Stupidity in action...

In the video posted below a school security guard (not a real cop, thank God for small favors) tries to have a sign he dislikes taken off display. Now that the thing has gone viral (and if you're not up to speed on this story, it has) I'm sure he's busy kicking himself in his fat ass for not just walking on by.



Smooth move ExLax, smooth move. Welcome to 21st Century technology.

As the War Department will enthusiastically attest to, I go on at length about how access to the Internet is the equivalent of Gutenberg's movable type for the effect it will ultimately have on our civilization. If you think that's hyperbole, just remember Rathergate. The speed with which the memo was shown to be phony wouldn't have been possible fifteen years ago. Back then the canard that Bush had dodged active military service would have grown wings. But instead of that happening, Dan Rather got his ass burned by a bunch of pajama wearing bloggers with some spare time on their hands.

Ain't progress wonderful?

R.I.P.

KILLED IN ACTION: AUGUST 2 - 8, 2009

Please pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who served our nation with honor, and remember also those who mourn their loss.

Spc. Richard A. Walters Jr., 41, OH
Sgt. 1st Class William B. Woods Jr., 31, VA
Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, ENG
Fusilier Louis Carter, 19, ENG
Lance Cpl. James Fullarton, 24, ENG
Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush, 22, MI

May the souls of the faithful departed,through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Were Sodom & Gomorrah any worse?

I found this article over at Renew America; http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/090830

Here's a tidbit that sums it all up: "...Some may feel it is not immoral to murder, rape and so on. It is when a great deal of people believe something is immoral that it becomes against the law. It still doesn't make it immoral to everyone... " I encourage everyone to go read the entire thing, it's short and worth it.

Great God, how far we have fallen when some one will blithely spout such revolting garbage.

Harry Reid steps in it...

Found at http://www.lvrj.com/ , via Drudge;

SHERMAN FREDERICK: Enough is enough, Harry

Stop the childish bullying

This newspaper traces its roots to before Las Vegas was Las Vegas.

We've seen cattle ranches give way to railroads. We chronicled the construction of Hoover Dam. We reported on the first day of legalized gambling. The first hospital. The first school. The first church. We survived the mob, Howard Hughes, the Great Depression, several recessions, two world wars, dozens of news competitors and any number of two-bit politicians who couldn't stand scrutiny, much less criticism.

We're still here doing what we do for the people of Las Vegas and Nevada. So, let me assure you, if we weathered all of that, we can damn sure outlast the bully threats of Sen. Harry Reid.

On Wednesday, before he addressed a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Reid joined the chamber's board members for a meet-'n'-greet and a photo. One of the last in line was the Review-Journal's director of advertising, Bob Brown, a hard-working Nevadan who toils every day on behalf of advertisers. He has nothing to do with news coverage or the opinion pages of the Review-Journal.

Yet, as Bob shook hands with our senior U.S. senator in what should have been nothing but a gracious business setting, Reid said: "I hope you go out of business."

Later, in his public speech, Reid said he wanted to let everyone know that he wants the Review-Journal to continue selling advertising because the Las Vegas Sun is delivered inside the Review-Journal.

Such behavior cannot go unchallenged.

You could call Reid's remark ugly and be right. It certainly was boorish. Asinine? That goes without saying.

But to fully capture the magnitude of Reid's remark (and to stop him from doing the same thing to others) it must be called what it was -- a full-on threat perpetrated by a bully who has forgotten that he was elected to office to protect Nevadans, not sound like he's shaking them down.

No citizen should expect this kind of behavior from a U.S. senator. It is certainly not becoming of a man who is the majority leader in the U.S. Senate. And it absolutely is not what anyone would expect from a man who now asks Nevadans to send him back to the Senate for a fifth term.

If he thinks he can push the state's largest newspaper around by exacting some kind of economic punishment in retaliation for not seeing eye to eye with him on matters of politics, I can only imagine how he pressures businesses and individuals who don't have the wherewithal of the Review-Journal.

For the sake of all who live and work in Nevada, we can't let this bully behavior pass without calling out Sen. Reid. If he'll try it with the Review-Journal, you can bet that he's tried it with others. So today, we serve notice on Sen. Reid that this creepy tactic will not be tolerated.

We won't allow you to bully us. And if you try it with anyone else, count on going through us first.
That's a promise, not a threat.

And it's a promise to our readers, not to you, Sen. Reid.

Sherman Frederick (sfrederick@reviewjournal.com) is publisher of the Review-Journal and president of Stephens Media.

Are some members of the MSM growing disenchanted with the Democrats and by extension, B.O. ?

Suit filed regarding snitch.com...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- An organization for physicians and a black pro-life group have banded together for a new lawsuit against the Obama administration. They are suing the White House over the email address set up for backers of the pro-abortion health care bills to snitch on opponents.

Obama officials caused a furor earlier this month when they unveiled the flag@whitehouse.gov email address meant for "fishy" claims about the president's health care proposal. (Which they still haven't apologized for or given their usual spin. Have they become that arrogant they feel no explanation is necessary or are they so immersed in a mindset that feels this is normal they can't fathom the outrage?)

Last week, the White House quietly disabled the email and sent people who filed complaints to an official factsheet promoting the government-run health care plan that has abortion funding and will lead to rationing. (The resultant public exposure of snitching would serve to weed out the opportunists and leave the true believers.)

Now, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), which takes a pro-life position, has filed suit against Obama and other White House officials.

In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, the groups said the Obama administration has “unlawfully collected information on political speech, thereby illegally using the power of the White House to chill opposition to its plans for health care reform."

"Although the White House slightly revised its data collection procedure last week, the email address still exists, the illegal activity continues, and is part of an unlawful pattern and practice to collect and maintain information on the exercise of free speech," the groups maintain.

The use of the email address "continues in violation of the Privacy Act and First Amendment even if the Defendants terminate a particular information-collection component due to negative publicity.”

The lawsuit outlines how the White House has employed a form of “bait-and-switch” tactic of accusing the plaintiffs and other opponents of spreading misinformation about the Obama administration's goals for health care reform, "and thereby refusing to ‘come clean’ about its real agenda."

The lawsuit outlines that the White House knew that the data collection would chill free speech, and in fact, intended to do just that.

"As part of their effort to advance the White House healthcare reform agenda, Defendants have accused opponents (including Plaintiffs) of spreading misinformation on issues such as whether a) health reform would provide public funding for abortions, (b) put 'death panels' in place to deny care to the elderly or infirm ...." it says.

Kathryn Serkes, the director of policy and public affairs for AAPS, told LifeNews.com that she started receiving hate mail "shortly after the White House issued the ‘fishy’ request."
“We were quite visible and vocal before then, so it doesn't seem like a coincidence. Who did they share their data with? With whom might they share it?” she wondered. (Check out whats been happening at various town hall meetings where union thugs have appeared. Intimidation seems to be gearing up.)

Star Parker, the CURE president, also chimed in on the lawsuit and the actions that preceded it.

"As a black conservative spokesperson and columnist, intimidation tactics aren't new to me,” she said. “But it is of great concern to see the current Administration build an enemies list of those who disagree with them on this important issue.”

AAPS and CURE demand that the White House remove all information already collected, and further, be prohibited from collecting any personal data in the future.

The Obama administration introduced the flag email address on August 4, saying, “There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation."

"Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy," it added.

The two groups filed their lawsuit in District Court for the District of Columbia.

Anyone seen this story on the MSM? Yeah, another stupid question. Seriously, I believe theres a fair amount of intimidation going on. Check out this gem from American Thinker; http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/08/obama_and_the_thugs.html
which I found via Mulieris Dignitatem. I especially recommend noting the list of incidents towards the bottom of the column.

B.O. is practicing Chicago style politics and he isn't to be discounted even if the wheels seem to be coming off the healthcare bus. But I feel he's strictly a one term President and if we can survive the remainder of his time in office we'd be smart to pay real close attention to his successors and their actions for the next decade or so. My thinking on this is that his tactics will be accepted as the norm by the time he leaves office if theres no concerted effort to disown them. Thuggish behavior will be practiced by both parties, with the inevitable result of going further down this road.

We've got to be damned careful in what we accept vis-a-vis partisan behavior. It could come back to bite us square on the butts.

Parenting at 56 or, "I didn't bargain for this!"

"Yep, he sure enough broke it!"

That was the War Department about ten minutes ago, updating me on our second son's condition after she took him to the local ER.

The four year old tornado was playing in the "bounce house" we keep in the back yard. His big trick is to stand at the top of the attached slide, take a leap and cannonball onto it midway down. This whole thing is a colossal airbag, designed for the rough & tumble play of children. What could possibly go wrong?

Regardless of the "bounce house" design, his body isn't built for a half spin in midair causing him to land on the right elbow. I'm watching this crap so I know EXACTLY what he did! The immediate scream afterward let me know that all was not well.

The WD took him to the nearby ER and the rest is history.

Four years old and already breaking bones.

I can't wait for the teenage years!

Don't even mention his learning to drive. Just don't do it, okay?


UPDATE: This was the final result.

Spammers and comment moderation.

I'm enabling comment moderation due to an increasing number of spam hyperlinks left to Oriental porn sites. They're always left on a previous post with the term "organs" in the title, maybe that has some sort of attraction for the pervs. Whatever.

It is what it is.

Damned perverts.

Time for us to blow this popsicle stand...

Okay, we've given it the old college try. So can we leave the UN now? The following indicates it's WAY past time;

NEW YORK, August 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A UN agency has issued a report calling for all children in all countries to be taught about sex, "reproductive" and "gender" issues. United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued a report, titled "International Guidelines on Sexual Education," that claims that international law requires States to "provide sexuality education in primary and secondary schools." The report says children should be given explicit information on sex from the age of five as an "entitlement". (You. Must. Be. Kidding.)

"Sexuality education," the report says, "is part of the duty…of education and health authorities and institutions." (I'd guess parents aren't to be trusted in this.)

The report complains that children's knowledge of sex is hampered "by embarrassment, silence, and disapproval of open discussion of sexual matters by adults". (Quite right. I definetly don't want my kids discussing the Karma Sutra at the dinner table. Or anywhere else for that matter.)

In what may be a swipe at Uganda's highly successful AIDS prevention programme focusing on abstinence and fidelity in marriage, the UNESCO report notes the "experience in Uganda" that "reveals that young people living with HIV are often discriminated against by sexual and reproductive health services and are actively discouraged from becoming sexually active." (This is a bad thing because....? If they're not sexually active they're not transmitting the disease. Why is this a problem? Is the UN so racist they can't abide the survival of blacks in Africa? I'm serious as that's the only thing that would make sense to me, i.e. they have David Duke or his clone running the show at Turtle Bay.)

As with most "progressive" demands for explicit sexual information for children, the rationale is to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. This despite increasing evidence on the ground that such "education" increases these and other social ills. (If you're not slapping bellies with someone you can't get an STD or pregnant. Isn't that the whole idea of prevention? Sounds pretty foolproof.)

"Few young people receive adequate preparation for their sexual lives. This leaves them potentially vulnerable to coercion, abuse and exploitation, unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV," the report says. (The inmates are running the asylum.)

"It is therefore essential to recognise the need and entitlement of all young people to sexuality education."

The report was released in June in conjunction with the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), an organization which works for universal access to "reproductive health care." (Big surprise) UNESCO has long been a major supporter of the United Nations' population control projects, including coercive abortion, in its overseas work. (Eugenic racism at work.) Also consulting in the report were "recognised experts" with UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, both organisations heavily invested in abortion and contraceptives as part of the international population control project.

Included in what the report calls its "rights-based approach", are issues like "sexual and reproductive rights," the role of women within families, the "right and access to safe abortion."

Despite insisting that parents should be included in consultations on age-appropriateness of the sex education programmes, the report repeatedly asserts that teachers and government-approved programmes are most responsible for children's well being. (Over. My. Dead. Body.)

"In a context where ignorance and misinformation can be life-threatening, sexuality education is part of the duty of care of education and health authorities and institutions.

"Teachers in the classroom have a responsibility to act in the place of parents, contributing towards ensuring the protection and well-being of children and young people." (It's for things like this we have the Second Amendment in this country.)


I thought "Vendetta" was a real POS movie. I didn't see it, any flick that romanticizes rape automatically gets the thumbs down by me. But there is one line from it that has been oft quoted I've no problem accepting;

"People shouldn't be afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of the people."

That would include international governing bodies also.

What if she was raised as an athiest?

Words fail me. Really.

LACONIA, N.H. — An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney filed motions with a New Hampshire court Monday asking it to reconsider and stay its decision to order a 10-year-old home-schooled girl into a government-run school in Meredith.

Although the marital master making recommendations to the court agreed the child is “well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade level” and that “it is clear that the home schooling...has more than kept up with the academic requirements of the...public school system,” he nonetheless proposed that the Christian girl be ordered into a government-run school after considering “the impact of [her religious] beliefs on her interaction with others.” (Has anyone considered the impact of this "marital master's" beliefs on those he interacts with?) The court approved the order.

“Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children. In this case specifically, the court is illegitimately altering a method of education that the court itself admits is working,” said ADF-allied attorney John Anthony Simmons of Hampton. “The court is essentially saying that the evidence shows that, socially and academically, this girl is doing great, but her religious beliefs are a bit too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews. This is a step too far for any court to take.”

The parents of the child divorced in 1999. The mother has home-schooled their daughter since first grade with curriculum that meets all state review standards. In addition to home schooling, the girl attends supplemental public school classes and has also been involved in a variety of extra-curricular sports activities. (So she isn't kept isolated from the public at large.)

In the process of renegotiating the terms of a parenting plan for the girl, the guardian ad litem involved in the case concluded, according to the court order, that the girl “appeared to reflect her mother’s rigidity on questions of faith” and that the girl’s interests “would be best served by exposure to a public school setting” and “different points of view at a time when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief...in order to select, as a young adult, which of those systems will best suit her own needs.” (Why is this "...a time when she must begin to critically evaluate ..." anything? When I was ten, girls my age were just at the point of checking out Nancy Drew mysteries.)

Marital Master Michael Garner reasoned that the girl’s “vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view” (At the age of ten what child should be doing this vis-a-vis religion?) and then recommended that the girl be ordered to enroll in a government school instead of being home-schooled. Judge Lucinda V. Sadler approved the recommendation and issued the order on July 14.

“The New Hampshire Supreme Court itself has specifically declared, ‘Home education is an enduring American tradition and right...,’” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson. “There is clearly and without question no legitimate legal basis for the court’s decision, and we trust it will reconsider its conclusions.”

Simmons filed his motions and supporting brief in the case In the Matter of Kurowski and Kurowski (Voydatch) with the Family Division of the Judicial Court for Belknap County in Laconia.

Found this at http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/

Sticking our nose where it really doesn't belong...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. State Department staff have recommended that the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya be declared a "military coup," (How is it a "military coup" when that military acted on the orders of the nation's Congress?) a U.S. official said on Thursday, a step that could cut off tens of millions of dollars in U.S. funding to the impoverished Central American nation.

The official, who spoke on condition he not be named, said State Department staff had made such a recommendation to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has yet to make a decision on the matter -- although one was likely soon.

Washington already suspended about $18 million in aid to Honduras following the June 28 coup ("coup" my ass, look into it a bit and it's apparent everything was done IAW their Constitution) and this would be formally cut if the determination is made because of a U.S. law barring aid "to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree."

The official said $215 million in grant funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation to Honduras would also have to end should Clinton make the determination that a military coup took place.

According to the MCC, just over $80 million of this has already been disbursed. A second U.S. official said this implied the remaining roughly $135 million could not be given to Honduras should the determination be made.

But MCC officials could not immediately say exactly how much of the MCC funds for Honduras were in jeopardy.

Diplomats said the United States had held off making the formal determination to give diplomacy a chance to yield a negotiated compromise that might allow for Zelaya's return to power. (We want this asswipe in power because...?)

Such efforts appear, however, to have failed for now and so the United States is taking steps -- including its decision on Tuesday to cease issuing some visas at its embassy in Tegucigalpa -- to raise pressure on the de facto government. (I hope this government tells us to pack sand.)

"The recommendation of the building is for (Clinton) to sign it," the first U.S. official said of the "military coup" determination.

The official said this was a response to the de facto government's rejection of proposals put forward by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whose mediation effort has stalled over the government's refusal to allow Zelaya to return to power.

The San Jose accord proposed last month by the Nobel Peace Prize winner (these days that prize doesn't mean diddle squat) would have allowed Zelaya to return to office until elections are held by the end of November.

The State Department said on Tuesday it would only provide visa services to potential immigrants and emergency cases at its embassy in Tegucigalpa.

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters the visa decision was "a signal of how seriously we are watching the situation" and said Washington was considering other steps, though it was premature to disclose these.

So the president of this nation was deposed in a lawful manner, IAW their Constitution, and now our State Department has got their knickers in a twist because he can't back into office.

Maybe it hits a little too close to home, i.e. a country's Chief Executive tries undermining the Constitution therefore the legislative & judicial branches take sharp, decisive action. Hmm.

Paul Wellstone/Ted Kennedy Follies coming to town?

Remember when Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in an airplane crash and the circus that his memorial service became? It was so bad that Jesse Ventura, at that time the state's governor, came away completely disgusted by the cheap theater.

When a man who rose to fame wearing a boa and purple tights for his workday attire feels that way, you know it had to be REALLY bad!

Wonder if B.O. & Co. will do the same now that Senator Kennedy has met his Maker? FWIW, during his campaign B.O. hired a stage manager who used to work for Madonna (remember the Greek columns?).

Boy, am I ever glad we don't watch the tube anymore. Unfortunately for the War Dept, her break room has it going 24/7. Please say a prayer for her, she'll need patience with this one.

V.D. Hanson on Obama's folly...

Taken from the author's site;

Liberal columnists decrying the Obama administration’s supposed lack of partisan fortitude and eagerness for a nasty fight for healthcare seem oddly detached from reality. The opposition to Obamacare would have gone nowhere had the president offered a concise plan, had his team kept repeating four or five logical and easily understandable talking points, and had he prepared a few pat answers to the more controversial elements of the plan, from the public option to so-called “end of life” panels to treatment of illegal aliens and the real cost.

Instead, Obama and his advisers, in lazy fashion, outsourced the plan to the partisan left-wingers of the Democratic party who are key House chairs. They in turn offered up a 1,000-page legalese mess, which the administration’s key players never read, and which Obama arrogantly thought he could wing through in a few weeks with his “hope and change”/“trust me” cadences.

Once a few citizens at town halls started to call them on it, it quickly became clear not just that Obama’s healthcare reform was an effort to emulate in the long run the failed Canadian system, but far more importantly, that none of its defenders were able to explain, much less defend, the plan.

Now the problem is not just that health care is going down, but that in the process the administration has tarnished the blue-chip Obama brand, and we are in a sort of emperor-has-no-clothes moment. Take away the rhetoric and charisma, and this same absence of preparation, professional research, and focused public defense seems to apply to almost everything Obama has offered, from more stimulus and more deficit spending to cash for clunkers and cap and trade.

The likes of Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, and Nancy Pelosi, all according to their stations, demagogued the Iraq War and unfairly tarred Bush as some sort of satanic figure. But they succeeded, primarily because the Bush administration in response could not articulate what the aims in Iraq were, why they were worth the likely costs, and why decisions like disbanding the Iraqi army, at first pulling back from Fallujah, giving a reprieve to Sadr, etc. were mistakes and would not be repeated. The problem was not that Bush and Co. did not fight back sufficiently, but rather that they did not explain adequately to the American people why the people’s growing doubts about winning in Iraq were mistaken.

So liberals should not blame conservatives for opposing what they do not believe in and think is harmful for the country, or their own team in the White House for not waging a partisan defense (they in fact have, ad nauseam). Rather they should fault Obama himself for not offering a simple, understandable plan and for failing to explain and defend with clear language and logic something that really does seem “fishy” to the American people.

Strictly on a personal note, am I the only one thinking the opening an investigation of CIA interrogators is a red herring designed to draw attention away from the healthcare debate?

BREAKS OVER!!

Everyone back on your head.

R.I.P.

KILLED IN ACTION: AUGUST 2 - 8, 2009

Please pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who served our nation with honor, and remember also those who mourn their loss.

Pvt. Keiffer P. Wilhelm, 19, OH
Lance Cpl. Javier Olvera, 20, CA
Staff Sgt. Tara J. Smith, 33, NC
Spc. Matthew K. S. Swanson, 20, CA
Pvt. Jason George Williams, 23, ENG
Lance Cpl. Dennis J. Burrow, 23, FL
Sgt. Jerry R. Evans Jr., 23, AL
Capt. Matthew C. Freeman, 29, GA
Pvt. Kyle Adams, 21, ENG
Lance Cpl. James D. Argentine, 22, NY
Lance Cpl. Travis T. Babine, 20, TX
Cpl. Christian A. Guzman Rivera, 21, FL
Lance Cpl. Dale Thomas Hopkins, 23, ENG
Sgt. Jay M. Hoskins, 24, TX
Cpl. Kevin Mulligan, 26, ENG
Petty Offcr 3rd Class Anthony C. Garcia, 21, FL
Craftsman Anthony Lombardi, 21, ENG
Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Granado, 42, TX
Capt. Ronald G. Luce Jr., 27, NC
Sgt. 1st Class Severin W. Summers III, 43, MS

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Break Time...

I'll be around, just not posting for a few days. Time to recharge the batteries.

No failure to communicate...

It's after lunch, my two year old girl is asleep (I hope) and the boys (4 yrs. and almost 6 yrs. old) are putzing around the living room while I sit at the computer catching up on the news.

The older boy wanders over and mumbles about me checking email, guess he picked that up from the War Department. I agree and continue reading. He mumbles something else to which I reply, "Uh-huh". This repeats itself. On the third try he firmly reached across the desk, clicked the monitor off and, looking me in the eye, firmly states, "I HAVE TO GO TEE-TEE."

Well, he got THAT particular message across!

Don't pray over your school's "mystery meat"...

As these men found out, it may get you into trouble. Does it get any more ridiculous?

Florida High School Officials Face Criminal Charges Over Luncheon Prayer

PENSACOLA, Florida, August 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The principal of Pace High School, Frank Lay, and Athletic Director Robert Freeman are facing fines and imprisonment on criminal contempt charges after violating a court injunction that forbids prayers by administrators at school functions.

The criminal charges carry up to a $5,000 fine and a six-month jail term.

Earlier this year, Florida's Santa Rosa County School District was coerced into consenting to a court order prohibiting prayers during school-sponsored events after it decided not to further contest a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU suit was filed behalf of two unnamed students who claimed school officials violated the Constitution by promoting their religious beliefs in schools.

A temporary injunction was issued in January by US District Judge Casey Rodgers that "prohibits all district school officials from promoting, endorsing, or causing religious prayers during school-sponsored events."

The case revolves around a luncheon held to dedicate a new sports facility where Mr. Lay asked Mr. Freeman to say a prayer over the food in the presence of school employees and people who had helped with the school project.

On January 28, "Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at Pace High School," according to court documents. "Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members."

Although there have been some reports that no students were present at the event, which was held on school property but after school hours, the ACLU contends that the incident occurred during school hours and that Mr. Lay has said in writing that students were present.

Mr. Lay said he was not intentionally trying to violate the court order, according to Santa Rosa's Press Gazette. "It is just something you are used to doing and as they say it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks."

Pace High School, locally known as "the Baptist Academy", has a long history of promoting a Christian ethos for its students, where prayers during sporting events and other activities were common. The Pace High School teachers' handbook asks teachers to "embrace every opportunity to inculcate, by precept and example, the practice of every Christian virtue."

In June this year 400 graduating seniors at Pace High School stood up in protest against the ACLU instigated court order banning prayer and recited the Lord's Prayer during their graduation ceremony. Many of the students also painted crosses on their graduation caps to make a statement of faith.

Liberty Counsel, a Christian-based legal advocacy group, has filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Christian Educators Association International to challenge what it claims is an "overreaching" consent order. "The order unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of teachers, administrators, and students," the non-profit litigation organization argues.

"I have been defending religious freedom issues for 22 years, and I've never had to defend somebody who has been charged criminally for praying," said Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel.

However ACLU spokesman Glenn Katon said that Mr. Lay is not facing jail time for praying, but for violating a court order.

"We certainly never suggested that anyone go to jail," Katon said in a CNN report. "We're just trying to make sure that school employees comply with the court order."

"It is a sad day in America when school officials are criminally prosecuted for a prayer over a meal," said Mathew Staver in a statement Monday. "It is outrageous and an offense to the First Amendment to punish a school official for a simple prayer."

The trial date for Lay and Freeman is scheduled for Sept. 17.

FWIW, I think the best thing that could happen would be for these men to be found guilty. The ensuing outrage would bring this sort of nonsense square into the public eye.

"Watching my first abortion..."

For some reason a news reporter finds out it's different than watching tooth extractions. I originally had a hyperlink going to Jill Stanek's site and the related story. Unfortunately it included graphic photos which I couldn't edit out. The photos were called to my attention as being especially revolting by a man I respect and doubt has a delicate stomach. Therefore I've cut and pasted the post below;

Jill Stanek writes: I wrote this morning that showing the reality of abortion tosses "pro-choice" platitudes out the window.

Newsweek reporter Sarah Kliff wrote a nice pro-abort puff piece about late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart but in a related piece reported running into emotional trouble when actually watching him commit the dirty deed: (what follows is excerpted from the article, for some reason now unavailable)

... But I'd never actually seen an abortion; I'd never watched the procedure that activists vehemently defend or deplore.... I wasn't sure I would. I confess I was hesitant to step into Carhart's operating room....

A 1st-trimester abortion, from my vantage point behind the glass window, looked like an extended, more invasive version of a standard ob-gyn exam. A woman with her heels in stirrups, clothes traded in for a hospital gown, a speculum holding the cervix open. Carhart used a suction tube to empty the contents of the uterus; it took no longer than 3 minutes. The suction machine made a slight rumbling sound, a pinkish fluid flowed through the tube, and, faster than I'd expected, it was over.... I'd anticipated some kind of difficulty watching an abortion; it wasn't there.

At least not physically. But there was a discomfort I hadn't expected, my emotional reaction to watching abortions....

When I returned from Omaha, friends and colleagues wanted to know if I had "done it." When I said I had, their reactions surprised me. Friends who supported legal abortion bristled slightly when I told them where I'd been and what I'd watched. Acquaintances at a party looked a bit regretful to have asked about my most recent assignment. The majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade's protection of abortion, about 68% as of May. But my experience (among an admittedly small, largely pro-choice sample set) found a general discomfort when confronted with abortion as a physical reality, not a political idea. Americans may support abortion rights, but even 40 years after Roe, we don't talk about it like other medical procedures.

And maybe that's appropriate. Abortion may be a simple procedure medically, but it is not cancer surgery. It's an elective procedure that no one - neither its defenders nor its detractors - expects to elect for themselves. I had (and still have) difficulty understanding my own reaction, both relieved to have watched a minimally invasive surgery and distressed by the emotionality of the process. Abortion involves weighty choices that, depending on how you view it, involve a life, or the potential for life....

Stanek picks up from here: Not only did her own reaction to abortion surprise Kliff, but also the reactions of her "large pro-choice sample set" - friends and colleagues. They approve of the concept of abortion but don't like being reminded of the reality.

Kliff is having "difficulty understanding" her reaction to the graphic reality of abortion that confronted her pro-abort self. (This ends the original post at Stanek's site)

So if it's only "a lump of tissue" or "a clump of cells", why would she have the gut reaction?

I'm sure someone could spin that into being the "fault" of the prolife movement.

Snitch Central has been closed down...

Like they say, sunshine is the strongest disinfectant.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The White House has quietly disabled the email address it promoted for backers of the pro-abortion health care bills pending in Congress to tattle on opponents of the legislation. Without fanfare, the White House has disabled the email address and is asking people to visit the main web site instead. (Does this completely eliminate the "snitch" option or does it just make public any complaints against particular individuals? If the latter I'd think public exposure of the complainant would alone serve as a deterrent for idiots trying to curry favor with Big Brother.)

Following a huge negative public outcry, Obama administration officials have apparently taken down the flag@whitehouse.gov email address meant for "fishy" claims about the president's health care proposal. (Yet still nothing from B.O. or his cronies in defense of this. Interesting.)

“The e-mail address you just sent a message to is no longer in service. We are now accepting your feedback about health insurance reform via http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck," the White House says now in any emails responding to notes sent to the address.

The web site is the new Obama factsheet that was noted for appearing to admit that the government-run health care plan includes abortion funding. (Wow, what a shock.)

The Obama administration introduced the flag email address on August 4, saying, “There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation." ("casual conversation", so be careful of what you say at the water cooler.)

"Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy," it added. ("Fishy" was never clearly defined. This administration is becoming notorious for vague and sloppy memos, legislation, etc. Part of the problem with the healthcare legislation is the sloppy terminology and lack of precise, concise phrasing.)

Though the email address no longer functions, the above request still appears on the White House web site.

Jill Stanek, a pro-life blogger, also noticed the email address is not functioning. She said what is more fishy is that no Obama officials made an announcement about it being taken down, which she says shows the attitude of the administration. (Amen.)

"First, this is how the Obama corrects things, on the sly. He just can't admit when he's wrong," Stanek writes. (Proving his lack of experience in the political big leagues.)

"Second, who in the world thought this was a good idea to begin with? Here was an example of almost unfathomable ineptitude and inexperience. The wrongness was so basically clear. Hard to believe the White House did this," Stanek added. (Arrogance will blind folks.)

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, had asked Obama to get his administration to stop the effort, saying that free expression on the health care bills could be "chilled." (Actually it seemed to energize a lot of bloggers to get defiant. At least the small number I've sampled.)

"As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech right," he wrote in a letter to Obama.

"I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed 'fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests," Cornyn went on to say. (If I recall my history correctly, Wilson did something along these lines. Wilson is also known as a fan of socialism, go figure.)

"I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward e-mails critical of his policies to the White House," Cornyn wrote. (It would be off the charts!)

In his letter, Cornyn asked that the information effort cease immediately and that no lists or sources of information or opponents be compiled.

The email address controversy is reminding some of an incident earlier this year, that saw the Department of Homeland Security produce a report saying "opponents of abortion" are likely to engage in extremism or terrorism. (Ya think? Tell me there wouldn't be a tie-in somewhere.)

In the new document, the Department of Homeland Security warned law officials about a supposed rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the poor economy and presence of a black president could spark problems. (Why do Democrats stay so focused on race? Every time I've heard it brought up, it was a Democratic liberal doing it.)

A footnote attached to the nine-page report from the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis said the activities of pro-life advocates is included in "rightwing extremism in the United States.” (Yeah, those middle-aged churchgoers are fanatics at heart. Sheesh!)

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning said.

The Obama administration sent the document to police and sheriff's departments across the country on April 7 under the headline, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment." (Then they promptly disowned it when the furor rose.)

Has anyone else noticed how instrumental the use of the Internet has become in affairs like this one? Sounds like a good topic for another post!

The way to spend a Sunday afternoon...

Watching a DVD of vintage Looney Tunes cartoons with my crew. It doesn't get any better.

R.I.P.

KILLED IN ACTION: JULY 26 - AUGUST 1, 2009

Please pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who served our nation with honor, and remember also those who mourn their loss.

Lance Cpl. Gregory A. Posey, 22, TN
Lance Cpl. Jonathan F. Stroud, 20, OK
Pvt. Gerrick D. Smith, 19, IL
Chief Wrnt Ofcr 2 Douglas M. Vose, 38, WA
Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton, 35, England
Trooper Phillip Lawrence, 22, England
Cpl. Anthony Baudin, 22, France
Pvt. Patrick S. Fitzgibbon, 19, TN
Pfc. Richard K. Jones, 21, NC
Cpl. Jonathan M. Walls, 27, PA
Spc. Alexander J. Miller, 21, FL
Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21, Canada
Cpl. Christian Bobbitt, 23, Canada

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Dominoes...

I was talking about domino effects to the War Department last night. It started with my reiteration of how B.O. started his public trek to power, by winning an Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate after beating Jack Ryan.

For those not familiar with the background, Ryan withdrew after details of his divorce were made public. Here's the Wikipedia entry on Ryan; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ryan_(Senate_candidate

Because Ryan withdrew, B.O. ran against an ill-prepared candidate (Keyes jumping into the middle of the fray wasn't too smart IMHO.), B.O. won and came to national attention. After two years in the Senate (and just how much of that time was spent laying the groundwork for a presidential candidacy?), B.O. jumps into the spotlight and goes on to become our Chief Executive.

Because he is now our President the nation is doing an about face in many areas. We're running full tilt towards embracing socialism, trying to get out of Iraq with the job there uncompleted, the economy is tanking (and it's just too late to be blaming Bush & Co., again IMHO), we're backing off on promoting human rights (check out our silence on things like the Iranian election), finding ourselves in bed with totalitarian dictators (when B.O. finds himself agreeing with Chavez & Castro about a "coup" in Honduras it's time for a med check) and on and on....

I didn't even mention the possible effects of trying to cozy up to Iran's Ahmenidjad while putting distance between ourselves and Israel. Can you say, "nuclear war"?

I'll give this as a gauge of how serious things are, at least one man whose judgment I respect is now stockpiling food and ammunition. He doesn't have anything specific in mind, it's all on a "just in case" basis.

All this started when a bunch of sealed records of a divorce proceeding came to light. I acknowledge that according to Wikipedia, Ryan was trailing B.O. in the polls when it happened. I feel the disclosure of his divorce proceedings really put the nail in the coffin for the Republicans, insuring B.O. had a clear path to the Senate and beyond.

Dominoes.

To put it another way;

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Now we're all "haters"...

Found this on Drudge from abcnews.go.com;

Experts who track hate groups across the U.S. are growing increasingly concerned over violent rhetoric targeted at President Obama, especially as the debate over health care intensifies and a pattern of threats emerges. (Where were these "experts" the last eight years? Or wasn't the constant references to "Bushitler" and tee shirts with his face with a bulls eye superimposed over it something to worry about?)

The Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign reading "Death to Obama" and "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids" outside a town hall meeting this week. And in New Hampshire, another man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall with his gun on full display. (The Secret Service is doing their job and good on 'em. But when wing nuts like this were investigated during the Bush years a story like this would have been on the back page.)

Los Angeles police officers apprehended a man Thursday after a standoff with him inside a red Volkswagen Bug car in Westwood, CA-the latest disturbing case even though officials said the man had mental problems. (Whats the implication here, the guy was a nutter but don't discount the right-wing extremists?)

"I don't think these are simply people who are mentally ill or off their rocker," Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told ABC News of those behind the threats. "In a very real sense they represent a genuine reaction, a genuine backlash against Obama." (Oh boy, now here we go with the tie-in to B.O.'s detractors.)

Experts (WHAT EXPERTS?) say a sharp growth in so-called militia groups that helped spawn a wave of domestic terrorism in the 1990s  and are now using YouTube, rock music and the Internet to recruit members and spread hate and fear - shouldn't be ignored. (Next we'll hear about subliminal messages in the rock music.)

"It's certainly a scary time," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, now an ABC News consultant. Garrett said the Secret Service "cannot afford to pass on anyone," (Fair enough and absolutely right) and he believes "they really do fear that something could happen to [Obama]." (What is his source for this?)

Garrett said statements like one recently made by controversial radio host Rush Limbaugh comparing a logo for the White House plan to a Nazi symbol "legitimizes people who are on the edge to go do something or say something." (Notice how his words are tied into potential acts of nut cases? Why didn't we hear anything similar in the past, like when Howard Dean said 9/11/01 theories of government involvement were "interesting"?)

"And if you go and take a look at this, you will find that the Obama health care logo is damn close to a Nazi swastika logo," Limbaugh said.

Later, someone painted a swastika outside the office of Congressman David Scott of Georgia, one of Obama's supporters. (How do these two automatically tie into one another? Shouldn't there be just the slightest bit more of objective evidence found before leaping to conclusions?)

Secret Service Security Around Obama

While officials told ABC News that the President's daily threat matrix has yet to reflect a sharp increase in threats, White House officials privately admit deep concern and have told the Secret Service to keep security tight, even if Obama objects.

"I think the president has, in effect, triggered fears amongst fairly large numbers of white people (Isn't this a racist statement?) in this country that they are somehow losing their country, that the battle is lost," Potok told ABC News. "The nation that their Christian white forefathers created has somehow been taken from them." (Hey stupid, it isn't his race or religion we have a problem with, it's his policies and actions these past several months. But I'd guess when you can't throw anything else into the mix, throwing in the race card is always acceptable.)

Fairly soon we'll all be brought in for questioning. Good thing B.O. hasn't gotten his Civilian Defense Corp idea off the ground. I may have the title wrong, it was the idea of a civilian paramilitary set up to be as well funded as the military itself. "Brownshirts" is the term often used.

Good thing they're not up and running.

Fr. Longenecker on utilitarianism...

This is the second in a series of posts by Fr. Longenecker. It's dynamite!

Another of the devil's tricks in our contemporary world is utilitarianism. This is the belief that if something works it is right. Now, of course there is nothing wrong with liking things to work, and efficiency and practicality are all virtues. The problem (as in all heresies) is when this virtue is elevated above all others.

Utilitarianism comes in all sorts of forms. It is argued that women should be priests because they would be good at it. It is argued that it doesn't matter if a person is divorced and remarried or in some sort of immoral relationship. What a person does in their bedroom (the utilitarian argues) doesn't affect what they do in the boardroom. How a person behaves in the trouser department should not affect how they behave in the workplace. When utilitarianism is exalted above all other virtues the other virtues disappear.

The ultimate effect is that both personal decisions and public policy are decided on 'what works'. Consequently the most horrific things can take place and the utilitarian closes his ears to the screams, turns his eye from the horror and says, "Yes, but it works. Auschwitz and abortion were promoted because they seemed to provide an effective solution to a perceived problem. Euthanasia is the ultimate utilitarian solution.

Not only the greatest horrors, but the greatest tyrannies are brought about by utilitarianism. If you object to the utilitarian solution for religious or moral or personal reasons you must be elimminated in whatever way possible.

Finally, perhaps utilitarianism's greatest evil is not that the utilitarian imposes solutions that work, but that they impose solutions that they believe will work. Solutions that are devised from ideological, religious, political or social theories are imposed on other people. When the solution fails to work the utilitarian simply imposes more of the same. Universal sex education for teenagers is a utilitarian solution for the problem of teen pregnancy. When it doesn't work they simply do more of the same.

Thus the final irony is that the utilitarian, who only wanted to do what works, not only ends up doing what doesn't work, he does it over and over and over again.

When you see the results of this you know that it is not only a trick of the devil, it is a sign of insanity.

posted by Fr Longenecker at 12:31 PM on Aug 12, 2009

Thanks for the award...

Thanks to Mike Golch, who has presented me with the "Humane Blogger" award. This was done solely for the weekly posts I put up listing those recently killed in action in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Thanks buddy.

R.I.P.

KILLED IN ACTION: JULY 19 - 25, 2009

Please pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who served our nation with honor, and remember also those who mourn their loss.

Spc. Herberth A. Berrios-Campos, 21, VA
Lance Cpl. Brandon T. Lara, 20, TX
Bombardier Craig Hopson, 24, England
Pfc. Donald W. Vincent, 26, FL
Spc. Justin D. Coleman, 21, FL
Airman Andrew Scott Charpentier, 21, MT
Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, PA
Lance Cpl. Jeremy S. Lasher, 27, NY
Cpl. Nicholas G. Xiarhos, 21, MA
Guardsman Christopher King, 20, England
Spc. Randy L. J. Neff Jr., 22, ID
Sgt. Joshua J. Rimer, 24, PA
Spc. Raymundo P. Morales, 34, GA
Spc. Anthony M. Lightfoot, 20, GA
Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr., 24, TX
Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt, 34, OK
Spc. Andrew J. Roughton, 21, TX
Capt. Daniel Shepherd, 28, England
Cpl. Joseph Etchells, 22, England

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

What took them so damned long?

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While America may need genuine health care reform, the danger that the bills on Capitol Hill already pose to unborn children presents a barrier that "we can never cross," according to the executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Pro-Life office. (While a lot of the laity have been making their voices heard our bishops have been slow to act. As usual.)

Tom Grenchik wrote a column Friday on the USCCB website that gives a clear account of the pro-life Catholic response to the debate over Obama's health care overhaul: health care reform must not be pushed at the expense of the unborn lives the current bill puts at risk.

"As Congress takes its vacation, various proposals have been left behind," wrote Grenchik. "These proposals need to be examined to see how well they provide accessible, affordable and quality health care and how they impact immigrants and the poor.

"But one thing is certain," he said. "The bills approved so far by House and Senate committees include mandated abortion coverage and abortion funding, and that is a line we can never cross." (Amen)

Grenchik said Bishop William Murphy, the Chairman of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, on July 17 already "drew a line" on the limits of health care reform in a letter to Congress July 17. Even before abortion was specifically mentioned in the health care bills, he noted, Murphy warned lawmakers that "no health care reform plan should compel us or others to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding or mandatory coverage of abortion."

While some may have been "surprised at this," Grenchik pointed out, "Those with longer memories may recall that the Medicaid statute doesn't mention abortion either, but it was funding 300,000 abortions a year in the 1970s until we put a stop to that with the Hyde amendment." (Which the supporters of B.O. are recommending removing.)

"In any case," he noted, "numerous amendments to keep abortion out of health care reform have been defeated in committee, and it is now apparent that some leaders have every intention of threatening the health care reform process by forcing Americans to accept abortion mandates and/or fund unlimited abortion in their health coverage." (Too damned many "Catholics" are willing to concede defeat in this area. Screw 'em!)

Several large Catholic organizations, including the Catholic Health Association and Catholic Charities USA, have recently begun pushing for "health care reform" in the abstract, falling in step with President Obama's sudden pressure for health reform.

The Catholic response to the Capitol Hill health care debate was muddled after the groups issued an "action alert," complete with a congressional email form, designed to urge lawmakers to pass health care reform "immediately." The message included no mention of protecting against the danger of abortion expansion. (Why worry about the unborn when you can feel so good about providing free healthcare for the local illegal aliens?)

Pro-life Catholics responded to the action alert with concern, as Obama's push for reform has largely been decried as a vehicle for expanding abortion . The groups reaffirmed their commitment to "the dignity of life" and vowed not to specifically support abortion-promoting legislation, but said they would continue to push for health care reform. The groups did not comment on Obama's current abortion-promoting health care legislation.

"While the U.S. bishops support genuine health care reform, there is a clear line in the sand between our bishops and some congressional leaders," wrote Grenchik.

The USCCB column ends with a call to action urging readers to contact their representatives with a message emphasizing that health care reform "must exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and uphold longstanding laws that restrict abortion funding and protect conscience rights."

Have you heard...

...any disavowal from the White House concerning the "Internet Snitch Brigade"? You know what I'm talking about, it concerns the memo asking for information on anything "fishy" found concerning debate on healthcare reform.

Heard anything? Me neither.

I bring this up to compare it to other administration gaffes. Remember the memo sent to every police department in the nation about "Rightwing Extremists"? The Homeland Security folks couldn't backpedal fast enough to get away from that one.

Remember the "police acted stupidly" comment of our Commander-in-Chief? He danced away from that one toot-suite once the public ire was expressed.

So why is no one disavowing this blatant attempt at muzzling free speech?

IMHO we're getting a look into the mindset of our self-styled elites. They won't back away from this because they feel there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. That's all there is to the whole deal. The acceptable silencing of their opponents is so deeply ingrained in the collective psyche that any criticism is incomprehensible.

THAT might be the scariest part of this whole deal. Just my opinion but as of now I'm still allowed to express it.

New healthcare plan for seniors?

The War Department sent me this one. Evidently it's making the rounds so who knows, it may get grass roots support for passage in Congress;

The Perfect Solution to Senior Health Care

While discussing the upcoming Universal Health Care Program with my friend the other day, I think we have found the solution. I am sure you have heard the ideas that if you’re a senior you need to suck it up and give up the idea that you need any health care. A new hip? Unheard of. We simply can't afford to take care of you anymore. You don't need any medications for your high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Let’s take care of the young people. After all, they will be ruling the world very soon.

So here is the solution. When you turn 70, you get a gun and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representatives. Of course, you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head and all the health care you need! New teeth, great! Need glasses, no problem. New hip, knee, kidney, lung, heart? Well bring it on. And who will be paying for all of this. The same government that just told you that you are too old for health care. And, since you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income tax.

And if we all do our part we can end up in the same prison and have one hell of a social life.

Works for me!

"Justice" Dept to investigate CIA?

Here's a story about a possible investigation into the CIA and it's interrogation methods on terrorists; http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cia-interrogate9-2009aug09,0,34626.story

For some dumb reason, the first thought that went through my head was the memory of Pelosi claiming she was never informed of CIA procedures and their immediate contradiction of her. Payback? Is B.O. and his administration putting in some pressure so other agencies will know to STFU when accused of neglect & incompetence?

It's just a thought, maybe this is all coincidence. But yours truly has a hard time with "coincidence", in my personal experience all too often it's been nothing of the sort.

A look into an abortionist's mind...

BOULDER, Colorado, August 7, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Dr. Warren Hern, one of the last abortionists willing to perform very late-term abortions in the United States, has written published works describing man as a "malignant eco-tumor" destroying the earth.

Esquire magazine reports in a story entitled "the Last Abortion Doctor," that Hern, the director of the Boulder Abortion Clinic since 1975, argued in a work called Urban Malignancy: Similarity in the Fractal Dimensions of Urban Morphology and Malignant Neoplasms that growing human populations act like a "malignant ecotumor." (Yep, filled with the warmth of human kindness he is. It runs by the quart in every vein.)

LifeSiteNews.com found a 2008 edition of Hern's article published in the International Journal of Anthropology . While the term "eco-tumor" does not appear in this version as quoted by Esquire, it may have come from an earlier version of Hern's paper that was presented at the 16th International Seminar on Urban Form in Brazil on August, 29 2007.

"From the point of view of a physician, the expanding, invasive, colonizing urban form with highly irregular borders resembles a malignant lesion," wrote Hern. "Malignant neoplasms have at least four major characteristics: rapid, uncontrolled growth; invasion and destruction of adjacent normal tissues (ecosystems); metastasis (distant colonization); and de-differentiation."

Hern continued that "death of the host organism in a cancer occurs between the 37th and 40th doubling of the cell population" and then drew a comparison to the expansion of human populations (32.5 times by 1999) and energy consumption (36 times since 1999), adding that energy consumption is projected to increase 57 percent between 2004 to 2030.

Hern argued that expanding urban communities would "alter the biosphere to the point that it can no longer support large, oxygen-consuming organisms" reaching a point at which in "the point of view of human survival, the host organism will have died."

"If this hypothesis is correct, that urban settlements of all kinds, and cities in particular, are malignant lesions or phenomena on the planet Earth, the conclusion of this process may not be far in the future," wrote Hern.

Pressed by Esquire's reporter to explain why he would compare human beings with cancer tumors, Hern replied, "I do think that helping people control their fertility is highly consistent with helping people be responsible citizens of the planet. If somebody misunderstands it or tries to distort it, I don't give a s[***]. I'm sorry, I'm living in this country because I can say what I think." (Very true, and the rest of us can form our opinions accordingly. Douchebag!)

Esquire's portrait of Hern revealed Hern hates the term "abortionist" due to its negative connotations in the public imagination, but he stands apart from other abortionists by refusing to call his abortion practice a "family planning clinic." (What is it, an "eco-tumor removal" facility?)

Back in 1998, LSN reported that Hern had submitted another similar paper to the American Anthropological Association comparing human beings to malignant cancers. Hern explained to the AAA that this belief had motivated him for over 20 years, about the same time that he began his abortion practice in Boulder, Colorado. (Gives some hint as to his motivation perhaps?)

After the recent murder of Kansas abortionist Dr. George Tiller by a mentally unstable anti-abortion activist, Hern remains the last full-time US abortionist carrying out very late-term third-trimester abortions even as far as 36 weeks. That may not be the case for long: Hern's colleague, Dr. Leroy Carhart, has made rumblings that he will leave Nebraska to take up where Tiller left off, in providing late-term abortions up until the moment of birth. Carhart used to perform very late-term abortions like Tiller and Hern, until Nebraska's late-term abortion restrictions went into effect after receiving approval from the US Supreme Court. (Something to look forward to.)

This says it all...

Tell me again how B.O. is the "great uniter".

UPDATE: Harry has very considerately left this link to a goldmine of pics, these guys are GOOD! http://www.thepeoplescube.com/red/viewtopic.php?t=3848

Palin speaks about Obamacare...

She might not be a Presidential candidate in 2012, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts if that doesn't happen she'll be in the position of kingmaker.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin released a statement on Friday saying she opposes the government-run health care bills pending in Congress. Palin, who recently ended her time as Alaska's governor, cited its pro-abortion and euthanasia components.

Her statement is already drawing significant buzz on the Internet and, within 30 minutes of the statement's release, nearly 1,000 people had commented saying they supported her.

"As more Americans delve into the disturbing details of the nationalized health care plan that the current administration is rushing through Congress, our collective jaw is dropping, and we're saying not just no, but hell no,' Palin said.

"The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost," she added.

Palin said she worries the health care bill will be paid for on the backs of the elderly and disabled, who could be pushed into euthanasia and assisted suicide via rationing of medical treatment.

"And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course," she said.

Palin pulled no punches in going after President Barack Obama and his administration -- perhaps one reason she stepped down as governor.

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society' whether they are worthy of health care," Palin says. "Such a system is downright evil."

"Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion," she continued.

Palin noted a recent speech by pro-life Rep. Michele Bachmann who took to task an Obama advisor that LifeNews.com has profiled who is the chief architect of the Congressional health care plan but has been criticized for backing rationing of medical care for the elderly and disabled.

The former governor pointed out the "Orwellian thinking of the president’s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the White House chief of staff."

"I commend her for being a voice for the most precious members of our society, our children and our seniors," Palin said.

The possible 2012 presidential candidate urged pro-life advocates to get involved in speaking out against the bill and its pro-abortion and rationing parts.

"We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens," she said. "If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late."

The silencing of talk radio...

I get my news from the radio and internet. Gave up on the print media and TV some time ago, they're REALLY biased. Talk radio and the internet need caution when utilizing them also, but you at least have a fair opportunity of getting the real story.

That may end soon according to this article; http://www2.hernandotoday.com/content/2009/aug/08/demise-talk-radio/

Here's a snippet of what it contains;

"...It will be called "Broadcast Localism," and makes an end run around the Fairness Doctrine by legislation. The new rules will require local stations to create a permanent "advisory board" to "advise them of local needs and seek comments on the matter. Moreover, to ensure these discussions include representatives of all community elements, these boards would be made up of various segments of the community, including under-served groups." The FCC also expects these groups to be involved in the license renewal process for local radio stations..."

Once again we'll be silenced in the name of "fairness" and "diversity", all who object will be labeled bigoted Neanderthals.

In fairness I'll admit a fair number of talk radio hosts are idiots. Same for an ungodly number of websites. But at least they're speaking freely. For now.

Article taken from Catholic Culture on Obamacare...

Found this at Catholic Culture, it's long but worth the time;

Abortion and the Obama Health-Care Plan: the Essential Facts
by Phil Lawler, August 4, 2009

The following information-- which is not my own work, but the work of astute friends in Washington, DC-- provides all you need to know about the Obama White House plans regarding abortion and health-care reform:

From the latest polls:

51% of Americans self-identify as pro-life (Gallup Poll, June 2009)
61% of Americans say abortion is an important issue and 52% think it is too easy to obtain an abortion in America (Rasmussen Survey, June 2009)
62% of Americans want more limitations placed on abortions and only 36% believe abortion should be generally available (CBS Poll, June 2009).
Elections have consequences:

1) One of President Obama's funding requests, the Financial Services Appropriations bill, allows publicly funded abortion in the District of Columbia. This overturns a 13-year ban on taxpayer-funded abortions in the nation's capital. Amendments to restore the ban were either blocked or defeated by the majority. Currently, over 41% of pregnancies in DC end in abortion, giving the capital city the highest abortion rate in the nation.

2) Senator Durbin's amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill cleared the way for taxpayer-funded abortions through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, which covers 8 million federal employees. The FEHBP has been repeatedly discussed as an example of what a government-run health care system could be.

3) The House of Representatives voted against the Pence Amendment to the Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill. The amendment would have prevented Planned Parenthood or any business doing abortions from receiving taxpayer funds. Last year Planned Parenthood performed over 300,000 abortions. The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, reports that abortions increase by 30% when taxpayers foot the bill.

4) Through an amendment offered by Senator Lautenberg, the Senate has permanently reversed the Mexico City Policy, which banned taxpayer funds going to international agencies that perform or promote abortions. This gives the existing policy of funding international abortion services-- set by President Obama's Executive Order on January 23-- the force of law. Future presidents will be unable to re-establish the funding ban.

5) Following President Obama's instructions, Congress has completely defunded abstinence education and has designated a minimum of $164 million for contraceptive-only comprehensive sex education. In addition, the Secretary of HHS has a $640 million fund which can be used for family-planning services, if pro-Planned Parenthood Secretary of HHS Kathleen Sebelius so desires. A Zogby poll found that 80% of parents want more abstinence education. Studies prove that abstinence education is more effective in delaying the onset of sexual activity in young people than is comprehensive sex education. CSE has demonstrated no effect on teen behavior. (And do you find that surprising?)

6) President Obama is supporting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which, through its affirmation of "sexual and reproductive health," recognizes an international right to abortion. He is urging the Senate to ratify the treaty, which sets up an international committee to decide whether the United States complies with the treaty's provisions. If ratified, the treaty would take precedence over all federal and state laws dealing with the disabled. The Vatican objects to the inclusion of the phrase "sexual and reproductive health" because it "may be used to deny the very basic right to life of disabled unborn persons." Like CEDAW (the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which contains an international mandate for access to abortion services) and CRC (the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which interferes with parental rights over their children) which Obama also favors, this is a treaty that the United States should not ratify.

Heath-care reform:

1) The House version of the health care bill creates an "Advance Care Planning Consultation" for Medicare patients to be counseled on end-of-life decisions. Such consultations would take place every five years, or more frequently if there was a significant change in the individual's health. Two pro-life Congressmen state that "This provision could create a slippery slope for a more permissive environment for euthanasia, mercy-killing and physician-assisted suicide because it does not clearly exclude counseling about the supposed benefits of killing oneself."

2) Senator Mikulski (who identifies herself as a Catholic) offered an amendment to the Senate health-care bill that would provide for any service deemed "medically necessary or medically appropriate." When pressed by Senator Hatch, she admitted this would require the coverage of abortion services by health-insurance companies.

3) As currently written, both the Senate and House health care bills would allow federal officials to require the inclusion of abortion coverage in virtually all health plans, as well as taxpayer funding of abortions, and would expand the number of abortion providers in most parts of the country. Abortion services have been defined by legislatures and courts as being included in the term "essential health care." Because abortion would be "essential," it would be necessary to provide access to abortion, thereby mandating subsidizing the practice with taxpayer monies and increasing the number of abortionists and opening more abortion facilities in areas of the country that now do not have them. Catholic health-care professionals would be required to participate in abortions or run the risk of being charged with "patient abandonment," which could mean the loss of their license to practice.

4) The Capps Amendment to one of the health-care reform bills, presented as a compromise, is not: the government-run health plan offered in every region of the country will include whatever abortions are eligible for public funding and will include all abortions if so approved by the HHS Secretary.

5) A provision of the health-care bills establishes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality which would do comparative effectiveness research-- that is, it would determine the most cost-effective treatment for a specific medical condition and would override the doctor's decision for his patient. A government bureaucracy dictating health care decisions has, in England, led to rationing of health care, selection of inappropriate or ineffective treatments for individual patients and premature deaths. When a pro-life Senator offered an amendment in committee to prevent rationing of health care services for the old, the infirm and the chronically ill, it was voted down by the majority. President Obama said recently that "the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for 80% of the total health care bill."

6) The health-care bills call for a new health-benefits advisory committee whose task it will be to define benefits for all health plans in the United States. As it will be an unelected committee named by the Secretary of HHS, there will be no accountability to the citizenry for what the committee determines will be the necessary components of health coverage.

7) Under the current health-care reform bills, there is no conscience clause allowing an individual or an organization with a religious affiliation to opt out of health plans that include an abortion component. The Senate bill contains a very weak conscience clause for those religions that, as a tenet of their faith, do not seek medical care (they would not be required to carry insurance coverage). Catholic institutions and organizations with Catholic affiliations would be forced to offer abortion coverage in their employee health insurance package.

8) The Senate health care bill contains a hidden provision that matches the provisions of the Freedom of Choice Act; it would preempt any state law hindering a woman's access to "essential health services"-- again, a phrase that includes abortion services. Federal health care legislation would overturn the following state laws:

42 states have physician-only laws that limit the practice of abortion;
32 states follow the funding limitations of the federal Hyde Amendment (no taxpayer funding of abortions);
27 states have abortion clinic regulations to protect the health of women;
30 states have informed-consent laws (women receive information about fetal development, fetal pain or the causal link between abortion and breast cancer; or are offered an ultrasound exam);
24 states require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion;
36 states require some kind of parental involvement: either parental notice (11 states) or parental consent (25 states);
at least 5 states have funded abortion alternatives (pregnancy centers, prenatal assistance, adoption promotion).
9) The Hyde Amendment cannot take care of the abortion issue in the various health care bills. Abortion must be explicitly excluded from coverage. Access to abortion also must be explicitly excluded or taxpayer funds will be used to fund abortions and the expansion of abortion services and facilities. This means there must be language in the actual legislation that excludes abortion in "medically necessary or medically appropriate" and "essential" health care.

10) The health-care system in the United States accounts for 14% of our economy. (It equals the size of Great Britain's entire economy.) Any plan to revamp that large a piece of any economy requires thoughtful decision-making, not a rush-to-completion with a majority of the Congress not even reading the legislation. Congressman Conyers said: "What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you've read the bill?" It should be noted that lawyers make up 54% of the Senate and 36% of the House of Representatives.

Okay, so now somebody go report me for posting something "fishy" on this blog.

When the sun shines in, cockroaches scatter...

...that was the thought I had regarding this article;

CHICAGO, August 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) last month threatened to withhold tax-exempt status from an Iowa pro-life group unless they stopped protesting Planned Parenthood, the group's attorneys say they received a letter this week acknowledging that the IRS had backed down and granted the status.

Lawyers with the Thomas More Society announced that they received an official "Determination Letter" from the IRS granting tax exempt status to the Coalition for Life of Iowa, a newly formed grass roots pro-life citizen group based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The lawyers had challenged the IRS in July when, after a long delay in approval of the Coalition's request for the exemption, it pressed the group for "details" about the content of its members' prayers at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The IRS then demanded that the group refrain from activities at Planned Parenthood that could be construed as protesting or picketing by police or harassing or being confrontational with abortion-bound clients.

IRS officials also demanded that every member of the board of directors of the Coalition sign a statement, under penalty of perjury, that they would not picket or protest or organize others to picket or protest outside of Planned Parenthood.

Thomas More Society affiliate and tax specialist Sally Wagenmaker responded to the IRS with a lengthy recital of legal objections to its inquiries and demands, and threatened legal action if the IRS persisted in violating the Coalition's First Amendment rights.

Soon thereafter, the IRS quietly advised the Coalition that it would receive its tax exemption.

"This is a great victory for the Coalition for Life of Iowa, and for all non-profit groups," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society.

"The IRS must operate within the constraints of law, and it cannot condition the grant of tax exempt status on the forfeiture or surrender of First Amendment rights on the part of any non-profit group or individual American citizens," he said.

"We join the Coalition for Life of Iowa in the celebration of its victory and remain prepared to defend advocates for life against government abuse or threats - no matter however, wherever, or whenever they may suffer such abuse or threats."

This will be the only way to stop the bastards from turning this country into "Cuba-Lite". We've seen too many tactics of intimidation already for it to be coincidental. John & Joan Q. Public have to be aware and involved.

Speaking of aware, has this story made the MSM? That sounds like a stupid question but since I no longer get the daily fishwrap, internet news sites and blogs do the job for me. So if my suspicions that this story is at best somewhere back by the "man bites dog" stories are unfounded, it would be nice to know.

Identifying the enemy...

This latest comes to us from the Ministry of Truth, courtesy of Creative Minority Report. For security reasons (sounds good, right?) click to enlarge;

Timeout for a personal comment...

So now B.O. & Co. are asking for information about any "fishy" comments regarding health care. I recall during the election reports of faux Secret Service agents quizzing a couple who voiced their displeasure with "The One". Wanna bet there'll soon be other reports of the same?

We're about to have a healthcare bill rammed down our throats that supports abortion and those who don't like that have already been labeled "rightwing extremists" in one memo from Homeland Security that was sent nationwide to all police departments.

Seems we're slowly but surely being told to STFU and don't rock the boat, B.O. and the rest of the elites know whats good for us and we'd damned well better like it! If we behave ourselves we'll live out our well taxed lives until the point is reached that our mandatory counseling sessions with the doctor will include strongly suggested euthanasia.

By that time B.O. will be long gone and some other leftist visionary will be leading us to a worker's paradise. Our children will be safely in the hands of the State, educated beyond all the Neandertahlic prejudices we hold about gay marriage, recreational sex, gun ownership, etc.

Attitude check:

HERE'S YOUR WORKER'S PARADISE, BABY!! NOW SIT ON IT!!

Okay, just had to get that off my chest. Feel much better now. Thanks for listening.