File this under "Unsurprising"

You might have noticed it when you first heard of Bush Derangement Syndrome. You might have noticed it when you heard Howard Dean's scream heard 'round the world. Maybe you read Michelle Malkin's book Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild. Maybe you figured it out when you heard lefties calling Cindy Sheehan the "Mother Theresa" of the anti-war movement.

However or whenever it was, most of us have long known that the left has become completely, moonbat crazy.

Unsurprisingly, there is now evidence to confirm just that:

Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans report having excellent mental health, compared to 43% of independents and 38% of Democrats. This relationship between party identification and reports of excellent mental health persists even within categories of income, age, gender, church attendance, and education.

The basic data -- based on an aggregated sample of more than 4,000 interviews conducted since 2004 -- are straightforward.

Is there anyone shocked by this? I don't think lefties themselves will even be surprised by this. While we have looked at them this entire time knowing that there is something very, very wrong with the left, and that they need mental help, they tend to blame it on other things. They'll say it's all because of the state of the country today, things like CHIMPY McHITLERBURTON!! BLACKWATER!! GLOBAL WARMING!! IRAQ QUAGMIRE QUAGMIRE QUAGMIRE!! ABU GHRAIB!! MILITARY RAPISTS MURDERERS BABY KILLERS!! GUNS BAD!! NO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE!! YEAAARGGGHHHH!!!!

And these are the people we should put in charge of our country? Yeah, right.

Hat Tip: Liberty Pundit

Debate Highlights

Last night was the CNN/YouTube debate for the GOP, and unfortunately, I missed it. From everything I've read so far, I'm glad I did. It seems like picking out the various crowd plants CNN used would be more fun.

For everyone else who missed it, John Hawkins at Right Wing News compiled a highlights video, so you can watch the best of the debate without suffering through the entire thing.

Enjoy:

Why celebrities shouldn't breed

It always somewhat apalls me to see some celebrities with children. When you take the most shallow, superficial, unintelligent, egotistical, spoiled, selfish, narcissistic people in the world and make them responsible for children, it never ends well. Why do you think we see so many celebrity offspring with lives ruined by drugs and/or sex? Occasionally, you see a celebrity with their head on straight who can be a good parent, but more often than not, celebrities look at their children as a means for self-fulfillment, a real-life dolly that they can pass off to a nanny whenever they start to get annoying.

What got me onto this tirade? Paris Hilton has decided that she wants to have a baby, so that her baby can play with Nicole Richie's baby.

It seems Paris has babies on the brain again after hosting a baby shower for Nicole Richie last weekend, according to People:

"Nicole and I have been playing together since we were two years old," she told PEOPLE at the Nissan Live Sets One Year Anniversary Party. "I was just telling her, 'I want a baby so that our babies can play together.'"

This is a prime example. You see celebrities adopting kids left and right, getting pregnant after dating someone for a few months... they just decide they want to have kids and so WHAM! They get one. I think it's very rare for a celebrity to truly understand just how much devotion a child takes, and celebrities are by their very nature selfish, egotistical, and narcissistic.

Take Angelina Jolie. She adopts kids like some women buy shoes. But is she really a good mother? I can't help but wonder about that, by looking at her jet-setting around the world. She picks up and flies anywhere she feels like at the drop of a hat, and her children seem to have very little stability with her. She keeps saying that after her next movie, she's going to settle down, but she never actually does. It just makes me wonder if she's more concerned about being able to do whatever she wants, or what's best for her children.

And now Paris Hilton is saying she wants to get pregnant just because she feels like it. And you see it all the time -- celebrities adopting kids or having babies with someone they barely have a relationship with, and they do it for one reason: their own self-fulfillment, something to fill the void in their lives.

This is why, as far as I'm concerned, some people just shouldn't breed. It's sad, because people like these selfish celebrities will never be mature enough to know that they can't give a child the environment, family, and stable upbringing that a child needs.

More Iraq news that you won't see in the MSM

At least not prominently. No, it'll probably run somewhere around page A-16 or so in a little teeny, tiny column, where no one will see it unless they're really looking for it.

In the QUAGMIRE! that is Iraq according to Dems, deaths have been dropping. Citizens have been returning. Progress is being made, and victory is inevitable, if Democratic leaders will only let us achieve it.

A sign of our coming win in Iraq:

In the Iraq war, November has been one of the more deadly months for U.S. troops. However, this November has been the quietest since the U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.

With two days of the month remaining, the number of Americans killed this November in defense of Iraq’s new democracy is 34. That’s less than half the U.S. deaths of the previously least violent November.

Here’s the record on post-invasion Novembers:

U.S. deaths in Iraq war:

November 2003: 82.
November 2004: 137.
November 2005: 84.
November 2006: 70.
November 2007: 34.

Of course, all you'll hear in the media and from the cut and run, cowardly, traitorous defeatocrats Democrats is how we "can't afford to stay in Iraq anymore", how the country is tired of war, how Iraqis don't want us there, blah blah blah blah blah.

Good news in Iraq = bad.
Bad news in Iraq = good.

For the Dems and the mainstream media, it's defeat at any cost. But no matter how hard they try to make us lose, we're still winning. The numbers don't lie.

Hat tip: Ace

Kennedy to publish his memoirs

I wonder what he'll write about Chappaquiddick.

Yes, folks, Teddy himself has sold the rights to his "memoirs" for a whopping $8 million.

The memoirs of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the youngest and last surviving brother of the America's most famous political siblings and for decades an eminent liberal statesman and legislator, have been acquired by an imprint of the Hachette Book Group USA.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but a publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said the agreement was comparable to the $8 million Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received for "Living History" and the $9 million former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will reportedly get for his planned memoir.

The New York Times reported that Kennedy received an advance of more than $8 million.

"I've been fortunate in my life to grow up in an extraordinary family and to have a front row seat at many key events in our nation's history," Kennedy, 75, said in a statement. "I hope my reflections can contribute to a deeper understanding of many events in the history of this great country and to a more in-depth picture of an American family."

Yes, this will be fascinating. He can explain all about Mary Jo Kopechne and the "accident" at Chappaquiddick. He can tell us all about how he was expelled for cheating at Harvard. He can list his favorite liquors, so that we all can be a drunken buffoon like him.

Jeez, I can't wait. Sounds like a real page-turner, huh? This could be Teddy's version of OJ Simpson's "If I Did It", right?

Right?

Hat Tip: Liberty Pundit

Determination, indeed

Hats off to this lady. I'm competitive, almost to a fault, but I don't think I could do what Claire Markwardt did.

ESPN High School has her story. Claire is a long-distance runner, and her high school cross country team was competing at the state finals. In the video, you'll see her fall -- this is where her left tibia broke. She gets up, and tries to continue running, causing her fibula to snap. Instead of giving up, however, she crawled to the finish line, determined to finish the race.

What Markwardt saw in the video might not be visible to the rest of us. She saw a teenage girl who, a year earlier, watched the state meet from the stands and made a personal commitment to run in that race in her senior year. She saw a girl who fulfilled that commitment, and then, with a badly broken leg 45 feet from the finish line, had a choice: Finish, or don't finish.

To her, it was a no-brainer.

At the 1- and 2-mile markers, Markwardt was on a personal-best pace. Then, as she entered the stadium at Columbus' Scioto Downs, with about 400 meters to go, she heard her left leg crack.

The leg had been sore on and off for the previous two weeks, prompting Berkshire coach Julie Cole to limit Markwardt in practice. When she heard the crack, Markwardt thought it was a muscle pull or tear. She thought she could gut it out to the finish line.

"There was a runner from one of our rival schools right in front of me," she said. "I kept staring at the back of her jersey and pushing myself to catch her."

But some 200 meters later, Markwardt heard the leg crack again. And again. Then there was a louder crack, and her entire leg gave out. She fell to the ground as onlookers winced at the sound and the sight of what happened.

One of Markwardt's teammates, unaware of what had happened, encouraged her to get up. She tried, using her right leg. But as soon as she shifted weight to the left, the loudest crack yet came. And her leg gave out again.

"At that point, I knew what had happened. I knew my leg was broken pretty badly. And I knew I couldn't get up again. So I started crawling," she said.

She said she thought not of her coach, nor her parents, nor anyone else who had encouraged her to never give up, to see things to the finish. Instead, she thought of the countless stories she had heard about runners who collapsed before a race's end and somehow found the courage to cross that last line. Even if her leg had given out at the 400-meter mark, she said, it wouldn't have mattered. She was going to finish.

"They may not have let me, and it might not have been pretty, but I would have tried," she said. "I had come so far. Our team had come so far. All season, we had been working for state, and now we were there. I was almost done, and there was no way I was going to let the team down."

She finished the race with a time of 20:24.07, only :18 slower than her personal best. She finished in 67th place, helping to put her school in a fourth-place finish in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III championship.

"When I saw her crawling, I wanted to cry," said Richard Markwardt, Claire's father. "I was just so incredibly proud -- as proud as any father could be."

She apparently didn't cry at all after the race, even as doctors fastened her leg into a splint. Her tibia was broken in multiple places, her fibula in one, and she was going to need surgery. But she's been able to hold it together.

For all she's gone through and all that lies ahead, Markwardt said she has broken down only twice: once on the hospital phone call to her sister, and once when she told coach Cole that she will miss the spring track season.

This Wednesday, when doctors asked her to rate her pre-surgery anxiety before the second procedure on her leg, she said, "Two."

All this time later, after the surgeries and the recovery she has looming before her, she still says she wouldn't have changed anything if she knew what the outcome would have been.

Runner or not, I don't know anyone who couldn't be inspired by Claire's story. She has a level of determination and resolve that many adults are lacking, let alone teenagers. As far as I'm concerned, this is much more than just a story about running or sports, but a story of inspiration, hope, and what a person can achieve if they put their mind to it. (Besides, the world does not revolve around politics!)

Claire, I wish you the best of luck for a speedy recovery, and I hope you're able to keep running in college. You've got the heart to make it far in whatever you choose, and we're all pulling for you.

Hat Tip: Second Wind

Bill Clinton: I was for the war before I was against it

Yesterday, Bill Clinton spoke in Iowa about how he was against the war in Iraq from the beginning:

We need to “go back to fiscal responsibility and reclaim our economic sovereignty. That’ll require people like me, who got five tax cuts that I should not have gotten, in my income group, when we had soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Even though I approved of Afghanistan and opposed Iraq from the beginning, I still resent that I was not asked or given the opportunity to support those soldiers.”

Apparently, we should be asking for Bill Clinton's OK on everything before we proceed. He'll resent us otherwise, and then whatever will we do?

Unfortunately for Slick Willie, people pay attention when he talks. And he can't have press records locked up indefinitely in the Clinton Library. And Allah at Hot Air has been doing some digging.

First, some notable quotables from 2003:

May 19, 2003- (Associated Press): “Former President Bill Clinton accused President Bush of spending more time fighting the war on terrorism than on domestic issues during a commencement speech at Tougaloo College. ‘I supported the president when he asked for authority to stand up against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but we can’t be forever strong abroad if we don’t keep getting better at home,” Clinton said Sunday to a crowd of about 8,000. […] The Bush administration, Clinton said, ‘is still focused on defeating terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and that’s good, but not good enough. The power of our example is just as important as our military might.’”

April 14, 2003 (Minneapolis Star Tribune): “In his first speech in Minnesota since leaving office, former President Bill Clinton on Sunday praised President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq. But he criticized Bush’s domestic priorities and urged the administration to offer North Korea aid and a pledge of nonaggression in exchange for an end to that country’s missile and nuclear weapons programs.” [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 4/14/03]

So... I guess he means we should go to war with Iraq, but just not make it our number one priority?

Allah then points us to this:

In the crucial weekend before to the final breakdown of diplomacy in March, Mr Clinton was a guest of Mr Blair’s at Chequers where the pair discussed the crisis…
Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

That story was posted April 25, 2003. This brings us to Slick Willie being for the war on April 19th, against it April 25th, and come May, for it again.

I think my head's starting to hurt. But fasten your seatbelts, folks, because we're just getting started.

In March of 2003, he wrote a piece for The Guardian telling us to trust Tony Blair:

Last October, when I spoke at the Labour conference in Blackpool, I supported the efforts of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to renew efforts to eliminate Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, and to try to accomplish this through the UN.
In November, the UN security council adopted unanimously resolution 1441, giving Saddam a "final opportunity" to disarm, after 12 years of defying UN resolutions requiring him to do so. The resolution made it clear that continued sanctions were not sufficient and that continued defiance would lead to serious consequences.

...

In the post-cold war world, America and Britain have been in tough positions before: in 1998, when others wanted to lift sanctions on Iraq and we said no; in 1999 when we went into Kosovo to stop ethnic cleansing. In each case, there were voices of dissent. But the British-American partnership and the progress of the world were preserved. Now in another difficult spot, Prime Minister Blair will have to do what he believes to be right. I trust him to do that and hope that Labor MPs and the British people will too.

So in March, he had no opinion except to trust Tony Blair's decision (no mention of trusting President Bush, of course). Then, he was for the war, then against it, and then for it again.

Finally, Hot Air readers give us the results, from June of 2004:

Former President Clinton has revealed that he continues to support President Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq but chastised the administration over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.

“I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,” Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book “My Life.”…
Pressed on whether the Iraq war was worth the cost to the United States, Clinton said he would not have undertaken the war until after U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix “finished his job.”…

“I want it to have been worth it, even though I didn’t agree with the timing of the attack,” Clinton said.

So, come 2004, he was for the war, but against the timing.

So, let's recap. In March of 2003, he offered no opinion except "trust Tony Blair." In April 2003, he was for the war, and then against the war. Come May of 2003, he was for the war again. Then, in June of 2004, he was for the war, but just didn't like the timing. Now, in November of 2007, he's been against the war from the very beginning. Whew!

Surprisingly, the DU is calling BS on his new line, which means that us conservatives are thinking the same way as the far-left loonies at the Democratic Underground.

You're not so slick, Willie. Not this time.

Hat Tip: AllahPundit at Hot Air

Barbra Streisand is backing Shrillary Clinton

So far, we've got Oprah backing Obama, and now Babs Streisand is stepping forward to offer her support to Shrillary.

Apparently, Shrillary can bring "historic change!", "respect in the global community!", "a strong economy!", and "universal healthcare!" to the United States.

Yawn.

Perez Hilton has the press release. Read and enjoy, especially when Babs feels the need to drone on and on towards the end about her many accomplishments. You know, judging from this press release, Babs may have accomplished more in her lifetime than Shrillary has -- maybe she could run!

Today I endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. Below is the announcement the Clinton campaign released to the media with my endorsement statement.

Barbra Streisand Endorses Hillary Clinton

Legendary filmmaker, artist, and Democratic activist, Barbra Streisand, today endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. Streisand cited Clinton’s ability to bring about change and the historic nature of her campaign as reasons why she is supporting Hillary’s candidacy.

“Madame President of the United States…it’s an extraordinary thought. We truly are in a momentous time, where a woman’s potential has no limitations,” said Streisand. “Hillary Clinton has already proven to a generation of women that there are no limits for success. She is driven by her passion for public service and her belief in the enormous potential of our country. Smart, capable and strong in her convictions, Hillary has transcended the dictates of what is thought to be possible for our time.

“Hillary is a powerful voice for change as we find our country at an important crossroads. Under her leadership, our country will regain its respect within the global community. She will prioritize issues of global climate change, universal healthcare and rebuilding a strong economy. After 8 long years, the public will once again have faith in their government.

“Another former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, ‘In government, in business, and in the professions there may be a day when women will be looked upon as persons. We are, however, far from that day as yet.’ More than 50 years later ‘that day’ is now upon us... and Hillary Clinton is ready to shatter through that glass ceiling for all women.”

Streisand has been working on behalf of Democratic candidates for over forty years, performing at fundraisers and participating in campaign events. In addition, the Streisand Foundation has raised millions for causes including the environment, women’s equality as well as human and civil rights and liberties.

“I’m honored to have Barbra’s support,” said Clinton. “Barbra has used her immense talent to be an advocate for truth, justice, and fairness and I deeply appreciate her confidence in my candidacy as we work together to change the direction of our nation.”

Barbra Streisand is a singer, theatre and film actress, composer, film producer and director. She has won Oscars for Best Actress and Best Original Song as well as multiple Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. She is considered one of the most commercially and critically successful female entertainers in modern history.”

You know, someone might want to check that Eleanor Roosevelt quote though.

Trent Lott is resigning

Conservatives rejoice.

Michelle Malkin has updates.

Can we close the border now?

A disturbing story today, from Powerline:

Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility.

Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.

According to the FBI advisory, each Middle Easterner paid Mexican drug lords $20,000 "or the equivalent in weapons" for the cartel's assistance in smuggling them and their weapons through tunnels along the border into the U.S. The weapons would be sent through tunnels that supposedly ended in Arizona and New Mexico, but the Islamist terrorists would be smuggled through Laredo, Texas, and reclaim the weapons later.

A number of the Afghans and Iraqis are already in a safe house in Texas, the FBI advisory said.

Can we close them now? This is just an example of what anyone with half a brain has been worried about. This is what can happen if we have a border with more holes in it than Swiss cheese. See, us conservatives are not just bigots and xenophobes. We actually like our country and want immigrants to come (provided they follow our laws). We do not want Al Qaeda to be able to pay off Mexican drug cartels and smuggle themselves in without a problem.

See, liberals? It's not just an immigration issue (although it is a factor). This is also a let's make it as tough as possible for Al Qaeda to enter the United States and wreak havoc and terror issue. So let's just stop all this politicizing B.S. over closing the border now and just do it, simply because it's the right thing to do -- it's what needs to be done.

However, I won't hold my breath.

BlogTalkRadio Appearance Today

Hello!

Sorry it's such short notice, but today at 1:00pm (eastern time) I will be on Silvio Canto's BlogTalkRadio show. We'll be discussing the political climate and the recent onslaught of anti-war movies.

And if you can't tune in at 1:00, don't worry -- you can still swing on by and listen anytime after that.

Hope you like it!

It's Black Friday and time for shopping; how about some indoctrination while you browse?

Millions upon millions of people go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, nicknamed Black Friday. I usually avoid this at any cost possible. I do not like crowds, I don't particularly enjoy shopping any time of the year, and I'd rather get my clothes from Target than some over-priced store at a mall.

However, this year my sixteen-year-old cousin was in town from Massachusetts and had never seen anything like Jacksonville's St. John's Town Center, and was dying to go. Technically, it's just an outdoor shopping mall. But there's a lot more to do than just shop. There are fantastic restaurants we never had in Jacksonville before (P.F. Chang's, the Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano's Little Italy), stores we never had before (like Louis Vutton and Coach), not to mention tons of entertainment options. I suppose for a sixteen-year-old with cash to burn, it's Heaven.

So off to the Town Center we went, my cousin and I. We paid $5 for valet parking to avoid having to drive around for 45 minutes looking for a space, as the radio was advertising that the Town Center parking lot was 90% full. We went browsing at pretty much every female clothing store in the mall. None of it was really new to me. It was fun at first, especially listening to my cousin from Massachusetts complain about the sales tax we have here. I giggled at that all day -- someone from Massachusetts complaining about taxes.

We went into American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lucky, Buckle... seemingly every store for girls that existed. The only one I had never been into, however, was Urban Outfitters. I'd heard of it, seen the catalog, but had never actually seen the store itself. My cousin made a beeline for it, and inside we went to look around.

It seemed like your typical teen store. We wandered over by some graphic T's, when my sixteen-year-old cousin picked up a red-shirt emblazoned with the words "BUCK FUSH". "What does that mean?", she asked. I rolled my eyes, muttered, "Creative," and told her to switch the "B" and the "F".

After that, I got curious as to just what kinds of stuff they were selling there. I started browsing a little more. And when I got home, I looked up their website to see more. I laughed, at first, looking at the "models" on the website. Every single one of them looked unwashed and unkempt, with stringy hair, a washed-out complexion, and a glazed look in their eyes. It reminded me of the rock-star look -- rock stars who had just recovered from nearly ODing on heroin or some other hard drug. The clothes themselves, though, didn't make me laugh.

What I found told me that Urban Outfitters could probably start selling tinfoil hats in their accessories department, because in actuality, it's clothing suited for residents of Liberal Land.

These are the "political" shirts they had to offer:

BUCK FUSH

SHUT UP AND VOTE!

PEACE IS PRICELE$$

FREEDOM IS FOUGHT NOT BOUGHT

G is for Giuliani

Obama for yo' mama

Hillary is my homegirl

THE ONLY ARMS WE NEED (with children I think hugging, it was hard to tell)

VOTE for a better tomorrow

Drop knowledge not bombs

anything WAR can do PEACE can do better

INCREASE THE PEACE

VOTE FOR CHANGE

WAR! What is it good for? (with a picture of a fist with a certain finger sticking up -- except, instead of a finger, it's the silhouette of a GI)

WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT

ARMS ARE FOR HUGGING

friends don't let friends vote republican

POWER TO THE PEACEFUL

PEACE NOW

CBo6oAa CAOBa (with a picture of a blindfolded man speaking into a microphone; labeled "free speech T")

Save Me (with a picture of the Earth crying)

WAR (with a picture of a sad face crying)

it's getting TOO hot in here (labeled "global warming T")

THINK GREEN

BRAINS NOT BOMBS

I think the only liberal talking point they didn't cover was abortion. The tagline could be, "KILL BABIES, NOT TERRORISTS!", or, "FIGHT LIFE!"

The cynical side of me wasn't surprised in the least. It did, however, make me a little sad to think of teenagers walking around with these shirts on, not really understanding the statement they were making. They'd probably look at the shirt screaming "PEACE NOW" and think nothing of wearing it; after all, who doesn't want peace?

I noticed there were no "F is for Fred" t-shirts, or "friends don't let friends vote democrat" t-shirts. There was nothing about "GIVE FREEDOM A CHANCE!", or "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!", or "do the right thing!", no "KUCK FERRY!" OR "HUCK FILLARY!"... no, it was just your typical, bratty, liberal talking points. But hey, this is the only way liberals can get their audience, right? Drive those talking points home at a young age so they grow up believing them.

Luckily, my cousin was not interested in any of those shirts (she actually thought the BUCK FUSH shirt was the dumbest thing she'd ever seen), and we left the store rather quickly.

It would be nice, though, to maybe see a store that gave an option to us conservatives -- although I think most conservatives have more class than to wear a shirt that says "HUCK FILLARY!" Unfortunately, as I said before, a fifteen-year-old won't get the obnoxiousness of it, the bratty, liberal message they're sending. It's just another t-shirt to them with a cool slogan on it, and while Urban Outfitters was by far the most blatant about it (that I saw, at least), shirts with liberal bleating on them are by no means uncommon.

It really is too bad.

Q & A: Christian music

COPioneer said...
What is your favorite music?

And do you listen to any of the Christian rock bands?

My favorites are Casting Crowns (1st album is incredible), Avalon (Janna Long is the best female vocalist EVER - their best of album is a must have), Jeremy Camp, Third Day, DC Talk (Jesus Freak is another incredible album), Jars of Clay, etc.

I don't listen to any Christian rock bands really. I have the Christian station programmed into my car, but I have music ADD and can't stay tuned onto one thing for too long. I listen mostly to country, I guess. But as far as Christian artists go, my favorites are Selah, Rachel Lampa, and Steven Curtis Chapman.

Q & A: Books and Thanksgiving

PaleoMedic said...
Hi,

What kind of books do you read? Fiction? Non-fiction? What's the best one you've read recently?

Followup; Why do people fly on the Thanksgiving holiday? I can almost guarantee we'll be seeing news stories of thousands of people stranded in Wichita or Denver by weather in Chicago. Happens like clockwork.

The best book I've read recently is called And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander. It's kind of chick lit, but I like it. I read a lot of different things -- fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, political books, books on current events. I started reading when I was four, and pretty much never stopped.

As far as flying on Thanksgiving... I've never done it. So I can't really say why people do. ;)

Q & A: Mitt Romney

J. Otto Tennant said...
May I ask your opinion about Mitt Romney?

(For what it is worth, I seriously doubt the competence in logic of anyone adhering to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.)

(And, for what it is worth, I am a Christian by the gift of grace and faith and, may I say it, logic.)

I would like to ask other questions, but I am an old man; maybe twenty years ago I would have had the guts to ask them.

I dislike Mitt Romney, not because he's a Mormon, but because I don't feel I can trust anything that comes out of his mouth. I don't personally believe in anything that is said at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, but I don't find it particularly harmful to anything, either, so... his being Mormon doesn't really concern me. His flip-flopping and pandering, however, does.

Q & A: Celebrity Posting

COPioneer said...
Do I only get one question? ;-)

I used to visit RWN a lot. But once John started posting daily links to hot celebrities just to increase traffic, I stopped visiting. I thought it was tremendously hypocritical for a "Conservative" site. I've also had similar criticism of you here. I'm with Laura Ingraham about the "pornification" of our culture. So, the question is, do you think we have a chance to change our culture to not be pornified? And if so, how can we best support that change? And if not, why not?

(I also posted at RWN at the time, that I thought John should go ahead and post beefcake pictures too for the women on his site).

There's an easy way to stop the pornification of our culture: stop contributing funds to it.

It seriously annoys me to hear parents complain about the pornification of our culture, but then they go and buy Bratz dolls for their kids, or t-shirts and pants with the words "Juicy" written across it, and let them watch MTV 24-7 with Britney Spears writhing across the screen practically naked and faking orgasms. If you really cared about keeping your kids from a pornified culture, then why are you contributing to it?

Honestly, we can complain all we want, but as long as people keep buying the stuff, it will keep on getting made. If demand goes down, so does supply. There's how you end the pornification of our culture.

And as far posting about celebrities... I don't do it as much anymore, and the posts I do write about celebrities are because I found them interesting. I read Perez Hilton every day (and somewhat hate myself for it!) and occasionally come upon stories I laugh at or made me have some kind of reaction. So I post about it. Simple as that. As for John... I think he's just catering to his audience. ;)

Q & A: Movies

Gredd said...
Cassy, what are the last 5 movies you saw and what did you think of them (simple thumbs up/down is fine)?

It's really hard to think of the last five movies I saw. I work in a theatre, in projection, so I see a LOT of movies. So I'm just kind of picking the last five movies I saw at random:

Enchanted: Two thumbs up. I love Disney movies as it is, and this did not disappoint. The ending was fairly predictable, but I would say it was the PERFECT family movie, as it was great for kids and adults alike.

Beowulf: Only one thumb up (I'm kind of guessing on the rating system here). I was extremely disappointed in the plot; the filmmakers didn't really bother staying faithful to the epic poem. I was also disappointed that the conflict with Grendel was over so quickly. However, the special effects were outstanding, and I definitely recommend seeing it in the RealD 3D if you can.

Fred Claus: Two thumbs up. I know there were some people that didn't love this movie, but I did. I thought it was cute, I thought it was funny, and (I hate the use this word) heartwarming. I wasn't a huge fan of part of the message of the movie (that there are no naughty kids), but I did like the emphasis on learning to cherish your family, even with their faults.

Martian Child: One thumb up. It was a good movie, but far different from what I expected. I thought it dragged on a little long, but all in all, it was enjoyable. It was easy to get drawn into the plot, and I have to say, they really made you wonder whether the kid was from Mars or not. It was predictable, and really drove home the "its OK to be not only different, but a little bit loony" message. However, I did still like the movie.

30 Days of Night: One thumb up. I wasn't overly impressed with this movie. There wasn't a lot of action or suspense in my opinion, and I found myself willing the movie forward. It was actually a huge let down. I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly like it, either.

Q & A: The Fred Body Snatchers

Anonymous said...
Cas, what happened to Hawk? Seems the Fred body snatchers got him.

Looking forward to your next piece on Hunter. It is crunch time.

PA

I assume you're referring to John Hawkins at Right Wing News. I know that he does still want Duncan to win, as do I. But, like me, I think he's trying to be realistic, and realistically, I don't see Duncan getting the nomination. What I am hoping for is that Duncan will get chosen as a VP, or perhaps taking a position in the administration, like Secretary of Defense (I think he'd be perfect for that job). I think we can expect to see Duncan get a position of authority in the next administration either way, and hopefully, his name recognition will be higher the next time around.

That said, I think John is looking for the next most conservative candidate, which is Fred Thompson. I'm with John there; if I can't have Duncan, Fred will be who I support.

Q & A: Protestors in Washington

Gothguy said...
Cassy,

Recently, Olympia, Washington, was besieged with protesters. While they have a right to protest, they do not have a right to vandalize property.

What are your thoughts on the state of Washington's lack of enforcing their laws regarding this?

My thoughts on them are the same as the thoughts of any other sane individual: they should be locked up.

I don't begrudge anyone their right to protest. I do, however, think there is a difference between protesting (and freedom of speech/freedom of expression) and breaking the law. Just because you are "expressing an opinion", it does not give you the right to vandalize property or hinder our military.

And as far as I'm concerned, that is their worst offense. I think the entire lot of them should be charged with treason. Trying to prevent our military from winning is the same as providing aid and comfort to our enemies in my book. You can agree or disagree with that thought, but... that's how I see it.

And as far as Washington's lack of enforcing their laws... what did you expect? It's a liberal state. Why would they enforce their laws when these protestors are pushing forth a liberal agenda? I have no doubt that Washington would react more harshly if this was taking place, say, in front of an abortion clinic.

Q & A: Giuliani, McCain, or Romney?

Jarrod in Texas said...
Cassy I love the blog. I'm not sure how I found it, but it's in the rotation of things I check pretty much every day. I know you are all for Duncan Hunter who I like for his actual conservative chops and I'm torn between him and Fred. Assuming neither of them makes it to the primary for my state, if you were me and potentially forced to choose between Guiliani, Romney, or McCain, which way would you go?

Also, there was a time where I thought you were the perfect woman: pretty, smart, and conservative. Now I can understand hatred for Peyton Manning, because I share it as well, but who in their right minds would not hate Tom Brady even worse? It's this unforgivable Massachusetts liberal streak in you that's the dealbreaker. Sorry.

Hello Jarrod!

My first choice, as readers of my blog know, is Duncan Hunter, and Fred would be a close second. However, if I had to choose between McCain, Romney, or Giuliani, my choice would probably be Rudy Giuliani. Here's why. Like most conservatives, John McCain is not an option. I applaud him for his service to our country, and I look up to him very much for what he has done, but I don't trust his politics for a second. I know he is great on national defense, but I don't like how he is so firmly ensconced in what Duncan Hunter called "the Kennedy wing" of the GOP.

As far as Mitt Romney goes, I don't see myself voting for him, and not because he's Mormon. I could really care less about Mitt Romney's religion, provided he isn't Muslim. No, I just don't know where he stands. He's about as slippery as John Kerry is, and I just don't know that I could have faith in his leadership.

This process of elimination leaves me with Rudy Giuliani, who I don't think has the experience to be President and isn't conservative enough. However, he is great on national defense, and accomplished a lot of good things in New York as mayor.

When it comes down to it, I won't vote for any of the three of them in the primary. However, if any of those three, including McCain, get the nomination, I'll throw my weight 100% behind that person. Any of those three would be better than Hillary. Even if they aren't the best candidate, our sole concern should be keeping the Dems out of the Presidency.

And as far as Tom Brady... what can I say? I can't help but love the guy. And while my family is from Massachusetts, I promise you there's no "Massachusetts liberal streak". ;)

Q & A with Cassy

New posts will appear below.

Here's something to sit in for my busy Sunday -- my sister was baptized today (pictures later), so blogging, of course, had to be a little light. However, I still wanted to post something.

I decided to steal a little idea from John at RWN. As I'm sure most of you are RWN readers, most of you are probably familiar with his Q & A Fridays, a very popular feature over there. The difference here is this is a rare opportunity -- I won't be doing this every week. I'd say once-in-a-lifetime, but I don't want to say that I'll never do it again.

Here's how it will work. Leave your question in the comments. You will have until Thursday -- I will answer questions on Friday (I'm giving you a five days instead of one day to ask). I'll answer every single question listed, unless I [unexpectedly] get a huge influx of questions, in which case I'll answer as many as I can. They can be about anything -- they can be about politics, current events, culture, celebrities, sports, dating... they can even be about me and my life (any cheeky questions will likely get cheeky answers though, and I won't post *too* much personal information, so keep those things in mind). This is an open forum for you to ask anything you want to know or would like my opinion on.

So, ask away, and I hope you all enjoy this new feature! I am definitely looking forward to the questions I will get. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is not a day for politics or debate. Today is a day to remember our blessings, to remember what we have to be thankful for, to look back on our history and look forward to what's to come. With that in mind, there's a few people I need to say thank you too this holiday season:

First and foremost, to Michael -- thank you for everything you do for me. You are my biggest supporter and my number one fan. You'll never know how much your constant support and faith in me means, and I thank God for you every day.

To my family and my friends -- thank you for always being there, through the good and the bad, the ups and the downs.

To John Hawkins -- If it weren't for you, I'd never have gone on this new path, nor come this far. You have become more than just someone to help me with my work, but also a friend, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me.

To Kevin Aylward and the team at Wizbang -- Thank you for letting me join your team, for welcoming me with open arms, and for being there to help whenever I had any questions. This opportunity is one that I am immensely grateful for!

To the men and women who are fighting for our freedoms -- hopefully there are some reading this. It is a thank you that usually goes unsaid, but I can't say it enough. THANK YOU, for all that you do, for the sacrifices that you make, and for having the selflessness, generosity, and courage to undertake this difficult task we are asking of you.

And finally, to you, my readers -- I could not continue on without you. Every single one of you have made this worthwhile, and I'm so thankful for those of you who have been here from the beginning, and those who may have just found me. You make this blog possible; you make my dream possible, and I thank you.

Here's hoping all of you will have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day.

Roseanne: Hillary is a commie AND a Bush compatriot!

Doesn't she have a handler to keep her away from the computer? If not, she needs one. Or better yet, let her keep talking. It's REALLY funny. From Perez Hilton, here is Roseanne rambling about the state of politics today:

HILLARY IS A COMMIE TOO
AND SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE BUSH FAMILY COMPATRIOTS. THE BUSH FAMILY ARE THIEVES PURE AND SIMPLE, AND EVER SINCE THEY BACKED HITLER AND LED THE CIA TO ASSASSINATE ALLENDE AND CONTROL EVERYTHING IN SOUTH AMERICA BY TERROR, THEY HAVE SUPPORTED THE "ENRON-TYPE" BOOKKEEPING THAT FIGURED OUT HOW TO STEAL FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL SECURITY. THEIR HANDS ARE IN YOUR FAMILY'S POCKETS.

RON PAUL, KUCINICH, AND GRAVEL
ARE ALL GREAT AMERICANS, AND OBAMA MIGHT BE THE ANTIDOTE TO BUSH!

TO YOU THE WORKING AMERICANS!
FIGHT FOR YOUR COUNTRY NOW! FIGHT AS HARD AS YOU CAN TO RESTORE INTEGRITY AND DECENCY AND HOPE AND REPENTANCE AND EVERYTHING WE ALL BELIEVE IN AND HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD FOR!!! DO NOT F*CKING GIVE UP, WE CAN DO IT!!!! WE CAN MAKE OUR COUNTRY THE UTOPIAN PROMISE AGAIN!!!

I MET KUCINICH
AT A FUNDRAISER THE OTHER NIGHT AND TOLD HIM, IF YOU WANT TO WIN, HERE'S HOW: RUN ON THE PROMISE TO ABOLISH THE IRS, AND TO TAX CORPORATE PROFITS AT 50%. ALSO, ANYONE WITH OVER 100MILLION DOLLARS MUST BE FORCED TO SURRENDER ALL MONEY ABOVE THAT AMOUNT TO VARIOUS STATES. STOP IMPORTING CHINESE GOODS ALTOGETHER. ANY CORPORATIONS THAT ARE OUTSOURCING JOBS NEED TO BE TAXED IN THE 90% BRACKET. SUPPORT A MAXIMUM WAGE!!!

Let's recap. Hillary is a commie, Bush & Co. "backed Hitler", control South America by terror, and steal from public schools and Social Security (I thought that was just the government in general); America should equal Utopia; we need to get rid of the IRS and limit the amount of money Americans can make; and inflict a maximum wage upon our economy.

Political genius, that one.

A season of giving - another update on the Johnson Family

Some of you may remember my post about the Johnson family:

John Austin Johnson survived five IED attacks, but the sixth one left him with brain damage. When he came home, he expected to see his wife and three children -- only to find out two of his children had died in a car accident and the third was on life support.

Sadly, Michelle Malkin is reporting that their third son, Tyler Johnson, has also passed away from his injuries.

Earlier this month, Johnson and his wife, Mona Lisa, buried their 9-year-old son, Tyler Anthony Johnson. The little boy had been on life support for several weeks after sustaining critical injuries in a horrible car accident. He was on his way with his family to see his dad in recuperation at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He never made it. The family car rolled over several times after being hit by powerful blasts of wind. Tyler was laid to rest at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Benton, Ark. That is not all.

The Johnsons had two other children. Ashley Mishelle was 5 years old. Logan Wesley was 2. They were killed instantly in the same car crash that claimed their older brother’s life. During the funeral service, the Benton Courier reported, the program included Ashley Mishelle’s favorite song — Ashley Simpson’s “Pieces of Me” — and Sarah McLachlan’s haunting “In the Arms of an Angel.” White doves were donated by a retired military officer.

To lose one child is devastating enough. To lose three? While recovering from traumatic war injuries? And to bury three little angels just weeks before Thanksgiving? No parent can read of suffering like that of the Johnsons and indulge the petty, selfish complaints of holiday gripers and road-ragers. The complainers featured on the nightly news this week wallowing in self-pity over a few hours’ delay on the road or in the air need to get a grip, get over themselves and get some perspective.

I, and countless other bloggers, asked you to donate to the Johnson family in their time of need -- and you rose up and showed that the spirit of selfless generosity is still alive and well in Americans everywhere.

More than 200 Patriot Guard Riders attended Tyler's funeral and served as pallbearers. (The Patriot Guard Riders, if you are not yet familiar, are a group of patriots who serve as protection during military funerals against scum-of-the-earth people like the Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church.) Anonymous donors supplied the headstones and gravesites for the children. Soldiers Angels provided hotel stays for the family (including extended family), and The Dallas Veteran Service Organization and the Veterans of Foreign Wars provided meals. Hertz and National supplied the family with rental cars, while Operation Comfort provided gas.

There's still more.

The Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program made it possible for Johnson to get to his wife after the accident, and American Airlines provided airfare for the Johnsons travel for their children's funerals. The Professional Golfers Association raised $95,000, which was used for a new car, and Operation Homefront is using the leftover funds to build a playground in the children's memory at Fort Bliss, Texas. And let's not forget the generous Americans who donated to the family at Bank of America.

To all of those who were able to help this veteran and his family in their time of need -- from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Anyone who cannot be touched by this family's trials must not have a heart.

Through this pain and tragedy does come a silver lining, however. As I said above, clearly the spirit of generosity is alive and well in America. And please let this serve as a reminder of what really matters, and not only during the holidays. It always somewhat disturbs me how much emphasis gets put on food and presents during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, I'm not a scrooge who thinks that we shouldn't enjoy great food and presents or anything. But people everywhere should take the time to stop and realize just how much we really do have to be thankful for. No matter how bad your life may seem, there are blessings that abound if you'll only open your eyes to see them. And whether it's to one family suffering or a local non-profit organization, please think about opening your heart this year to those who are in need.

To close, I'd like to ask all of you to keep these companies that so generously helped the Johnson family in mind this holiday season.

American Airlines
Bank of America
Hertz
National
Operation Comfort
Operation Homefront
Patriot Guard Riders
Soldiers Angels
The Dallas Veteran Service Organization
The Professional Golfer's Association
The Fisher House Foundation
Veterans of Foreign Wars

Previous:
Update on the Johnson family
Please help the Johnson family

The New Jena Six

Except this time, it's the Lakeport One. One, because the other two were shot and killed in a robbery.

Three black men broke into the home of the Edmonds family, who are white. They tore through the house, demanding marijuana, and beat homeowner Shannon Edmonds' 19-year-old stepson, Dale Lafferty, almost to death with a baseball bat. He now eats through a tube and suffers brain damage, and has to live in a rehabilitation center. Edmonds then proceeded to shoot two of the intruders, killing them, while the third, Renato Hughes Jr., fled.

Hughes has now been charged with murder under California's Provocative Act doctrine, which states that prosecutors have to show not that the intruders intended to kill, but that "it was reasonably foreseeable that the criminal enterprise could trigger a fatal response from the homeowner".

I'd say breaking into someone's home, trying to rob them, and beating their child almost to death with a baseball bat would "trigger a fatal response" for most people.

But, not surprisingly, the NAACP is howling racism. Al Sharpton will probably be organizing riots protests any day now:

The NAACP complained that prosecutors came down too hard on Hughes, who also faces robbery, burglary and assault charges. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

The Rev. Amos Brown, head of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP and pastor at Hughes' church, said the case demonstrates the legal system is racist in remote Lake County, aspiring wine country 100 miles north of San Francisco. The sparsely populated county of 13,000 people is 91 percent white and 2 percent black.

Brown and other NAACP officials are asking why the homeowner is walking free. Tests showed Edmonds had marijuana and prescription medication in his system the night of the shooting. Edmonds had a prescription for both the pot and the medication to treat depression.

"This man had no business killing these boys," Brown said. "They were shot in the back. They had fled."

The district attorney said that race played no part in the charges against Hughes and that the homeowner was spared prosecution because of evidence he was defending himself and his family, who were asleep when the assailants barged in at 4 a.m.

Edmonds' stepson, Dale Lafferty, suffered brain damage from the baseball bat beating he took during the melee. The 19-year-old lives in a rehabilitation center and can no longer feed himself.

"I didn't do anything wrong. All I did was defend my family and my children's lives," said Edmonds, 33. "I'm sad the kids are dead, I didn't mean to kill them."

He added: "Race has nothing to do with it other than this was a gang of black people who thought they were going to beat up this white family."

Hughes' mother, San Francisco schoolteacher Judy Hughes, said she believes the group didn't intend to rob the family, just buy marijuana. She called the case against her son a "legal lynching."

I just love how being a minority means you can do anything you want, and if a white person tries to defend themselves, it's automatically RACISM!!!

And what's really fun is how the mother says it's a "legal lynching" and that they just wanted to "buy marijuana". Right, the three of them broke into someone's house at 4:00 in the morning and beat a 19-year-old kid almost to death just to "buy marijuana". Lady, I don't know what orifice your head is stuck in, but you need to pull it out.

Thanks to the actions of the "Reverends" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, with the NAACP willingly parroting their garbage, it's now RACISM!!! for a white person to defend his life and the lives of his family against a group of black men. Apparently it's also RACISM!!! to charge that a black person committed a crime against a white person -- see the Jena 6 and the OJ Simpson trial for examples.

Holding each person accountable for his or her own actions, regardless of skin color or gender, is no longer allowed in the progressive and enlightened United States. This is also something that the NAACP does not believe in. No, they think that if a group of black men commits a crime, like, let's say, breaking into a house and beating a young man to the point of brain damage, and the homeowner defends himself, the homeowner (Shannon Edmonds) should be arrested -- not the criminal.

Thank God the only court the NAACP has only modicum of control over whatsoever is the court of public opinion -- and even then, most rational people ignore them anyways. It's just too bad that there aren't many rational people in the mainstream [liberal] media. They're more than willing to parrot the bilge that Sharpton & Co. spews.

Hey, wonder if Rebecca Aguilar has any thoughts on this case.

Hat Tip: Moonbattery

Supporting the troops is too "pro-war"

Some Cambridge Boy Scouts had some money they earned in a fundraiser. They could have spent it on anything, but decided they wanted to use it to give some support to our troops fighting overseas. So they spent $1,500 of their own money, printed out fliers, and got approval from the Election Commission (twice). They then headed over to polling sites and were promptly kicked out. An election worker (any guesses on the party?) claimed they were too "pro-war".

The Cambridge scouts earned some money in an unexpected fundraiser and at first they thought about spending it on trips to Water Country, Six Flags, white water rafting or skiing. But then the discussion turned toward a service project — collecting donations for the troops at the polling sites on Election Day. The adults were somewhat amazed to the fact that these kids were choosing to spend the money on others when they could very easily just go on a fun trip.

But on Election Day, Marsha Weinerman, executive director of the Election Commission, removed the boxes from all the polling stations because one woman, a poll worker who does not deserve to be named, complained it was a political statement.

Marsha Weinerman, executive director of the Election Commission, refused to talk to local Fox 2 about her decision.

Now, after the scouts got approval from the Election Commission twice, made 25,000 flyers and distributed them, e-mailed everyone they knew, putting up flyers in city buildings, schools, libaries and local businesses and distributed boxes the day before the election, the youths’ work — not to mention over $1,500 in advertising and materials — were all for naught.

I always thought that supporting our troops included supporting their mission, but I'll accept liberal bleating about supporting the troops and not the war -- when they actually do. Stories like this prove over and over again that they don't support our troops. Not even a little bit.

Blackfive has a good idea:

The Boy Scouts in this case should get not only an apology (the effort having been approved twice by the appropriate commission), but I further feel that Marsha Weinerman should personally, repeat, personally, repay the Scouts the roughly $1,500.00 they spent on the effort to support the troops. Never happen, just following orders I'm sure, but I can dream.

What's interesting is how sending supplies and comforts from home to our soldiers is now suddenly political. Why? OK, you don't support the war. But why do you care if a Boy Scout Troop wants to send our men and women fighting overseas supplies? I will never understand these people who have such a festering hatred for the very heroes who keep us safe that they want to keep them from getting supplies that can make their time overseas a little bit easier. Even more importantly, it reminds them that we still support them over here. Sadly, these boys were just taught a cruel lesson. They wanted to do something kind for other people, people who deserve such kindness, went to incredible efforts to do so, and were shot down because of some idiots politicizing something that doesn't need to be politicized. We should all support our troops. They are the ones sacrificing, for this country's entire proud history, for our freedoms. Though they often don't ask for it, we should be thanking them every day. Hats off to the Boy Scouts for at least trying.

For what it's worth, the Election Commission Director, Marsha Weinerman, is now saying that the troop never got permission to collect for the troops.

Here's a suggestion, both for the Scouts and anyone else wanting to help out our troops: adopt a soldier. There are several great organizations you can work through. Your commitment is usually minimal -- send letters and occasional care packages -- but as someone who has adopted soldiers before, I can tell you that this lifts their spirits more than you know. You may be able to become acquainted with some extraordinary people, like one of my former soldiers, Ted Janicki, who recently returned from Afghanistan. Here are some of his writings to me about his work in Afghanistan and the appreciation his unit felt for Any Soldier:

26 Jan 2007, 11:58 am

I got your box today. Thank you. The food was all snached up in a matter of minutes.

26 Jan 2007, 3:41 am

Trust me - your notes are enough. I am just glad to see that we have some youth in our nation that are solid human beings. People that go out of their way for others. People that support the troops that are doing things not in the immediate vacinity. People usual only support the things that are directly related to them. Something that is more tangible. We could easily be forgotten over here. I am proud to see someone like you that I feel can be our future leaders. We are doing this for individuals like you.

04 Jan 2007

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Thank you for all the support during this holiday season. It truely aided us through this difficult time away from our loved ones.

14 Dec 2006

There is no doubt that security continues to be a major challenge. Remnants of the former Taliban regime and elements of al-Qaeda continue to try to derail progress throughout the country. But just five years ago, there was no formalized rule of law; there was no respected national army; there was no national police force. The nation had been wracked by war for nearly 30 years -- and was a pariah from the international community. Only three states were willing to accord the government diplomatic recognition -- and there was little order within Afghanistan. The Taliban harbored and supported al-Qaeda, the world's most deadly terrorist organization.

While it has become fashionable in some circles to call Afghanistan a forgotten war, or to say the United States has lost its focus, the facts belie the myths. To be sure, no one doubts that great obstacles still exist; the recent up-tick in violence reiterates that the enemies of a stable, peaceful Afghanistan remain persistent and motivated.

Even so, the Afghan people -- with strong support from free nations across the globe -- are building a future they can be proud of: secure and prosperous at home, and respected abroad.

06 Dec 2006

In today's age, there is often a tendency to measure progress against an unrealizable ideal, to expect development to occur in a vaccuum that does not factor in preexisting conditions. It is hard to comprehend how destitute Afghanistan was in 2001, and how much progress has been made since. Afghanistan was one of the poorest nations in the world with little infrastructure; it was ruled by a vicious totalitarian regime; drought had decimated agricultural mainstays; the economy was a shambles; and decades of war had left it a broken, lawless nation.

02 Nov 2006

There was nothing easy about the two months of training we went through in preparation for our Afghanistan deployment. Blood, sweat, and tears were the norm. The high school attitude kept creeping back into my head: Why am I learning this stuff? I'll never use it in my lifetime. Now that we are in Afghanistan, I wouldn't have traded one second of that training, which is put to use on a daily basis. On one specific day, it made a real difference.

I recommend anyone looking for a way to help out our troops visit one of the following websites:

Soldiers Angels

Any Soldier

Adopt-A-Platoon
It's a great, easy way to support our heroes serving overseas without any politicizing from the likes of Marsha Weinerman, who can't understand that supporting our troops is something we should all be doing.

Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit
For video, see Stop the ACLU

Dems wave that white flag higher and higher

What do you do when you've staked your political career on a loss in Iraq? You're pandered to the crazies at Code Pink, you've promised your voters you'll pull out, and you've tried multiple times to bring about a loss.

But surprisingly enough for you, we're winning. Violence is dropping. The surge is working. The Iraqi Army is becoming more functional and independent every day. There are stories of Muslims and Christians working together, Iraqi citizens helping our troops, forming groups to help weed out Al Qaeda and other terrorists, and an Iraq victory is now no longer a probability -- it's simply a matter of time.

But you've invested yourself in defeat. You've made proclamations about how horrible this is going to be. You extol how "troops are dying!" and that Iraq will be a "quagmire!". You proclaim that the war is lost and you try to cut the funding to our heroes fighting in the sandbox.

So now what do you do?

If we aren't going to actually lose in Iraq, you try to undermine the effort. You try to sabotage our troops by cutting off funding and supplies. You try to bring about a loss any way you can, no matter what it may mean for our national security, for Iraq and the Middle East, and for the War on Terror.

Welcome to the Democratic Party, folks.

House Democrats pushed through a $50 billion bill for the Iraq war Wednesday night that would require President Bush to start bringing troops home in coming weeks with a goal of ending combat by December 2008.

The legislation, passed 218-203, was largely a symbolic jab at Bush, who already has begun reducing force levels but opposes a congressionally mandated timetable on the war. And while the measure was unlikely to pass in the Senate — let alone overcome a presidential veto — Democrats said they wanted voters to know they weren’t giving up.

“The fact is, we can no longer sustain the military deployment in Iraq,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Staying there in the manner that we are there is no longer an option.”

The President promised a veto, and the bill rolled forward to the Senate.

Unfortunately for the defeat-at-any-cost Dems, Republicans kept their promises about backing the President and filibustered.

The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal that would have paid for the Iraq war but required that troops start coming home.
The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war with no strings attached.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.

"Our troops continue to fight and die valiantly. And our Treasury continues to be depleted rapidly, for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq's own political leaders," Reid said.

Republicans said Democrats were being irresponsible.

"We need to get our troops everything they need," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "We need to get it to them right now."

Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the measure: Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., was the lone Democrat opposing it because he said it did not go far enough to end the war.

At some point, would it be possible at all for this 11% approval rated Congress to do the right thing? Of course not, because they've simply got too much invested in defeat and loss. They don't feel any loyalty to the United States (it's a global order now, they answer to the U.N.), so they certainly aren't concerned with preserving our national security. They need us to lose, regardless of the cost. Once upon a time, what they're doing would have been called "treason". But of course, not anymore.

Just remember, don't question their patriotism.

Ready to start stocking up on white feathers?

Barry Bonds indicted

After a four year investigation, Barry Bonds has been indicted on perjury and obstruction charges:

Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

The indictment came just three months after the San Francisco Giants star broke Hank Aaron's career home run record, and it culminated a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes.

But for all the speculation and accusations that clouded his pursuit of Aaron, Bonds was never identified by Major League Baseball as testing positive for steroids, and personal trainer Greg Anderson spent most of the last year in jail for refusing to testify against his longtime friend.

Then came the indictment - four counts of perjury, one of obstruction of justice; a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison - and Bonds' lawyers seemed caught off guard.

The 10-page report mainly consists of excerpts from Bonds' December 2003 testimony before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO. It cites 19 occasions in which Bonds allegedly lied under oath.

"I'm surprised," said one of his lawyers, John Burris, "but there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."

Burris said he didn't know of the indictment before being alerted by The Associated Press. He said he would call Bonds to notify him.

Anderson was released from prison after the indictment was handed up and refused comment as he walked out.

"This indictment came out of left field," Geragos said. "Frankly, I'm aghast. It looks like the government misled me and Greg as well, saying this case couldn't go forward without him."

Bonds is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Dec. 7.

Defence lawyer Mike Rains said he spoke briefly with Bonds but did not describe his reaction. At an evening news conference, he read a statement accusing federal prosecutors of "unethical misconduct" and declined to take questions.

"Every American should worry about a Justice Department that doesn't know if waterboarding is torture and can't tell the difference between prosecution on the one hand and persecution on the other," Rains said.

In August, when the 43-year-old Bonds became the career home run leader, he flatly rejected any suggestion that the milestone was stained by steroids.

"This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds said.

But while San Franciscans cheered his every swing and fans elsewhere scorned every homer, a grand jury quietly worked behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on its report.

"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes," the indictment said.

Bonds is by far the highest-profile figure caught up in the steroids probe, which also ensnared track star Marion Jones. She pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal investigators about using steroids and faces up to six months in prison.

The Giants, the players' union and even the White House called it a sad day for baseball.

"This is a very sad day. For many years, Barry Bonds was an important member of our team and is one of the most talented baseball players of his era. These are serious charges. Now that the judicial process has begun, we look forward to this matter being resolved in a court of law," the Giants said.

Union head Donald Fehr said he was "saddened" to learn of the indictment, but cautioned that "every defendant, including Barry Bonds, is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until such time as he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

Commissioner Bud Selig withheld judgment, saying, "I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely."

...

The Hall of Fame currently has an exhibit dedicated to Bonds' record-breaking 756th home run.

"As a historic museum, we have no intention of taking the exhibit down," Hall vice president Jeff Idelson said.

Bonds finished last season with 762 career home runs, seven more than Aaron. A seven-time NL MVP, he also holds the season record with 73 home runs in 2001.

He is a free agent after being told late in the season that Giants didn't want him back next year.

Bonds was charged in the indictment with lying when he said he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by Anderson. Bonds is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.

This story just has so much yummy goodness in it, doesn't it? Unsurprisingly, Bonds has been indicted for lying about using steroids and his trainer supplying him with them.

Then, just for fun, his defense lawyer Mike Rains adds in this money quote:

Every American should worry about a Justice Department that doesn't know if waterboarding is torture and can't tell the difference between prosecution on the one hand and persecution on the other.

Cuz, you know, waterboarding as "torture" is relevant and all. Listen buddy, whining about waterboarding and how much our Justice Department sucks isn't gonna take the heat off your client, so get off that high horse right now.

In any case, is anyone exactly surprised that this is happening?

Anyone?

I find it humorous that all these people -- the Commissioner, Union heads, etc. -- are expressing shock and sorrow over this indictment as if it was just so strange.

I guess it's because Bonds has never used steroids. He just always used "performance enhancers".

Previous: "Performance enhanced" Barry Bonds breaks home run record

A Spice Girls preview

Perez Hilton has a sneak preview of the new Spice Girls, who performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this week:



Personally, I think they all look amazing, even (and it pains me to say this) Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham (far right). I really can't believe how incredible Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton looks (standing next to Posh) -- she JUST had a baby!

Video of the Day

As soon as I looked at this video, I knew it was going to end badly. I'm no Annie Oakley, but I also know better than to just cavalierly grab a gun and start shooting. I have to wonder about the guy who shows up at the end of the video -- was he letting her do this on purpose so he could have a giggle, or was he just not paying attention? I'm guessing it was the former, judging by how he tried to show off her broken nose for the camera.


http://view.break.com/399252 - Watch more free videos

New torture methods will make terrorists wish they'd stuck with waterboarding

Waterboarding, questionably defined as torture, could soon become a thing of the past. There are some new ideas for torture in town, and terrorists are surely trembling:

The military has at it's disposal interrogation methods so vile and harsh that Islamic terrorists around the world are demanding being subject to waterboarding and non stop Christina Aguilera music instead. These new techniques may be the reason for the recent report that American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Iraqi from every neighborhood of Baghdad.

Here's a preview of one of these new torture methods: the Hillary Nutcracker.

One can only wonder what the outcry from Al Qaeda will be at these truly heinous new methods of making terrorists talk.

We have an Army victory!

As, of course, I knew we would. ;)

The totals are coming in for the Project Valour-IT fundraiser, which is now over. The diligent staff at Soldiers Angels are still tallying up the mail-in donations, which could of course change the leaderboard, but this is how it currently stands:

Army: $53,023.00

Marines: $39,673.00

Air Force: $25,638.34

Navy/CG: $20,081.75

Non-team donations $29,954.82
While all the money goes into the same pot, I am very proud to see my Army team win with quite a substantial lead -- we had twice the number of donors as any other team!! And even more importantly, Soldiers Angels has already raised an astonishing $168,370.91! After adding in the mail-in donations, it's entirely possible that they could break $200,000.00.

Please make sure to especially say thanks over at Blackfive, the Army Team Leader, who also has a list of all the blogs on the Army team.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this fundraiser! And GO ARMY!

Students forced to choose between gym memberships and birth control -- say it ain't so!!

Well, it looks like the world is coming to an end! Students are protesting because costs of birth control are going up, forcing them to make unthinkable choices!

University of New Mexico students are worried the federal deficit is going to cause a boom in unwanted pregnancies.

UNM is now feeling the affects of the Deficit Reduction Act passed in 2005 whose funding cuts reduce money used by universities to subsidize birth control.

The price of birth control on campuses and family planning clinics has more than doubled. Today students at UNM encouraged their peers to call and ask lawmakers to cosponsor a bill that would return the funding for birth control.

"Birth control is probably the largest preventative measure of abortion and unwanted pregnancies, just because it's safe, it's affordable," UNM Molly Maguire-Marshall said. "Sometimes it's accessible, and we want to keep it that way.

"We want to keep it affordable; we want to keep it accessible to college students."

Restoring the funds will reduce the squeeze on cash-strapped students, added Ambrosia Ortiz.

"So they don't have to make a choice between their birth control and their cell phone bill or their birth control and their gym membership and their birth control," Ortiz said. "These are choices women that women shouldn't have to make. Birth control should be very affordable."

Well, by golly, what are these students going to do?! Without access to birth control, apparently pregnancies are going to skyrocket, because not having sex is, of course, simply not an option. This is possibly because these poor kids probably went to public schools and were never told anything about abstinence. They were probably handed condoms and told all about birth control, right before telling them that as long as they use these, they can have all the sex they want with no repercussions!

And look at the choices they have to make! Birth control or a cell phone, birth control or a gym membership... jeez, their entire life is practically hanging in the balance! I mean, imagine having to give up working out at the exclusive gyms where all the "cool" kids work out, and use the free gym available for students at the school! And no access to a cell phone -- however will they get by?! Man, it's a good thing these kids didn't grow up in the Dark Ages before there were fashionable, exclusive gyms and cell phones for everyone.

And of course, these kids are whining because they want the government to pay for their birth control. They have all the access to birth control they could possibly want, but the government isn't going to pay for it for them, an unspeakable travesty, of course. The fact that they live in the freest country in the world, where they are allowed to get a higher education and protest without any kind of repercussions (besides looking like idiots) apparently has escaped them, because choice is being taken away from them!!

Again, the decision to choose not to have sex because they don't have access to birth control is apparently too responsible a decision to ask them to make. No, they need to be able to have sex as freely as they choose, and therefore, it's the government's job to keep them from having babies by providing them with free access to birth control. Otherwise, you're infringing on "women's rights". Yay for feminism!

Most of these kids will probably grow up and look back with a twinge of guilt for acting like complete idiots. Most of them are probably protesting just for the sake of feeling important, just like the Columbia idiots. But a select few of them will probably learn nothing at all, and grow up to be the same spoiled, arrogant, self-absorbed morons they are now. Only then, they'll teaching at colleges instead, or perhaps working for those ever-vigilant keepers of women's rights over at NOW.

Santa's 'Ho Ho Ho' is politically incorrect now?

You know, sometimes I wonder where the "I'm offended, therefore I am" crowd gets there ideas. Honestly, how much time do they sit around thinking about things that just might offend them or someone else?

In Sydney, Australia, the politically correct crowd decided that Santa's traditional laugh of 'Ho Ho Ho' was politically incorrect and potentially insulting, as well as possibly scary and therefore, 'Ha Ha Ha' would be used instead. Thankfully, the Santas are rebelling, and the P.C. crowd seems to be fighting a losing battle.

He is an unlikely revolutionary but this Christmas, Santa is a rebel with a claus.

He is having the last laugh on political correctness - and it's a great big fat belly laugh.

Santas across Sydney are rebelling against attempts to ban their traditional greeting of "ho, ho, ho" in favour of "ha, ha, ha".

Recruitment firm Westaff - which supplies hundreds of Santas across the country - has told its trainees that the "ho ho ho" phrase could frighten children and could even be derogatory to women.

Two Santa hopefuls reportedly quit the course because of the hullabaloo of the ho, ho, ho.

One would-be Santa has told The Daily Telegraph he was taught not to use "ho, ho, ho" because it was too close to the American slang for prostitute. He also quit.

"Gimme a break," Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids, said. "We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they. Leave Santa alone."

Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive officer Dr Joe Tucci said it was the latest example of political correctness gone mad.

"There is no stronger tradition for children than Santa's ho, ho, ho," Dr Tucci said.

Yesterday department stores David Jones and Myers and the Westfield shopping centre chain moved to reassure children, and their parents, that Santa and his customary greeting was part of Christmas's present as well as Christmas's past.

A David Jones spokeswoman said they had discussed the situation with Westaff and their Santas would not besilenced.

"Senior management have assured us that Santas provided to David Jones have not been censored in any way," the spokeswoman said.

At Myer, where Westaff also train the fat men in red suit, Santa could not stop laughing about the suggestion.

"Myer has not directed our Santas to refrain from using 'ho, ho, ho' and believe the expression is an important Christmas tradition," a spokesman for Myer said.

Westfield's Santas are recruited and trained by RegProm Marketing and they will be "ho, ho, ho-ing" a Westfield spokeswoman said. "Westfield Santas are known for their friendly and welcoming nature and know how to deliver a real festive 'ho, ho, ho'."

Westaff's national Santa co-ordinator Sari Hegarty wrote to stores explaining the company's position.

"Westaff has been a provider of quality caring Santas for over 40 years," Ms Hegarty wrote in an email. "Part of our advice to our Santas is that they should be mindful of children having their first Santa experience. We ask our Santas to try techniques such as lowering their tone of voice and using 'ha, ha, ha' to encourage the children to come forward and meet Santa. We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas."

Westaff national operations manager Greg Jansz said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of Santa himself.

Of all the ridiculous things to say might be politically incorrect, the famous laughter of Santa Claus is beyond ridiculous. Westaff's spokesperson said that they merely "encouraged" the Santas to use 'Ha Ha Ha' instead, but why would a simple suggestion cause multiple Santas to quit?

And let's say someone does get offended. Let's say some kid does get scared.

Who cares?!?

If someone if offended, they can get over it and themselves. If some kid gets a little bit scared by the big man in a red suit, I'm sure he or she will get over it as well without suffering any long-term damage. What do these people think is going to happen? That the five-year-old scared by Santa is going to spend the rest of his life in therapy because Santa said 'Ho Ho Ho' instead of 'Ha Ha Ha'?

Have you ever heard anything more ridiculous?

If a kid was scared of Santa, the way he laughed probably wouldn't change that. And if some chick walking down the street got "offended" because she thought Santa was calling her a ho, then she was probably looking for a situation to take advantage of.

Thankfully, it looks like Westaff has realized their mistake and is backpedaling furiously. It still makes you wonder when exactly this political correctness is going to fade away. Aren't most of us sick and tired of having P.C. everything shoved down our throat (and especially something as non-threatening as the way Santa Claus laughs)?

It's nice to see people, for once, standing up against political correctness running amok. Ho, Ho, Ho, indeed.

Spitzer changes his mind about giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens

New York Governor Spitzer is backpedaling faster than you can say low poll numbers. He's now recanted his position about offering illegal aliens drivers licenses.

With his poll numbers collapsing, Gov. Spitzer pullled the plug today on his controversial plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.

"I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own," Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting with members of the state's congressional delegation. "I am withdrawing my proposal."

To save face, Spitzer railed against the federal government for its inability to handle the illegal immigrant issue, saying it had "lost control of its borders. ... and has no solution to deal with it," he said.

"States, towns and villages still have to deal with the practical reality of that failure. In New York, that means 1 million documented workers," he said.

Spitzer said public opinion led him to his decision.

"You don't need a stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of the public on this one," the governor told reporters. "There are some moments where emotions are simply too hot."

The embattled governor made the announcement after he met with the state's heavily Democratic congressional delegation, which had grown increasingly critical of the plan.

The decision to wave the white flag was cemented as a Siena Research Institute poll released yesterday showed Spitzer with his lowest approval ratings ever - with just 25 percent of voters saying they would support his re-election if the vote were held today.

Get that? It's not his fault that the plan failed. It's the nasty federal government that is ruining his brilliant plan, and now New York is stuck with one million "undocumented workers". Notice how there was no mention of how handing out these licenses to illegal aliens would undermine security. That's of the least importance to Spitzer. No, what matters to him is that his numbers are dropping lower and lower, and therefore, he's retreating as fast as he can.

Well, at least something got him to do the right thing.

Previous: New York lets illegals get drivers licenses

Happy Veteran's Day

To all those who are serving or have served: thank you.

There are not words to adequately thank those who stood up and answered the call to serve their country. There are not words to adequately describe the gratitude and humility I -- and most Americans -- feel.

From the veterans who fought to liberate Europe in World War II, those who fought in Vietnam and Korea, and to those who are fighting to bring freedom to the Middle East -- we are forever in your debt. Each and every person serving in our military is a hero, and they deserve our thanks and our support.

This has been posted on a few different blogs now (I was surprised to see it on DailyKos, as they only had one diary thanking veterans), and I thought it was a touching tribute.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Also, a video tribute from Montgomery Gentry.



So today, make a point of showing your thanks. If you know a veteran, say thank you. You could make a donation to the Project Valour-IT program at Soldiers Angels (I recommend joining the Army team, personally) to show your support for injured veterans of the War on Terror. If there's a memorial to veterans in your community, visit it and pay your respects. However you choose to do it, in your own personal way, make sure to say thank you.