ice Age mammal species -- including giant wooly mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed tigers and giant bears -- that roamed many parts of North America became extinct within the span of a few thousand years.

  mmmm... grilled mastedon... wonder what you'd serve with that... baked potatoes, a side salad and a nice cabernet sauvignon sounds about right...
  
• Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh think they might have an alternative to the controversial use of embryonic stem cells in research- amniotic epithelial cells from the placenta.

  Pitt researchers have discovered that one type of cell in the human placenta has characteristics that are strikingly similar to embryonic stem cells in their ability to regenerate a wide variety of tissues.

  The cells, called amniotic epithelial cells, potentially could be used to produce new liver cells to treat liver failure, or new pancreatic islet cells to cure diabetes or new neurons to treat Parkinson's disease.

  Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are obtained only by destroying human embryos, these cells can be extracted from the same placentas that now are routinely discarded after birth. They thus could be a non-controversial alternative to embryonic stem cells.

  This is the kind of research we need, not the kind that seeks to destroy life. Let's face it- as long as babies are born, there will be a supply of these cells. I wish these researchers the best of luck in this endeavor.
  

• Scientists are working on a method to read the writing on ancient stone carvings that have weathered away over time.

  The group built a machine that generates X-rays a million times more intense than what the doctor uses to image your bones. An X-ray beam is fired at a stone, scanning back and forth. Atoms on the stone's surface emit lower-energy fluorescent X-rays, and different wavelength emissions reveal zinc, iron and other elements in the stone.
  
  Historians know that iron chisels were commonly used to inscribe stone, and the letters were usually painted with pigments containing metal oxides and sulfides. So where letters and numbers are no longer visible to the eye, the newfound minerals trace their shapes.

  Thousands upon thousands of carvings- documents from ancient times- finally completely available for study. You have to know that archeologists, historians, anthropologists and who knows how many other "-gists" are just itching to get their hands on those documents. In a way, that machine might just be a new Rosetta Stone.
• Geologists are digging deep to learn more about earthquakes- both the Big Ones and the little ones that usually go unnoticed.

  Scientists breached a major underground earthquake zone this week in Southern California by drilling a hole more than 2 miles down into theSan Andreas Fault. The hole will be lined with steel and concrete, then instruments will be installed to monitor the many small and large temblors that occur on the fault.... The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth, or SAFOD, is to be completed in 2007. It will be the only permanent underground observatory set directly in an active fault zone.

  As far as I can tell, the only downside to this is that SAFOD will be lost when California goes crashing into the sea.
  
• African farmers are keeping hungry animals away from their crops with chili peppers.

  By planting a few rows of chili peppers around the perimeter of their crops, farmers have created a buffer zone that's spicy enough to keep elephants, buffalo, and other hungry mammals away.
  
  "Chili peppers are unpalatable to crop-raiding mammals, so they give farmers an economically feasible means of minimizing damage to their investments," said Loki Osborn, project director for the Elephant Pepper Development Trust.
  
  Farmers also can mix the chili peppers into a spray that drives animals away.

  Would this work for deer? Or rabbits? Or do some animals actually like chili peppers?
  

So... I'm getting ready to walk out the door to go to the radio station. "Shaking in my shoes" does not even begin to cover it.

I have several items of interest to post on later, and... if I don't make a complete idiot of myself, I might even post about the experience.

UPDATE: (7:10pm) That was a BLAST! I had so much fun! I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I need to get something to eat.

Yesterday, I mentioned Maribel Cueves in my news round-up. She's the girl who threw a rock at a boy and was being charged with a felony. Well... she has managed to avoid jail time.

Maribel Cuevas was prepared to face a felony trial when lawyers reached a deal behind closed doors that allowed her to avoid pleading guilty.

Cuevas spent five days in juvenile hall and a month under house arrest after throwing a two-pound rock at 8-year-old Elijah Vang, cutting his forehead after he pelted her with a water-filled balloon....

As part of the agreement, the two children, with their parents present, will talk about what happened. Maribel will be on informal probation for six months and the charges will be dismissed if she stays in school and keeps out of trouble.

The girl's lawyer said his main goal was to prevent her from pleading guilty to a crime.

"They did not require any admission of wrongdoing, and once that obstacle was removed, the case was settled appropriately," defense lawyer Richard Beshwate Jr. said.

So... after all of that drama... all they have to do is sit down and talk about what happened? Nice use of taxpayers' dollars, folks. That's all that should have happened in the first place!

Question: Who wrote the following statement?

"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized – the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old.

"On the question of the individual's freedom of choice there are easily available birth-control methods and information which women may employ to prevent or postpone pregnancy. But once life has begun, no matter at what stage of growth, it is my belief that termination should not be decided merely by desire. ...

"When history looks back to this era it should recognize this generation as one which cared about human beings enough to halt the practice of war, to provide a decent living for every family, and to fulfill its responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception."

Answer: Ted Kennedy (1971)

Hmmm... I seem to remember Senator Kerry having pro-life views at some point, too (or at least, claimed a personal pro-life view, as opposed to his pro-choice voting record)... I don't get it. What happens to these Democrats once they get to Washington? They start out moderates (some, at least) and, within a term or two, they end up raging libs. It makes no sense... unless...

Ah, yes... the almighty base... Democrats in Washington must walk the DNC party line no matter what. If not, they will lose the support of the party and lose their seats.

Lovely. Anything for the vote. Senator Kennedy, I firmly believe that you will have to answer for every vote you have cast over your political career when Judgement comes. I hope you're ready to stand before God (and, I believe you'll stand before the millions of children- witnesses for the prosecution, as it were- whose murder you have helped keep legal) and explain why you thought those babies' lives were worth it. Will it seem worth it then?

I always thought that a jury verdict was a jury verdict. You could appeal it to a higher court, but that was about it. Right?

Well... I guess not...

A Ketchikan judge on Monday set aside guilty verdicts returned by a jury against the activist group Greenpeace and the captain of its boat for violating state environmental regulations during a 2004 visit to Alaska.

District Court Judge Kevin Miller provided little reason for his unusual order acquitting the Greenpeace defendants except that, in his judgment, the evidence did not support the guilty verdicts.

From what I could tell from the article, it was a pretty open/shut case. Either they had the proper paperwork completed or not. Obviously, 12 reasonably rational Alaskans looked at the evidence provided and reached a logical conclusion after due consideration. If there was a complete lack of credible evidence, why didn't the judge throw out the case before it went to the jury?

I hope the AG appeals this. This is beyond activism. The idea that a judge will toss out a verdict just because he doesn't like it is... frightening.

Over the last few days, you may have heard that the Bush administration was moving away from the phrase "Global War on Terror" to something less... warlike. Well, it looks likes the President either didn't get the memo or finally brought out the veto pen.

A couple months ago, our colleague, Susan B. Glasser , reported that the Bush administration was undertaking a major review of its strategy on counterterrorism, and that officials wanted to change the name GWOT to something like GSAVE -- Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism. That would take into account the changed nature of the battle against international terrorism....

In fact, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld 10 days ago spoke about a "global struggle against violent extremism [GSAVE]."

Apparently nobody told President Bush . At a White House meeting of senior officials Monday, Johnson wrote, "Bush reportedly said he was not in favor of the new term . . . In fact, he said, 'no one checked with me.' That comment brought an uncomfortable silence to the assembled group of pooh-bahs. The president insisted it was still a war as far as he is concerned."

"Uncomfortable silence"... that's just funny... this is one president that you just don't forget to consult about the big stuff... they should know better by now. This president hands over responsibility to those he trusts... but he's a hands-on kind of guy.

Besides... "global stuggle against violent extremism" just sounds goofy. It's not a "stuggle"- it's a war... against Islamofacists. Extremist Quakers are not a problem for us. One does not struggle against a group that wants to destroy you. One wages war for the sake of survival.

So... just to make sure everyone's on the same page... this is a WAR on Terror... not a Struggle... not a Skirmish... not even a Spat. It's a WAR.

I'm getting really tired of all of the Geico ads (both on the radio and on tv). The Gecko was cool... the goofy president in the hot tub was annoying, but still humorous the first few times I saw it. Speed Racer was funny if only because it seemed to make fun of the whole "I have good news" lunacy. But... they're getting old. Very old. Very fast.

But it's not just Geico. Too many companies are taking the goofy, or the "edgy" route these days when it comes to their commercials. Either they think their target audience is a bunch of morons (which many of them probably are) or they don't care that offend the sensibilities of a segment of the population.

I have a rule- if your commercials become too blatantly stupid, I stop patronizing your business. I doubt I'd ever consider Geico. Quizno's will never get another dime from me thanks to those stupid hamsters. And don't even get me started on ditech.com.

Where are Louie and Frank when you need them?

I guess it is, according to the DNC. According to a "fact sheet" they put out after the White House announcement that President Bush is in "superior" physical condition, the President's personal priorities and national priorities are... at odds.

The White House this weekend announced that President Bush received good news during his annual physical. Doctors pronounced the President to be in "superior" physical condition, which media reports attributed to his rigorous, six day a week exercise routine. While President Bush has made physical fitness a personal priority, his cuts to education funding have forced schools to roll back physical education classes and his Administration's efforts to undermine Title IX sports programs have threatened thousands of women's college sports programs.

Last school year, in the boys' PE class, they learned how to dance. If that's the kind of physical education our schools are offering, feel free to cut away!!!

"President Bush's has dropped the ball when it comes to fully funding physical education in public schools and women's athletic programs at the college level," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Josh Earnest. "His personal habits indicate that physical fitness is not just fun and games for him. Don't our kids deserve the same opportunities to be physically fit? President Bush should stop running from his responsibility and make sure that all American children have access to physical fitness programs."

Last time I checked, all American children do have access to physical fitness programs. It's not their fault that the PC, touchy-feely crowd have added so much other crud to the school day and so many constraints on what they can do that kids are reduced to silly games during PE. Get rid of the junk, and you'd have time to play dodgeball. Oh, wait... can't play that- too mean. Kickball? Softball? Nope- no competition- it's hurts their self-image. Oh, well... a waltz, anyone?

BUSH IN SUPERIOR HEALTH, BUT AMERICA'S YOUTH NOT

Doctors gave President Bush a clean bill of health in his annual checkup this weekend and White House spokesperson Dana Perino proclaimed him to be "in superior health." However, America's youth are not so lucky. While obesity has been declared an epidemic in this country, Bush's education policy is putting children at risk with cuts in physical education and school athletic programs.

They're right- there are a lot of chubby kids in our country. But don't blame the President. Blame it on parents who don't boot the kids out the door and say "play! run! do SOMETHING!" Blame it on parents who buy processed junk food for the little cherubs to snack on instead of healthy snacks. Blame it on parents who don't take the time to make healthy meals and instead hit fast food drive-throughs (or "family restaurants with portions large enough to feed a small army). Blame it on parents who park their rears in front of the tube or the computer instead of providing a positive example for their kids.

BUSH CUTTING PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Bush's 2006 Budget Cut Physical Education By 25 Percent. Bush's 2006 budget request cut physical education funding for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade by $18.4 million. The 2006 cut is the "first year of a 2-year phase out of the program in order to redirect resources to higher-priority activities" according to the
Department of Education. (U.S. Department of Education)

Simple question. How much does a kick ball cost? Maybe a basketball, a volleyball, some nets? Not $18.4 million. What could they possibly be spending it on?

School Systems Nationwide Forced To Implement Pay-To-Play Athletic Programs. USA Today surveyed state high school sports associations and found 34 states in which associations say at least some school districts are charging students to play sports. Pay-to-play fees have cropped up or ballooned at schools in Alaska, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kansas and other states. The fees grew from $75 to $250 in one Massachusetts school district two years ago. (Indianapolis Star, 5/2/05; USA Today, 7/30/04)

OK... I sort of have a problem with this. If possible, the school should pay the majority of the cost for team sports. BUT, that being said... the athletic department budget shouldn't be more than the combined budgets for several other departments. They don't need state-of-the-art weight rooms. They don't need astroturf on the football fields. They don't need brand new equipment every year. And they don't need federal funding to have a sports team. What they do need is to stop being spoiled brats.

BUSH ROLLING BACK ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

Bush Weakened Title IX Rules. The Bush Administration's Education Department quietly issued a new clarification of the regulations interpreting Title IX. The new rules allow colleges to demonstrate that they are satisfying the demand for women's sports with an online survey showing that female students have no unmet sports interests. Even if the non-response rate is high in the survey, non-response is to be interpreted as a lack of interest according to the Education Department. (New York Times, 3/23/05)

NCAA President Says Rules Could "Reverse the Progress Made Over the Last Three Decades." "NCAA President Myles Brand joined in condemning the guidelines, saying they could 'reverse the progress made over the last three decades.' He added his disappointment that officials issued the clarification 'without benefit of public discussion and input.'" (Los Angeles Times, 3/23/05)

Um... non-response is a lack of interest. If they cared, they would have responded, right?

Bush Recommended Undermining Title IX Rules In 2002 As Well. In June 2002, Bush's Education Secretary Roderick Paige created the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics to review Title IX, the federal law that has expanded athletic opportunities for women and girls for 30 years by barring sexual discrimination. This January the commission came back with recommendations that would ease the regulations of Title IX. A statement by the National Women's Law Center opposed the Bush Commission's proposals, "Some have characterized the Commission's long list of proposed changes as minor and moderate. Nothing could be further from the truth. Make no mistake about it. If accepted by the Bush Administration, the Commission's proposals would dramatically reduce the sports participation opportunities and scholarships to which women and girls are entitled under the law." (Washington Post, 6/27/02; New York Times, 1/31/03; NWLC Statement, 2/5/03, http://www.nwlc.org)

The Federal government shouldn't be paying for men's or women's athletics in the first place. In the second place, the NWLC would probably like it if all funding for men's sports was redirected to women's sports, so they're not really what I'd call ojective. Third... if colleges would do a better job marketing women's athletics, then they might have more money for women's sports and no longer need to rely on the government (who shouldn't be funding them in the first place).

CHILDHOOD OBESITY SKYROCKETING

The Rate Of Childhood Obesity Has Skyrocketed In Recent Years. The rate of childhood obesity has skyrocketed in recent years, and more than 9 million children over age 6 are now considered overweight. The rapid rise has alarmed public health experts, because overweight children are far more likely to develop health problems. Currently, the U.S. government estimates that 30 percent of the nation's kids are overweight or on their way to being too heavy. Nearly twice as many children and three times as many teens are overweight now compared to two decades ago. (Washington Post, 10/1/04; USA Today, 6/4/04; Greensboro News & Record, 3/21/04)

Instead of blaming the President on the skyrocketing rate of childhood obesity, let's blame who's responsible- the parents (with the help of McDonalds, Microsoft and Sony). It's simple math- you give your kids junk food and then let them sit around on the game station of their choice all day, you will have fat kids. Not "big boned." Not "husky." Not "hefty." FAT. Less offensive names doesn't change what it is.

Well, that's the end of the "fact sheet." Now let's look at a few comparisons, shall we?

When President Clinton was in office, he tried to be a jogger (that one time he jogged into a McDonalds to get a Big Mac). His lack of a fitness program resulted in open heart surgery last year. He was a partier, even while in office.

In contrast, President Bush is needled on a regular basis for his lifestyle- he's a teetotaler, goes to bed early, and he exercises six days a week.

We know that kids pay attention to who's in the White House, and, in some way, emulate that person. They were obviously paying attention to President Clinton because after his time in office, when teens were asked about... um... well... oral sex, they said that it wasn't sex.
When it comes down to it, who would you rather have your children looking up to- the junk food junkie or the fitness freak?

Here's a few things that caught my eye this morning. Let's start with some... shall we say "overzealous"?... police work:

• An eleven year old girl will be tried for a felony for throwing a rock at someone during a water balloon fight.

  Maribel was arrested in April for throwing the rock at a neighborhood boy who had pelted her with a water balloon. The rock gashed the boy's forehead, and the girl spent five days in Fresno's juvenile hall and a month under house arrest after police said she resisted arrest and scratched an officer's arm.

  What the story's not telling you is that she doesn't speak a lot of English and had no idea what the police were doing and it wasn't a water balloon fight but a water balloon attack on her. She was being teased and bullied by the kids in the neighborhood, and she thought she was defending herself. She meant no real harm- she just wanted them to leave her alone. And now she's being charged with a felony. That's just wrong.
• In another potential overzealous moment, police tasered a 67 year old woman.

  A 67-year-old grandmother who was shocked with a Taser stun gun after she honked her car horn at a police cruiser has been given a year's probation for sparking a quarrel with officers.

  If you read the whole story, they wanted to give her a ticket for "improper use of a horn" and she didn't want to give them her ID. Really, guys... you need to have thicker skin than that... and, on top of that, they arrested her husband for "attempting to inflict injury on an officer" for shouldering one of the officers. He's 76 years old... how much of an injury could he inflict???
  
• The Highway bill has gimmes for almost every member of Congress.

  The projects in the six-year, $286.4 billion highway and mass transit bill passed by Congress last week range from $200,000 for a deer avoidance system in Weedsport, N.Y., to $330 million for a highway in Bakersfield., Calif.
  
  For the beneficiaries -- almost every member of Congress -- they bring jobs and better quality lives to their communities and states. To critics, they are pork barrel spending at its worst.

  This is insane. Refabbing a warehouse? Dust reduction? Where is that line-item veto when you need it???
  
• President Bush placed a call to the ISS yesterday.

  The nine astronauts living aboard the shuttle Discovery and International Space Station received a long distance call from the U.S. President Tuesday congratulating them on their courage and successful mission so far.
  
  “I want to thank you for being risk takers for the sake of exploration,” President George W. Bush told Discovery’s STS-114 crew and the station’s Expedition 11 astronauts. “Thanks for being such great examples of courage for a lot of our fellow citizens.”

  I hate to ask... but... does the President have unlimited long distance?
  
• In another story about the President, he's backing Intelligent Design.

  President Bush jumped feet-first into the current debate raging in many states over how evolution should be taught in the nation's schools, when he said both the evolution and intelligent design theories should be presented to students.
  
  Speaking with reporters Monday, Bush backed local control of how the origin of life is taught, but parted with the scientific establishment on its evolution monopoly.
  
  "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."

  I'm not going to get into a huge debate here over Creationism v. Evolution v. Intelligent Design v. Aliens v. whatever. That's not the point. Evolution has been taught as fact for far too long. There are many credible scientists (oh... and DARWIN himself!) who have real issues about the fundamental principles of evolution. It's about time that those doubts were brought up in more than just a post-grad seminar.
• One more Pres. story (well, in this post, at least)... He's back in Crawford... "vacationing":

  President Bush is getting the kind of break most Americans can only dream of -- nearly five weeks away from the office, loaded with vacation time.
  
  The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening for a stretch of clearing brush, visiting with family and friends, and tending to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.

  Uh... only in the media is what he's doing called a "vacation." A vacation is where you get away from work... relax. He's still doing his job, just not in the Oval Office. There is a lot to be said for the idea that he might get more accomplished in Crawford than in DC. There aren't as many distractions, less to take away from his truly important work. With technology the way it is, he doesn't need the White House to be the President.
  
• Politicians are resorting to name-calling over policy debate. Yet another reason I could never be an elected official. And you can't just blame one side or the other. Both sides are guilty of it at one time or another. It just seems that it's been cranked up a notch lately.
  

  The political attacks are "just red meat for the base ... encouraged by the bloggers and the party extremists," added Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Policy disagreements, Sabato said, can be "dry and wonkish," while "Everybody understands what it means to call someone a Nazi."

  In other news, the sky is blue, and grass is green. (I do take exception at the thought that bloggers are encouraging this... unless he means that we're not letting them get away with outright lying anymore, so they have to resort to name-calling. Then I'll agree with him- when faced with facts, throw a tantrum and call people names. Yup... sounds about right...)
• Susan Anne Catherine Torres was born yesterday, approximately two months permature.

  A cancer-ravaged woman robbed of consciousness by a stroke has given birth after being kept on life support for three months to give her fetus extra time to develop.
  
  Susan Torres, whose plight has attracted support from around the world, gave birth to a daughter Tuesday by Caesarean section. The delivery went smoothly and the baby "is doing well," her brother-in-law, Justin Torres, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Susan Anne Catherine Torres weighs 1 pound, 13 ounces and is 13 1/2 inches long, he said.

  Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Torres family during this time of sadness and joy.
  
• And, finally, in our "suuuuuuure, we believe you" file... Kim Jong-il, North Korea's "Dear Leader" has an amazing memory, is multi-talented, and is giving Tiger Woods a run for his money.

  "I remember all computer codes and telephones that workers are using now," Kim was quoted as saying on the Web Site "Uri-Min-jok-kiri" (www.uriminzokkiri.dprkorea.com), or "Among our People."...Kim pilots jet fighters, pens operas, produces movies and accomplished a feat unmatched in the annals of professional golf by shooting 11 holes-in-one on the first round he ever played.
  
  The Web Site said Kim told all workers they should develop their ability to memorize. "The memory of a person gets better when a person uses their brain often," he was quoted as saying.

  Now, I've heard of people keeping their minds sharp and possibly fighting off diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers by doing crossword puzzles, so he might have a point about using your brain. But... 11 holes-in-one... was he playing putt-putt or something?
  
  

That's all for now... later, folks!

I'm baaaaaack!

Like I said, the boys are visiting the grandparents right now. We had a minor "crisis" before we left yesterday- T2 had something (a spider?) bite him on the back, and the bite was big, firm, and warm to the touch (not good things). So, we made a quick detour to the doctor's office to have him checked out. (It never fails... we plan a trip for the boys up to Oklahoma, and they end up on some sort of medication. Seriously. I'm sure Grandma and Pop think my kids are sickly children. They're not. Really.)

So... I get back... and I get a phone call. It's the afternoon host of a talk show on the local Christian radio station. His co-host is on an extended medical leave (we're praying, Paul!), so they're having a contest for fill-ins for him. So... it looks like I will be the guest co-host for the Homeward Bound show this Friday! I'm so excited. This is going to be fun. (Yes... I'm nervous... very... ) I'm sure I'll post all about it Friday night or Saturday.

So... what am I going to do with all of my time while the boys are gone? Hmmm... maybe work with my roses a little (all of the rain we had last week has made them go nuts!)... clean out the boys closet (there are a lot of t-shirts in there that just don't fit right anymore)... run some errands... maybe get some reading done... hey! it could happen!

UPDATE: yes, you can listen live online. If you click on the link above, there's a link that says "Listen Now" in the right gutter.

Time for a drive to the Metroplex (that's Dallas/Ft. Worth) to hand off the boys for a quick visit with the grandparental units before school starts. They'll be back in plenty of time to get ready to start Middle School.

Nope. Can't be. My babies aren't old enough to go to middle school. Must be a mistake. Right? (and... you know who you are... any cracks about my age will be met with much... pouting!)