Frankly, I don't know how any network executive or president can rationally or morally justify putting these women in front of a camera and broadcasting their drivel across the nation. The women of The View are out of control. This particular link shows Barbara Walters' surprise at receiving a Christian religious Christmas card from the Whitehouse. She felt it would be offensive to the atheists, Jews, Muslems, etc. Apparently, liberal secularists believe God, Jesus, and basic Christian theology are divisive issues for our country. This is ironic in light of the fact that our founding documents refer to us as united under God and having the rights endowed to all men by the Creator.
Why would Barbara be offended by receiving a Christian card form the Bush family?
If I were on the Presidents' Christmas list, I would be honored.
If the President were Jewish, and he sent me a Hannakuh card, I would be honored.
You don't like the card, Barbara? Throw it away.
On the other hand, Barbara, it did give you yet another chance to come on the television and make an ass of yourself.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Book Progress
I have renewed my efforts on the novel. I have made several revisions on Chapters 1 through 4. I am devoting Chapter 5 to exposing the reader to a character who figures importantly in the story later on. This is something I had neglected to do originally. I believe it is necessary. The good news is that I have found more time to work on the manuscript. Keep your fingers crossed. I want to get this done because I have already had my idea for the next one.
Keep your eyes on the horizon V. You never know what might show up or when.
Keep your eyes on the horizon V. You never know what might show up or when.
Islam vs Free Speech
I came across this column in my travels looking for material in an effort to understand what is happening to my country. This is a fascinating development. Apparently, Islamic leaders and their apologist minions are suing American authors in the courts of Great Britain and Canada under their libel laws.
In America, the plaintiff in the libel suit has the burden of proving that the printed information is false. If the plaintiff is a public figure, he or she must also prove the the information was printed maliciously.
In Great Britain and Canada, burden of proof in a libel suit is on the Respondent to prove that the printed information is true. In other words, someone can file a lawsuit against you and force you to prove that your column is true.
Okay, you say, people printing things ought to print only the truth. The problem is that these suits are being filed in foreign countries against American citizens. A British court accepted jurisdiction over one author because two dozen copies of her book sold in England over the Internet. The author herself never set foot in England or promoted the book in England. After a book contract is signed, the author has no control over if and when the book is distributed, nor does the author control whether it is distibuted overseas or not.
The column below spells out the details. Islam is using foreign courts to circumvent the First Amendment of our Constitution, and the judges of those courts are allowing it to happen.
Islam vs. Free Speech
by Jed Babbin
Posted 12/28/2007 ET
Updated 12/28/2007 ET
Under assault by Muslims and multiculturalists, free speech and freedom of the press are dead in Britain. The same sorts of people who killed them in Britain are killing them in Canada. They and their allies are using the British and Canadian courts and tribunals to bury our First Amendment rights in America.
Muslims -- individually and in pressure groups -- are using British libel laws and Canadian “human rights” laws to limit what is said about Islam, terrorists and the people in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who are funding groups such as al-Queda. The cases of Rachel Ehrenfeld and Mark Steyn prove the point.
Dr. Ehrenfeld is a scholar and author of the book, “Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed, and How to Stop it.” In that book, Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz -- a Saudi who is former head of the Saudi National Commercial Bank -- and some of his family are described as having funded terrorism directly and indirectly.
Ehrenfeld is American, her book was written and published in America and she has no business or other ties to Britain. Under American law, the Brit courts would have no jurisdiction over her. But about two-dozen copies of her book were sold there through the internet. Bin Mahfouz sued her for libel in the Brit courts where the burden of proof is the opposite of what it is in US courts: the author has to prove that what is written is true, rather than the supposedly defamed person proving it is false.
Think about that for a moment. Under the US Constitution political writing -- free speech -- is almost unlimited. To gain a libel judgment a politician -- or someone suspected of terrorist ties -- would have to prove that the story or book was false. If that person were a public figure such as Mahfouz, in order to get a libel judgment he’d not only have to prove that what was written was false, he’d also have to prove it was published maliciously.
Those American laws and standards of proof protect political speech. The First Amendment is intended to protect political speech that people find objectionable. In the landmark 1969 case of Brandenburg v. Ohio, the Supreme Court overturned an Ohio statute which would have outlawed hate speech by the Ku Klux Klan. That’s why Mahfouz sued in Britain, not here.
Ehrenfeld refused to fight the case, saying the Brit courts have no jurisdiction over her. Mahfouz got a default judgment against her for ₤10,000 (for himself, and in equal amounts for his sons). The judgment also requires that there be no further “defamatory” statements published in England and Wales.
In a letter published in the Spectator on November 21, bin Mahfouz’s lawyers gloated over their victory against Ehrenfeld: “Rather than check her facts, defend her statements in open court, or acknowledge her mistakes, Ehrenfeld hides behind a claim to free speech. Thank goodness, the legal lights remain on in Britain to expose such harmful journalism.”
“Harmful journalism” is what tyrants and despots call free speech, especially political speech that condemns their affronts to freedom. The “legal lights” Mahfouz’s lawyers see is the bonfire they made of the Magna Carta. Thanks to Mahfouz and his ilk, the light of free speech is extinguished in Britain. Consider the fate of the book, “Alms for Jihad.”
In 2006 Cambridge University press published “Alms for Jihad.” It’s a highly detailed and apparently well-researched book that documents Saudi funding of terrorist groups (as well as other funding and the network of Islamic “charities” that contribute to terrorism). “Alms for Jihad” -- like Ehrenfeld’s book -- documents bin Mahfouz’s funding ties to terrorism, including to Usama bin Laden. But “Alms”-- in settlement of a libel suit by bin Mahfouz in the Brit courts -- was withdrawn from stores and libraries and unsold copies destroyed. The Saudi book burners won.
Mahfouz’s case against Ehrenfeld has already done enormous harm in the US. Ehrenfeld told me she’s unable to get book publishers to contract for another book. She said all of the major US publishing houses have turned down a book on the Muslim Brotherhood -- thought to have substantial terrorist ties -- and the Saudis’ involvement in funding it.
If what Ehrenfeld writes about the Brotherhood offends Mahfouz or someone else whose ties to terrorism ought to be exposed, sales could be banned not only in Britain but in the entire European Union and the publisher -- and the author -- made liable for damages. Mahfouz -- using British courts that have no jurisdiction over American authors -- has apparently precluded Ehrenfeld from writing another book. Steyn’s case is another instance of Muslims trying to silence “harmful journalism.”
Mark Steyn’s superb book, “America Alone”, makes two important points: first, that the Muslim baby boom around the world will likely result in Christian nations becoming Muslim by weight of demographics; and second that Islam is a political system, not just a religion:
So it’s not merely that there’s a global jihad lurking within this religion, but that the religion itself is a political project and, in fact, an imperial project in a way that modern Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are not. Furthermore, this particular religion is historically a somewhat bloodthirsty faith in which whatever’s your bag violence-wise can almost certainly be justified.
Steyn’s stance -- written by him and paralleled by other writers in the Canadian magazine, “Macleans” -- is the subject of a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission brought by three Muslim law students in Canada, with the apparent support of the Canadian Islamic Conference. That group is similar to the CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a multiculti kangaroo court. The complaint against Macleans will be adjudicated next year, and findings entered against the magazine. (Steyn told me that the CHRC has granted 100% of the petitions brought to it so far.) What then?
Fines and other sanctions will be entered against Macleans along with probable injunctions against further “harmful journalism” that offends Muslims. A case may be brought against Steyn himself later. Which means that he could be subjected to fines or other penalties in Canada for exercising his First Amendment rights in the US. And -- because American publishers look to Canada for about 10% of their sales -- Steyn may, like Ehrenfeld, find publishers unwilling to publish his work.
What has happened to Ehrenfeld and may happen to Steyn is in contravention of their First Amendment rights. No American court would or could do that. No foreign court or commission should be able to. US courts, and each of us who believes in free speech, must stand with both authors. US courts should make it clear that foreign libel judgments or “human rights” decisions that conflict with our First Amendment cannot be enforced.
Each and every presidential candidate should speak -- loudly and clearly -- against this encroachment of foreign law on the First Amendment. Anyone who doesn’t stand forthrightly against these foreign infringements on Americans’ Constitutional rights should receive neither our confidence nor our votes.
What Muslims such as Mahfouz and those complaining against Steyn are doing to destroy free speech overseas has been commenced here by groups such as CAIR. A few weeks ago, CAIR announced its media guide, which is purportedly corrects “misperceptions” about Islam and “…educate(s) the media and disabuse(s) journalists of misinformation.” But the other aspect -- which I and others suspect -- is that it’s not so much a guide as a set of rules against “harmful journalism.” And those who write about terrorism, Saudi Arabia and Islam will be accused of intolerance and racism should they violate them.
We don’t yet know what the CAIR guide says. I requested a copy of it from CAIR by e-mail, as they specified. I have neither received a copy nor received any response. I suspect CAIR wants to hide it from people who would scrutinize it. Having to operate under our Constitution, they will take a more indirect path than Mahfouz and the Canadian law students to preclude what they believe is “harmful journalism.”
Mr. Babbin is the editor of Human Events. He served as a deputy undersecretary of defense in President George H.W. Bush's administration. He is the author of "In the Words of our Enemies"(Regnery,2007) and (with Edward Timperlake) of "Showdown: Why China Wants War with the United States" (Regnery, 2006) and "Inside the Asylum: Why the UN and Old Europe are Worse than You Think" (Regnery, 2004).
In America, the plaintiff in the libel suit has the burden of proving that the printed information is false. If the plaintiff is a public figure, he or she must also prove the the information was printed maliciously.
In Great Britain and Canada, burden of proof in a libel suit is on the Respondent to prove that the printed information is true. In other words, someone can file a lawsuit against you and force you to prove that your column is true.
Okay, you say, people printing things ought to print only the truth. The problem is that these suits are being filed in foreign countries against American citizens. A British court accepted jurisdiction over one author because two dozen copies of her book sold in England over the Internet. The author herself never set foot in England or promoted the book in England. After a book contract is signed, the author has no control over if and when the book is distributed, nor does the author control whether it is distibuted overseas or not.
The column below spells out the details. Islam is using foreign courts to circumvent the First Amendment of our Constitution, and the judges of those courts are allowing it to happen.
Islam vs. Free Speech
by Jed Babbin
Posted 12/28/2007 ET
Updated 12/28/2007 ET
Under assault by Muslims and multiculturalists, free speech and freedom of the press are dead in Britain. The same sorts of people who killed them in Britain are killing them in Canada. They and their allies are using the British and Canadian courts and tribunals to bury our First Amendment rights in America.
Muslims -- individually and in pressure groups -- are using British libel laws and Canadian “human rights” laws to limit what is said about Islam, terrorists and the people in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who are funding groups such as al-Queda. The cases of Rachel Ehrenfeld and Mark Steyn prove the point.
Dr. Ehrenfeld is a scholar and author of the book, “Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed, and How to Stop it.” In that book, Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz -- a Saudi who is former head of the Saudi National Commercial Bank -- and some of his family are described as having funded terrorism directly and indirectly.
Ehrenfeld is American, her book was written and published in America and she has no business or other ties to Britain. Under American law, the Brit courts would have no jurisdiction over her. But about two-dozen copies of her book were sold there through the internet. Bin Mahfouz sued her for libel in the Brit courts where the burden of proof is the opposite of what it is in US courts: the author has to prove that what is written is true, rather than the supposedly defamed person proving it is false.
Think about that for a moment. Under the US Constitution political writing -- free speech -- is almost unlimited. To gain a libel judgment a politician -- or someone suspected of terrorist ties -- would have to prove that the story or book was false. If that person were a public figure such as Mahfouz, in order to get a libel judgment he’d not only have to prove that what was written was false, he’d also have to prove it was published maliciously.
Those American laws and standards of proof protect political speech. The First Amendment is intended to protect political speech that people find objectionable. In the landmark 1969 case of Brandenburg v. Ohio, the Supreme Court overturned an Ohio statute which would have outlawed hate speech by the Ku Klux Klan. That’s why Mahfouz sued in Britain, not here.
Ehrenfeld refused to fight the case, saying the Brit courts have no jurisdiction over her. Mahfouz got a default judgment against her for ₤10,000 (for himself, and in equal amounts for his sons). The judgment also requires that there be no further “defamatory” statements published in England and Wales.
In a letter published in the Spectator on November 21, bin Mahfouz’s lawyers gloated over their victory against Ehrenfeld: “Rather than check her facts, defend her statements in open court, or acknowledge her mistakes, Ehrenfeld hides behind a claim to free speech. Thank goodness, the legal lights remain on in Britain to expose such harmful journalism.”
“Harmful journalism” is what tyrants and despots call free speech, especially political speech that condemns their affronts to freedom. The “legal lights” Mahfouz’s lawyers see is the bonfire they made of the Magna Carta. Thanks to Mahfouz and his ilk, the light of free speech is extinguished in Britain. Consider the fate of the book, “Alms for Jihad.”
In 2006 Cambridge University press published “Alms for Jihad.” It’s a highly detailed and apparently well-researched book that documents Saudi funding of terrorist groups (as well as other funding and the network of Islamic “charities” that contribute to terrorism). “Alms for Jihad” -- like Ehrenfeld’s book -- documents bin Mahfouz’s funding ties to terrorism, including to Usama bin Laden. But “Alms”-- in settlement of a libel suit by bin Mahfouz in the Brit courts -- was withdrawn from stores and libraries and unsold copies destroyed. The Saudi book burners won.
Mahfouz’s case against Ehrenfeld has already done enormous harm in the US. Ehrenfeld told me she’s unable to get book publishers to contract for another book. She said all of the major US publishing houses have turned down a book on the Muslim Brotherhood -- thought to have substantial terrorist ties -- and the Saudis’ involvement in funding it.
If what Ehrenfeld writes about the Brotherhood offends Mahfouz or someone else whose ties to terrorism ought to be exposed, sales could be banned not only in Britain but in the entire European Union and the publisher -- and the author -- made liable for damages. Mahfouz -- using British courts that have no jurisdiction over American authors -- has apparently precluded Ehrenfeld from writing another book. Steyn’s case is another instance of Muslims trying to silence “harmful journalism.”
Mark Steyn’s superb book, “America Alone”, makes two important points: first, that the Muslim baby boom around the world will likely result in Christian nations becoming Muslim by weight of demographics; and second that Islam is a political system, not just a religion:
So it’s not merely that there’s a global jihad lurking within this religion, but that the religion itself is a political project and, in fact, an imperial project in a way that modern Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are not. Furthermore, this particular religion is historically a somewhat bloodthirsty faith in which whatever’s your bag violence-wise can almost certainly be justified.
Steyn’s stance -- written by him and paralleled by other writers in the Canadian magazine, “Macleans” -- is the subject of a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission brought by three Muslim law students in Canada, with the apparent support of the Canadian Islamic Conference. That group is similar to the CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a multiculti kangaroo court. The complaint against Macleans will be adjudicated next year, and findings entered against the magazine. (Steyn told me that the CHRC has granted 100% of the petitions brought to it so far.) What then?
Fines and other sanctions will be entered against Macleans along with probable injunctions against further “harmful journalism” that offends Muslims. A case may be brought against Steyn himself later. Which means that he could be subjected to fines or other penalties in Canada for exercising his First Amendment rights in the US. And -- because American publishers look to Canada for about 10% of their sales -- Steyn may, like Ehrenfeld, find publishers unwilling to publish his work.
What has happened to Ehrenfeld and may happen to Steyn is in contravention of their First Amendment rights. No American court would or could do that. No foreign court or commission should be able to. US courts, and each of us who believes in free speech, must stand with both authors. US courts should make it clear that foreign libel judgments or “human rights” decisions that conflict with our First Amendment cannot be enforced.
Each and every presidential candidate should speak -- loudly and clearly -- against this encroachment of foreign law on the First Amendment. Anyone who doesn’t stand forthrightly against these foreign infringements on Americans’ Constitutional rights should receive neither our confidence nor our votes.
What Muslims such as Mahfouz and those complaining against Steyn are doing to destroy free speech overseas has been commenced here by groups such as CAIR. A few weeks ago, CAIR announced its media guide, which is purportedly corrects “misperceptions” about Islam and “…educate(s) the media and disabuse(s) journalists of misinformation.” But the other aspect -- which I and others suspect -- is that it’s not so much a guide as a set of rules against “harmful journalism.” And those who write about terrorism, Saudi Arabia and Islam will be accused of intolerance and racism should they violate them.
We don’t yet know what the CAIR guide says. I requested a copy of it from CAIR by e-mail, as they specified. I have neither received a copy nor received any response. I suspect CAIR wants to hide it from people who would scrutinize it. Having to operate under our Constitution, they will take a more indirect path than Mahfouz and the Canadian law students to preclude what they believe is “harmful journalism.”
Mr. Babbin is the editor of Human Events. He served as a deputy undersecretary of defense in President George H.W. Bush's administration. He is the author of "In the Words of our Enemies"(Regnery,2007) and (with Edward Timperlake) of "Showdown: Why China Wants War with the United States" (Regnery, 2006) and "Inside the Asylum: Why the UN and Old Europe are Worse than You Think" (Regnery, 2004).
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Religion of Peace?
A hairdresser trims a young woman's locks in a salon where ladies gather to primp and catch up on gossip in a Shiite-dominated neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, Iraq on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007. The neighborhood is considered relatively safe, unlike many areas in mostly Sunni west Baghdad where extremists rule. According to their harsh interpretations of Islam, women should not look beautiful in public. Extremists have threatened hairdressers, blown up their shops and even killed some. Many now work in secret salons, only serving people they know, in their own houses.(AP Photo/ Diaa Hadid)I was going through photos on various websites and I stumbled across this. The blurb (quoted above) that accompanied it on the Yahoo site is enough by itself, but I wanted to include it here. I'm not sure what to say.
It's so hard to criticize this type of behavior when so many Christians have lost sight of the Two Greatest Commandments spoken by Jesus: love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. How can a person who does violence to innocent people live with himself?
On the other hand, how can our government believe the emissaries, politicos, and ambassadors of the Islamic nations when they talk about how peaceful their religion and people are? They appear to be a religion of violent retribution against any perceived transgression of the most benign religious tenets.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Betcha Didn't See That Coming!
Paris and Nicky Hilton(Edit by KLH:)
I personally think this is a way better use of this money than to give it to those two bimbos. Actually, the best use of some of the money would be contribution to the Kevin Henry Early Retirement Fund (KHERF), just kidding. It seems to me that Paris has made enough money off of being a empty-headed slut. She doesn't need Grandpa's money. It is interesting that Grandpa fought the same charitable donation when made by his son and recovered a good deal of the money donated by the late Conrad Hilton. Maybe the girls can put their heads together (maybe there is one whole brain there) and pull off the same little probate coup.
Paris loses out: Hilton fortune pledged to charity
By Michelle Nichols
Wed Dec 26, 3:39 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hotel heiress Paris Hilton's potential inheritance dramatically diminished after her grandfather Barron Hilton announced plans on Wednesday to donate 97 percent of his $2.3 billion fortune to charity.
That wealth includes $1.2 billion Barron Hilton stands to earn from both the recent sale of Hilton Hotels Corp. -- started by his father Conrad in 1919 when he bought a small hotel in Cisco, Texas -- and pending sale of the world's biggest casino company, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
That money will be placed in a charitable trust that will eventually benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, raising its total value to about $4.5 billion, the foundation said in a statement.
Barron Hilton, chairman of the foundation, intends "to contribute 97 percent of his entire net worth, estimated today at $2.3 billion, including the created trusts, at whatever value it is at the time of his passing," the foundation said.
Paris Hilton was not immediately available for comment on her grandfather's plans for his fortune.
Jerry Oppenheimer, who profiled the Hilton family in his 2006 book "House of Hilton," has said Barron Hilton is embarrassed by the behavior of his socialite granddaughter Paris and believes it has sullied the family name.
Barron Hilton, who is 80, has not commented on Oppenheimer's remarks.
The foundation supports projects that provide clean water in Africa, education for blind children, and housing for the mentally ill. Its aims, based on Conrad Hilton's will, are "to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute."
"Speaking for the family as well as the foundation, we are all exceedingly proud and grateful for this extraordinary commitment," said Steven Hilton, one of Barron's sons and president and chief executive of the foundation.
Conrad Hilton established the foundation in 1944 and when he died in 1979 left virtually all of his fortune -- including, according to media reports at the time, a 27 percent controlling stake in Hilton Hotels -- to the charity.
But Barron Hilton challenged the will and after a nearly decade-long legal struggle reached an out-of-court settlement to split ownership of the shares with the foundation in 1988, The New York Times reported.
The hotel group was sold for $20 billion in October to private equity firm Blackstone Group, while the acquisition of Harrah's -- of which Barron Hilton was a board member until 2006 -- is due to be completed by Apollo Management and TPG Capital in early 2008.
Paris, a symbol of celebrity privilege in America, gained notoriety in 2003 when a home video of her having sex with a boyfriend was posted on the Internet.
She parlayed her notoriety, fueled by tabloid headlines about her partying lifestyle, into a celebrity career that has included a reality television show, a book, a music album, and film roles. Then this year she spent more than three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.
(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Eric Walsh)
Paris loses out: Hilton fortune pledged to charity
By Michelle Nichols
Wed Dec 26, 3:39 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hotel heiress Paris Hilton's potential inheritance dramatically diminished after her grandfather Barron Hilton announced plans on Wednesday to donate 97 percent of his $2.3 billion fortune to charity.
That wealth includes $1.2 billion Barron Hilton stands to earn from both the recent sale of Hilton Hotels Corp. -- started by his father Conrad in 1919 when he bought a small hotel in Cisco, Texas -- and pending sale of the world's biggest casino company, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
That money will be placed in a charitable trust that will eventually benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, raising its total value to about $4.5 billion, the foundation said in a statement.
Barron Hilton, chairman of the foundation, intends "to contribute 97 percent of his entire net worth, estimated today at $2.3 billion, including the created trusts, at whatever value it is at the time of his passing," the foundation said.
Paris Hilton was not immediately available for comment on her grandfather's plans for his fortune.
Jerry Oppenheimer, who profiled the Hilton family in his 2006 book "House of Hilton," has said Barron Hilton is embarrassed by the behavior of his socialite granddaughter Paris and believes it has sullied the family name.
Barron Hilton, who is 80, has not commented on Oppenheimer's remarks.
The foundation supports projects that provide clean water in Africa, education for blind children, and housing for the mentally ill. Its aims, based on Conrad Hilton's will, are "to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute."
"Speaking for the family as well as the foundation, we are all exceedingly proud and grateful for this extraordinary commitment," said Steven Hilton, one of Barron's sons and president and chief executive of the foundation.
Conrad Hilton established the foundation in 1944 and when he died in 1979 left virtually all of his fortune -- including, according to media reports at the time, a 27 percent controlling stake in Hilton Hotels -- to the charity.
But Barron Hilton challenged the will and after a nearly decade-long legal struggle reached an out-of-court settlement to split ownership of the shares with the foundation in 1988, The New York Times reported.
The hotel group was sold for $20 billion in October to private equity firm Blackstone Group, while the acquisition of Harrah's -- of which Barron Hilton was a board member until 2006 -- is due to be completed by Apollo Management and TPG Capital in early 2008.
Paris, a symbol of celebrity privilege in America, gained notoriety in 2003 when a home video of her having sex with a boyfriend was posted on the Internet.
She parlayed her notoriety, fueled by tabloid headlines about her partying lifestyle, into a celebrity career that has included a reality television show, a book, a music album, and film roles. Then this year she spent more than three weeks in jail for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.
(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Eric Walsh)
Nightmare Fuel
Chelsea Clinton on the Campaign TrailWednesday, December 26, 2007
I Need Some Input Here
Who would like to see me start serializing chapters of the novel on this blog as I finish them?
Anyone? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?
I was just wondering. I may decide that it's not the right thing to do, but the thought has crossed my mind. It's about time I had a new idea, right? My last new idea died of loneliness. But seriously folks...
Okay, okay. Jeez!
Anyone? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?
I was just wondering. I may decide that it's not the right thing to do, but the thought has crossed my mind. It's about time I had a new idea, right? My last new idea died of loneliness. But seriously folks...
Okay, okay. Jeez!
The Educational Systems Are Giving Up
I was driving in this morning listening to Laura Ingraham's show on AM 660, and she was talking at length about this issue. I don't think this is a racial issue. I think this is an educational issue. What this means is that this particular school district is giving up on being able to teach these kids proper english. Laura was playing sound bites from in interview with Bill Cosby addressing this issue. At one point the interviewer accused Cosby of hypocrisy by saying that he made alot of money off of his childhood "Fat Albert" characters. The interviewer said that those children did not speak properly, but the ethical message was there. Cosby's response was "50 percent dropout rate".
Where are J.C. Watts, James Earl Jones, Walter Williams, and all of the others who should be a good example for young people?
The Hip-Hop/Rap culture is strong. However, so was the Rock/Punk/Disco/Grunge cultures that followed that music. The music industry has always butchered the English language. Throughout history, poets and composers have availed themselves of poetic license to make verses or lyrics fit into a scheme. Never has the license of lyric or verse been accepted as proper english.
Call it rebellion or mental laziness; it's the wrong way to educate children. Those children and their families should see the insult in concluding that these kids are just too dumb to learn to properly speak and write the English language.
The article is below. I am glad that the author deemed it appropriate to point out the many educated Black leaders who speak proper english without relinquishing their heritage or identity.
Rochester City School District Supports Ebonics
Rachel Barnhart (Rochester, N.Y.) – It’s called Black English Vernacular – or more commonly – Ebonics.
In a newsletter to staff, Rochester City School District officials say it is OK for students and teachers to speak Ebonics in class.
The newsletter, Diversity Dialogue, suggests teachers use BEV to communicate with students. It says teachers can:
• “Switch into BEV in specific situations or informal discussion.”
• "Translate common phrases in Standard English into BEV.”
• “Read and retell stories in both BEV and Standard English.”
“We need to embrace the diversity they bring into our schools,” said the district’s Chief of Diversity and Leadership, Michele Hancock.
Hancock and Tyra Webb-Johnson, Director of Coaching and Leadership, wrote the newsletter. They are both former elementary school principals.
“We want (teachers) to have a better understanding of what BEV is so they can incorporate it into their teaching. That way, they're not alienating the students who are speaking the vernacular and degrading them,” Webb-Johnson said.
Ebonics was debated nationally in 1996 when the Oakland, California school district proposed using it in the curriculum.
Ebonics is defined as a speech pattern used by some African-Americans that does not follow standard grammar.
“No matter how you speak, you do need to learn the standard form so you can embrace the larger audience of people,” Hancock said. “But you can hold on to the richness of your family environment and not feel that is beneath any standard of living.”
Hancock says many people, including her own son, who graduated from college, know how to "code switch" between Standard English and Ebonics. She said students must learn to be proficient in Standard English.“Many African-Americans are bi-dialectic in their speech patterns. I think it's critical teachers understand those speech patterns so they can effectively, visually show children how they are speaking, but not to denigrate it, but to celebrate it,” Hancock said.
13WHAM News showed the newsletter to several black leaders in the community.
“Anybody who suggests that these kids will lose their identity because they cannot be, should not be encouraged to speak Ebonics is wrong,” said school board member Van White, who is pushing to create an African-American studies department in the district. “We are not African-Americans because of how we speak, but who we are as a people.”
“I understand there's a need for teachers and students to meet on some common plane, but I'm not sure expressing that as Ebonics as that plane is a way to go,” said City Councilman Adam McFadden.
“It's acceptable in hip hop culture, but I don't think anyone would suggest the way forward for students already coming to school with severe educational deficiencies is to maintain a deficient language pattern,” said former Mayor William Johnson.
Johnson and then-Police Chief Bob Duffy fired a white police officer for writing a memo called “Ghetto Lingo,” which claimed to translate English phrases into African-American vernacular.
Hancock and Webb-Johnson say many white teachers come to them for help communicating with students. The BEV suggestion is not a mandate, they said.
“It doesn't hurt the kids. What we're saying to the children is we value what you bring. You have value,” said Hancock."What if one of your teachers started speaking Ebonics to you tomorrow? I would think they were crazy!" said Jada Scott, an 8th grader.
"I just think that's outrageous. Ebonics, that's something that kids speak out in the street with their friends, it's not something to be encouraged in the classroom,” said Maxine Humphrey, a high school senior.
“I think it's not a good idea,” said senior Candice Scott. “If we learn to speak Ebonics and we get into the real world, I don't think it's going to be of any help to us."
"I don't think it's a very good idea. I think it's more important for the kids to reach up to the school standards, instead of the school coming down to the kid’s level,” said parent Melynda Scott.
Where are J.C. Watts, James Earl Jones, Walter Williams, and all of the others who should be a good example for young people?
The Hip-Hop/Rap culture is strong. However, so was the Rock/Punk/Disco/Grunge cultures that followed that music. The music industry has always butchered the English language. Throughout history, poets and composers have availed themselves of poetic license to make verses or lyrics fit into a scheme. Never has the license of lyric or verse been accepted as proper english.
Call it rebellion or mental laziness; it's the wrong way to educate children. Those children and their families should see the insult in concluding that these kids are just too dumb to learn to properly speak and write the English language.
The article is below. I am glad that the author deemed it appropriate to point out the many educated Black leaders who speak proper english without relinquishing their heritage or identity.
Rochester City School District Supports Ebonics
Rachel Barnhart (Rochester, N.Y.) – It’s called Black English Vernacular – or more commonly – Ebonics.
In a newsletter to staff, Rochester City School District officials say it is OK for students and teachers to speak Ebonics in class.
The newsletter, Diversity Dialogue, suggests teachers use BEV to communicate with students. It says teachers can:
• “Switch into BEV in specific situations or informal discussion.”
• "Translate common phrases in Standard English into BEV.”
• “Read and retell stories in both BEV and Standard English.”
“We need to embrace the diversity they bring into our schools,” said the district’s Chief of Diversity and Leadership, Michele Hancock.
Hancock and Tyra Webb-Johnson, Director of Coaching and Leadership, wrote the newsletter. They are both former elementary school principals.
“We want (teachers) to have a better understanding of what BEV is so they can incorporate it into their teaching. That way, they're not alienating the students who are speaking the vernacular and degrading them,” Webb-Johnson said.
Ebonics was debated nationally in 1996 when the Oakland, California school district proposed using it in the curriculum.
Ebonics is defined as a speech pattern used by some African-Americans that does not follow standard grammar.
“No matter how you speak, you do need to learn the standard form so you can embrace the larger audience of people,” Hancock said. “But you can hold on to the richness of your family environment and not feel that is beneath any standard of living.”
Hancock says many people, including her own son, who graduated from college, know how to "code switch" between Standard English and Ebonics. She said students must learn to be proficient in Standard English.“Many African-Americans are bi-dialectic in their speech patterns. I think it's critical teachers understand those speech patterns so they can effectively, visually show children how they are speaking, but not to denigrate it, but to celebrate it,” Hancock said.
13WHAM News showed the newsletter to several black leaders in the community.
“Anybody who suggests that these kids will lose their identity because they cannot be, should not be encouraged to speak Ebonics is wrong,” said school board member Van White, who is pushing to create an African-American studies department in the district. “We are not African-Americans because of how we speak, but who we are as a people.”
“I understand there's a need for teachers and students to meet on some common plane, but I'm not sure expressing that as Ebonics as that plane is a way to go,” said City Councilman Adam McFadden.
“It's acceptable in hip hop culture, but I don't think anyone would suggest the way forward for students already coming to school with severe educational deficiencies is to maintain a deficient language pattern,” said former Mayor William Johnson.
Johnson and then-Police Chief Bob Duffy fired a white police officer for writing a memo called “Ghetto Lingo,” which claimed to translate English phrases into African-American vernacular.
Hancock and Webb-Johnson say many white teachers come to them for help communicating with students. The BEV suggestion is not a mandate, they said.
“It doesn't hurt the kids. What we're saying to the children is we value what you bring. You have value,” said Hancock."What if one of your teachers started speaking Ebonics to you tomorrow? I would think they were crazy!" said Jada Scott, an 8th grader.
"I just think that's outrageous. Ebonics, that's something that kids speak out in the street with their friends, it's not something to be encouraged in the classroom,” said Maxine Humphrey, a high school senior.
“I think it's not a good idea,” said senior Candice Scott. “If we learn to speak Ebonics and we get into the real world, I don't think it's going to be of any help to us."
"I don't think it's a very good idea. I think it's more important for the kids to reach up to the school standards, instead of the school coming down to the kid’s level,” said parent Melynda Scott.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Email to the Whitehouse
I just sent the following email to comments@whitehouse.gov. In light of the consistent slant of the press against the President and his efforts to protect us, I simply responded to the compulsion to offer something positive. I do not believe that any of the democratic party's candidates will work as hard to protect our national security as President Bush has. I know that most of you will see this as sappy or even stupid. That is your opinion, and you're welcome to it. I was raised with a strong sense of patriotism in my upbringing and in my education. This is the greatest nation in the history of the world, and I am glad that God chose to put me here to live my life. So, there you go.
Dear Mr. President,
Please accept this email as a sign of my support for you and your administration. I want to thank you for your strong stand against terrorism and the enemies of the United States. I feel compelled to write this because of the seeming bombardment in the press and on the internet of propoganda against you, your administration, and your efforts to protect us.
I know that you have done the best you could do in your role as Commander in Chief, and I have felt that my family is safer because of your attention to this necessary detail. If our national government does nothing else, it should protect the security of American citizens from our nation's enemies. I fear that none of the democratic party's candidates for your office will be nearly as diligent in that role as you have been.
Thank you for that.
Please know that you have always had my support and my vote. I have tried to be a dedicated public servant in my career as well. I have been a criminal prosecutor at the county government level in Texas for the past 25 years. I am proud of that, just as you should be so proud of how you have presided over the government.
God Bless America!
Sincerely Yours,
Kevin L. Henry
Denton, Texas
Dear Mr. President,
Please accept this email as a sign of my support for you and your administration. I want to thank you for your strong stand against terrorism and the enemies of the United States. I feel compelled to write this because of the seeming bombardment in the press and on the internet of propoganda against you, your administration, and your efforts to protect us.
I know that you have done the best you could do in your role as Commander in Chief, and I have felt that my family is safer because of your attention to this necessary detail. If our national government does nothing else, it should protect the security of American citizens from our nation's enemies. I fear that none of the democratic party's candidates for your office will be nearly as diligent in that role as you have been.
Thank you for that.
Please know that you have always had my support and my vote. I have tried to be a dedicated public servant in my career as well. I have been a criminal prosecutor at the county government level in Texas for the past 25 years. I am proud of that, just as you should be so proud of how you have presided over the government.
God Bless America!
Sincerely Yours,
Kevin L. Henry
Denton, Texas
Friday, December 21, 2007
Mars on December 18
Hubble picture of Mars when it was closest to Earth on December 18, 2007. I think this stuff is so cool. I don't know if there are other inhabited planets out there, but I would love to be on the star ship that does the exploring. Okay, call me a nerd of you wish, but still...wouldn't that be fun?
Example of LA Times printing opinion as news
Fury in New Orleans as housing demolition OKd
Activists and preservationists have sharply criticized the government's proposal to raze the city's biggest public housing complexes when low-income housing is in short supply.With rents up 45% and more than 3,000 former public housing residents scattered across the country, they say officials should quickly renovate and reopen the sturdy, mostly 1940s-era brick buildings, some of which were barely damaged by Katrina. Many talk of a conspiracy to purge the city of its poorest residents, pointing out the government will not replace all of the 4,500 public housing units it plans to demolish."The question remains: Who's in the mix?" said Torin Sanders, pastor of the Sixth Baptist Church, near the old St. Thomas housing project, which was razed before Katrina to make way for a mixed-use project. "I saw church members with bags packed walking around the city for somewhere to live."Yet many residents came to the meeting to speak in favor of new mixed-income communities."Why can we not go into something that looks good?" asked Donna Johnigan, a resident of B.W. Cooper, her voice trembling. "It's about being able to walk into a little house and be able to say this is a house, it ain't a project. What we've got to demand is better housing."
This is an excerpt from a Los Angeles Times story. You can read the entire article here. This is but one example of the slant of such news stories. This was written by Jenny Jarve, a Los Angeles Times staff writer. I just want to note the liberal slant of the story.
She clearly states an opinion that some of the houses that the city of New Orleans wants to demolish were "barely damaged" by Katrina.
How does she know that?
Is she quoting a housing inspector or some reliable city source?
Who knows?
Or is this just the hub-bub of the angry "poor" who are expressing their entitlement to housing paid for with tax money?
Who Knows?
She also paints the sympathetic picture by quoting a preacher who talks about people wandering about with bags and no place to live.
I don't know how true this story is because, it seems to me, this belongs on the Opnion page instead of as a news story. There is little relevant, salient fact to back up the opinion of this so-called "journalist".
Journalists should report facts, not opinion, period.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Mrs. Clinton
Hillary ClintonI'm sure you all know by now, I do not like Hillary Clinton as a politician or as a potential leader of our country. I would never vote for her, and I would be very afraid for our nation if she was ever in charge of our national defense. Also, I don't like her "husband", and that man should never be allowed in or near the Whitehouse as long as he lives.
With that said, I don't particularly care for the political attacks on her as an aging woman. That has nothing to do with her suitability to be our leader. Age ought to be a sign of wisdom the experience. Shame on you who attack this woman because of her age or appearance. I would imagine the extra furrows in her brow have more to do with that man to whom she is married than anything else.
Truth Appears in the Funny Papers
I love Danae because she drives her liberal democrat father crazy.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Brian's Graduation Day at Texas Tech
We made the trip over the weekend to see Brian graduate from Texas Tech with this Bachelor of Science in Architecture. I had not been back to Lubbock for 25 years. Most of you that know me know that I graduated from Texas Tech with my law degree. The drive was not nearly as long or as hard as I remembered. My wife, Cindy, had also graduated from Texas Tech with her law degree.
One of the great things about Lubbock, population 210,000, is the ease with which one can navigate the town. The streets that go in the north-south directions are by the alphabet. Starting at the east side of town, the streets are labeled Avenue A, Avenue B, and so on to Avenue Z. Then you cross University (which goes through the University) and the street names are in alphabetical order: Albany, Boston, and so on. The east-west streets are mainly numbered: 1st Street, 2nd Street, and so on starting at the north end of town. The main east-west streets are Broadway (which goes downtown to the Lubbock County Courthouse), 19th Street (which crosses in from of Texas Tech and goes right by the law school), 34th Street, 50th Street, 66th Street, and 82nd Street on the south side.
I was amazed at how quickly all of that came back to me. The apartment complex where I lived most of the time is still there. So many places that I remember have not changed one bit in the last 25 years.
We found the house that Brian shared with another architecture student. Of course, it was not difficult to find. The house was nice, but what really impressed me was the way he has matured over the years. Seeing him in his own place, managing his own business, and driving himself to reach his goal with such dedication and discipline gave me faith that he will succeed. I am proud of him for those things. Both of my sons have grown into strong, positive, and motivated men. What more could you ask for?
What I did not really remember, at least until it slapped me in the face, was how quickly winter weather could hit in Lubbock and how harsh it could be. We woke up Saturday morning (the ceremony was scheduled for 9 a.m.) to find my car covered with snow (see the photograph below). Of course, I was not adequately prepared for snow or 21 degree temperatures with 20 mph winds.
The streets were covered with a sheet of ice. The parking lot at Spirit Arena at Texas Tech was covered with ice. None of us brought heavy enough coats for the bitterly cold wind. Okay, enough whining about the weather. We did gather our composure and got the arena in plenty of time.
This place was new since I had been there, and I have to say, it is a gorgeous arena. This is the place where the Texas Tech basketball teams play. They had it set up beautifully for the graduation. Below is a photo showing the set up before the graduates entered the arena.
There were about 1000 of them graduating at this time. Texas Tech had so many December graduates, there were actually 3 graduation ceremonies. The post graduate degrees were on the Friday evening before. Brian's group (the 9 a.m. Saturday morning ceremony) included the schools of architecture, art, and engineering. Then there was a third ceremony Saturday afternoon that included the business schools. This was just December. Can you imagine how huge the May ceremonies would be?
The picture below shows Brian right after they called his name and he received his pin. (They gave them their actual diplomas at the reception in the Architecture building after the graduation ceremony). Trust me, Brian is in that picture. If you look closely, he is the red head walking by the guy in the blue robe just to the right of the center of the picture.
The picture below is my son, Brian, holding his diploma just after receiving it at the reception at the architecture building. I really have a hard time expressing how happy I am for him. I've never seen such dedication as he showed in accomplishing this. By the way, he did it in 3 and a half years.
Okay, the kid has been in college for the last 3 1/2 years so let him have his long hair and beard. Actually, I think he looks pretty cool. It will go soon enough, at least, until he is CEO of his own architecture firm, then he can grow it back.
Congratulations, Brian!
Below is the front door of the Law Library where I spent many hours reading, studying, and doing research. I think those are the same doors that were there 25 years ago.
I went up to the second level to get this picture. This is the hallway just inside the front door of the law school. There are three levels. Classrooms are on the 1st and 2nd floors. The third floor has offices, and some smaller meeting rooms. I remember this building like I graduated from there last year. It really has not changed.
After you get inside, this picture below shows the main hallway on the first floor. This is immediately to the right after you get through the front door. There are large auditorium styly classrooms down the right side of this hallway. The lounge and commons areas are to the left.
This is the lounge in the center of the first floor. One thing to recall about law school is the quiet. The entire building was very quiet all the time. Even in the lounge. People were reading or studying all over the place. If you talked to your friends, the conversation was never loud. There was no shouting down the hallway at your buddy. There were no food fights.
The picture below is the commons area. It was basically a room with tables for sitting at with a coke or a snack. There are a couple of changes. When I was there, we only had two soda vending machines: Coke and Dr. Pepper. There was one snack vending machine there. Now, there are several vending machines and some kind of a buffet set up (to the left). We spent quite a bit of time in this room between classes, that is when we weren't in the library or in our assigned study carrel reading the next day's assignments or doing research for some paper.
This is one of the large auditorium style classrooms. I actually had several classes in this room. Also, this is the room where I took my Bar Exam in 1982. You know, it all seemed so much bigger when I was a law student. This used to be a very chilling view when the professor was standing in front of the class just waiting to slice some poor unsuspecting, unprepared law student to ribbons, figuratively of course.
This the final view of the school from 19th Street. This is probably the most memorable view of the outside of the building that I have. This is the way I remember the outside of the law school.
One of the great things about Lubbock, population 210,000, is the ease with which one can navigate the town. The streets that go in the north-south directions are by the alphabet. Starting at the east side of town, the streets are labeled Avenue A, Avenue B, and so on to Avenue Z. Then you cross University (which goes through the University) and the street names are in alphabetical order: Albany, Boston, and so on. The east-west streets are mainly numbered: 1st Street, 2nd Street, and so on starting at the north end of town. The main east-west streets are Broadway (which goes downtown to the Lubbock County Courthouse), 19th Street (which crosses in from of Texas Tech and goes right by the law school), 34th Street, 50th Street, 66th Street, and 82nd Street on the south side.
I was amazed at how quickly all of that came back to me. The apartment complex where I lived most of the time is still there. So many places that I remember have not changed one bit in the last 25 years.
We found the house that Brian shared with another architecture student. Of course, it was not difficult to find. The house was nice, but what really impressed me was the way he has matured over the years. Seeing him in his own place, managing his own business, and driving himself to reach his goal with such dedication and discipline gave me faith that he will succeed. I am proud of him for those things. Both of my sons have grown into strong, positive, and motivated men. What more could you ask for?
What I did not really remember, at least until it slapped me in the face, was how quickly winter weather could hit in Lubbock and how harsh it could be. We woke up Saturday morning (the ceremony was scheduled for 9 a.m.) to find my car covered with snow (see the photograph below). Of course, I was not adequately prepared for snow or 21 degree temperatures with 20 mph winds.
The streets were covered with a sheet of ice. The parking lot at Spirit Arena at Texas Tech was covered with ice. None of us brought heavy enough coats for the bitterly cold wind. Okay, enough whining about the weather. We did gather our composure and got the arena in plenty of time.This place was new since I had been there, and I have to say, it is a gorgeous arena. This is the place where the Texas Tech basketball teams play. They had it set up beautifully for the graduation. Below is a photo showing the set up before the graduates entered the arena.
There were about 1000 of them graduating at this time. Texas Tech had so many December graduates, there were actually 3 graduation ceremonies. The post graduate degrees were on the Friday evening before. Brian's group (the 9 a.m. Saturday morning ceremony) included the schools of architecture, art, and engineering. Then there was a third ceremony Saturday afternoon that included the business schools. This was just December. Can you imagine how huge the May ceremonies would be?The picture below shows Brian right after they called his name and he received his pin. (They gave them their actual diplomas at the reception in the Architecture building after the graduation ceremony). Trust me, Brian is in that picture. If you look closely, he is the red head walking by the guy in the blue robe just to the right of the center of the picture.
The picture below is my son, Brian, holding his diploma just after receiving it at the reception at the architecture building. I really have a hard time expressing how happy I am for him. I've never seen such dedication as he showed in accomplishing this. By the way, he did it in 3 and a half years.Okay, the kid has been in college for the last 3 1/2 years so let him have his long hair and beard. Actually, I think he looks pretty cool. It will go soon enough, at least, until he is CEO of his own architecture firm, then he can grow it back.
Congratulations, Brian!After the graduation ceremony was finished, Cindy and I decided to get nostalgic and look around the law school. After all, we each spent 3 years of our lives there.
Texas Tech, apparently, is building an attachment onto the law school. They are calling it a "professional development center". I don't really know if that is part of the law school or something else altogether. However, the law school building was open, so we went in.
This is the front of the building. The front door is just to the right of this picture.
Below is the front door of the Law Library where I spent many hours reading, studying, and doing research. I think those are the same doors that were there 25 years ago.
I went up to the second level to get this picture. This is the hallway just inside the front door of the law school. There are three levels. Classrooms are on the 1st and 2nd floors. The third floor has offices, and some smaller meeting rooms. I remember this building like I graduated from there last year. It really has not changed.
After you get inside, this picture below shows the main hallway on the first floor. This is immediately to the right after you get through the front door. There are large auditorium styly classrooms down the right side of this hallway. The lounge and commons areas are to the left.
This is the lounge in the center of the first floor. One thing to recall about law school is the quiet. The entire building was very quiet all the time. Even in the lounge. People were reading or studying all over the place. If you talked to your friends, the conversation was never loud. There was no shouting down the hallway at your buddy. There were no food fights.
The picture below is the commons area. It was basically a room with tables for sitting at with a coke or a snack. There are a couple of changes. When I was there, we only had two soda vending machines: Coke and Dr. Pepper. There was one snack vending machine there. Now, there are several vending machines and some kind of a buffet set up (to the left). We spent quite a bit of time in this room between classes, that is when we weren't in the library or in our assigned study carrel reading the next day's assignments or doing research for some paper.
This is one of the large auditorium style classrooms. I actually had several classes in this room. Also, this is the room where I took my Bar Exam in 1982. You know, it all seemed so much bigger when I was a law student. This used to be a very chilling view when the professor was standing in front of the class just waiting to slice some poor unsuspecting, unprepared law student to ribbons, figuratively of course.
This the final view of the school from 19th Street. This is probably the most memorable view of the outside of the building that I have. This is the way I remember the outside of the law school.
We had a very good time all in all. We celebrated Brian's graduation even more on Saturday night at Stella's Restaurant on 50th Street. We got to look around town and see the old places.
Brian seemed sad to see this part of his life come to an end. I understand. He has been in this situation with his friends for a long time. I think he has really enjoyed his college time. He plans on going on to graduate school. I am anxious to see how he progresses from here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Texas Tech University Commencement, Dec. 15
My son, Brian, is graduating from Texas Tech University on Saturday, December 15, 2007, with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture. He has worked so hard these last 4 years, and I could not be more proud of him. Hopefully, I will get some good pictures. 
Paul L. FosterThis is the guest speaker at my son's graduation ceremony on Saturday.
Paul L. Foster is chairman and chief executive officer of Western Refining, Inc., a company he formed in 1997. Western purchased the former Texaco refinery in El Paso, Texas in 2000, and in 2003, bought ChevronTexaco’s refinery in El Paso. Operations of the two refineries were combined so that now, it is a single combined refining operation located in the heart of El Paso.
Cool Voyager Pic
Voyager 2 takes pictures from deep space looking back toward our solar system. Supposedly, these show that the solar system is not round, but "dented" by deep space magnetic fields. The probe has been traveling for 30 years. NASA believes the probe has fuel to last until 2020. This stuff fascinates me.It illustrates how small we are on this speck of dust wandering aimlessly through the eternity of the great void of space. Our only attachment to a life span that is but a blink of the eternal eye is the fact that we orbit a ball of fire that wanders with us. Still, God cares for you.
Monday, December 10, 2007
23 Months in the Federal Pen
Michael VickMichael Vick, quarterback for that Atlanta Falcons, was sentenced to 23 months in a federal prison for his dog fighting conviction. It appears that he will have to serve a 5 year probation period after he is released from prison. Let me say up front that I do not care for people who injure or torture animals, especially dogs. I am fond of my dog (See Sugar below).
Could it be that the criminal justice system is trying to send a message or make an example for professional athletes? The world, generally, sees these people being arrested to taken to jail, making quick bail with their large financial resources, and walking away with no consequences.
People are tired of seeing these individuals get away with everything form Driving While Intoxicated to Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon because:
- they have alot of money,
- they generate alot of revenue for owners and sponsors,
- and their perceived celebrity status.
Also, it is important to note that the feds took this case because, at least as the news indicated, this particular dog fighting ring reached across state lines and had an impact on interstate commerce. Nearly all states have enacted animal cruelty laws which include dog fighting, but the federal government can get involved if the crime crosses state lines. Vick also faces charges for the same activity in the state court.
I'm never happy to see another human being have to go through what he is going through, but everyone should be aware that criminal activity brings bad consequences. The rules were in place when he committed the conduct. I hope he can recover from this and get back to football. He was fun to watch on the field.
It is also amazing to me that Michael Vick's younger brother, Marcus, had his collegiate career cut short because of criminal behavior that got him kicked out of Virginia Tech athletics. How do guys with this much going for them and with this much talent run their lives so afoul of the straight and narrow?
Additional edit:
Coming to work this morning, I was listening to "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN. Greenberg was discussing the sentencing at length in that the Judge assessed a longer prison term than the prosecutors were requesting. He said that the Judge was not happy with Vick because Vick had promised to cooperate with investigators on the rest of the case. Apparently, Vick gave conflicting information during the investigation that lead them to believe that he was not being honest and still covering up for people. Furthermore, he tested positive for marihuana in a court ordered urine screen while he was out on bail. Sounds like he earned every minute of his sentence.
Additional edit:
Again I hear on ESPN that they pulled live beagles out of Vick's compound. According
to Galloway, the beagles were bait dogs to teach the pit bulls how to kill other dogs. The more I hear, the more I believe that there is really something wrong with this man.
Sugar
This is my dog, Sugar.
Sugar, this is everyone.
Everyone, say hello to Sugar.
Sugar, say hello to everyone.
Can You Imagine?
Sinkhole in Guatemala City, February 23, 2007You're lying in your home in your bed, sleeping or whatever, and suddenly the ground disappears from beneath your home. Then your home disappears and you with it. This is a sinkhole that mysteriously appeared in Guatemala City this year. Several homes were swallowed and some people that lived here are missing. Aside from all of the usual worries of being a human being in today's world, the world could literally fall right out from under you. We think the ground is so solid beneath our feet, but is it really? Who knows what kind of activity has been going on under there. Is it natural? Could it be the result of acid rain in limestone which, I'm guessing, makes up most of the terra firma in that area?
The thing is absolutely huge. They could throw people in there and never find them again. Amazing!
Can We be Adults Here?
I just rejected a comment by an anonymous individual. I would love commentary on the blog; it shows that people are reading it. Any comment that is intelligent and makes a point will be accepted and published, no matter how relevant or irrelevant, no matter how reasonable or unreasonable, or whether valid or invalid.The comment I rejected was a vulgar episode of name calling with no purpose other than a dastardly, pusillanimous, and poltroonish attack on another human being. Name calling is not argument or debate. If that is all you have within yourself, please don't waste everyone's time.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Clintons cannot be trusted
Here is a very informative website that takes you on a historic ride into the Great American Scam that is Bill and Hillary Clinton. The author fills it with transcripts, video, and quotes from the Clintons and their minions.
- Bill Clinton threatened to use force against Iraq several times;
- Now Bill Clinton, while campaigning for his wife, is condemning the use of force in Iraq;
- When he was President, he was convinced that Iraq was stockpiling weapons;
- The Clintons are trying to renounce the war even though they supported it.
Unlike President Bush, who holds the line to protect us, the Clintons will voice support for whatever they believe to be a popular point of view on any issue. That is the way I perceive Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Motorcycles
1979 Honda Hawk 400cc motorcycleI used to ride a bike just like one of these in law school in Lubbock. It was great. I could get back and forth to school for two weeks on two gallons of gas. Not that gas was real expensive back then, but come on, I was in law school. I had no money.
I never felt threatened or in danger in Lubbock. Perhaps that was my own naivete, but Lubbock was not anything like the big city it is now. I always wore a helmet, and I even put a windshield on it to keep road debris out of my face.
After I graduated from law school and passed the bar exam, I moved to Dallas and brought my motorcycle with me. I actually rode it one time on LBJ. I had never been so afraid in my life. I put it up for sale the next day. I knew that I could be careful, but when you ride a bike, you are putting alot of faith in the attentiveness and ability of other drivers in cars and trucks.
I love riding a motorcycle, but I'm done with it. If the US became like Bermuda, for instance, where riding two-wheelers was a way of life for everyone who had to get back and forth to work, I would ride again. It's safer when all drivers are on the same terms, but a motorcycle is never on the same terms with a car or a truck in a collision.
Aid and Comfort to the Enemy
This was in the paper today. Don't you know that the Al Quaeda spies and Taliban followers in the United States are passing this along to enemy combatants to lift their spirits?
How long must the press keep giving morale boosts to the enemy?
There is no reason for them to capitulate. They can learn form the American media that America does not have the stomach for a fight. What happened to the American resolve that caused us to all pull together for victory? Do any of you believe that this sympathy for the enemy would have been tolerated then?
Note the liberal slant of the story. The writer could just have easily told us what Majid Khan was doing in Pakistan, and what actions lead to his arrest. They would rather print inflammatory quotes from Khan's attorney. This story is not about informing the public; it is about attacking our government's efforts to protect us. It is about attacking President Bush. Why do you suppose they don't use this type of propaganda to attack the enemy with such fervor?
11:20 AM CST on Sunday, December 9, 2007
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A suspected terrorist taken to Guantánamo last year says he was tortured in overseas CIA prisons and is now suffering physical and psychological trauma as a result, one of his attorneys said Saturday.
Majid Khan, the only U.S. resident among 15 "high-value" detainees, described the alleged abuse in October during his first meetings with attorneys at the Guantánamo Bay Navy base in Cuba.
"He was subjected to state-sanctioned torture," said attorney Wells Dixon, who was not authorized to share details of his client's account.
None of Mr. Khan's specific assertions of torture could be read in the heavily redacted documents.
A Central Intelligence Agency spokesman denied allegations that it tortured Mr. Khan or any others in terror interrogations beginning in 2002.
Mr. Khan, a 1999 graduate of a Baltimore-area high school, was seized in Pakistan in March 2003 and held until last year in secret CIA custody. In September 2006, he was transferred to Guantánamo, where he may be charged and face prosecution under a new military tribunal system.
After hearing Mr. Khan's account of his time in CIA custody, his attorneys sought a federal court order for the government to preserve any evidence of torture. The motion filed Nov. 30 argues that evidence of harsh interrogation techniques is key to Mr. Khan's ability to prove he has no connection to al-Qaeda.
"Khan admitted anything his interrogators demanded of him, regardless of the truth (redacted) in order to end his suffering," according to the attorneys' filing.
The bid to preserve evidence became urgent after the announcement Thursday that the CIA videotaped its interrogations of two top terror suspects in 2002 and destroyed the tapes three years later.
"The government is plainly no longer entitled to the presumption that they've acted in good faith," Mr. Dixon said.
How long must the press keep giving morale boosts to the enemy?
There is no reason for them to capitulate. They can learn form the American media that America does not have the stomach for a fight. What happened to the American resolve that caused us to all pull together for victory? Do any of you believe that this sympathy for the enemy would have been tolerated then?
Note the liberal slant of the story. The writer could just have easily told us what Majid Khan was doing in Pakistan, and what actions lead to his arrest. They would rather print inflammatory quotes from Khan's attorney. This story is not about informing the public; it is about attacking our government's efforts to protect us. It is about attacking President Bush. Why do you suppose they don't use this type of propaganda to attack the enemy with such fervor?
11:20 AM CST on Sunday, December 9, 2007
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A suspected terrorist taken to Guantánamo last year says he was tortured in overseas CIA prisons and is now suffering physical and psychological trauma as a result, one of his attorneys said Saturday.
Majid Khan, the only U.S. resident among 15 "high-value" detainees, described the alleged abuse in October during his first meetings with attorneys at the Guantánamo Bay Navy base in Cuba.
"He was subjected to state-sanctioned torture," said attorney Wells Dixon, who was not authorized to share details of his client's account.
None of Mr. Khan's specific assertions of torture could be read in the heavily redacted documents.
A Central Intelligence Agency spokesman denied allegations that it tortured Mr. Khan or any others in terror interrogations beginning in 2002.
Mr. Khan, a 1999 graduate of a Baltimore-area high school, was seized in Pakistan in March 2003 and held until last year in secret CIA custody. In September 2006, he was transferred to Guantánamo, where he may be charged and face prosecution under a new military tribunal system.
After hearing Mr. Khan's account of his time in CIA custody, his attorneys sought a federal court order for the government to preserve any evidence of torture. The motion filed Nov. 30 argues that evidence of harsh interrogation techniques is key to Mr. Khan's ability to prove he has no connection to al-Qaeda.
"Khan admitted anything his interrogators demanded of him, regardless of the truth (redacted) in order to end his suffering," according to the attorneys' filing.
The bid to preserve evidence became urgent after the announcement Thursday that the CIA videotaped its interrogations of two top terror suspects in 2002 and destroyed the tapes three years later.
"The government is plainly no longer entitled to the presumption that they've acted in good faith," Mr. Dixon said.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
The Original Conan
"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."-- Robert E. Howard, The Phoenix on the Sword, 1932.Illustration by Mark Schultz.Robert Howard was a brilliant, yet tortured individual. He was born in 1906 in Parker County, Texas, in a little town called Peaster. He lived most of his child hood in Palo Pinto County. This is the guy who created Conan through the publication of pulpy short stories or novelettes serialized in the weekly publications of the time. The books published as "Conan, the Cimmerian" and "The Bloody Crown of Conan" are the original stories written between 1930 and 1934. Howard was famous for these as Conan captured a large following for the time.
Howard peppers the stories with derisive commentary on modern society. He appears to have admired the barbarian over the civilized man, at least, he found the ways of the barbarian more honest.
"The Cimmerian glared about, embarrassed at the roar of mocking laughter that greeted this remark. He saw no particular humor in it, and was too new to civilization to understand its discourtesies. Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard, The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: Conan of Cimmeria Volume 1, The Tower of the Elephant.
That was true then, and it is true now.
The stories are very entertaining. You will notice that they do not fall into a logical chronological order. The volume published by Ballantine Books put them in the order that Howard wrote them so long ago.
Robert E. Howard committed suicide in 1936. Some saw it coming. His father hid all of the guns in the house. Howard waited until after his father's death to go out to his car kill himself. It's too bad he couldn't have lived to contribute more. Can you imagine a 76 year old Robert Howard consulting on the set of "Conan, the Barbarian" in 1982? I think it would have been a better movie.
ZZ Top: The Best Music Video of Them All
ZZ Top released "Legs" off of the Eliminator Album. The entire video told a story in under four minutes. Of course, we were all in awe of the deuce coupe, too. I am a big ZZ Top fan.
Addicted to Love
Robert Palmer The most attention-grabbing and innovative music video that I can recall from the time that MTV was actually entertaining with music videos. What happened to them? Do they really think that the garbage they show now can hold a candle to the music video format that made them famous?
I love this video even though it is painfully obvious that the "ladies" aren't actually playing the instruments (duh). That was a great song and a very cool video. He tried the same format with those girls on "Simply Irresistible", but it didn't work as well the second time.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Probably My Favorite Song of All Time
Somewhere in a lonely hotel room
There's a guy starting to realize
That eternal fate has turned his back on him
There's a guy starting to realize
That eternal fate has turned his back on him
It's 2 A.M. the fear has gone
I'm sitting here waiting the gun still warm
Maybe my connection is tired of taking chances
Yeah there's a storm on the loose
Sirens in my head
Wrapped up in silence all circuits are dead
Cannot decode my whole life spins into a frenzy
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
I'm falling down a spiral, destination unknown
Double crossed messenger, all alone
Can't get no connection, can't get through, where are you?
Well the night weighs heavy on his guilty mind
This far from the borderline
When the hitman comes he knows damn well he has been cheated
And he says
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Help, I'm stepping into the twilight zone
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
Place is a madhouse feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
So you'll come to know
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
When the bullet hits the bone
Good Stuff!
One of my favorite commercials of all time
Do you remember the Old Spice commercial with Bruce Campbell playing the lounge style piano and singing Duran Duran's "Hungry Like a Wolf?" I have not figured out how to put video clips right in the blog page. For now, we will have to settle for this link that will take you to the clip of one of my favorite commercials of all time by one of my favorite actors. He takes a very popular song from the '80's and makes it his own. The entire time he is surrounded by babes who slowly close in on him. Watch the very end where he says, "Woof!" It's fun to play the commercial and then play the Duran Duran version.
Bruce Campbell is the self-proclaimed king of the B-movies. His biggest hits were Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and Army of Darkness. I have a copy of "Army of Darkness" on VHS. This guy has been around for quite awhile. He recently turned up in "Spiderman III" as the maitre'd in the restaurant. I am a fan.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Front Page of Wise County Messenger
2006 photo of District Attorney Jana Jones talking with National Republican Committeeman, Bill CrockerEight is Enough
District Attorney Jana Jones will not seek reelection in 2008
Published Thursday, December 6, 2007
By Brandon Evans
After serving as district attorney for Wise and Jack counties for the past eight years, Jana Jones announced on Monday that she would not run for a third term as district attorney for the 271st District." I'll miss working here terribly," Jones said, "but I want more time to spend with my family." Jones said the position is a 24-hour job and she is just ready to take a break. As of Monday, no one else has applied to run for the position, which will be up for election next year. However, it is rumored that county attorney Greg Lowery will seek the nomination. Jones said she will stay in Decatur and is considering several options in both the public and private sectors. She also said she might seek another elected office at some point in the future. One of the biggest cases Jones worked during her tenure was a cold case murder that occurred in Jack County. Gina Capps was murdered on Dec. 16, 1995, a few miles outside of Jacksboro. In 2005, with the help of then assistant district attorney Allen Williamson, Jones finally brought the killer, Hardy Don Capps of Spanish Fort, to justice when a jury convicted him of the murder.Jones ran unopposed as a Democrat in 2000. After switching parties prior to the 2004 election, Jones defeated Jim Matthews in the March 2004 primary before defeating Democratic candidate Michael Carrillo in the November general election.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Ironman on the Big Screen
We are ready for the release of "Ironman", but we have to wait until May 2008. Ironman was always one of my favorite Marvel characters. Robert Downey, Jr., will be Tony Stark, who is Ironman's alter ego. The trailer for the movie can be seen at the linked website. Watching that is fun in itself. See you at the movies.Economics Department Head at George Mason University
Walter Williams is my favorite columnist. He has the best website ever, and he writes the most understandable columns of any of the political commentators. His articles are less commentary and more recitation of facts and principles. It appears to me that he understands the principles that founded this country. These principles have become lost in modern times of massive government growth and empowerment.In 2005, he published a 10 part syndicated column that contained a basic lesson in economics. My favorite recent article is entitled "Congressional and Leftist Lies" which he released on November 14, 2007. In that article, he exposes the lies being told to attack and condemn President Bush's tax cuts to Americans. So many say that this is to help the rich and the poor will suffer the extra burden. He gives facts and figures as to which economic group bears which percentage of the national tax burden:
"In 2005, the top 1 percent of income earners, those with an annual adjusted gross income of $365,000 and higher, paid 39 percent of all federal income taxes; in 1999, they paid 36 percent."
"In 2005, the top 5 percent of income earners, those having an adjusted gross income of $145,000 and higher, paid 60 percent of all federal taxes; in 1999, it was 55 percent. The top 10 percent, earning income over $103,000, paid 70 percent. The top 25 percent, with income of over $62,000, paid 86 percent, and the top 50 percent, earning $31,000 and higher, paid 97 percent of all federal taxes."
"What about any argument suggesting that the burden of taxes have been shifted to the poor? The bottom 50 percent, earning $30,000 or less, paid 3 percent of total federal income taxes. In 1999, they paid 4 percent. Congressmen know all of this, but they attempt to hoodwink the average American who doesn't."
How can you argue with the numbers? If these numbers are not accurate, show me. The attempts by Congress to do away with the tax cuts are nothing more than an attempt to fool the public. I love this guy because he gives real information and not just opinion.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Ann Coulter
I have never made it a secret that I am a fan of Ann Coulter. I attended the Denton County Lincoln Day Dinner in January of 2008 to see her in person and to hear her speak. She did not disappoint me. When I speak of her, I hear words like "hater" and "divider" and "anti-christ". (Seriously, does she come anywhere near the vision given in "Revelations"?) I also hear that she used the word "faggot" in a talk about John Edwards. Fine, apparently she really did that. So what? Are we going to let the censors continue to place certain words off limits by speakers? Who died and made them the rulers of the world of language? I like Ann because she points out the flaws of the democratic party platform and the lack of logical sequence in their rhetoric. Can we really discount a logical argument that leads to the truth over the use of a single word? I truly have never read or heard a criticism showing flaws in her arguments or statements. I am apalled at the number of people calling for publications to stop carrying her syndicated articles. The old saying "the truth hurts" applies here.Trial Update
The defendant chose to plead guilty to the court right before jury selection started for a sentence of 25 years in the penitentiary. The people involved were satisfied with the result.
Jana's Decision
Wise County Messenger Update
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
JONES WON'T RUN AGAIN - District Attorney Jana Jones announced yesterday that she won't seek a third term. In a press release, Jones said she "was considering several options in both the private and public sectors" and did not rule out the possibility of seeking office at some point in the future. Jones was elected in 2000 and won reelection in 2004.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
JONES WON'T RUN AGAIN - District Attorney Jana Jones announced yesterday that she won't seek a third term. In a press release, Jones said she "was considering several options in both the private and public sectors" and did not rule out the possibility of seeking office at some point in the future. Jones was elected in 2000 and won reelection in 2004.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Has Anyone Told Al Gore and the EPA...
That Mexico is operating a volcano without the proper government mandated filters?
If this doesn't scare you...
Then you should see her other faces. Nice smile Hillary. That must be the "you're going to do as I say, right?" smile.Cindy's Scholarship Announced in Hometown Paper
The announcement below appeared in the Tyler Morning Telegraph today, Sunday, December 2, 2007. Aside from the fact that I am madly in love with her, I am extremely proud of her and her accomplishments. The link to the article is also below (scroll down the page a bit to see the article). Her father called to tell her that the announcement of the scholarship award was in her hometown newspaper. It has yet to appear in the Denton Record Chronicle, but it should show up this week. Congratulations, Cindy!
ACHIEVEMENTS
Cynthia Thompson Henry, a master of public administration student at the University of North Texas, received the 2007 Lynn F. Anderson Fellowship from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. She is the daughter of Murry Thompson of Tyler and the late Jerry Sue Thompson, and a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School.The fellowship provides $4,000 per academic year to a student who is interested in local government finance.Ms. Henry is a probate auditor and attorney for Denton County. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler and Texas Tech University School of Law, and has served as an assistant district and county attorney for Smith and Hunt counties, city attorney for Lake Dallas and assistant city attorney for Denton.
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20071202/BUSINESS01/711300304/-1/BUSINESS
ACHIEVEMENTS
Cynthia Thompson Henry, a master of public administration student at the University of North Texas, received the 2007 Lynn F. Anderson Fellowship from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas. She is the daughter of Murry Thompson of Tyler and the late Jerry Sue Thompson, and a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School.The fellowship provides $4,000 per academic year to a student who is interested in local government finance.Ms. Henry is a probate auditor and attorney for Denton County. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler and Texas Tech University School of Law, and has served as an assistant district and county attorney for Smith and Hunt counties, city attorney for Lake Dallas and assistant city attorney for Denton.
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20071202/BUSINESS01/711300304/-1/BUSINESS
Here is a link to Kathleen Parker's column entitled "Survival of the Stupidest." I only saw this today. I am at a loss for words. It's bad enough that these people have fallen for the environmentalist agenda so hard that they are avoiding having children, but the ones that are murdering their children in the name of preserving the environment for the future should be insititutionalized. On the other hand, I suppose that we all benefit from the disontinuance of that genetic line. WOW!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
22 Ways to be a Good Democrat
22 Ways to Be a Good Democrat
THIS IS NOT SO HARD -- EVEN A CAVE MAN CAN DO IT....
1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support
abortion on demand.
2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and
governments create prosperity.
3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding
Americans are more of a threat than U.S. Nuclear weapons
technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean
communists.
4. You have to believe that there was no art before
Federal funding.
5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less
affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth’s
climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.
6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial
but being homosexual is natural.
7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread
by a lack of federal funding.
8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't
teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified
to teach those same kids about sex.
9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about
nature, but loony activists who have never been outside
of San Francisco do.
10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more
important than actually doing something to earn it.
11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent
$25 million of his own money to make "The Passion
of the Christ" for financial gain only.
12. You have t o believe the NRA is bad because
it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while
the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts
of the Constitution.
13. You have to believe that taxes are too low,
but ATM fees are too high.
14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and
Gloria Steinem are more important to American history
than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.
15. You have to believe that standardized tests are
racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal
and is a very nice person.
17. You have to believe that the only reason
socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried
is because the right people haven't been in charge.
18. You have to believe conservatives telling the
truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender
belonged in the White House.
19. You have to believe that homosexual parades
displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should
be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at
Christmas should be illegal.
20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party
funding by the Chinese Government is somehow
in the best interest to the United States.
21. You have to believe that this message is a part
of a vast, right wing conspiracy.
22. You have to believe that it's okay to give
Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day ..........
but it's not okay to say "Merry Christmas."
Ready to vote???
Pat Sajak: Conservative Political Commentator?
I did not know that Pat Sajak, host of "Wheel of Fortune" wrote a column that seems to mainly support conservative politics and values. I am impressed, and I have new respect for this man.
On another note, based on this column along with the other articles that I have read on the subject, I am comfortable in declaring in my blog that Oprah Winfrey is a racist. This woman's lips have been, at least I believed, superglued solidly to Hillary Clinton's rear end. However, all support for her fellow female dissolves when the black man enters the race. So long Hillary. Vote for Osama...uh...Obama. Sorry, I get them confused. Where are the other black political extremists: Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Tito, Jermaine and Janet Jackson, et. al?
On another note, based on this column along with the other articles that I have read on the subject, I am comfortable in declaring in my blog that Oprah Winfrey is a racist. This woman's lips have been, at least I believed, superglued solidly to Hillary Clinton's rear end. However, all support for her fellow female dissolves when the black man enters the race. So long Hillary. Vote for Osama...uh...Obama. Sorry, I get them confused. Where are the other black political extremists: Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Tito, Jermaine and Janet Jackson, et. al?
Susan Estrich's column this week also discusses Oprah jumping to support Obama.
Fortunately, middle America understands the idiocy of west coast politics (specifically the nonsense that comes from Hollywood). You can bet that those people will support the candidate or candidates least likely to stand up for or protect America. Those people hate America and would sell us to the enemy if they were ever really in charge.
Celebrities Unqualified to Give Political Endorsements
by Pat Sajak (more by this author)
Posted 11/28/2007 ETUpdated 11/29/2007 ET
There have been so many debates and interviews and columns and profiles and polls, it’s hard to believe the election for president is still about 11 months away. Recently, celebrity endorsements have been making news, with Oprah Winfrey saying she would campaign for Barack Obama and Barbra Streisand making the not-so-stunning announcement that she was supporting Hillary Clinton.
There are reasons, of course, why candidates welcome such help. First, there’s the bonanza of free publicity. With so many names and faces vying for attention, what could be better than the burst of news such endorsements bring? There’s also the burst of money these high-profile celebs can bring in themselves and attract from others. Then there’s the extra attention and excitement these stars engender when they appear at a candidate’s political events. It’s far easier to attract a crowd in Des Moines if a big TV, movie or recording star is standing next to the politician.
Putting those obvious benefits aside, the question remains: do these endorsements really translate into votes? Does anyone decide which candidate to choose based on the recommendation of a TV talk show host or a singer/actress? If any group of citizens is uniquely unqualified to tell someone else how to vote, it’s those of us who live in the sheltered, privileged arena of celebrityhood. It’s one thing to buy an ab machine because Chuck Norris recommends it (he’s in good shape, isn’t he?) or a grill because George Foreman’s name is on it (he’s a great guy, so it must be a great grill!), but the idea of choosing the Leader of the Free World based on the advice of someone who lives in the cloistered world of stardom seems a bit loony to me.
This is America, and we celebrities have just as much right as anyone else to speak up about any issue. The problem is that more attention is paid to what we say because we’re well known. But why should that matter? O.J. Simpson is one of the world’s best-known celebrities, but I can’t imagine anyone following his lead in a voting booth.I suppose anything that gets people engaged in the political process is a good thing, but the idea that a gold record, a top-ten TV show or an Oscar translates into some sort of political wisdom doesn’t make much sense to me. Trust me, one’s view of the world isn’t any clearer from the back seat of a limo.
Mr. Sajak is the host of "Wheel of Fortune" and PatSajak.com.
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