Yeah, Right, Whatever

Not so long ago, Ann Coulter made a comment that got some people's panties in a wad. (Here's the actual video with the actual quote, if you actually want to see what she actually said.) During the exchange, she mentioned that Christianity is the "fast track" and that Christianity is the "perfection" of Judaism. Being perfected is a theological term. Seriously. It implies being finished, made complete or fulfilled. Jesus was the fulfillment of Jewish prophesy, so Christianity is then the logical fulfillment of Judaism.

She didn't say anything offensive, if you actually understand what she's saying. She believes (and I agree, btw) that Jesus is the only way to God, and, in a perfect world, everyone would be Believers (that is what Donnie asked her, after all). Does it actually make sense to anyone that someone would profess to be of one faith and not believe that it is the best faith? She was defending her faith (logically and intellectually, which is probably what threw everyone off).

It looks like a lot of people haven't taken the time to listen to what she said, and, instead, they continue to look at the MSM's blatant lies about it. Here's Ann in a bit of a dust-up with Skeletor Butt-Head Alan Colmes where he accuses her of antisemitism without actually knowing what she said. (Some of the comments on the Hot Air page are funny and well thought out.)

Yes, she totally owned Colmes (not that difficult, if you think about it). She was right to be angry about being called antisemitic when she's far from it. I'd probably get angry, too, if people kept accusing her of meaning something that she didn't mean simply because they're too ignorant to understand the words coming out of her mouth.

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson
21 years old from Sauk City, Wisconsin
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force
March 13, 2006


Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson lost his life after the Humvee he was riding in rolled over as a group of Marines pursued a suspicious vehicle near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He suffered head injuries in the crash and died as he was being transported to a hospital.

Nicholas Anderson joined the Marines in January 2005 and began a six-month tour of Afghanistan two months ago with the 3rd Marines Weapons Platoon, his father, James Anderson said.

"I just know that he died fighting for what he believed in," he said. "He wanted to be a Marine and even though it was a major risk he just wanted to go."

James Anderson said his son, a 2003 Sauk Prairie High School graduate, enjoyed riding his motorcycle, lifting weights, going fishing and hanging out with friends.

He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when he was 18, but an injured shoulder forced him to drop out. He then enlisted in the Marines.

"I was very nervous when he first joined the Marines because two words jumped into my head: Afghanistan and Iraq," his father said. "I just supported him and prayed that it would end before he had to go over."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Unfortunately, they didn't have a question about how quickly you inhale pop fiction... that might have tipped the scales.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Instead of a "normal" news round-up, I'm going to point out some stories that highlight the fact that I live in my own little rose-colored world, I choose to be annoyingly naive about the stupidity in the non-rose-colored world around me, and I'm perfectly happy with that naivety.

Here are some things I'll always wonder and never really understand...

• Why do liberals think that they can guilt us into thinking we're evil when we're not and shove their (false) belief systems down our throats and into our minds? (They're trying to do it at the grade school level, too... "The Unbearable Whiteness of Being"??? well, yeah... if you're out of sunscreen... And don't even get me started on the "let's embrace Islam" movement... there is a reason we homeschool, you know)
  
• Why does everything have to be about race?
  
• Why did it take so long for him to lose his job?
  
• Where did common sense disappear to?
  
• How did this guy get elected to public office to begin with? And is he really qualified to question the President's mental health?
  
• Why can't it just be that she'd be a crappy president and not about her being female? (Then again, they'd all be a crappy president, but you know what I mean.)
  
• Politicians just can't resist a chance to tax something, can they?
• Why did it take Bush so long to find his snark?
  
• Why does it always have to be about global warming? Especially when it isn't.
• Does everyone have to have such thin skin?
  
• What is the deal with parents trying to turn their little girls into tramps???)
• Then again, why to parents let their kids play around in places where the bad guys hang out?
  
• Why doesn't he just write a big ol' check to the government and assuage his guilt?
  
• How is it that the economy stinks?
  
• Why do college kids not take advantage of opportunities and instead blow it?
  
• Why do liberals try to mask their desire to punish the wealthy (for being wealthy) with tax hikes they say will "raise funds" when a brief study of taxation shows that lower taxes being in more income?
• When did we become such a nanny state that a pickle fight became a crime?
  
• Why do I chuckle at the (non-life-threatening) misfortune of others, especially when they're shot by their dog?
  
• Does anyone else see the disconnect of a church dissing Halloween in a country where they celebrate Día de los Muertos? (Notice that they didn't endorse Día de los Muertos, but they didn't condemn it, either.)
  

and... um... Trinity just lateraled... again...

A couple of weeks ago, there was a news story about a middleschooler in Austin who was sent home for wearing a "Juicy Angel" t-shirt. Now AP at Hot Air has a video about how trashy some parents are dressing their daughters. On the video is a plug for a book titled Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank.

On the video, a dad says he can't argue with the fact that he doesn't know fashion. Is that really such a bad thing?

(This week's hero was one of the members of the SEAL team that SFC Muralles' team was trying to rescue when they were shot down. You can read more about Lt. Murphy and his team in the book Lone Survivor.)

This Week's Hero Was Suggested By Cindy

Lt. Michael P. Murphy
29 years old from Patchogue, New York
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1
June 28, 2005


On Monday, Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor. His father was the one who accepted the award. Lt. Murphy will receive the award for his extraordinary, selfless heroism and steadfast courage while leading a four-man, special reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan June 27 to 28, 2005

"We are thrilled by the President's announcement today, especially because there is now a public recognition of what we knew all along about Michael's loyalty, devotion and sacrifice to his friends, family, country, and especially his SEAL teammates," the Murphy family said in a statement released earlier in the month. "The honor is not just about Michael, it is about his teammates and those who lost their lives that same day."

Murphy was the officer-in-charge of the SEAL element, which was tasked with locating a high- level Taliban militia leader to provide intelligence for a follow-on mission to capture or destroy the local leadership and disrupt enemy activity. Taliban sympathizers discovered the SEAL unit and immediately revealed their position to Taliban fighters. The element was besieged on a mountaintop by scores of enemy fighters. The firefight that ensued pushed the element farther into enemy territory and left all four SEALs wounded. The SEALs fought with everything they had. despite being at a tactical disadvantage and outnumbered more than four to one. Understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his men, Murphy, already wounded, deliberately and unhesitatingly moved from cover into the open where he took and returned fire while transmitting a call for help for his beleaguered teammates. Shot through the back while radioing for help, Murphy completed his transmission while returning fire. The call ultimately led to the rescue of one severely wounded team member, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, and the recovery of the remains of Murphy and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson.

Eight more SEALs and eight Army "Nightstalker" special operations personnel comprising the initial reinforcement also lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down before they could engage the enemy.

Murphy was also inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony yesterday. His name was engraved beside the names of some 3,400 other service members who have also been awarded the nation’s highest honor.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Is this the same guy who did the Ray Charles painting? (Since I found the link, it's obviously not. Same idea, though. Michael Israel is the one who did "Hero." Dan Dunn did Ray Charles. Both have several clips at youtube.) (h/t to G.O.C.)

What's in the news today?

General:

• OBL has a new tape... calling for unity in Iraq (and, according to FoxNews,- sorry, no link- he apologized for mistakes AlQ has made in Iraq).
  
• Why don't I feel any better knowing that the Fed has our backs?
  
• No, the Iranians would never provide arms to the insurgents in Iraq... why do you ask?
  
• The parents of one of the SEALs from the Lone Survivor story were given their son's Medal of Honor in a ceremony today at the White House.
  
• I really don't know what to think of David Copperfield's current legal woes. On the one hand, he's always given me the creeps. On the other hand, plenty of celebrities have been accused of doing things they didn't do. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
• I really hope that this guy doesn't go to jail for throwing a snowball. That's just goofy.
  
• Fly SUX! (This story is silly, but... if you look through the article, you'll see the perfect FAA identifier for San Francisco... wonder why they haven't gone GAY...)
  

Politics:

• In an attack of sanity, Bobby Jindal was elected governor of Louisiana.
  
• Dennis the Menace thinks that W is trying to start WWIII. Here's a hint, Dennis... if he wanted to start a world war, he would have just bombed Moscow. Easier that way.
  
• Wow. The unions are doing something intelligent for a change. Be afraid. (It only makes sense to wait and see who the Democrat's candidate is going to be and then throw all their money at that one person instead of wasting it on the candidates who won't make it through the primaries.)
  
• When all else fails for GOP hopefuls... trash talk Hillary. Eh... don't worry about the "all else fails" part... it's good, clean fun.
  
• The Huck gets an interesting endorsement.
• Is it wrong of me to ignore the crude nature of the campaign ad and instead to wonder why the ad was in Spanish? I mean, Hialeah is in the United States, right?
  
• Hillary isn't an animal lover? Who knew? Evidently, the vet.
  

Sports:

• Tony's staying for 2 more years in St. Louis. Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief that he's not going to the Yankees.
  

Science:

• Our tax dollars are being spent on studies of deviant behavior. Lovely.
• Instead of fuel cells, why not just put electric outlets in the cabin? Just a thought...
  
• um... all things being equal, I think I'd rather take the Shuttle down, thanks.
• Do you remember the controversial dig at the Temple Mount last summer? Well... the Muslims found something... something they didn't really want to find.
  

Miscellaneous:

• uh... oops?
  
• Might be fun if you have the time and money.
• I'm throwing the flag on this one. If Dumbledore really was gay, why not actually, you know, put it in the books? But I guess it will give her more press, and she's all about the limelight, donchaknow.
• Attack of the killer monkeys!
  

I just saw an interview with the young man who started this club. Here's a bit from the club's web site:

I am 14 years old. I started the No Cussing Club at my junior high school in South Pasadena, California in 2007. A lot of kids at my school, and some of my friends, would cuss and use dirty language all the time. They did it so much, they didn't even realize they were doing it. It bothered me so much that one day I challenged them to stop! They were shocked. They didn't know that it was bothering me. They didn't even realize how much they were doing it until I said something. I was actually surprised at how they reacted; they accepted my No Cussing Challenge. But some of the kids said they didn't know how to stop. That's when I started the No Cussing Club.

I took a lot of guts for this kid to stand up to his friends. He's to be commended for wanting... no, expecting certain behavior from his friends. It's just sad that there were so many kids at school who cussed that he had to do it.

I think everyone knows my opinions on the subject of cussing (too much of it happens... occasionally, it's excusable... please don't do it on my blog...). What about you? What do you think about this club? What do you think about how... relaxed language has become?

... if you didn't like to cook, that is.

Kind of like chicken nuggets or tv dinners...

Yes, there is news today other than Rush's multi-million dollar auction. (UPDATE: Auction's over. $2,100,100 winning bid by Betty Casey. Harry Reid tried to wiggle his way into the auction this morning on the floor of the Senate. He tried to insinuate that he and Mark Mays planned the auction... uh... sure... ) Not much, but it's there.

General:

• Someone's not happy that Bhutto's back.
  
• Reason #879564688934484941 why my kids are homeschooled (and no, it doesn't make things better that the pamphlets were intended for high school kids).
  
• Well... that's one way to study Dante.
  
• A 70 year-old man shot two would-be burglers in a three-week period, and a local reporter ambushed him, bringing him to tears. She's been suspended. (No, I'm not surprised a GFW acted like a GFW. That doesn't mean it doesn't bother me.) (NOTE: the tv station has managed to pull most internet copies of the entire interview- the part where she asks the gentleman "Are you a trigger happy kind of person? Is that what what you wanted to do? Shoot to kill?" - probably for damage control. The video I linked to is the best I could get.)
  
• uh... Vlad... I think you're projecting.
  
• Has San Francisco ever met a law it didn't want to break?
  

Politics:

• Pete Stark has completely fallen off the sanity bandwagon into moveon land. But this isn't the first time he's opened his mouth and said something stupid (scroll down to "controversies").
  
• Senator Clinton is getting support... from some unlikely folks. (Well... they may actually support her... everyone just doubts their ability to afford those contributions.)
  
• A politician is actually upset by a turtle fence.
  

Sports:

• That's just not a career you'd expect a collegiate football player to pursue.
  
• The Tribe didn't know she was Beckett's ex. (Did he really have to drop the F-bomb after the game?)
  

Science:

• Here's a new theory why the flu thrives in the winter. (Combine low humidity, cool temps and closed air systems, and you have a recipe for the Bug.)
  
• I'm such a nerd. This sounds like a lot of fun.
  
• I'm not sure if I should file this under general, politics, and science- China is planning a communist "branch" in space. Great... just great...
  
• But I don't want to do a mock mission- I actually want to go to Mars.
• Short people have an unhealthy attitude toward life.
  

Miscellaneous Stuff:

• Maybe Charlene's "mum" shouldn't have let her get a tat when she was 15. Just a thought.
• I'm glad we never tried to drive through Caerphilly while we were in Wales.
  
• Joe Francis (creator of the "Girls Gone Wild" videos) compared himself to Jesus. I kinda doubt he's read the Book recently if he feels that way.
  
• Speaking of GGW, go, Granny, go!!!
• Some Germans long for the "good old days" under Nazi rule. I mean, really... family values (hauling off whole families to concentration camps-B), good roads (for the tanks-B), and the trains ran on time (taking those families to the gas chamber-B).
• Do we know where Yogi was during the attack?
  
• I'd love to say "at least they weren't killed", but... it's pretty cruel to take people's pets and drop them off 25 miles away.
  

I'd be rich!

No, Dad, I'm not going to get one. I mean, I don't have a shot gun... but I do know several people who would just love it. (h/t to Ace)

There's a meme going around- it lists 100 books, and you're supposed to highlight which ones you've read. There are several variations to the list, but the idea is always the same.

There are other book lists. We have 100 Great Books (used in Classical Education). There's the list of books you must read. Can't forget Time's list of best novels written since 1923, can we? Here we have Penguin's list of classics you need to read before you die. If you've got some spare time, you can start in on the 1001 books you "have to" read before you die. If you want to be a little edgy, start in on the banned book list (I need to chime in here- most of the books on that list were removed from the library because of sexual content aimed at children. Why anything by Mark Twain, Judy Bloom or Madeleine L'Engle would be banned is beyond me.) Or there's the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century (several of which are on the banned list, if you want to be edgy). At the Modern Library site, you can find several lists of "best books" and "must reads." (Yeah, it's a Random House store site... someone has to sell the books, right?)

Where am I going with my list of lists? Well... what truly are the "must reads"? Which ones are of great influence and worthy of consideration? Which ones are "classics" only because someone said so?

Here's my take. These lists are interesting, only in so far as they give suggestions (helpful at times, misleading at others) for future reading. They are people's (occasionally informed) opinions. There are very few books that you absolutely must read (in fact, I can think of only one off the top of my head, and that one's only listed on one of the lists... hmmm... wonder why... ) And then there's one pet peeve- plays are not books, and should not be treated the same way. Plays are meant to be seen, not read. That's just me.

All that said... what qualifies a book as a "must read"? What are your "must reads"? Have you read all of your "must reads"? Are there any traditional "must reads" that you really think need to be on your personal book burning pile (and why)?

And, no, I'm not planning the boys' reading list for the rest of the school year- they already have about 30 books they need to work through in the next couple of months. Next year? I make no promises.

Last weekend, Randi Rhodes had some sort of accident. Depending on who you're listening to, she either fell while walking her dog or she fell out of a bar after imbibing a tad too much (I can't find anything other than rumor on that one- no named person has said they saw her at the bar). A cohort of hers on Air America immediately said that she was mugged by right wing wackos (he did admit that he was wrong yesterday on the air... but that it wasn't much of a reach to think "the right wing hate machine" could do something like that.)

Of course, after John Elliott went on the air announcing Randi's "mugging," the Left wing of the blogosphere went completely nuts (here's one link... I'm not going to wade through any more of the muck). It's pretty much standard issue "conservatives are evil and out to destroy everyone."

There is something I want to say about some of the stuff I read referencing threats of harm. Evidently, both sides have been threatening to harm (and even kill) public figures from the other side of the political spectrum. Threats of violence (as well as actually carrying them out) are out of line. I'd love to say that those threats are a rare occurrence from the Right, but I'm afraid I'd be sadly mistaken. Should it stop? Yes. Will it? I doubt it.

Back to the story. John Gibson had a humorous summary of the Left's hysteria.

It's funny (no, not that Randi was injured- that's not really funny.) When someone on the Right is injured, no one thinks that it was a L³ conspiracy or outright attack. We just (usually correctly) presume that it was an accident. When the Left has an injury, somehow it's always our (the Right's) fault. Paranoia is a trademark of the other side of the aisle.

Sgt. Robert M. McDowell
30 years old from Deer Park, Texas
2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
April 01, 2007


Sgt. Robert M. McDowell was a military police noncommissioned officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.

Originally from Deer Park, Texas, he joined the Army in February 1998 and completed training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

In June 1998 he was assigned to Fort Hood where he served until being reassigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment at Katterbach Kaserne in Germany in January 2003. While a member of 1st Infantry Division, he served as an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter repairman.

McDowell was assigned to Fort Drum in March 2006 after completing military police reclassification training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He was deployed to Bosnia from February to September 1999.

His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge and the Army Aviator Badge.

Sgt. McDowell was killed when and IED struck his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He is survived by his wife and son, of Evans Mills, N.Y., and a daughter, Madison McDowell, of New Mexico.

Also killed in the attack were Staff Sgt. David A. Mejias, Staff Sgt. Eric R. Vick and Sgt. William G. Bowling. You can find more information about them at this site.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Many of you have probably heard that a certain retired Army General was quite critical of our prosecution of the war in Iraq. Well... that's kind of what he said in this speech to military reporters. The quote that the reporters latch onto went something like this.

THE BEST WE CAN DO WITH THIS FLAWED APPROACH IS STAVE OFF DEFEAT. THE ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS AND THE ENTIRE INTERAGENCY, ESPECIALLY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, MUST SHOULDER THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.

THERE HAS BEEN A GLARING, UNFORTUNATE, DISPLAY OF INCOMPETENT STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR NATIONAL LEADERS. AS A JAPANESE PROVERB SAYS, "ACTION WITHOUT VISION IS A NIGHTMARE." THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT AMERICA IS LIVING A NIGHTMARE WITH NO END IN SIGHT.

But there was a lot that they obviously didn't hear. They didn't hear him chastising the partisan bickering that is interfering with the management of the war. They didn't hear him talking about those who say we've lost the war because it's politically beneficial for them. They didn't hear him practically beg for bipartisan cooperation.

They didn't hear him almost mocking the reporters themselves for making judgements about his integrity, intelligence, and honesty, having never met him. They didn't hear him giving a Journalism 101 lecture (which they'd obviously skipped in school). They never heard him ask for ethical journalism.

In essence, they heard what they wanted to hear. As usual.

It was a good, hard-hitting speech. Too bad they didn't hear it.

Made you look, didn't I?

General:

• Voicing an opinion is a hate crime in the UK. And it's headed our way if we don't start paying attention.
  
• Speaking of the UK, here's yet another thing to look forward to with HillaryCare.
  
• Silly String is finally on its way to war.
  
• So... requiring parental notification prior to an abortion cuts down on teen risky behavior which cuts down on teen STDs. Who knew? I have a strange feeling that this will not have similar results.
  
• Vincente "Crazy Like A" Fox doesn't understand the (subtle, I know, but still) difference between "law abiding" and "xenophobic." Must be language thing.
  
• Are we sure she wanted this publicized? Just sayin...
  
• Things are going to get ugly between Turkey and the Kurds, isn't it?
  
• Vlad is getting more and more dangerous... the right people are worried... right?
  
• Randi's on-air pal says she was mugged. Her lawyer says she wasn't. Lefty bloggers say it's all the neo-con's fault.
  
• Well, it's probably easier than building a raft.
  
• OJ's friends are rolling over faster than puppy kindergarten graduates.
  
• I'm usually not one to applaud anything to do with public schools, and Chicago is probably one of my least favorite places on the planet (politically and socially). All of that said, this is pretty cool. They have 4 already, and they're planning another one. Marines. Running a high school. I'll bet they don't have many discipline problems.
  
• Is it wrong for me to be disappointed that he didn't resist arrest?
  
• Greg Brady was made an honorary member of the 335th Fighter Squadron. (Very cool, but... just curious... what exactly does he do on a USO tour? Act like Greg?)
  
• Soldiers bring home "souvenirs" from war, but I have a feeling this one may end up being worth a lot of money.
  
• I guess if you need an excuse for pulling your kids out of public school (besides safety and wanting consistent positive moral influences and a better education and... and...), I guess this is as good as any.
  
• If Disney was going to edit out 3 little words to make way for the name of the production company in a radio ad, they could have probably chosen any other three words and not caused a stink... especially considering the movie in question's topic.
  
• What did she say that needs an apology?
  
• People got upset because Mrs. Fields dropped their "Christmas" items from their web site. When asked, the silly PR person (who should be fired... or shot) said that they dropped the items "to avoid offending anyone." How's that working for you? (Honestly, I'm more offended by all of the Halloween cookies on their site 2 weeks before the 31st than I am about the (former) lack of Christmas stuff 2 months out. And where are the Hanukkah cookies, anyway?)
  
• Maybe goblins should just avoid a life of crime (or at least this guy).
  
• Elisabeth is due a vacation, isn't she?
  

Politics:

• The chick card has been played.
  
• Brownback wants the US government to apologize for slavery. Reparations? Not so much. Oh, yeah... that will endear you to the base, Sam.
  
• You have no idea how much I wish a GOP candidate would do this, but our very own Southern Baptist minister/candidate doesn't seem inclined to cross that line.
• Rudy finally decided the $9.11 checks were a bit... over the top.
  
• And we can all feel safe that Rudy will protect us from alien invasion.
  
• Larry "I'm not gay" Craig is surprised that he was thrown under the bus. Larry, you gassed up the bus and put it in drive.
  

Science:

• They already did a study concerning the genetic component of homosexuality.They don't need to do another, do they? (If you look here, check out the 1991 study- if homosexuality was genetic, wouldn't both of the monozygotic twins have been gay every time instead of just 52% of the time? Doesn't that pretty much prove the environmental causes?)
  
• As long as people know they're part of a study, I think this is a pretty cool idea.
  
• Blood helps you think... well, that makes sense, doesn't it?
  

Sports:

• This one's actually about sports fans. These girls look goofy, but they're appropriately covered. If they let the guys do it, what's the deal?
  
• uh... Rog... buddy... NFL Europa didn't do so well... why do you think having the Super Bowl in London would do any better???
  
• Don't do it, Trent.
  
• This could get interesting. I'm not sure I want to know. Can I bury my head in the sand? I didn't think so.
  
• l'chaim (Do they have kosher food at Lambeau?)

Other:

• The Terracotta Soldiers are being accused of crimes against the environment... or something like that.
• A woman was given a ticket for swearing... in her own home. I think that, instead of calling the cops, maybe her neighbor should have offered to help. Just a thought...
  
• Mom would love one of these for Christmas. I would, too.
  
  

In the National League, at least. (Yeah, I'm up watching it.)

When I say good guys, I mean it. Remember this story? (The Colorado Rockies' players voted to give minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh's widow a full share of their post-season earnings.) Nothing against the D-backs, but that right there made Colorado my favorites for the post season.

Then there's this. No, there are no forced conversions on the pitcher's mound, and I kind of doubt they're performing baptisms in the hot tub in the therapy room. Not all of the players and staff are Christians- it's not a requirement for employment or anything like that.

But, they did make a conscious choice to run their team with morals and ethics. They try to hire people with character. It seems as if they require something vaguely resembling *gasp* decent behavior from their employees. (One former player complained about not being able to have a Playboy in his locker... is there a reason why he had to have that in his locker... at work?-) Why is that such a bad thing?

Plus... it was cool to have the CEO say "Praise God" and know he really meant it.

Here are a couple of tidbits on guns and gun control that you might find... interesting...

First, a little history:

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in.

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent.

Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.

Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note, my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'.

During WWII, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

Now for a firearms refresher course (from an e-mail):

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3 Colt: The original point and click interface.
4 Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
5. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
6. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
7. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.
8. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
9. The United States Constitution (c)1791. All Rights Reserved.
10. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you not understand?
11. The 2nd Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
12.. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
13. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
14. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
15. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
16. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
17. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
18. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
19. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
20. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
21. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
22. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.
23. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.
24. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

How many of you know what the Bell X-1? Here... let me help:

Still nothing? Have you never seen The Right Stuff???? Well... sixty years ago today, Charles Elwood Yeager did the one thing that scientists were afraid could never be done- he flew the Glamorous Glennis faster than the speed of sound.

And just in case you think that's all General Yeager has done, you'd be sadly mistaken. As a fighter pilot during World War II, he was shot down over enemy territory, helped the resistance in Spain (in a non-combat capacity, although he did make bombs for him), helped a wounded airman cross the Pyrenees to safety, and had 11.5 official victories (kills), including an "ace in a day." (He had one additional kill, but it was credited to his wingman because he was not yet cleared for combat after his return to England after his escape. After the war, he became an Air Force test pilot, then he commanded several different fighter squadrons. Prior to his retirement as a Brigadier General, he was vice-commander of the Seventeenth Air Force.

You thought he stopped then, didn't you? After all, he "retired," right? Wrong. He still flew as a consultant for NASA and the military (for a salary of $1 per year and all the flight time he wanted- the $1 entitled him to the benefits package). He continued to break records- this time for light civilian craft where he flew them faster and longer than ever before. He also lectured on aviation issues. He was given a retirement promotion to Major General by President G. H. W. Bush.

On Oct. 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his Bell X-1 flight, he flew another Glamorous Glennis (this time a F-15D Eagle) past Mach 1 once again, supposedly his last military flight.

Until a couple of weeks ago, that is. On September 21st, 2007, he flew an f-16 over the speed of sound to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his flight into the history books.

Is it selfish of me to hope that he'll fly again in 2017?

For design specifications, please refer to Gen 6:13-22. (sent to me in an e-mail)

There isn't a whole lot in the news (well, there is a lot in the news... just not much worth knowing about). Here's a few tidbits.

General:

• You know, I'm usually not one to question someone's salvation. It's between the person and God. I may comment on their lack of Christian behavior, but that's usually as far as I'll go. In this case, my first reaction was "isn't there something in the Koran about lying to infidels being perfectly ok and even encouraged if it helps in the pursuit of jihad?" Yeah... I'm a cynic.
  
• This woman and her son are nuts, for a lot of reasons. She felt sorry for him, so she bought him an armory???? He's homeschooled (thanks for helping that "homeschoolers are a little off" stereotype), and he's being bullied by kids from the public school. How does that work? His response to being bullied is to kill them all???? It might seem like I'm mocking, but I'm not. I just don't get it. His dad either was in prison or still is in prison for manslaughter, his mom pulls him out of school (don't know why) and then buys him 2 guns (I have no idea where the rest of his arsenal came from). Parent of the year nominees, right there.
  
• The Goracle got the Nobel Peace Prize for his factually erred zealotry concerning global warning. This just proves to the world that the Nobel Prize Committee panders to propagandists, terrorists, thugs, and their supporters (not to mention naive peace activists). (Granted, they have been known to get it right, too.) (ok... this is funny...)
  
• I'm sure that Planned Parenthood and eugenics advocates are happy about this.
  
• One of the parents who received a "your kid is overweight" note from their kid's school is upset because, and I quote," The part that upset her the most as she started reading it, there it stated that she was overweight and she started to cry saying, 'Mom, that school tells me I'm fat.' So, it was very heart wrenching." Uh... she didn't know she was overweight? How does that happen? And, yes... Mom actually said "she's big boned." ugh.
  
• Vlad scares me.
  
• Rafi shows, once again, just how... moronic Iranian leadership is.
  
• So... a student comments that the VaTech massacre might not have happened if there wasn't a ban on guns on campus, and he gets suspended and has to have a "mental health evaluation." huh?
  

Misc:

• ok... just how many sins did he commit?
  
• Is this legal? I hope not.

See? I told you there wasn't much in the news.

OK... maybe "sacred" is too strong a term. A friend of mine knows how much I love this musical. For some reason, they thought I would find humor in this.

Sure... click on the photo... you know you want to... turn down the volume first, though.

For some reason, I don't think this is the way to make friends and sway voters.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat and committee chairman, responds to concerns by Rep. Robin Hayes of Concord, North Carolina, that committee staffers should be immunized against certain diseases before attending NASCAR races.


"Since committee staff members are visiting hospital and other health-care facilities available at or near these venues, including areas where groups of people are detained before being transferred to other off-site facilities, I believe that the recommendation (not requirement) that our congressional staff receive these same immunizations was sound," Mr. Thompson said.

The NRCC is having a field day with it, of course. To be fair, Homeland Security is studying health issues involving mass gatherings. Also to be fair, it was the places around the racetrack that Rep. Thompson seems to be concerned with.

All that said, the fact that those two Democratic staffers got the immunizations had nothing to do with the other facilities they were going to. They were afraid they'd pick up the redneck germ at Talladega.

UPDATE: Bad Bob pointed out in the comments that he didn't know which shots to get, just to be on the safe side. They're recommending Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and influenza- basically boosters on most of what you've already had.

So, I get a phone call from my dad last night, asking if I'm blogging about the Austin car dealer that's in trouble. Huh? I guess I need to listen to local radio more often.

In late September, Mac Haik Ford (in Georgetown- just north of here) send out an e-mail advertisement that upset a certain segment in our society. Evidently, the Hispanic community felt that starting your ad by saying, "Tired of the wet backs??????" is a tad beyond bad form.

AUSTIN -- The Mac Haik Ford dealership in Georgetown has apologized for an ad that used a racial slur. The ad was sent in an email and angered many Hispanic groups. As FOX 7's Arezow Doost reports the man accused of creating the ad says the dealership fired the wrong employee.

You cannot tell me that whoever typed that in didn't know what s/he was implying. You can't tell me that his or her boss didn't know what that meant. I know people are stupid... not that stupid.

So, Mac Haik did was any self-respecting bazillionaire would do- he sent the employees to sensitivity training, sent a lacky to apologize, and hopped on a plane to Europe. That didn't really help matters, because Hispanic leaders in Williamson County were looking forward to ripping Mac to smithereens in person. Torturing his underling just isn't as much fun.

Yes, I know that this was a seriously stupid stunt that some now unemployed moron decided to play at Mac's expense, and it deserves a serious response. Honestly, I think that the idiot's supervisor probably needed to get canned as well. That being said, it sounds like the Hispanic leaders "invited" Mac to meet with them the same way Jesse Jackson "invites" people to talk with him (and give lots of money to his organization or he'll publicize what a racist pig he thinks you are, truth be damned). Mac apologized, and he had to go out of town. He's not automatically a racist because he had a stupid employee or because he didn't meet with you, begging forgiveness for something he didn't personally do. He took care of it. If you still want to talk with him, call his secretary and make an appointment like normal people.

All that being said, I just have one more thing to say. Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.

The far-thinking folks at Travelex (a foreign exchange company) are looking toward the future. The distant future.

The Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, or QUID, is the new currency of inter-planetary travelers. It was designed for the foreign exchange company Travelex by scientists from Britain's National Space Centre and the University of Leicester.

The design intent is that QUIDs must withstand the rigors of space travel – no sharp edges and no chemicals that could hurt space tourists.

...The QUID is made from a space-qualified polymer – PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). This material is widely used by space agencies because of its durability and versatility. Earthlings know it better as "teflon," and are well-aware of its resistance to high temperatures and corrosive materials.

...The rounded edges of the QUID make it safer, and also encompass the eight planets orbiting a sun which are part of the design. Each of the orbiting planets contain a serial number; taken together, these numbers will give each QUID disc a unique code to prevent counterfeiting.

So... this company commissioned this currency (for who knows how many real pounds sterling) and these scientists, having read far too many sci fi books, actually spent time... probably lots of time... trying to figure out the perfect space currency. And this is what they came up with?

That doesn't look anything like money. It looks more like a spinning top of some sort.

The Professor Fraser points out the following.

"With an inflatable space hotel, from Bigelow Aerospace, under development in the US, and Virgin Galactic developing SpaceShipTwo, there will be better access to space than there has been.

"In the fullness of time we will have to adopt a universal currency if we are going to carry out serious commerce in space. It's an interesting initiative."

uh... yeah. Maybe they should just wait and ask the Vulcans or the Klingons what we should use. Oh, wait... the Federation doesn't even have money- they've grown "past that." What will Travelex do then?

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Beth


Her name is Holly Holeman. Her job is working at a flower shop. And her mission to make sure soldiers are never forgotten. Which is why she's out at Arlington National Cemetery every week putting flowers around the headstones. She usually does this alone, but on a bitter cold day in February of 2007 she was met with family members of fallen soldiers buried in Section 60 of the cemetery who helped her to place the roses.

To read the rest of Holly's story, you can go here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

This video clip is really funny (non-PG language warning- PG-13 probably). Jeff Dunham is very talented. (h/t to BSC Beth, who found it at Nuke's News)

Astronomers have discovered that the Orion Nebula is 300 light years closer than they had originally thought.

What does that have to do with anything? Nothing, really. It just gives me a chance to post another really cool space photo and ask how anyone could look at the beauty that surrounds us and say there is no God. I just don't get it.

I've got a bunch of links. Mostly news. Some not so much.

General:

• Terrorists can go to their local NYC library for their favorite reading material. All in the name of diversity, eh?
  
• It's kind of sad that Israel had to actually announce dress code rules. I guess it's another instance of increasingly uncommon courtesy.
  
• CAIR doesn't understand that Hollywood uses the real bad guys of the time for their bad guys. In the 80s, it was the Soviet Union. In the 40s, it was the Germans. Got the idea? Muslims are the bad guys, and so Hollywood isn't going to go against type.
  
• Can someone explain to me how not eating the bacon double cheeseburger is going to change anyone's opinion of the war?
• Someone screwed up and alQ has gone silent. (The White House says it wasn't them, btw.)
• This guy is more than a little bonkers.
  
• Remember when the Democrats were all up in arms about wire tapping in this country? Well... they don't seem to mind it anymore.
  
• I guess some people have a different definition of "emergency" than us normal folk.
  
• um... try hiring legals?
  
• Someone doesn't understand the difference between racism, xenophobia, and an appreciation for the rule of law.
  
• State and local authorities are finally tired of waiting for the feds.
• Right now, The Goracle is the favorite to win the most useless award on the planet.
• Sad but not surprising.
  
• This is just crazy. If I'm in a foreign country and get so much as a parking ticket, I'm asking for consular support. That's just common sense.
• This is what we're headed for if we're not careful.
  
• This teacher wants to carry a gun at school. Believe it or not, I think I'm ok with that.
  
• Can I hit this guy in the head with a crowbar because he's a moron? Please?
  

Politics:

• Dan Bartlett isn't fond of the GOP front-runners.
  
• $5k per kid plus $1k per citizen for a 401k... where is she getting her money from?
• I'd love to hear more from John Cox. What are the odds of that?
  
• Tancredo's thinking about dropping out. I think it's a shame this early in the race for anyone to think about dropping out.
  
• Dang, I hate it when Skippy accidentally makes sense.
• Reason #87965161698 why no Democrat candidate is a viable candidate to me.
  
• I mind.
  

Sports:

• Wow. That's awfully... anti-semitic of you, Ashkan.
• The Cowboys tried to give me a heart attack last night. I'm still tied for 8th, though.
• Tony needs to make up his mind. If he really wants to change jobs, he could always swap with Joe Torre. He's looking for something new... not that he had a choice or anything.
  
• Once his stint on Dancing With The Stars is over, Mark Cuban is looking into becoming a bleacher bum.
  
• Kansas State has reported possible violations to the NCAA. Do they get time off for 'fessin up?
  
• Injury report, NFL division: Green has a grade 3 concussion which could possibly end his career; Jake Delhomme is probably going to have to have surgery on his elbow and back-up QB David Carr has a sore back; Tampa has lost Mike Pittman, Mike Alstott and Cadillac Williams to various injuries and are in serious need of a tailback that will bend but not break; Seattle's Mack Strong is out, probably for good due to a spinal condition; Gandy's out for the season with a torn ACL; Jamal Lewis is having an MRI on his foot; the Broncos lost Tom Nalen, Nate Jackson, and Champ Bailey.
• Injury report NCAA division: Limas Sweed is out for the year, and UT will also lose Tiemann and Aaron Lewis; Nevada's Nick Graziano is out for the season following surgery to repair a torn tendon on his right foot; UCLA's QB is out, and his backup is also injured;
  
• USC's Booty broke his middle finger.
  

Science:

• The Nobel Prize for physics went to two scientists who pioneered hard drive technology.
  
• It looks like big cool weapons came before the math to explain them.
  
• Family disharmony can lead to heart problems. Doesn't all stress do that?
• Go figure. Biofuels are speeding global warming. That's just... funny.
  

Hodge-Podge:

• Two words for this guy: Odor Eaters.
• I didn't know that ostrich murder was a felony.
  
• It's not every day you hear about a deer killing a man. It's usually the other way around.
  

I found a link to a cool site over at Harvey's, and I thought I'd share. It's called Military Motivator, and it has a bunch of those "motivation posters" with military themes. (They're all homemade, so I don't think you can order them.) Here's one:

Since I'm a bit of a science geek (and sci-fi, but nowhere near hard core), people often mistakenly assume that I'm also a gamer geek. I'm not a gamer geek, but it seems that I live with some, and that gives me a unique opportunity that I don't take advantage of nearly enough- I can observe gamer geeks in their natural habitat and mock them mercilessly.

My kids learned (quickly- after all, they are smart skulls full of mush) that my eyes would roll back in my head and I would begin twitching uncontrollably at the mere mention of hit points, XP, armor class, orcs or which weapons work best when fighting a half shadow gold dragon. They never could figure out why I really never could muster up the desire to join in their hours of magical mystical fun.

I've been told that I'd like it ... if I really tried. I'm not so sure... especially if I'd have to deal with these. If you're afraid to click the link, it's an article on the goofiest monsters D&D has been able to come up with.

Here. I'll give you a few examples. First, we have the MonkeyBee.

Next, we have the evil gelatinous cube.

And we can't forget the vile giant vampire frog.

I guess if the lime jello doesn't get you, the evil garden creatures just might.

It really is a funny article (for gamer geeks and normal people alike).

One of these days, I'm going to write an in-depth, well thought out post on some topic. ummm... probably not today, though. In the meantime, here ya go:

General:

• Richards Roberts (Oral's son) is in a bit of hot water. Like father like son or something. (I have a knee-jerk reaction to televangelists even though I'm a Believer. I'm not questioning their salvation or anything like that- I question their motivation and their integrity. Sorry... it's just one of my little biases.)
  
• A Muslim inmate sues a Missouri jail... for supposedly feeding him a pork product. Sorry, Odell, jelly isn't made with gelatin- Jello is made from gelatin. The judge should throw out the case immediately.
  
• A man might get up to 30 years in prison... for stealing a doughnut.
  
• Air America is adding religious programming to its line up... Well, according to them, it would be "anti-religious" programming.
  
• In a twist that can only be described as irony, a bus carrying jurors in the Diana inquest was in an accident... trying to avoid the press.
  
• Is it any wonder that my kids have school in my livingroom?
  
• Holey Impressionism, Batman! (Dang... I really like Monet.)
  
• Art. Probably not art.
  
• I don't really care that Mexico's president isn't a big fan of the proposed border fence. In fact, I think that's actually a good thing.
  
• I have a feeling that these students are not long for academia. Or this world in general, actually.
  
• Jealousy seems like a poor excuse for something this horrific. Then again, there is no excuse for it.
  
• President Bush got this one completely wrong. I used to believe the same way, but I've learned a bit since then.
  
• There is now a hold on a dangerous piece of legislation. (No, I'm not saying that everyone with a mental "defect" should be allowed to own firearms. I'm saying that it's too darn easy to declare someone mentally deficient. Is anyone who has ever taken a anti-depressant or an anti-anxiety drug even once mentally deficient? According to gun-control zealots, yes.)
• Obviously this isn't in the US.
  
• I wish we could send judges back to school over here. Or, at least make them read the Constitution once a year or so.
  
• The Templars weren't heretics. But they also were not politically correct, so they had to go.
  
• Gold for a new Temple in Jerusalem is coming for an unlikely source.
  
• Belgium tells the world, "we're still one country. No, really."
  

Politics:

• From Hillary, we have her taking credit for CHIP. And she may have lost a little more cred from the anti-war crowd. And Hillary's been endorsed by many major terrorism groups (yeah, I know it's mostly a book advertisement, but it's still important to know.) And the Bergler is an "unofficial, informal" advisor to Hillary's campaign- how... not surprising.
  
• Nancy Pelosi still thinks we're illegally torturing people. If sleep deprivation was toture, all babies would be guilty of torturing their parents. It's a war, Nancy.
  
• Congress is trying to lose friends and influence enemies with a non-binding resolution referring to the deaths of millions of Armenians in the 1910s as "genocide." While I agree that the Ottoman Empire did some nasty stuff, I'm not sure that placating a small country will actually do anything except make trouble. History tells the tale... must the Congress?
  
• We have Rudy on Romney (and Romney on Rudy) violence.
  
• I'm pretty darn sure that Republicans can't promise to "create a Kingdom here on Earth" because of that whole separation of Church and State myth. But it's perfectly fine for a Democrat to do it (probably because everyone knows he really doesn't mean it).
  
• It appears that Mitt Romney might be Mexican... kind of... technically... but only sort of...
• The Invisible Mayor is resigning.
  
• Australians fight the pig infestation with "Boar Busters." Kind of like Ghost Busters, but without the ectoplasmic residue.
  

Sports:

• I'm trying to find words to express how I feel about this... oh, yeah, I know. Boomer Sooner!
  

Science:

• Artificial life is on the horizon. My only question (for now) is... will it dream?
  
• It looks like there is a purpose for the appendix. So much for that "we evolved past a use for it" theory.
  
• Plants talk to each other. uh... I'm pretty sure that's not new news. (and that's just three articles on the subject)
• Maybe they need to move to Antarctica. The ice is thickening there.
  

Weirdos, Oddities, and Goofiness:

• I know people who really enjoy going to the casino, but... this is a tad extreme.
  
• uh... um... how tasty... bleh.
  
• Why do I have "Bad Boys" playing in my head as I read this?