Warning: Detour Ahead...

...and I'll be taking some time from my usual pursuits to address a few questions regarding my faith. I have no intention of casting my pearls before swine-- as it were --so don't expect much in the way of anything personally precious. This detour is strictly business.

Nothing I post will attempt in any way to change anyone's mind. Those of you who already believe may find edification, and that's all well and good. But those of you who do not believe... well... you're not going to believe anything I say no matter what I post here.

Just setting the table.


Next:
Detour, Part 1 - "Preamble"

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Even Psychopaths Experience Moments of Clarity

The problem, however, is that the rational world-- knowing the psychopath all too well --will dismiss every word that comes from his mouth because he IS a psychopath.

Who could possible take the word of a lunatic with more than a grain of salt, and a patronizing chuckle?

Consider this response from a Holocaust survivor, upon being asked what lesson he had gleaned from his experiences...

"When someone tells you he wants to kill you -- believe him."

America would do well to take this simple statement of truth to heart. Ahmadinejad wants to wipe Israel off the map? Crazy? Are we sure we want to laugh it off? Does Israel really want to give away a piece of Jerusalem?

Appeasement hasn't worked thus far, why should we think anything would be gained by appeasing a people and a religion that wants only to destroy God's chosen people?

When a gibbering idiot, bereft of any rational thought, comes at you wildly swinging a 12" kitchen knife...

Laughing it off is the very last thing one should do.

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Is it Art? Or is it Something Else?

(AP Photo/Daniel Edwards)

There's no doubt that sculptor Daniel Edwards is talented. I similarly doubt the Greeks themselves would have been anything less than admiring. But the pose...

There's also no doubt as to why the photo was taken from this angle. The pose... it's provocative. The piece is called "Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston," and I'm left to wonder, do women actually give birth in this position? Why this position? Because it's overtly sexual. Because when I look at this sculture I don't see a woman giving birth.

Oh! And it's Britney Spears... Why would she pose for this? Or did she?


UPDATE: Saturday, April 29, 2006

Tu S. Tin kindly forwarded a link that contained the "other" angle, revealing Britney's crowning glory [pun intended]. Again, to what purpose? Is this really art? Or is it merely an attempt at exploitively rubbing our noses in pornography... disguised as art?

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Jamal is "Calling All Christians"

...and asks,

"With his release pending, Abdul Rahman has asked for asylum outside Afghanistan. Who will take him?"

Very first comment comes from a Muslim woman...

"Calling all Christians, who will take all the Sodomites of Iran? They face death too."

...to which I responded,

"I fail to see how the potential execution of a Christian convert in an Islamic nation equates with the same threat hanging over the heads of [Muslim] Homosexuals…

Homosexuality is abhorrent, and unnatural. Such people defile themselves, and are a reproach to God and His Holiness. This is not the same as believing in Messiah; God’s own Son… I know we disagree on this point, but my point is that both Islam and Christianity view Homosexuality as an affront to God’s Holiness.

What I see in the question you pose is this:
Iran wants every last Homosexual in its country gone; by emigration, or death, it doesn’t matter. So why not send them to Western nations, or America, where they’ll fit right in?

I have no illusions that they wouldn’t do just that… fit right in… but I’m commanded to pray for and witness to these people in hope that God will change their hearts, that they might turn from their wickedness. That doesn’t mean I have to accept what they do, or allow them membership in the Church.

You’ll get no argument from me that America embraces far more than it should, including homosexuality. But I see no hypocrisy in offering asylum to Abdul Rahman, and not "however-many" Iranian homosexuals."

Jamal then accuses me of hypocrisy...

"So youll accept the apostate but not the homosexual? Is it that you condemn Islam for imprisoning the Apostate, but would agree with Islam in not accepting homosexuality? If it is the case then you are the hypocrit if you side with Islam in one breath and then condemn it in the next. Why do you not also pray for a bible without errors, a religion without contradictions, and that people do not apostate from Islam?"

Apostate from Islam? A religion that still believes in stoning, maiming, beheading, and honor-killing... A religion whose only social grace-- if grace it can be called --is institutionalized hatred and a xenophobic zeal for destroying everything that is ideologically opposed to itself.

Islam is irrational. Case in point... consider the following commentary by Robert Pfriender... "Doomsday for Islam?" While Jamal preaches a brand of Islam no Islamic nation in the world would recognize, Robert Pfriender says bin Laden may very well be the religion of Peace's own worst enemy.

"The focus on the ports fiasco obviously would pale in comparison to a terror nuke actually detonating in one of our ports. But what about the flipside of that terrible event? What would happen to Islam as a result of a massive nuclear retaliatory counterstrike against Islamic targets?

"Perhaps this week's most ominous headline was "Islamic websites carry al-Qaida's Last Warning." The story in WorldNetDaily detailed how Osama bin Laden's terror group plans to bring destruction upon the United States and force it into surrender. Apparently this is more of the same threat that has been circulating for some time that al-Qaida plans to detonate seven nuclear warheads it claims to have acquired from Pakistan and the former Soviet Union in the United States. There have also been accompanying threats that al-Qaida planned to follow up the nuclear attacks with crop-dusting planes that would spread smallpox on American cities.

"Despite grandiose plans for such an attack on the United States, bin Laden has again failed to understand the nature of the American spirit and the likely vengeance such an attack would unleash from American military strategic nuclear forces. Since the United States entered the era of nuclear weapons technology many decades ago, it has always had detailed contingency plans on how the country would respond in a nuclear crisis.

"Perhaps best known among those contingency plans is the one drawn up during the Cold War with the Soviets commonly described as "MAD," or Mutual Assured Destruction. Simply, MAD is the doctrine whereby the United States sought to dissuade its adversaries from ever even considering a nuclear attack against our country by assuring that such an attempt would be met with such a hyper-violent nuclear response that would undoubtedly result in the annihilation of not just the United States, but also the enemy that initiated the attack..."

Hyper-violent? Islam thinks America is weak. We ran from Vietnam. We ran from Beirut. Left without finishing the job in the first Gulf War. We ran from Mogadishu. We did nothing when the Kobar Towers were destroyed. Nothing when the World Trade Center was bombed in the early 90's. Nothing when embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed. Nothing when the USS Cole was attacked. And now thanks to our media, Americans are butchers and torturers, fighting an illegal, and losing battle... We can't even catch bin Laden with a multi-million dollar bounty on his head. Is it any wonder America, and Americans, are perceived as weak?

"For some odd reason, bin Laden and his fanatical associates seem to believe that the United States would back down in the face of a nuclear terror attack. It would seem that their psychotic thought processes have blinded their judgment in a profound and ultimately self-destructive way. Their warped perception leads them to believe that such an attack could not be traced back to their hands and hence the United States would be left with no retaliation targets. They obviously fail to see the difference between tactical and strategic planning and this error may ultimately lead Islam to disaster.

"Enter what history may someday describe as the Bush doctrine of "Terror-MAD," the likely response to a terror nuke attack on our country. Although no one in government will confirm such a doctrine even exists, simple common sense and past comments by government officials to the press would indicate that, in fact, it does exist. And herein is Mr. bin Laden's very fatal flaw.

"A terror nuke attack upon the United States would undoubtedly unleash a response by American strategic nuclear forces so violent and so encompassing that the very future of Islamic society around the world would likely be permanently wiped from the face of the planet.

"Bear in mind the reality of such an attack against the United States. Not only would the United States not be chastised by the international community for such a massive counterstrike, but no one in the American government would likely care about what others think under such circumstances. While we're busy throwing all those retaliatory nukes around, who is going to standup and object?"
--Emphasis Mine

America will not need a specific nation or target for a "in-kind" response. The gloves will come off quickly, and I venture to say Saudi Arabia will be on the phone immediately to whatever American entity is at that moment still in charge, begging for mercy... whether they're guilty or not. Islam has all kinds of interesting targets. Let's see, there's Mecca, Medina, Qom, and Mashhad. We can leave Jerusalem and Hebron off that list for obvious reasons-- I beg to differ with Mr. Pfriender on these two, as no attack on those two sites would ever prosper, let alone succeed.

"The likely target list for retaliation for a nuclear terror attack against the United States includes Iran, Syria, and Libya as the primary targets. We can supplement those targets with countries such as Saudi Arabia – where most of the 9-11 terrorists came from (and that are most likely targeted with the "neutron bomb" designed with such a scenario in mind that kills with enhanced radiation levels but essentially leaves facilities and oil infrastructure intact – except for holy sites such as Mecca, Medina, Hebron, Qom and others, which planners might want to completely annihilate). There are likely other "Islamic" countries also on the potential target list and even ones we generally consider as being friendly to the U.S. such as Pakistan, especially if radicals gained control of its nuclear weapons..."

Much of the Middle East would go up in flames. And we can add Damascus to that list, for while Priender mentions Syria, Damascus is a doomed city according to Bible Prophesy [for those of you interested in prophesy... that's one city that is going up in flames, whatever happens].

"While the Pentagon was busy "cleaning house" our strategic nuclear force would also likely target North Korea just to be certain we don't face any additional threats while we are in a recovery mode from the terror attack..."

This bit caught me by surprise, but it makes perfect sense. Korea or China might see an opportunity to advance their own schemes should America find herself weakened, and distracted... best to take them out as well.

"Americans as a whole seem to have tremendous patience, much more so than say Islamic countries. The American flag is burned on a daily basis in many countries during what seem like endless protests against our country and it hardly elicits any response at all here. On the other hand, a few cartoons – even ones showing Muhammad in a favorable way – sends masses of violent protestors into the streets in Islamic countries. However, we do have limits to our patience. If we got nuked, there would undoubtedly be a tremendous outcry for massive retaliation. After all, the country quickly united on Sept. 12, 2001, and widely supported President Bush's initiative to attack Afghanistan."

I guess one could look at it in terms of patience, but I rather think this nation is simply loathe to do much of anything unless pushed into a corner. Considering America's military and economic might, it would take something considerable to make this nation rise up as one and say, "Kill them all, and let God sort them out!" Just look at how fractured we are now. This nation is already at war with some shadowy figure aptly named Terrorism, as well as with itself; right and against left, Democrats and Media against Republicans... and America it sometimes seems.

"Considering the huge number of nuclear weapons in the United State's inventory, there would be no need to pick and choose targets for economy purposes. While bin Laden's claim that he has a few nukes (which may or may not be still operational) may turn out to be true, there is the utmost certainty that the United States has a huge number (somewhere in the thousands) of extremely well-maintained and very reliable nuclear warheads in all shapes and sizes for every possible purpose.

"A nuclear attack on America by al-Qaida would – by many informed accounts – lead to a renewed crusade to destroy Islam throughout the world. Bin Laden's grandiose plan to destroy modern civilization and restore some absurd form of radical Islamic rule throughout the entire world will undoubtedly have exactly the opposite effect. Already we see a tremendous backlash against most things Islamic, the recent port fiasco is a perfect case in point. Imagine the reaction after a nuke attack."

For all of al Qaida's supposed sophistication, they seem oddly trapped in that proverbial 7th century mindset. And while Dems seem to have reverted back to a pre 9-11 mindset, Islam is emboldened. They have gleaned more from the lessons of Vietnam than have we... "Break the will of the people of America, and you will defeat America's military."

"In his fanatical zeal to convert the entire world to radical Islam, there will be two groups of victims resulting from bin Laden's insanity – innocent people just wanting to live their normal lives here in our country, and Islam itself with its followers throughout the world."

No one is safe. Not Jamal, not me, not anyone reading this post, and certainly not Abdul Rahman, who having been released has now disappeared into protective custody somewhere, hoping for asylum in another country.

Jamal wants to know where are the Christians? I want to know where are all these mythical Muslims he continually speaks of. I may find homosexuality abhorrent, but I don't advocate the wholesale butcher of Homosexuals because of their lifestyle.

There are bigger fish to fry in this debate. For Jamal, Abdul Rahman is merely a convenient streetlight under which to peddle his own brand of hypocrisy... A prime example of the greater issues that confront our world. No man should be threatened with life or limb because a government disapproves of the god he chooses to worship; in this case the God of the Bible. Because the God of the Bible has had a lot to say about the times we are in... and won't escape.

And God has yet to be wrong.

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Eris's 3 most favorite Films of all time...

...And defined as such because they are the only films I can watch over and over and not get tired of watching them play over and over again...

In no particular order, they are...


"Teahouse of the August Moon"
Starring Glen Ford, Eddie Albert, Harry Morgan, Machiko Kyo, and Marlon Brando.
This film never gets old. It's witty, and hysterically funny. It's also a shame this film isn't available on DVD... My VHS is wearing out.


"Head"
Starring Mike, Davey, Mickey & Pete... The Monkees.
This film begins where it ends and ends where it begins, and makes so little sense. By it's own admission in the very beginning, it's a comedy, drama, western, war, love story, musical, documentary, protest, science fiction farce. Some faces you'll see include Annette Funicello, Victor Mature, Toni Basil, Jack Nicholson, and Frank Zappa. Prepare to be completely lost.

Warning: Not suitable for small kiddies as some disturbing Vietnam war footage is part and parcel with this film... Head is a product of the times in which it was filmed... and is available on DVD.


"THX-1138"
George Lucas' Masterpiece of totalitarianistic dystopian society gone awry, with heavy overtones of Big Brother. It's set in the future and it's very dark, very bleak, despite the fact that the film is far from dimly lit. Starring Robert Duvall, and Donald Pleasance, this movie follows the plight of THX-1138's struggle to escape paradise... "for the masses, by the masses..." This film could serve as a metaphor for where full control over human reproduction by "big brother" could ultimately lead. Human life in this film is reduced to medicated tools, drugged to the point of intellectual stupor. Sex? Illegal. Your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? yeah, right!

This project is where Lucas developed sound techniques later used in Star Wars; specifically the screaming of Tie-Fighters. In THX-1138 Lucas used 3 women screaming in a bathroom to create the sound of jetcycles "screaming" through underground tunnels. I never get tired of this Film.

Viewer Beware-- This film contains nudity, but it is contextual. Conversely, there is absolutely no rough language... None whatsoever. All of the faults and foibles of human nature are gloriously displayed within.

I recommend the remastered version. Lucas' retooling of the original has only made the film larger; the corridors and public areas are less cramped, and the underground city now has a feel of vastness and population. If you want to compare the two versions I recommend renting the original-- if you can find it --but buying the remastered work. Lucas was on his "remastering" kick with Star Wars at the time and chose to do the same here. With the remastering of THX-1138 he's actually succeeded in making a great film better. Yeah, it's on DVD too.

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All My Heroes are Going to Ground...

Stanislaw Lem
September 12, 1921 -- March 27, 2006

One of the great science fiction writers has died. Most famous for his novel "Solaris". The remake film in 2002 starring George Clooney, while a dud at the box office is actually quite good.

Lem received "widespread acclaim" for The Cyberiad, a collection of stories set on a mechanical world ruled by robots.

I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of him. Most people I know don't.

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Zeus Resurgence? Olympus Ascending?

Athens - A group of Greek pagans who venerate the ancient gods of Mount Olympus said on Friday they would shortly be seeking state recognition of their beliefs.

"We call for the respect and protection of this pre-Christian religion and for the removal of all obstacles preventing its practice," said Vassilis Tsantilas, of the association of the "Supreme Council of the Gentile Hellenes" to which, he says, about 1000 polytheists belong.

The association was set up in 1997 to the fury of the Greek Orthodox Church to which almost all Greeks belong.

It is asking the authorities to facilitate access to archaeological sites so they can conduct their ceremonies, Tsantilas said.

Is this what happens when actors who perform rituals in preparation for the Olympic games get carried away with their "rites"?


From Wikipedia:

"The Olympic Torch today is ignited several months before the opening celebration of the Olympic Games at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece. Eleven women, most of them actresses, representing the roles of priestesses, perform a ceremony in which one lights the flame, by placing a torch in a parabolic mirror which concentrates rays from the Sun...

"For the ancient Greeks, fire had divine connotations --— it was thought to have been stolen from the gods by Prometheus. Therefore, fire was also present at many of the sanctuaries in Olympia, Greece. A fire permanently burned on the altar of Hestia in Olympia, Greece. During the Olympic Games, which honoured Zeus, additional fires were lit at his temple and that of his wife, Hera. The modern Olympic flame is ignited at the site where the temple of Hera used to stand."

Reviving the Greek gods of old? Why bother? What good ever came of Zeus and and his krewe? How was ancient Greece benefited by devotion to such capricious characters? And talk about superstition...They were so afraid of offending their gods they built an altar to an unknown god-- just in case they had left out some immortal from their pantheon. The Apostle Paul tells the Athenians just who the unknown God was/is... Acts 17:22-34

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In Opposition III...

"Religion is a set of rules and laws that a follower follows to the best of his ability in the belief that it will grant him a reward in some form whether in this life or the after."

--Abd ul-Rahman Hilmi

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

--Hebrews 11:1


Abd ul-Rahman Hilmi speaks truthfully about religion. Religion is a set of rules practitioners follow to make themselves worthy of their god. But religion is not faith.

Faith is sure unshakeable belief. It is more than mere knowledge. One can look at a chair and know it will hold his weight, but Faith is the act of sitting; placing full reliance upon the chair to hold him up.

Religion says: "This is what I must do to get God to give me good things"

Faith says: "I believe God desires to give me good things, so I will put my trust in Him.

Religion is the stinging whip of a cruel task master.

Faith is patient perseverance beneath the weight of every blow.

Religion esteems self-righteousness.

Faith esteems God.

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3 Quotes From...

Hillary the Theologian
--by Joseph Farah
March 24, 2006

"Don't you love politicians who choose to make moral and biblical arguments when it pleases them, usually with no basis in reality, and then say others have no business imposing their morality on anyone else. I guess somehow Hillary and her friends have a monopoly on the right to impose their morality on the rest of us."

"Just how exactly this piece of legislation would criminalize Jesus, I won't even speculate. This is just the kind of hyperbole we have come to expect from Hillary, her family and her party. They'll say anything, whether it makes any sense or not."

"By the way, just so you understand how Washington really works, the proponents of this bill want to drop the felony provision. It was Hillary's party that insisted it stay – assuming the bill would be defeated with such an amendment. They were wrong. Now the very people who voted for the felony provision are its biggest critics... When Hillary casts aspersions against those who want to make it a felony to be an illegal alien, she is casting stones not at her Republican opponents, but at her fellow Democrats who insisted on the provision as part of their political gamesmanship."

Personal Note: Taking a closer look at Hillary's controversial statement, it becomes apparent she has little, if any, biblical understanding:

What does the Good Samaritan have to do with immigration? I mean, in the context of the parable Jesus told? What relevance? None.

Why would Jesus be "criminalized" if he were subject to the immigration bill currently getting aired in Washington? Jesus wasn't an illegal alien? He was born a jew in the city of David... a jewish community.

Why would Hillary herself be criminalized under this self-same immigration bill? Does she employ illegals? Is she herself an illegal? Does she fancy herself a good samaritan? Or a messiah? Let's Look again at Joseph Farah's commentary...

"The Bible speaks out clearly and forcefully against homosexuality, but Hillary glorifies it.

"The Bible speaks out clearly and forcefully against taking innocent human life and on the personhood of the unborn baby, yet Hillary says abortion is a fundamental right.

"The Bible speaks out against lying, but here she goes again."

On count one? Guilty.
Count two? Guilty.
Three? [sigh] Guilty.

What makes a person good? What does a person have to do to be good? Since Hillary invoked the Bible in her ridiculous statement, let's use the biblical definition...

A good person is one who keeps God's commandments every minute of every day of ones entire life. In effect, to be perfect. Now, for Man, perfection is impossible, but as I've said before; just because perfection is impossible doesn't mean there isn't merit in pursuing it.

So if Hillary were to die in her sins, what standard would God use to judge her? Well, because she died in her sins, she's not under grace, therefore the only other standard remaining is The Law... The Ten Commandments. God said, [and I paraphrase] "if you want to be righteous in My eyes you must keep My commandments."

"To Keep" implies an ongoing process of "Maintenance", and as God is eternal, the level to which a man or woman must maintain or keep God's commandments must therefore be a lifelong endeavor. Remember what I said about "perfection" and "impossiblility"? Good luck on that endeavor.

So, Hillary. Let's examine the commandments and see if you're a good person... good enough to be righteous before God.

Have you ever told a lie? Even a small one? What does that make you?

Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you? No matter how small? What do we call people who steal?

How about this one. Jesus said if a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Have you, Hillary, ever looked at a man with lust? Of course you have... We've all had lustful thoughts at some point in out lives.

Have you ever used God's name as a curse word?

Well then, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterous, blasphemer-- and we've only looked at four commandments --and you're standing before God right now. God's word says no liar, no thief, no fornicator, no adulterer, no blasphemer will enter into heaven, but will have their place in the lake of fire, where the "worm dies not", and torment never ceases.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Suppose you were caught driving 90mph through a park designated for only 10mph; a park for blind and deaf children... with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit! The judge says you have to pay a 500 million dollar fine or spend the rest of your life in prison. Can you pay that fine? I thought not. But wait! There's a man standing in the back of the courtroom asking to approach the bench. He tells the judge he wants to pay your fine. Do you accept his offer? You'd be crazy not to!

Jesus Christ did the same thing for you 2000 years ago. God himself took on mortal flesh and lived a sinless life, and died blameless on a cross that you might not have to pay your debt of sin-- A debt you could never pay no matter how many lives you were given.

The bible says "it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgement." Now you have to stand before a Holy God and give an account of your life. will you be found guilty or innocent? Without Jesus we are all guilty.

----
Now. To everyone who just slogged through this entire post. You've just been witnessed to. You've heard the Gospel of Christ, and you now have a choice to make.

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3 Quotes From...

Israeli leader's party will divide Jerusalem
Revelation follows fierce denials of split in 'eternal Jewish capital'
--by Aaron Klein, Jerusalem
March 24, 2006

Just five days before national elections here, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party revealed yesterday it would divide Jerusalem and allow a Palestinian state to be established in parts of Israel's "eternal capital."

"The Old City, Mount Scopus, the Mount of Olives, the City of David, Sheikh Jarra will remain in our hands, but [regarding] Kafr Akeb, Abu-Ram, Shuafat, Hizma, Abu-Zaim, Abu-Tur, Abu Dis, in the future, when the Palestinian state is established, they will become its capital," said Otniel Schneller, a Kadima member who represented the party at a debate yesterday on dividing Jerusalem.

Kadima's claims yesterday of "only" withdrawing from peripheral sections of Jerusalem worry many here. The Israeli government has denied previous withdrawal plans only to carry them out later, followed by announcements of more withdrawals in larger magnitudes from areas it pledged not to vacate.

Personal Note: WOW! Just WOW!! ..... Does Israel desire peace so much that she'd give away a piece of the Holy City to a people whose only desire is to destroy Israel?

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And She Wore a Face Like Murder...

The Lone Ranger points to a story wherein lies this revelation...

"A Chinese cosmetics company has been using skin taken from the bodies of executed convicts to develop beauty products for sale in Europe..."

But the United States of America is no better. Pro-Life organizations in this country have pointed to the same practice here, in our more enlightened culture...

"Fetal tissues obtained through surgical abortion are used in the production of vaccines, cosmetics and in stem cell and other research...."

Did you catch that? Cosmetics. Women are putting the sanitized, and hypo-allergenicized flesh of dead babies on their faces...

Not only do we have blood on our hands, it's on our faces as well.

When did this practice begin? I can't say for certain, but how about this...?

"Ever since President Clinton signed the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993, 'fetal-tissue research' has expanded into a federally subsidized multi-million dollar industry of selling human spare parts salvaged from abortions. For example, the NIH budgeted $21 million in fiscal year 1999 for grants and awards for fetal tissue research."

Did Clinton know what level of obscenity to which his signature would reach? I'm willing to be charitable here and say, I doubt it. But his then [and likely "current"] moral state lent to his decision to allow fetal tissue research in the first place. Like China, the idea was "Waste Not, Want Not".

"Opening Lines provides fetal tissue researchers with a "fee for service schedule," which gives prices for each body part. For example, Opening Lines charges $150 for a spinal column; $400 for an intact embryonic cadaver; $75 for the eyeballs of an eight-week-old baby (with a 40 percent discount for a single eye); $150 for two arms or legs; and $100 for the skin of a 12-week-old baby.

"Opening Lines gives credit to President Clinton for opening up the lucrative business in fetal tissue trade. According to Opening Lines, on January 22, 1993, Clinton lifted the moratorium on federal funding. "This action created a great demand for fetal tissue and has made possible the development of treatments for individuals afflicted with serious diseases and disorders," says the sales brochure. " [1]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Abortion is murder. To make a profit from the Murder of innocents is not only obscene, its the personification of Evil.


[1] The big business of baby-part sales


UPDATE:   I found the article the Lone Ranger was quoting. Or at least it verifies the above quote as to make no difference.

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If true, it could spell Doom for the Bush White House

Consider the following from:

Chinese Warlords 1, Bush 0
"China Defeats U.S. National Security"
by Charles R. Smith
March 23, 2006


Excerpts:

"The quiet publication of a waiver in the Federal Register notes that China will not be held responsible for its continued proliferation of weapons. These weapons include sales of advanced Chinese cruise missile and ballistic missile technology to the mullahs of Iran.

"The move by the Bush administration removes the required punishment against Beijing. The communist leaders in Beijing have promised on a monthly basis since 1990 to stop selling nuclear, chemical and missile technology to rabid world leaders hell bent on starting World War III. For some unexplained reason, George Bush now believes them."

[...]

"Yet this example is just a minor tiff in comparison to other issues with Chinese policy that the White House wishes would simply go away. The recent flap over the Dubai Ports company is a tempest in a teapot in comparison to the some 3,000 Chinese army companies operating inside the U.S.

"The Dubai Ports company has no documented links to terrorism, crime or violations of U.S. national security. The same cannot be said of the thousands of PLA-owned [People's Liberation Army]* companies operating here inside the U.S.

"These Chinese army-owned firms engage in a wide range of criminal activities including espionage, theft, illegal exports, extortion, tax evasion, computer hacking and even violence. Many of the firms participate in illegal arms sales, and several have been caught trying to sell weapons to terrorists."

[...]

"The FBI has repeatedly cited a growing number of Chinese army companies inside the U.S. operating as conduits for espionage and illegal activities..." "At the very least, according to federal law, the Bush administration should be publishing a list of the known PLA-owned firms each year. Instead, just as the Clinton administration did before George Bush, the current White House ignores the law and refuses to release the list of known offenders."

[...]

"Don't lose any sleep over the fact that PLA is likely to inspect the new WMD detection equipment in detail and find out exactly how to defeat it. And we all know that the Chinese generals would never leap at the chance to earn a few million by selling the exact details on how to defeat our advanced technology to someone like Kim Jong Il of North Korea or Osama bin Laden."

*Bracketed info added for clarification.

This looks bad. Really bad. But unlike the Dubai Ports World deal, I'm going to watch and wait; this is just one man's report, and I don't know enough knowledge of this to blast the story, or the Administration, but I fully expect the Left to pile on, and how.

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Hackneyed Mantras & the Clash of PI's

"There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq... This was a War for Oil... The invasion of Iraq was illegal... Iraq had no connection to al Qaida... Iraq was better off under Saddam... Iraq is slipping into Civil War..."

I've been listening to news all day. All week. All month, for the last several years. Admittedly, there was a time-- into my 30-somethings --when I couldn't have cared less about what was going on in the world. Then I got a job at a TV station. Working at the station is a big reason for my Conservatism. I hesitate to call myself Republican, even though I tend to vote Republican, but I will often vote democrat in local elections... There's less at stake locally. Here, at least.

Our last president, William Jefferson Clinton, is the most significant of reasons for why I am Conservative. It could be I didn't know I was conservative until I got a good dose of Bill & Hill-- the jury's still out on that one. But the simple truth is, I learned what was most important, i.e.; honesty, integrity, and the greater "Truth", that I am much more than a governmental peon, from the example of Bill Clinton... President Bill Clinton. Just like I learned how to manage a restaurant by observing a long string of General Managers and corporate goons consistently abuse the staff-- including assistant managers, like myself.

I remember the day I bought my first computer-- an IBM Aptiva --in '95. What a crappy machine that was; 50 megs of RAM, 1.1 Gig HD, 125 Mhz processor. That's when I began to think. That's when I began to learn. 2 years later I was out of Restaurants and into TV. And News.

I used to believe everything I heard the anchors say. In '95 there wasn't much of an internet... Not like today. There were times I'd search for something and come up empty. Zero hits. I've always known the difference between right and wrong, how could I not? It's written on my heart. And it always surprised me how many other folks didn't agree with me on right and wrong issues. I was especially shocked that my own family, to the man (or woman, in this case), vehemently opposed my understanding of right and wrong.

It's like my Gmail account. Anytime I open a piece of mail with George Bush's name in it, I get Google Ads on the right-hand side for sites that call for his impeachment, t-shirts that mock him, or some other site with a loony moonbat perspective. Never a site that favors our current President. Conversely, any piece of mail with Bill's name in it gives me ads that are only favorable to Bill.

And the Left want's me to believe there is no institutional bias in the media, and media outlets? Kabayashi Maru talks about a Clash of Civilizations-- and it is there, but Greater America doesn't see it because Media has kept the stage fogged... The Fog of War re-envisioned. Instead, Media has this country fully vested in a Clash of Political Ideologies. And it is by THIS clash that we are kept ignorant of the greater struggle going on in the world.

I don't suggest that America is wholly unaware of what's going on in the world; there is-- thanks to talk radio, and the internet --a large segment, and growing, of our population that's tuned in to what's really happening. And that's what I mean by "Clash of PI's". One segment of our society is screaming into the microphone, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!" while the other is desperately trying to tear away the curtain... And both seemingly oblivious to everything else transpiring in the room. That's where we were at 8 a.m. on September 11th, 2001. America briefly awoke from her slumber, hit the snooze button, then promptly went back to sleep. [I read that somewhere. h/t to whomever it was]

There is one truth that Media is all too aware of, and lately, everyone has come to realize the power of this truth, both Left and Right. "Say it often enough, and people will believe it."

"Bush Lied! People Died! No WMD's! America's War is an Illegal War! Bush is a War Criminal!"

But this Mantra is slowly dying. Each day that dawns brings new evidence that WMD's did in fact exist. Ex-Iraqi General Georges Sada, at first ignored by MSM, is becoming harder and harder to ignore. The charges he makes in his book, "Saddam's Secrets" have yet to be refutted by MSM. No one, it seems, is even trying. If anything, MSM is jumping on the band wagon; perhaps in an attempt to deflect criticism of either their concerted effort to undermine the President, or lack of vision in their relentless pursuit of truth.

Reporting of the war in Iraq is overwhelmingly negative. The old hackneyed phrase, "if it bleeds, it leads" is still very much the standard in every newscast. No one wants to report on schools built, roads paved, utilities upgraded or created from scratch. They want suicide bombings, car bombings, kidnappings, video of blood in the streets, on the floor boards of vehicles, funerals, the wailing of women, and the burning of effigy's. One or two "feel good" packages are inserted each week for the appearance of "fairness".

Since the release of documents obtained from various Iraqi ministries captured early into the war, and the subsequent translation of a relative few, Big Media's Wall of Disinformation is beginning to crumble... "It's a lie we don't believe any more". And media, realizing their mistake are beginning, albeit slowly, to backpedal. Of course some, like the venerable Helen Thomas will never back pedal-- She has too invested herself in the "Hate Bush" mantra to ever admit she was wrong.

ABC News asks this question: "Did Russian Ambassador Give Saddam the U.S. War Plan?"

March 23, 2006 — Following are the ABC News Investigative Unit's summaries of five documents from Saddam Hussein's government, which the U.S. government has released.

The documents discuss Osama bin Laden, weapons of mass destruction, al Qaeda and more.

The full documents can be found on the U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Office Web site: http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/products-docex.htm.

Note: Document titles were added by ABC News.

"U.S. War Plan Leaked to Iraqis by Russian Ambassador"

Documents dated March 5-8, 2003

Two Iraqi documents dated in March 2003 — on the eve of the U.S.-led invasion — and addressed to the secretary of Saddam Hussein, describe details of a U.S. plan for war. According to the documents, the plan was disclosed to the Iraqis by the Russian ambassador.

The first document (CMPC-2003-001950) is a handwritten account of a meeting with the Russian ambassador that details his description of the composition, size, location and type of U.S. military forces arrayed in the Gulf and Jordan. The document includes the exact numbers of tanks, armored vehicles, different types of aircraft, missiles, helicopters, aircraft carriers, and other forces, and also includes their exact locations. The ambassador also described the positions of two Special Forces units....

How can MainstreamMedia continue to propagate the meme of Bush Lied, War for Oil, Illegal War, and still cover stories detailing revelations gleaned from Iraqi documents while steadfastly ignoring the testimony of men like Georges Sada? The wall is crumbling. Media sees it, and is trying to position itself so as not to get crushed beneath the brick and mortar of their crumbling credibility.

All of their mantras were thrown out with the intent of striking out a sitting president. No honest effort was made to ensure their own claims were true. They painted Bush as a liar, without making sure their own lies couldn't be shot out of the sky. And while Media seems to be coming around-- again, albeit slowly and grudgingly --the American political Left is still fogging the stage to avoid looking at the elephant in the room; the clash of Civilizations our world is currently experiencing, and hoping no one else will notice it either.

This is a very dangerous game to be playing. For one thing, it is political suicide to deny the obvious for political gain. And that's what Democrats are doing. While the Left positions itself for appearances sake, the rest of the country is, more often than not, focused on their political struggles, rather on where our nation's attention should be focused.

I can't believe that Democrats want America to lose this war. I can't believe that Democrats want Americans to come home in body bags. I can't believe that Democrats want Iraq to slip into Civil War. They don't want these things, but they'll accept them if it will return the power and prestige they lost to their power-mad hands.

This is unacceptable. Power for the sake of Power... whatever the cost.

"The world is experiencing a clash of civilizations while we in America are struggling in the midst of a clash of political ideologies.

"Somehow, I think the Clash of Civilizations supercedes our Clash of Political Ideologies.

"It's time to look at the bigger picture, before the bigger picture swallows us whole."

--My comment at KMaru's place

Unfortunately, it's vitally important we pay close attention to what goes on in Washington. The shape of things to come, the shape of our democracy, is at stake. But equally-- if not more so --important is the wider clash for our very civilization. While politicians bicker and posture for King of the Hill status, we run the risk of that Hill becoming an atomic heap, should we fail to join together and fight the bigger fight.

No where is it written that America deserves to exist. Our enemies understand this better than we do.

But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
--Luke 11:17

Here's more

And now, one of my own...

I watched Semolina's upward climb
To the rhythmic cant of a scarabs rhyme
While sitting on breakfast...

Who am I?

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Riddle Time

What do you get when you cross a Jehovah's Witness with an Athiest?

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Abdul Rahman: Update

I am heartened that Mr. Rahman has remained steadfast in his faith. I can't imagine how difficult it has been for him. Michelle Malkin is keeping close tabs on this story... I'm merely cutting and pasting.

A few choice cuttings from the Garden of Intolerance:

"We will cut him into little pieces," said Hosnia Wafayosofi, who works at the jail, as she made a cutting motion with her hands.

Rahman said he had surrendered himself to God. "I believe in the holy spirit," he said. "I believe in Christ. And I am a Christian."

"If he doesn't regret his conversion, the punishment will be enforced on him," the judge said. "And the punishment is death."

"He is standing by his words," said Sayad Miakel, 30 [one of Rahman's cellmates]. "He will not become a Muslim again."

Another cellmate [Khalylullah Safi, 31] said Mr. Rahman seemed depressed. "He keeps looking up to the sky, to God..."

This from Ordinary Everyday Christian, recounting Sean McCormack's State Department briefing this morning...

"Before he went into complete stonewall phase ("I've provided the answer I'm going to provide..."), McCormack had this comment:

" "It's a constitutional matter so it's a legal question. So what that tells you is that there are two sides to this." "

"Yes, there are. You can be on the side that opposes the death penalty for being a Christian, or you can be on the side that supports it. I guess we know which side the State Department (and, apparently, the U.S. Government) are on - and it's not Abdul Rahman's."

Useful Numbers and Addresses:

The White House-- 202-456-1111
U.S. State Dept: Main Switchboard-- 202-647-4000

Or simply write the Embassy of Afghanistan:
Ambassador Said T. Jawad
Embassy of Afghanistan
2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
info@embassyofafghanistan.org

Thanks Michelle


I haven't been able to find an email address for George Bush, but I did come across Mr. Cheney's:

vice_president@whitehouse.gov

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Democratic Coup?

Now here's something I hadn't considered... never even crossed my mind: a Democratic coup.

"...I cannot strongly enough impress upon anyone reading this blog the importance of the upcoming elections. If the Democrats win, they will make every effort to Remove Bush and Cheney from power and conveniently install a Democrat House Speaker as President in a neat and clean little coup. Because they Dems, out of pure insane rage, feel that they are entitled to score an impeachment after having one scored against them.

[...]

"...I don't use the word "coup" lightly. Remember, these are the same people whose judges rewrite laws from the bench. These are the same people who favor terrorists' rights over yours. These are the same people who accused Bush of lying his way into Iraq. These are the same people who likened our soldiers to Nazis. These are the same people who were quick to try to understand what wrong we did to provoke 9/11, as opposed to reaching the very easy conclusion that it was a bunch of murderers who are part of an anti-civilization terrorist group that want to bring the world under the control of radical islamist beliefs. These are the same people who were aghast when Ronald Reagan challenged the Soviet Union as an "evil empire". These are people who are consistently on the wrong side of history and who consistently believe and act upon the belief that there is nothing great about America."

--Follow the link above to read it all


The world seems locked in the midst of a clash of cultures, while America seems locked in a clash of political ideologies. America is more concerned with who will win the next election; the next Senate, the next House, even the next White House. No one except us-- the ones who have to listen to our leaders' posturing, and the press' pontificating and egging the clash on --seem to be able to see the oncoming headlights. We understand, but can't for the life of us understand why our elected leaders can't see it as well. This isn't about Democrats or Republican's, it's about preserving our way of life from a culture that wants to see America burn, and burn big.

A commenter on another post believes we are the problem, that if only America would stop instigating the Muslims they'd leave us alone. History doesn't teach this... Muslim history doesn't teach this. And while our troops fight, shed blood, limbs, and lives for this nations safety, giving hope to a people who had slim to none before we decided to divest our fellow Americans of said life and limb on their behalf, our politicians squabble over who's gonna sit behind the wheel. Meanwhile the headlights loom larger.

Democrats seem focused on only one thing... Hatred of Republicans and hatred of Conservatives. Hatred of half of America. And they want to be our leaders? I don't think so.

LawJedi, at Liberty Files is right-- this upcoming election is very important. LawJedi is a blogger I highly recommend. It surprises me how few people [judging only by the almost complete lack of comments over at his place] visit his blog. This guy's insightful, intuitive... All the good things. Give him a read, he's worth your time.

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Carlos Santana says....

"There is more value in placing a flower in a rifle barrel than making war"

Admittedly, this is a flimsy point, but one must kill a flower to place it in a gun barrel. But the death of a human being cannot be compared to the death of a flower; there's no comparison. Having said that, I happen to agree with Carlos' statement... as it is, not in the larger context of his disapproval of George Bush. There is more value in peace than war. But we will never know peace on this earth, unless and until God/Jesus establishes it. That day is coming.

I like Carlos. Always have. I don't like him for his politics, I like him because he's a damn fine guitar player. I'm not near as good as he is, but that's okay... I'm not Carlos Santana.

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"Get Your Rosaries Off My Ovaries!!!"

Uhh... Forgive me for pointing this out
to all you Pro-Murderers, but it's not your
Ovaries we Pro-Lifers want to protect. I'd
rather you carve out your ovaries if you
don't want children, rather than kill the
children you do produce.

I realize it's a cutsy-catchy slogan, but it's
not factual. It's not your Ovaries... It's your
unborn children, which-- last time I checked --are NOT ovaries.

The shirts are a slam against Australian
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott, who
as it happens, is Catholic. What is especially
interesting is the logo at the bottom naming
the YWCA, a Christian youth organization,
as sponsor of the factually inaccurate pro-abortion-cum-personal attack "mobile billboard". The Victorian YWCA was actually selling these shirts over the internet for $25 each.

A Christian organization sponsoring abortion. I think it's safe to say the YWCA has ceased to be a Christian anything.

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Evidence the U.S. has not done its job...

...In Afghanistan














Exibit 1: The Defendant's Bible
[Mumbled word of thanx to Ms Malkin]

It's only the most peaceful religion on the face of the Earth, but that won't matter one iota to Abdul Rahman, an Afghani who's on trial for converting to Christianity. If found guilty he'll be executed.

Say what you will about America going to hell in a hand-basket; for the most part I'll agree with you, but we're not this far gone...

...Yet

Abdul needs your prayers. So does America.

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Suckling the Seeds of Collapse

"America is one of the few countries (arguably the only country aside from Britain) that's based on an ideal. Certainly far more that than on arbitrary geography. And its the existence of a powerful America that allows Europeans and Canadians to take such a post-modernist view. History may not be at an end, but we've got the Americans to buffer the expense and gore of keeping it at bay."

Kobayashi Maru


Assuming America can sustain her current level of international intervention, and doesn't collapse from within. Her enemies are not merely those who wish to see her hurt, or resent her wealth, and preeminence in global politics. Many of her enemies are themselves American's.

Lady Liberty says far more than, "Send us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses..." She promises to suckle every malcontent and traitor at her breast.

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In Opposition II...

Law & Chaos

Chaos [as it is generally understood today]-- Complete Disorder

The Nature of Chaos--

    1- A place without any possible orientation, where anything falls in
         every direction
    2- A place devoid of Order, where the only constancy is its          inconstancy
    3- Inherently anti-life, wherein life-- requiring order --cannot,
         as we understand it, exist
    4- A place where Duration cannot be measured
    5- Imperfection realized


Law, or Order-- The Contrary of Chaos; Complete Order

The Nature of Law--

    1- A place of inter-connectivity, where everything has purpose,
         and every purpose has place
    2- A place devoid of Disorder, where change is impossible unless it
         perfectly harmonizes with all that has preceded it
    3- A place where Duration is fully measurable
    4- Perfection realized


Law nurtures life, Chaos destroys it. Conversely, Law invites stagnation, while Chaos invites creativity. Conversely, Law allows creativity to flourish; grow, while Chaos destroys the creation.


PERSONAL NOTE: There is purpose to all this.


----
"A Priori"

In Opposition

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In Opposition...

Best Things

"The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you."

—-Robert Louis Stevenson


"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

--Conan; Cimmerian, Barbarian, Vagabond, Thief, Conqueror, King

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Not Because I Have Anything to Say About It....

...But as a reminder of how foolish one can look when one fails to completely examine one's visual presentation prior to going public with said visual presentation.

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A High Degree of Order

Twisted double-helix nebula found in Milky Way

Cosmic nebulae usually look like blobs in space, but astronomers using the Spitzer Space Telescope reported on Wednesday they have found a nebula twisted like the double helix of DNA.

"Nobody has ever seen anything like that before in the cosmic realm," said Mark Morris of the University of California, Los Angeles. Most nebulae are "formless, amorphous conglomerations of dust and gas," Morris said in a statement, adding that this one "indicates a high degree of order."

The discovery of the twisted nebula, which stretches across 80 light-years at the center of the Milky Way, the galaxy that includes Earth, was reported in the current edition of the journal Nature.

A light-year is about 6 trillion miles, the distance light travels in a year.

"We see two intertwining strands wrapped around each other as in a DNA molecule," said Morris, lead author of the Nature article.

DNA, which forms the basic material in chromosomes, has a molecule that looks like a twisted ladder, known as a double helix.

The strands of the nebula may be torqued by twisted magnetic fields at the Milky Way's center, Morris said by telephone.

These magnetic fields are indirectly spawned by the gaping black hole at the galactic heart, he said. Black holes are massive matter-sucking drains in space, pulling in everything around them so powerfully that not even light can escape.

But before the matter falls into the black hole, it swirls around its edges. This rotation twists the magnetic fields, which in turn twist the nebula's strands, Morris said.

The nebula is relatively close to the black hole, just 300 light-years away. Earth is more than 25,000 light-years away.

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UAE Gives Bush the Easy

                           ~OR~

How Bush Always Manages to
Escape Evil Democratic ploys








Was it a Rovian Plot to steal Democratic thunder? Was it a Rovian Plot to force Democrats into revealing their true colors? Or was it a Rovian Plot to finish what Bush began on 9-11? Is this how empires are born?

Admittedly, my initial reaction to the ports deal was one of bewilderment. How could we allow a foreign government to control 6 major American ports? What was Bush thinking?! As it turns out I was wrong. When I realized how little I understood about the deal, I chose to just shut up about it.

Well now I understand a lot more, though again, not near as much as I need to be able to discuss the pro's and con's of DPW running what? 8 terminals in 6 US ports? What I find most interesting about the death of this deal is how quickly Media changed their tune.

For those of you who don't know, I work at a CBS affiliate. What I found most interesting is, yesterday Bob Schieffer and Co. described the deal as a United Arab Emirates Company taking over operational control of 6 major U.S. Ports. Today with Steve Croft-- just one day after the deals death --it's become, "Control of 8 terminals at 6 major U.S. Ports, where the U.S. retains security over the ports themselves." [paraphrased]. As if that weren't enough, CBS announces that a Dubai based company already controls 30 some terminals in just about every U.S. Port. How convenient that this information is discovered the day after Bush is dealt a political defeat. This speaks to either monumental ignorance on the part of Media and Congress, or great, monumental deceit.

The San Francisco Chronicle goes one further-- regardless of any ignorance or deceit --and lays out Democratic motives for the whole PortGate debacle....

"Privately, many Democrats conceded the xenophobic and anti-Arab strains to their rhetoric made them uncomfortable. But opinion polls that showed the issue hurting Bush's popularity and GOP chances in November prompted them to step up their attacks.

" "The Democrats just out-Roved Rove,'' said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, describing congressional pressure to scuttle the deal as "shameless, absolutely disgraceful behavior." "

Harry and Chuck are still trying to claim credit for killing the deal, and today, Hillary is unusually quiet. Period. I guess she's hoping no one will notice the 450k the UAE gave Bill for applying a little grease to the deal; Bashing American's in UAE, while accepting their money to pay the grease monkey. Suddenly the label "Slick Willy" seems more than a little apropos.

Finally, I am embarrassed that upon hearing Mr. Carter's approval of the deal, I immediately jumped to the other side of the fence. Purely reactionary on my part.

But don't believe any of the Media hype on this. Everyone knows Karl Rove manipulated the whole affair from a secret bunker beneath the White House. Undoubtedly, he's gleefully dry-washing his hands in evil satisfaction, snickering all the while... "It's all part of my EEE-villl plan!"

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"So Americans Hate Islam"

I've tried to post the following comment twice at Opinionated Voice, but either Blogsome isn't updating or Jamal has turned off comments. Time will tell. But I copied my second comment before submitting.

Jamal is a British "Muslim twentysomething with a dislike for injustice and oppression." The only problem is, his positions consistently come down to "Muslims are good," and "Americans and Zionists are Evil." The injustice and oppression he speaks of only encompasses those leveled against Muslims. The rest of the world is Evil. No small wonder.

I heard about Wafa Sultan's appearance on Al-Jazeera on the Tony Snow Show this morning. Liberal Loather provided the link. H/T's to both.

Now to my comment at Jamal's...


"...the poll evidences American bigotry towards Islam..."

What about the bigotry of Islam toward the rest of the world?

"...the majority of Muslims are “decent folks who want to live in peace..." "

Then why don't these "decent folks" protest publicly against the usurpers of their peaceful religion? Why don't these "decent folks" stand up to the mad-mullahs whose only skill, it seems, is to distort the teachings of the peaceful religion of Islam, coercing young men to blow themselves up in the name of eternal glory? Why don't these "decent folks" take back their religion, by force if necessary?

Because they either believe the filth their religious leaders preach, or they're afraid.

This is what EVERY Muslim should be saying:

"...We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have not seen a single Jew protest by killing people. The Muslims have turned three Buddha statues into rubble. We have not seen a single Buddhist burn down a Mosque, kill a Muslim, or burn down an embassy. Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people, and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before they demand that humankind respect them."

--Wafa Sultan
February 21, 2006
Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar)

AMEN!

Backlash Against Islam? You bet! And richly deserved. You say you're the faithful adherent of a Peaceful Religion? Prove it!

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My Bizarre Fascination with the Sound of Cows Screaming

I can't help myself. I have to mouse over the cow over and over and over and over... [sigh]... It was funny the first hundred times... Now? It's just... bizarre.

If you decide to go there, don't say I didn't warn you.
[turn up your audio]

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good 12-Step program?



UPDATE:

The FAQ has a number of questions that defy........ [sigh].... I don't know. You decide....

Example 1: "Are my goats safe?"
Example 2: "What's our government doing to protect Earth's declining population of Bovine?"

Personal Observation on #2: "Nothing. Just one more smear on the Bush Presidency.

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Pithy Review: Ultraviolet

Violence for the sake of violence. But no substance, and no motive offered to make one care about Violet's cause-- and that poorly defined.

The tampering with skin tones and textures was horrible, but I guess it had to be done to make the actors blend in with the animated city the size of 2 or 3 New York's, and so completely devoid of population [the biggest complaint I had about Aeon Flux].

The only redeeming factor was Milla. The woman's a dynamo. This from the ScifiWire...

Mike Smith, the stunt coordinator for the movie Ultraviolet, told SCI FI Wire that he was in the unique position to have trained with both Christian Bale, who went on to play Batman, and Milla Jovovich, who played Alice in Resident Evil and stars in [Ultraviolet]. Both went above and beyond the call of duty in their training for rigorous stunts, said Smith, who also runs Xlentstunts Inc. in Van Nuys, Calif.

As for Jovovich... Smith said: "Milla is fast, too, but she is different. She was able to get the punctuation of the movements just right, not like any other actress or stuntwoman, for that matter, that I ever worked with. And she is strong."

I got in free, so I didn't waste any cash. You won't miss much by NOT seeing it on the big screen. In fact, it might improve visually-- the flesh-effects look horrible on the big screen. My advice, wait for the DVD... Sometime in June/July, if not sooner. This one's going to tank at the Box Office.


My apologies.... This wasn't very pithy.

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An Acceptable Compromise...

...If compromise it was. Hollywood chose to honor Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his portrayal of Truman Capote. A somewhat-biopic of Truman Capote-- a brilliant writer, who also happened to be gay --is hardly a film that glorifies the homosexual lifestyle. Nor is it a film that centers itself around homosexual love.

Brokeback Mountain however, centers itself entirely around the homosexual love-affair between two sheep-herders.... Not cowboys.

The fact that Ang Lee won Best Director, only speaks to his ability, and his achievement-- as director, NOT to a ringing endorsement of the film's subject matter.

Hollywood seems to be on a crusade to enlighten the world-- to ring in a Modern Utopia of Peace, Love, Understanding, and Acceptance... Completely discounting Man's true nature. And that's fine, it is my firm belief that while perfection is impossible to achieve, the pursuit of it is not without merit. Homosexuals should never be beaten, lynched, or murdered, and in most cases discriminated against. They should instead be loved, with compassion freely extended, but their lifestyle should never be glorified or accepted as normal. It isn't.

So, thank-you Hollywood! Whether it was a conscious decision to avoid glorifying the abhorrent... Or not. Racism is a far more acceptable issue to tackle than the life, times, and troubles of gay sheep-herders.... NOT cowboys.

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Oh, how far we have fallen...

In the summer of 1787, representatives met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution of the United States. After they had struggled for several weeks and had made little or no progress, eighty-one-year-old Benjamin Franklin rose and addressed the troubled and disagreeing convention that was about to adjourn in confusion.

"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a super-intending Providence in our favor... Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?

"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this...

"I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning."

The very purpose of the Pilgrims in 1620 was to establish a government based on the Bible. The New England Charter, signed by King James I, confirmed the goal: "...to advance the enlargement of Christian religion, to the glory of God Almighty..."

Governor Bradford [1588-1657], in writing of the Pilgrims' landing, describes their first act: "being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven."

--From "The Rebirth of America"
Published by The Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, 1986


A quick look around today's America, and the one described above seems a fairy tale:

Homosexuality is become an acceptable, alternate lifestyle. Few are aware of, or shed even a single tear for the modern holocaust that is abortion. God's name as a curse daily assaults every ear. Children witness incredible amounts of violence daily, so much so, that murder elicits not even so much as a flinch. Our society foments greed while chastising avarice. Sloth is rewarded, and hard work punished. And every man does that which is right in his own eyes.

Oh, how far we have fallen.

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Ginsburg Retires.... sort of

Was it a case of dreaming of a better America, napping on the job, or just being asleep at the switch?

Serving on the highest court in the land is apparently a tiring affair for at least one Supreme Court justice who caught 40 winks on the bench, literally.

According to the Associated Press, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg snoozed during testimony today over political redistricting in Texas.

[...]

"Justices David Souter and Samuel Alito, who flank the 72-year-old, looked at her but did not give her a nudge," writes Holland.

[...]

"At first, she appeared to be reading something in her lap. But after a while, it became clear: Ginsburg was napping on the bench. By Bloomberg News's reckoning -- not denied by a court spokeswoman -- Ginsburg's snooze lasted a quarter of an hour.

"It's lucky for Ginsburg that the Supreme Court has so far refused to allow television in the courtroom, for her visit to the land of nod would have found its way onto late-night shows."

Look... She's 72-- old by any modern standard --and bored to, er... 40 winks?... over the case before her.


"It's okay Ruthie, here's Mr. Teddy-- put your slippers on --time to go sleepy. Don't worry, Georgie won't let that seat go unfilled.

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Heard on the Radio...

In regard to this Nation's response to the Katrina disaster.

"It is not the President of the United States' responsibility to wet-nurse every incompetent governor and mayor in this country!"

--Unknown caller [to me at least] on "The Tony Snow Show"

PERSONAL COMMENT: "Amen!"

Another caller made the comment that most of the bus drivers were probably old women-- grandmothers --who chose to stay with their families, which is why there were no drivers for all those drowned school buses. The caller further stated that in order to drive those buses one needs a commercial license...

Okay...

On bright sunny days, as a matter of performing ones duty for the city school district, this is undoubtedly true. However... A category 5 storm is barreling down on a city that is, for the most part, below sea level, and you mean to tell me Mayor Nagin couldn't assign city personnel-- or civilians --to buses and begin busing people out of the storm's path because to allow someone without a commercial license to drive a city bus would be against the law? It's an argument that simply doesn't float. Negligence is a crime which in some cases can get one sent to the "Stripy Hole"-- Thank you, A Clockwork Orange. With 1,000+ deaths in New Orleans alone, negligence has become, by far, the most glaring factor in those deaths. Who's to blame? The President of the United States? Or the inept, and corrupt leaders of the city of New Orleans? No one would have faulted the mayor for putting those buses to use. Yet no one is willing to fault him for not even trying. The Governor isn't exempt from this argument either, she could have ordered Mayor Nagin to load up those buses and begin moving people. But it's probably a safe bet that Governor Blanco never thought of using the city's school buses.

It's an old argument, I know, but too many people are getting a free pass by media and the ignorant* masses.

Mayor Nagin on the other hand has just about used up his free pass. Polling numbers indicate only 19% of New Orleans voters plan to vote to re-elect the Mayor of Chocolate City. This mumbler acknowledges the fact that Mayor Nagin has lost his base, but that fact alone only goes to underscore just how out of touch with the realities of a category 5 storm the Mayor really is... Or was. I think it safe to say Mayor Nagin now realizes his mistake.

Quick thought experiment:

1) Assuming there were 300 buses in the city and school districts motor pools combined,

2) And each bus could seat 60 people safely,

3) That's 18,000 evacuees in just one trip

3) With just 1 days notice, 300 buses should be able to make a minimum of 4 trips [2 hours out of New Orleans; i.e.; Higher Ground... 5 hour round-trip if you include loading, off-loading, and refueling] for a grand total of 52,000 souls.

Question: How many lives could have been saved if the Mayor had just taken the storm seriously?

All this is pointless speculation, however, because everyone knows the disaster was Bush's fault.



----
*Ignorance -- Without awareness [of truth].

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