Perusing the Blogosphere
We bought our Christmas Tree today. This of course precipitated a full blown asthma attack for this humble writer.
A nebulizer treatment and two cups of strong coffee later, and I'm breathing again.
Has given me a chance to see some blogs I haven't read before.
A few of my favorites:
The Eternal Golden Braid
Nifty site on space, science fiction, and other stuff
Heinleinblog
As the name suggests, its all things heinlein. This blog groks.
Spacecraft
Another nifty space blog, but also quite political. Nice stuff.
Worth taking a look at. Like most blogs, it links to others.
The blogosphere begins to remind me of the Mandelbrot set. The deeper you go, the more there is to see.

Saudi Financing of Terrorism
This is a very important story from US News and World Report. Not surprising, but very scary.

Losing the fight on Gay Marriage.
This is an interesting editorial from National Review, and shows another example of how Conservatism and the Republican Party are not, and never have been, synonymous.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: A second coming: Televangelists rise from ashes of '80s scandals
Always keep in mind the one name you never, ever hear mentioned amid the "Televangelists."
Billy Graham continues to preach a simple message. Now well into his 80's, his is a name devoid of scandal, yet this man has spoken to more human beings live than any man who ever lived.
A Second Coming of Televangelist? Perhaps.
But the greatest evangelist of our time has never left.

Reagan's days pass in silence
A sad passing of a great man.

Politics of hate won't beat Bush
A great article by Susan Estrich, the somewhat screechy talking head that ran Dukakis' campaign.

New Math catches up with the National Education Association

A Return to the Moon, This Time We Stay

An Interesting look at Iraq from the inside. Thank God for blogs

"Those guys can do some pretty smart stuff sometimes," a senior adviser to one of the Democrats said.
Ya think?

The Debate Show Nears the End of its Run
Great look at the damage the Democrat Debates on all three cable news networks have done....to Democrats.

The Complete Message from the President Yesterday: Courtesy OpinionJournal:
BAGHDAD, Iraq--Thank you. I was just looking for a warm meal somewhere. Thank you for inviting me to dinner. Gen. Sanchez, thank you, sir, for your kind invitation and your strong leadership. Ambassador Bremer, thank you for your steadfast belief in freedom and peace. I want to thank the members of the Governing Council who are here, pleased you are joining us on our nation's great holiday, it's a chance to give thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings we receive.

I'm particularly proud to be with the First Armored Division, the Second ACR, the 82nd Airborne. I can't think of a finer group of folks to have Thanksgiving dinner with than you all. We're proud of you. Today, Americans are gathering with their loved ones to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. And this year we are especially thankful for the courage and the sacrifice of those who defend us, the men and women of the United States military.

I bring a message on behalf of America: We thank you for your service, we're proud of you, and America stands solidly behind you. Together, you and I have taken an oath to defend our country. You're honoring that oath. The United States military is doing a fantastic job. You are defeating the terrorists here in Iraq, so that we don't have to face them in our own country. You're defeating Saddam's henchmen, so that the people of Iraq can live in peace and freedom.

By helping the Iraqi people become free, you're helping change a troubled and violent part of the world. By helping to build a peaceful and democratic country in the heart of the Middle East, you are defending the American people from danger and we are grateful.
You're engaged in a difficult mission. Those who attack our coalition forces and kill innocent Iraqis are testing our will. They hope we will run. We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost in casualties, defeat a brutal dictator and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins.

We will prevail. We will win because our cause is just. We will win because we will stay on the offensive. And we will win because you're part of the finest military ever assembled. And we will prevail because the Iraqis want their freedom.

Every day you see firsthand the commitment to sacrifice that the Iraqi people are making to secure their own freedom. I have a message for the Iraqi people: You have an opportunity to seize the moment and rebuild your great country, based on human dignity and freedom. The regime of Saddam Hussein is gone forever.

The United States and our coalition will help you, help you build a peaceful country so that your children can have a bright future. We'll help you find and bring to justice the people who terrorized you for years and are still killing innocent Iraqis. We will stay until the job is done. I'm confident we will succeed, because you, the Iraqi people, will show the world that you're not only courageous, but that you can govern yourself wisely and justly.

On this Thanksgiving, our nation remembers the men and women of our military, your friends and comrades who paid the ultimate price for our security and freedom. We ask for God's blessings on their families, their loved ones and their friends, and we pray for your safety and your strength, as you continue to defend America and to spread freedom.
Each one of you has answered a great call, participating in an historic moment in world history. You live by a code of honor, of service to your nation, with the safety and the security of your fellow citizens. Our military is full of the finest people on the face of the earth. I'm proud to be your commander in chief. I bring greetings from America. May God bless you all.

The President in Iraq On Thanksgiving Day: "
'We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq, pay a bitter cost of casualties, defeat a ruthless dictator and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins,' the president said, prompting a standing ovation and cheers."

Any Questions?

My Way.Com
If you've clicked on links from the Drudge Report recently, you've read the stories through this new website. Very well designed, very fast loading, just plain very good. Worth checking out.
It's my new home page.
And, they didn't pay me a dime to say so.

The Massachusetts Ruling: A Tactical Error For the Gay Community?An interesting take on the gay marriage ruling. Worth considering.

And this, from the editors at National Review:
Actually, the difficulty for those who would prefer to sit on the fence is even worse than that. If you agree with the Massachusetts ruling — if you think that it was rightly reasoned as well as rightly decided — you cannot even be a moderate supporter of gay marriage who believes that intelligent people of good will may disagree. Opponents of gay marriage are irrational bigots, equivalent to the people who opposed interracial marriage in bygone days. The court declares that there is no rational basis for defining marriage in a way that renders same-sex couples ineligible. Thus the traditional marriage law cannot survive even if the court subjects it to the lowest level of scrutiny it can apply. The court repeatedly likens its decision to the Supreme Court's invalidation of bans on interracial marriage. It sees no difference between the cases.

The President's Speech in London
While the media has been on Jacko watch, something important happened today, and also something important didn't happen.
President Bush gave an important speech. He didn't back down, he didn't beg for UN intervention.
He reminded the Western democracies of their history, and their responsibility.

It's been said that those who live near a police station find it hard to believe in the triumph of violence, in the same way free peoples might be tempted to take for granted the orderly societies we have come to know. Europe's peaceful unity is one of the great achievements of the last half-century. And because European countries now resolve differences through negotiation and consensus, there's sometimes an assumption that the entire world functions in the same way. But let us never forget how Europe's unity was achieved -- by allied armies of liberation and NATO armies of defense. And let us never forget, beyond Europe's borders, in a world where oppression and violence are very real, liberation is still a moral goal, and freedom and security still need defenders. (Applause.)

Oh yeah. And what didn't happen?
The protests.
200 showed up.
I'd post a story, but can't find any.
Funny how the Media doesn't want to cover the nonstory.....

Fast Company | The Wal-Mart You Don't Know
You don't read many articles about Wal-Mart. Fascinating look at what it takes to keep your brand in the store, and a look at where the jobs are going. Teddy Roosevelt, where are you when we need you?

Unemployment Drops.
Ah well, the Democrats still have Iraq....for now.

Reagan II
This speech may have been missed by many. I promise it wasn't missed in the middle east. Mr. Reagan would be proud.

Victor Davis Hanson, On what this war is Not about.

We had a vote last autumn about going into Iraq. The Senate decided overwhelmingly to give the president the power to go to war — and even earlier it had passed domestic legislation to crack down on terror. All the present screaming about illegality and the excesses of the Patriot Act cannot change the fact that the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary were all involved, as they should be, in the present decisions to fight in Afghanistan, Iraq, and here at home against stealthy killer-cells. We have had plenty of time for our versions of Bob Lafollette and Charles Lindbergh, who screamed long, hard, and a little dishonestly to keep America out of its two World Wars.

Yet when war did come, at least their frenzy ceased and the nation closed ranks to defeat the enemy. So when Gen. Clark implies that President Bush knew in advance about 9/11 or when candidates Kerry and Dean insist that the effort in Iraq is characterized by deceit, illegality, and corruption, they and all those who repeat their slurs have crossed the line, and will only earn the wages of a George McClellan who likewise slandered Lincoln as a warmonger, lost the election, and then rightly ended up in bitter retirement.

It is time for Clark, Dean, Kerry and the rest either right now to advocate legislation to stop the war and bring the troops home — or to simply be quiet and support the effort of our soldiers. Any further hysteria about purpose rather than quibbling over tactics, and the American people will rightly conclude that such Democratic invective hurts America and helps its enemies, whose entire strategy of assassination and terror is aimed at appealing to the anti-war movement in the United States.

Vietnam is much evoked by the Democrats, who apparently believe the country was lost in 1973-4 when they cut off money for further support. So it is now the hour for them likewise to conjure up that time-tested Vietnam remedy by cutting off the money, bringing home the soldiers and calling it quits. If they really care about the troops at war, they must either support their efforts or bring them back — but not leave them in limbo as they damn their mission.

We are in a war and we are winning due more to the courage and superb character of our soldiers than to the popular mobilization and engagement of the American citizenry itself. We have the best military in the history of civilization, but we can still lose this war — unless we remember September 11, acknowledge the awful nature of our enemies, and always, always accept the truth that civilization itself hangs in the balance.

Its been an odd week for me. My wife decided to run my car through the wash with the antenna up. The car was quite clean, the antenna quite broken. Also broken was my link to talk radio on my hour and a half drive to and from work. No more Spike O'Dell or Don Wade and Roma in the morning.
No more Rush fill-ins at noon,
and no more Hugh Hewitt on the drive home.

In its place, the book tape version of April 1865, the Month that Changed America. Can't think of any book more timely, as we continue this war, than to contemplate the last time this country was under attack on its own soil, that time by its own people.

I was listening to the story of the brave and honorable Robert E Lee, as the Democrats attacked their own over a flag.
I was listening to the howling voices of capitulation, as Lincoln steadfastly kept his eyes on the goal of Union, above all else. In the present, the Democrats on the Senate Intelligence were caught politicizing the war.

I was hearing the voices of the thousands dying in The Wilderness, as today's press wailed over the loss of a few soldiers cleaning up the mess that is Iraq.

I guess, in many ways, I wasn't so out of touch after all.

The Tortoise and the Hare
The United States got to the moon in less than ten years. That was over 30 years ago.
China will launch its first moon probe in three to five years.
There's an a line from the Sputnik days, attributed to Lyndon Johnson: "I don't want to be lookin' up and seein' a damned Red moon!"
He may have been looking into a Chinese future.....

So What Caused the Fires?

Here's one look at a cause, from Hugh Hewitt.
My hope is that folks currently living in the People's Republic of California will take a hard look at what their Democrat led government has given them.

By the way, funny how Sen Barbara Boxer switched her vote on the Healthy Forest initiative after opposing it for so long.
To see just how vociferously she has opposed the initiative, just run a Google search with these four words.
Barbara
Boxer
Healthy
Forest.
Get past this week's stories, and look at her obstruction for over a year.
Ya think Southern California burning down around her had anything to do with her change of heart?

The Will to Win
I don't often quote extensively from the peices I post. I want folks to read the articles for themselves.
But this article from Friday's OpinionJournal is a keeper.

Here's and extended segment:
Incredibly, every Democratic Presidential candidate save Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman has opposed Mr. Bush's $87 billion request to fight the war. Senators John Edwards and John Kerry voted against this money to finish the war they both voted to start. Wesley Clark not only opposes the money but this week blamed Mr. Bush for failing to stop September 11. Of all people, a decorated Vietnam veteran such as Mr. Clark must understand that his words are heard not just in Des Moines and Nashua but in the Baathist bunkers of Tikrit and Fallujah.
We are not saying that these voices want the U.S. to lose. But their criticism is so virulent and unconstructive that it is clear they won't let themselves believe that America could win. Chasing Howard Dean to the left, Mr. Kerry is all but saying that if he becomes President the U.S. will withdraw post-haste. In Sunday's Democratic debate, the Vietnam war and protest veteran also divorced what is happening in Iraq from the broader war on terror. "And this war on terror is far less of a military operation and far more of an intelligence-gathering, law enforcement operation," he said.

At least this comment gets to the heart of the matter. Mr. Kerry is endorsing the pre-9/11 consensus on how to fight terrorism. Try to disrupt the terrorists if you can, but be ready to endure their blows and send the police and prosecutors to get them after the fact. We tried that once, and the result was 3,000 dead civilians.

It's time we all recognized the stakes. And the cost of putting politics ahead of country.

The Jewish Problem
The rise of anti Semitism, and worse, its acceptance by Liberal elites is on the rise. It is confronted head on in this column by Victor Davis Hanson.

Here's the main website for PATH, Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality.
For Christians struggling with this issue, this is a worthwhile site.

Limbaughs Fans Remain Loyal
No surprise, really.
Rush has one of the largest, and most loyal fan bases in history.

A Democrat Endorsement for George W.

Okay, okay. It's Zel Miller, who is Democrat only because he's always been a Democrat. But his reasons ring very true. Good article.

It's one of those news cycles where it seems like the whole planet is in chaos.
First the fires.
KFMB 760 out of San Diego has the most up to date coverage, complete with maps

Next: the impending solar storm, supposed to hit tomorrow.
As always, Space.com is the place to go for all information astronomical

And finally Iraq.

Fox news of course. TV and Web.Fair and Balanced.
Even when the world isn't.

Terri's Fight, an update

A Dislike Unlike Any Other? (washingtonpost.com)
The Bush Haters are coming out in the open, according to Howard Kurtz.

Terri's Fight! The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation
I had not been following this tragic story until I heard some details on late night talk radio.
The more I read, the more the mystery deepens.
Sign the petition to Jeb Bush to keep this woman alive.

The Final Victory: Malaysian Prime Minister Doing His Best Impersonation of Hitler
So, here is the Prime Minister of a major Asian nation getting a standing ovation for his anti semitic speech, and what does most American Media cover?
Kobe Bryant and semen stained panties, and an attack on an Evangelical Christian General. What does this tell you about media bias?
Oh wait. I take that back.
The LA Times did mention the Malaysian Prime Minister's bigotry. By comparing him and General Boykin!
What a staggering outrage.

Having fun on a dull night in the ER.
One of the past times in Emergency Rooms and on Psych units across the country is betting on BALs, Blood Alcohol Levels.
This has to be a record, except possibly in Wisconsin.

A Great Look at The Perils Liberal Commentators Face When They Go After Rush.
Today's 'Liberals': Close-Minded, Nasty and Fringe

Despite The News Hour's report, The Rush Limbaugh show is NOT on Hiatus. Rush is, but not the show.

Ah, the Media, again.
Mark Steyn does a great job looking at the media spin of the California Recall vote.
Here's a taste:

You gotta admire the way the media stayed on the Demo-crats' sinking California ship right to the very end. On the CNN Web site, even after Gray Davis had conceded, they were sticking to the loser's talking-points:



''Schwarzenegger, who, like Hitler, is a native of Austria . . .''

CNN? Oh, that's that network with Larry King, who, like the Son of Sam, is a native of Brooklyn. Used to be owned by Ted Turner, who, like the Cincinnati Strangler, is a native of Cincinnati. Now part of Time Warner, founded by the Warner Brothers, the oldest of whom, Harry Warner, like many Auschwitz guards, was a native of Poland.

Oh, and the truth?
Here it is, same article:
Just in case any Democrats have come back down to Planet Earth, here's what happened on Tuesday: The two Republican candidates -- Schwarzenegger and Tom McClintock -- pulled 62 percent of the vote between them; the Democrat, Cruz Bustamante, got 31.7 percent. The remaining 6 percent was divided among the other 132 candidates. Just to recap: Republicans 62 percent, Democrats 31.7 percent -- in the most liberal state in the nation. As long as all those angry voters keep expressing their anger by voting for Republicans over Democrats by two to one, I think I can live with it.

Yep.

Rush and Drugs
The first major hit piece is out on Rush Limbaugh, from Newsweek.
Here's a taste:

But Limbaugh’s story owes more to the “Wizard of Oz” than “The Scarlet Letter.” The man behind the curtain is not the God of Family Values but a childless, twice-divorced, thrice-married schlub whose idea of a good time is to lie on his couch and watch football endlessly. When Rush Limbaugh declared to his radio audience that he was “your epitome of morality of virtue, a man you could totally trust with your wife, your daughter, and even your son in a Motel 6 overnight,” he was acting.

Well, here we go.
I'm a Christian.
Been one for years.
Have been proud of it.
Still am proud of it.
Despite Jimmy Swaggart.
Despite Jim Baker
Those core values haven't changed just because a media preacher falls.

I'm a conservative.
Been one for years.
Have been proud of it.
Still am.
Despite Bill Bennett
And yes, despite Rush Limbaugh.
Those core values don't change just because a media voice falls.

I'm deeply concerned about Rush and his drug problem.
If Oxycontin is what he is addicted to, he has a hard, hard road ahead of him.
It's a road he'll be on for a lot longer than thirty days.
More like thirty years.
I know.
I've been doing substance abuse counseling for a long time.
I've been hearing the stories for years.
And they are similar to what I've heard so far about Rush.
Chronic, excruciating pain from a back injury.
Flexeril (Cyclobenzeprine) doesn't cut it.
So the doctor prescribes Vicoden, or Oxycontin.
It works....for awhile.
Then the pain starts to break through, so you take more.
Then you take more, because when you quit, you go through withdrawals.
Wanna know about the withdrawal symptoms? Check Here

The addiction grows, until you are no longer in control.
It truly does control you.
Oh yeah, and the pain that started the addiction ball rolling?
Still there.
Still excruciating.
You've just added another kind of pain on top of it.
So,
Rush has asked for prayers.
He's got 'em.
From this Conservative Christian, anyway.

Spider in the Basement.
Okay, here's the thing.
Spiders freak me out.
Phobia would not be too strong a word.
We have a Wolf Spider in our basement ceiling.
I'm the ony one who's seen it, and it took awhile to figure out what kind of spider it was.
Now I'm sure.
Until I find it, the blogs will be short and to the point.
We've named the spider Herman.
I suspect Hermanitta might be more appropriate however.
Gotta go.
Hermanitta wants to use the computer, and I aint gonna try to stop her.....

China in Space
Arthur C Clarke may once again have proven prophetic.

Fans can't get OU Tickets

I know, you think this is a local story about Oklahoma Football. But the fact is, unless you are very, very wealthy, or willing to max out a credit card, it is impossible to take a family of four, or even a family of one, to a major sporting event in this country.

We've come to accept that, but it doesn't make it right.

Remember CAIR, the Council on Islamic Arabic Relations? Just after 9/11, you saw them as the representatives for political correctness on Hardball, Crossfire, the Sunday shows etc.
Haven't heard much lately.
Here's why.

The Good News From Iraq, and Where to Find It.

A Defense of Mel Gibson's New Movie, from an Orthodox Rabbi
Finally, I believe the attacks on Mel Gibson are a mistake because while they may be in the interests of Jewish organizations who raise money with the specter of anti-Semitism, and while they may be in the interests of Jewish journalists at the New York Times and elsewhere who are trying to boost their careers, they are most decidedly not in the interests of most American Jews who go about their daily lives in comfortable harmony with their Christian fellow citizens. You see, many Christians see all this as attacks not just on Mel Gibson alone or as mere critiques of a movie, but with some justification in my view, they see them as attacks against all Christians. This is not so different from the way most people react to attack. We Jews usually feel that we have all been attacked even when only a few of us suffer assault on account of our faith.

Right now, the most serious peril threatening Jews, and indeed perhaps all of Western Civilization, is Islamic fundamentalism. In this titanic 21st-century struggle that links Washington, D.C. with Jerusalem, our only steadfast allies have been Christians. In particular, those Christians that most ardently defend Israel and most reliably denounce anti-Semitism, happen to be those Christians most fervently committed to their faith. Jewish interests are best served by fostering friendship with Christians rather than cynically eroding them. Rejecting flagrant anti-Christianism on the part of Jews claiming to be acting on our behalf would be our wisest course as a community. Doing so would have one other advantage: It would also be doing the right thing.

— Radio talk-show host, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, is president of Toward Tradition.

I think when the history of this time is finally written, one of the primary sources will be Victor Davis Hanson. Once again, a needed perspective.

And speaking of the New McClellan, here's what he said a couple of years ago, at a Republican fund raiser.
My favorite quote:
You see, in the Cold War we were defensive. We were trying to protect our country from communism. Well guess what, it's over. Communism lost. Now we've got to go out there and finish the job and help people live the way they want to live. We've got to let them be all they can be. They want what we have. We've got some challenges ahead in that kind of strategy. We're going to be active, we're going to be forward engaged. But if you look around the world, there's a lot of work to be done. And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office: men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condolzeezza Rice, Paul O'Neill--people I know very well--our president, George W. Bush. We need them there, because we've got some tough challenges ahead in Europe.

I couldn't agree more.

Goodbye Galileo
There have been few unmanned missions more successful than Galileo's tour of Jupiter and its moons.

Here is an official denial of the story.
It would make sense for the US to deny it, especially if it turns out to be true.

The Noose Tightens for Saddam
What will Dean, Kerry, Clark et al complain about when we have him? I'm sure they'll think of something.

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for this post from one who was in Iraq
and understands why we went in, and why we must finish the job.

A short quote:
ONE OF SADDAM'S SECURITY AGENTS WAS SENT TO QUESTION A SHI'I IN HIS HOME. THE INTERROGATION TOOK PLACE IN THE LIVING ROOM IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MAN'S WIFE, WHO HELD THEIR THREE MONTH OLD CHILD AT HER BREAST. A QUESTION WAS ASKED AND THE THUG DID NOT LIKE THE ANSWER; HE ASKED IT AGAIN, SAME ANSWER. HE GRABBED THE BABY FROM ITS MOTHER AND PLUCKED ITS EYE OUT. AND THEN REPEATED HIS QUESTION.

WORSE THINGS HAPPENED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, INDEED WITH THE PARTICIPATION, OF SADDAM, HIS FAMILY AND THE BATHIST REGIME. THAT ALONE CONVINCES ME THAT WE WERE RIGHT TO INVADE, AND WE SHOULD HAVE SOONER. THOUSANDS SUFFERED WHILE WE WERE MESSING ABOUT WITH FRANCE AND RUSSIA AND GERMANY IN THE UN. EVERY ONE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE, BUT FRANCE AND THE U.N. WERE MAKING MILLIONS ADMINISTERING THE FOOD FOR OIL PROGRAM. WAS THAT THE REASON FOR THE DELAY, I DO NOT KNOW, BUT THERE IT IS.

Bottom of the Ninth
Robert Alt at National Review gives the best analysis of the decision, and why it may go to the Supreme Court.
Here's my favorite part, right at the beginning:
In the pantheon of liberal jurisprudence, there are few courts that can hold a candle to the Florida supreme court, which, during the fateful 2000 election, acted as if it was uniquely empowered to rewrite Florida election law from the bench. There is one court, however, that will not give up its title as the most-liberal and most-reversed court in the country so easily. Such titles must be earned over time, and this court, which has worked long and hard to truly deserve this title, will not be supplanted by such a relative newcomer. I am speaking, of course, of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals — a court which Monday issued a temporary injunction postponing California's recall election based on a clear misapplication of the U.S. Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision.

9th Circus Issues a Silly Ruling
Here's a good read on what will likely happen in the next few days.

Middle School Teacher Suspended for Showing 9/11 video
What a sad commentary on our schools.

The Israeli ambassador to the UN Speaks the Truth.
And the UN doesn't want to hear it.

Lileks on 9/11/03.
What a great piece from James Lileks.
Here's a sample:
Two years later I take a certain grim comfort in some people’s disinterest in the war; if you’d told me two years ago that people would be piling on the President and bitching about slow progress in Iraq, I would have known in a second that the nation hadn’t suffered another attack. When the precise location of Madonna’s tongue is big news, you can bet the hospitals aren’t full of smallpox victims.

A wonderful entry, one of the reasons likeks is one of the top bloggers.

Smiling From the Womb
My favorite section:


Pioneering scanning techniques have produced astonishing images from inside the womb which show babies apparently smiling and crying.

Experts believe the breakthrough could lead to advances in baby health for a whole range of conditions, including Down's Syndrome.

The pictures offer a new insight into foetal behaviour.

The ultra-sound scanning techniques capture images which show the foetuses yawn, blink, suck their fingers and seem to cry and smile.

Up to now, doctors did not think infants made such expressions until after birth and believed they learned to smile by copying their mother.

The procedure has been pioneered by London obstetrician Professor Stuart Campbell at the Create Health Centre for Reproduction and Advanced Technology.

His pictures reveal foetuses moving their limbs at just eight weeks.

The new techniques, known as 3D and 4D scanning, allow for far more detailed examination of the foetus.

"There are many questions that can now be investigated," said Prof Campbell.

"Do babies with genetic problems such as Downs Syndrome have the same pattern of activity as normal babies?

"Does the foetus smile because it is happy, or cry because it has been disturbed by some event in the womb?

And do they feel betrayed by a nation that views them as nonhuman and allows them to be slaughtered by the thousands?

9/11/01 Tributes
Two wonderful tributes, on this day, 9/10/03.
We lost so much, yet gained much too.
First, a long, but moving tribute. 7 megs. Takes a while to download.

The other, Can't Cry Hard Enough, is haunting. Still one of the most moving tributes I've seen.

Miguel Estrada: Victory for a Smear. from of all places, The Washington Post

A Nifty News Site: Newslink.org
I came across this site while searching for a live broadcast of the Oklahoma-Alabama game.
Still didn't find an internet link to the game. Did find this though.

The Ten Commandments
Been thinking alot about the whole fuss in Alabama. I think this editorial by JIm Pinkerton pretty much sums it up for me.

I've been working alot, so blogging has not been a happenin' thing of late.
My apologies. As the year goes on, be sure to check in, as new articles will be posted.
Please see the description at the top of the page. Remember, this blog is updated as family priorities permit.

Being Unfriendly at Work A Protestant Belief?
Now, I agree with much of this Reuters story. But this little tidbit below is just a bit much:

ROOTED IN PROTESTANT BELIEFS


This impersonal attitude at work is rooted in Protestant beliefs of putting emotion aside at the office, Sanchez-Burks said in a telephone interview this week.


The American style of keeping things impersonal at the workplace is virtually confined to the United States, he said.

Speaking as a life long "protestant" I'm hard pressed to find anywhere in Scripture or tradition "the Protestant beliefs of putting emotion aside at the office."
Not that Reuters might have a religious bias or anything....

Blogs From Iraq
An end run around the mainstream media bias. Blogs directly from soldiers in Iraq. Great stuff!

The Enemy Within
by Victor Davis Hanson

Once again VDH hits it on the head. Sadly, the only Democrat who may be listening is Joe Leiberman, and who's listening to him these days?

What does all this mean? Western societies from ancient Athens to imperial Rome to the French republic rarely collapsed because of a shortage of resources or because foreign enemies proved too numerous or formidable in arms — even when those enemies were grim Macedonians or Germans. Rather, in times of peace and prosperity there arose an unreal view of the world beyond their borders, one that was the product of insularity brought about by success, and an intellectual arrogance that for some can be the unfortunate byproduct of an enlightened society.

I think we are indulging in this unreal hypercriticism — even apart from the election-season antics of our politicians — because we are not being gassed, or shot, or even left hot or hungry. September 11 no longer evokes an image of incinerated firemen, innocents leaping out of skyscrapers, or the stench of flesh and melted plastic, but rather: squabbles over architectural designs, lawsuits, snarling over Mr. Ashcroft's new statutes, or concerns about being too rude to the Arab street.

Such smug dispensation — as profoundly amoral as it is — provides us, on the cheap and at a safe distance, with a sense of moral worth. Or perhaps censuring from the bleachers enables us to feel superior to those less fortunate who are still captive to their primordial appetites. We prefer to cringe at the thought that others like to see proof of their killers' deaths, prefer to shoot rather than die capturing a mass murderer, and welcome a generic profile of those who wish to kill them en masse.

We should take stock of this dangerous and growing mindset — and remember that wealthy, sophisticated societies like our own are rarely overrun. They simply implode — whining and debating still to the end, even as they pass away.

The Anti-Catholic, anti-Christian bias Continues

In The Midst of All The Strife
Gay Bishops, Terrorists, World War III.
But all is right with the world, as Oklahoma is once again ranked No. 1.
As it should be.
Eat your heart out, Hugh Hewitt.

The Wikipedia
I would like to introduce everyone to The Ultimate online Encyclopedia.
If you don't agree with an article, or feel something is inaccurate, feel free to change it.
This is not your father's Encyclopedia. Lots of fun though.

DR. DAVID HILL

Bloggers won’t match Limbaugh

Very good points. He's right.
The thing is, no blogger worth his keyboard would even try to compete with El Rushbo.

Arnold IS IN!!!!!
Oh, am I gonna be draggin' tomorrow morning, cuz I just gotta see Arnold make the announcement tonite.

Travels With Tom
If there was anything to make me stop blogging, it may be the thought of sharing the blogosphere with none other Tom Daschle.
Lord have mercy.

The List Keeps Growing, as the Rift Widens.

Statements from Mainstream Anglicanism Worldwide
Statement from Archbishop Akinola on the Election of Gene Robinson
Statement from Archbishop Drexel Gomez

I added a new Perma-link on the right. California Insider is the best site to find the latest on the circus known as the California Recall.

Response From the American Anglican Council to The Vote
I couldn't say it better myself, and won't try:

The Episcopal Church USA has shattered the Anglican family. With the approval of Canon Gene Robinson's election by the Episcopal House of Bishops, the Episcopal Church has departed from the historic Christian faith. We reject this action of our Church.

We now face a profound pastoral crisis that will leave many Episcopalians searching for an answer for the deep pain that has been inflicted upon them. They are experiencing an overwhelming sense of loss and in some cases betrayal by this General Convention.

In response to this tragedy, the Anglican mainstream Bishops in the Episcopal Church have said that they will appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the Primates of the Anglican Communion for Godly direction and emergency intervention. The majority of the Primates have already said that they "anticipate convening an extraordinary meeting at which they too will respond to the actions of General Convention." Many Bishops will also be scheduling special diocesan conventions to determine how they will respond, as dioceses, to this devastating unilateral action of the Episcopal Church. In early October in Plano, Texas, the AAC will hold a pivotal meeting of Anglican mainstream parishes in order to chart our future.

The AAC is committed to remaining part of the Anglican Communion and will find a way for mainstream Anglicans in the Episcopal Church to stay in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. We call on all Christians to join us now in prayer, seeking God's word and will for the Anglican Communion.

We stand united with hundreds of millions of Christians worldwide in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord. This simple, profound and life-transforming truth cannot be changed by any human vote.

A bit more on the vote being stalled, from the Washington Times

A Reminder of What We Are Fighting For
In case you forgot, view this song. Then say a prayer.

The Vote is Stalled
I hope this isn't true. No matter how you feel about the vote, this isn't the way for it to be stopped.

The First Gay Bishop in the Episcopal Church
Well, the House of Deputies just voted by almost two thirds to make Robinson a bishop. It could very well split the Episcopal Church.
Here's the story from FoxNews.
And here's the statement from a sizable part of the Anglican Communion.

The Truth About OPEC
from Claudia Rosette

A Bishop Speaks Out on Anti Catholic Bigotry in the Senate

The 9/11 Report

I know, I know. I'm one of the few people outside of Washington who will actually wade through the entire report.
For those of you sane people who don't want to do that, here and here are two great summaries from National Review.

An Important Perspective From Victor Davis Hanson

These are still perilous times. But if anyone on September 12, 2001, had predicted that 22 months later there would still be no repeat of 9/11; that bin Laden would be either quiet, dead, or in hiding; that al Qaeda would be dispersed, the Taliban gone, and the likes of a Mr. Karzai in Kabul; that Saddam Hussein would be out of power, his sons dead, and an Iraqi national council emerging in his place; that troops would be leaving Saudi Arabia, Arafat ostracized, and Sharon seeking negotiations; that new Middle East agreements under discussion — and all at a cost of fewer than 300 American lives — then he would surely have been written off as a madman.

STOP THE PRESSES!!!
Study Reveals Democrats Favored in News Stories!

We never would have guessed....

And in a follow up to the above.
Public Wants Patriotic but Unbiased Media, Study shows.

Americans want their journalists to show some patriotism, respect the public, increase accuracy and lessen bias, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press released yesterday.
Seventy percent of the respondents said news organizations should embrace "a decidedly 'pro-American' viewpoint," the poll stated; among conservative Republicans, that figure stood at 85 percent. In comparison, 51 percent said the organizations "stand up for America."

Ahem. Excuse me while I go turn on Fox News Channel.

Here is a pair of stories on the rumbling on Bush's right.
I hope Karl Rove is listening.
Tony Blankley and George Will

Gephardt's 16 Words
Great editorial by Bill Kristol, on 16 words from a speech by Dick Gephardt. These are words that will come back to haunt the Democrats.

"George Bush has left us less safe and less secure than we were four years ago."

Amazing.

The World Turned Upside Down
I can't believe I'm posting an editorial by Bill Maher, and agreeing with most of it.
Here's a quote:

Maybe he's a lousy governor, but he was the one elected by voters who bothered to show up at the polls. Their efforts shouldn't be undone by disgruntled shoppers signing a petition on their way out of Target.

Anyone who thinks this recall is some great affirmation of democracy should review early American history. This is precisely the kind of direct involvement by the howling masses that the framers wanted to avoid.

By the way, Trivia Time Fans:
The heading for this post is from a song, played at a pivotal point in American History.
Any guesses?

Can a Practicing Catholic Be a Federal Judge?
Apparently not, at least according to the Senate Democrats
Guess this definitely counts out Evangelicals too.

My Kind of AntiWar site.

California Recall
Let the carnage begin!
Believe it or not, I'm really not in favor of this.
Yes, Gray Davis is a terrible governor
Yes, California needs major overhaul.
But there is just something about overturning an election like this that unsettles me.

A Somewhat Begrudging Acknowledgement of the Power of the Blog.

The Iraq Question
3 articles published today tell the story of Mr Bush's 16 words. Bet you won't hear any of this on Nightline.
First, Robert Bartley, from OpinionJournal.com

Next, a warning to Democrats, From Richard Benedetto in, of all places, USAToday.

And, finally, Bob Novak with the story of Uranium yellowcake in Niger.

Okay, something you should know about me.
I read.
Alot.
Everything.
Voraciously.
Left, Right.
Up, Down.
You name it.
Once in a while I come across a book that makes me stop and reevaluate much of everything else I've read on a topic
That's what Ann Coulter's new book Treason does.
Here's a test.
What is your initial reaction to this name from history. Senator Joseph McCarthy?
More than likely, the same as mine.
Here are some words that come to mind.
Hatemonger
Out of control
Witch hunt.
Blacklist.
You may find other words after reading Ann Coulter's book.
Oh, by the way.
One of the main sources she cites is a thing called The Venona Project.
If you are like me, you've never heard of it.
We should have.
Often.
Below is the opening paragraph describing the project, from the National Security Agency's website.

In July 1995 the Intelligence Community ended a 50-year silence regarding one of cryptology's most splendid successes - the VENONA Project. VENONA was the codename used for the U.S. Signals Intelligence effort to collect and decrypt the text of Soviet KGB and GRU messages from the 1940's. These messages provided extraordinary insight into Soviet attempts to infiltrate the highest levels of the United States Goverment.

A little history lesson.
Most people over 30 are familiar with a famous couple that was executed for spying in the fifties?
Do you believe Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were Communist Spies, beyond doubt?
Your answer to that will reveal alot about your political leanings,and your news reading habits.
Have you noticed the defense of the Rosenbergs stopped a few years ago?
Probably not. Noone made a big deal about it.
The mainstream media simply didn't mention the names any more.
The defense stopped in 1995, the year The Venona Project was made public.
Any guess what Julius Rosenberg's codename was, according to intercepted KGB messages?
LIBERAL.
Go figure.

California Recall
Nope, its not a car they are trying to recall, it's the Democratic Governor, Gray Davis.
Great theme song for the recall, too!

Robert Zubrin says We Should Go to Mars, soon.
He's right. We should.

Reflections Upon Constitutional Revision

Peter Wood looks at the "Affirmative Action" ruling last week, and its' ramifications.

William Buckley takes a great look at the inner workings of the Supreme Court's decision striking down Sodomy laws.
I don't disagree with the decision, believe it or not.
I do strongly disagree with its reliance on that good ole "prenumbra of privacy" clause, first visited upon us by Roe v Wade.

PollingReport.com is now on the right hand side of the page.
Great Site.

Roe v Wade To Be Reversed?
A novel approach, to say the least.
Norma McCorvey, the Roe of Roe v Wade. In Case you don't know who she is, here is her website.
And here's the story, from ABC.

Have You Forgotten? Most Americans Haven'tJed Babbin on War & Security on National Review Online

More on General Schoomaker
From MSNBC, lunch with Tommy Franks:
He has long been good friends with Gen. Tommy Franks, the Rumsfeld favorite who, as head of U.S. Central Command, led the battle for Afghanistan and Gulf War II. According to a Chicago Tribune story last March, Franks was having trouble coming up with a good war plan for Afghanistan — Rumsfeld thought his initial ideas were too bulky and time-consuming— until he had a crucial lunch in Tampa, Fla., with Schoomaker.

And here is a fascinating paper written by General Schoomaker.

And one more, a brief biography of General Schoomaker

Peter Schoomaker May Head Army
A Huge Story for a whole bunch of reasons. George Washington is not such bad company to be in.

The French Maintain Their Image

What's the old saying from high school?
Rude
Crude
and Socially Unacceptable.
What a wonderful description of the French these days.

It is springtime in Paris for Justine Henin-Hardenne after her nerve ultimately held in an epic French Open semi-final that ended with Serena Williams losing her Grand Slam domination and also being loudly booed off court by an outrageously partisan French crowd

The Resignation of Howell Raines
Most folks probably don't know Howell Raines. But he led The New York Times through 9/11/01 magnificently.
Then, he led the paper right off a cliff.
So, exit Mr Raines, stage left.

A Story From Rick Santorum
Senator Rick Santorum’s Commencement Speech at St. Joseph’s University, May 28, 2003.
Thanks to Katherine Jean Lopez of National Review for directing me to this profound story.

In your rebellion against culture, God does not call on you to be successful. He calls on you to be faithful. In 1998, I was on the floor of the United States Senate debating the override of the president’s veto of the partial birth abortion bill. The next morning was to be the vote. We did not have the votes to override the president’s veto. The debate had ended that night, it was eight o’clock. The senate was wrapping up, but there was something inside me that felt that I had to say more, even though there was no one left in the chamber besides the presiding officers. I went back in the cloakroom and called my wife. She picked up the phone and we have six little children and they are all seemingly at once crying in the background, and I said, “Karen, the vote’s tomorrow. We are not going to win and everybody’s gone. But something tells me I need to say more.” And through the din of the children crying, she said, “well, of course, it that’s what you need to do, do it.”

So I went to the presiding officer and said, “I’ll only be a few minutes, I don’t want to keep you late.” Over an hour and a half later, I finished my talk.

So when I say a brief story, you know what I mean. And we finished up the senate and closed it down, and the next day the vote came, not one vote changed. But five days later, I got an e-mail from a young man at Michigan State University. And this is what the e-mail said: “Senator, on Thursday night I was watching television with my girlfriend. We were flipping through the channels and we saw you standing there on the floor of the United States Senate with a picture of a baby next to you. And so we listened for a while and the more we listened the more we got interested in what you were saying. After a while I looked down at my girlfriend, and she had tears running down her face. And I asked her what was wrong, and she looked up at me and said, ‘I’m pregnant, and tomorrow I was going to have an abortion, and I wasn’t going to tell you, but I’m not going to have an abortion now.’”

In April of that year, a little girl was born and given up for adoption. She is four years old today. Now according to the world, when I spoke on the floor of the senate that night, I had failed. I did not succeed. But God gave me a gift that many of you as you stand and fight the causes that you believe in may never get, he gave me the gift of knowing that faithfulness to what you believe in can lead to wonderful acts and wonderful miracles. Be faithful, God will reward you, he will be faithful to you.

The Bible as Technicality,
and worse, an excuse to let a murderer escape the death penalty.

Lucky Duckies and Class Warfare
Nice look at what the tax cut already means for those poor, misbegotten souls who aren't getting the Child Tax Credit refund.
Hint: In order to have a REfund, you have to have paid in to the FUND.

Mel Gibson's New Movie: This Isn't Road Warrior IV
The nerve of this man. Imagine making a movie about the Crucifixion of Jesus, based on a literal reading of the four Gospels!
Here's a description and quote from one the movies critics:

The ad hoc scholar's group that produced the report was assembled by Eugene Fisher of the bishops' conference and Rabbi Eugene Korn of the Anti-Defamation League, and comprised a mix of nine Jewish and Christian academics. One of the signers, Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University, describes herself as "a Yankee Jewish feminist ... with a commitment to exposing and expunging anti-Jewish, sexist and heterosexist theologies."

That's a relief. For minute there I thought this "scholar's group" was interested in the truth.
Movie comes out in eight months, just in time for Lent.....Can't wait to here Ms. Levine's review after she has actually seen the darn thing.

Rights for the Unborn
This cover story from newsweek is a biggie. If you want the facts, read this. Pretty good for Newsweek, pretty bad for abortionists.

BBC:Hard, hard left
What is with the British Broadcasting Company? Once one of the premier news organizations on the planet, now simply another hard left mouthpiece. Sad, very sad.

The Episcopal Church: Hard Left.
Couldn't say it better than this:

As Bishop Moore's theology professor pointed out long ago, the Episcopal Church has always been a big tent that shelters free thinkers. This is what makes it attractive to people like me. But it's one thing to tolerate dissent, and something else again to have a leadership incapable of using "evil" in a sentence without also including the word "simplistic." Episcopalians seem to do a good job of reaching out to the American Muslim community. Perhaps the denomination should consider creating an outreach program for conservatives. If nothing else, the effort would sensitize church leaders against using certain buzz words that conservatives find offensive. ("Texan" employed as a term of insult should head the list.)

In the meantime, it is easy to see why the predicted resurgence of church membership in the wake of 9/11 may not materialize — and that, even if it does, mainline Protestant denominations will be the last to realize any lasting gains. We can best honor Bishop Moore by recognizing his passing as the end of an era. The gospel of Social Action had its exhilarating moments — especially during the heyday of the civil-rights movement — but it soon degenerated into a mélange of warmed-over Marxism and Euro-complacency. We Christians who drifted away from the church in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s certainly don't want to be told that we must repudiate our strengths and learn to identify ourselves as victims. Been there, done that.

This Isn't the 60's Anymore
Rockford College, Rockford Illinois had quite a commencement Saturday. Here's the transcript of Christopher Hedges' speech, with boos inserted. You can also hear the whole spiel, if you want. He was booed off the stage, rightfully so.
If you choose to listen, listen to the end. The garbled comments at the end are worth hearing.

The Chosun Journal
The next time someone around you sneers at calling North Korea part of the Axis of Evil, send them to this site. Hitler could have taken lessons from this bunch.

I would seriously draw your attention to today's InstaPundit, by Glen Reynolds.
Every link is worth a look.

Cuba Facts .com
Great site on what's really going on in Cuba, with a complete list of political prisoners.
Any question what Elian's mother would have wanted?

Operation Enduring Response
After wading through Michael Moore stuff in the last post, I'm compelled to present something a little more uplifting. This site is a letter writing campaign for our troops. Worth a look.

Bowling For Michael Moore's Sanity
This review of the "mockumentary" Bowling for Columbine is worth reading. Far more worthwhile than anything I've heard Michael Moore say....ever.
But don't take my word for it. Read for yourself here.

Will Someone Please Tell These People To Shut Up?

The Clintons are back.

Sidney Blumenthal -- much-hated former Clinton aide, ethically challenged former journalist -- $850,000 advance in hand, has a new book out on May 20, attacking everyone who ever attacked him or the Clintons, rehearsing once again the old right-wing conspiracy, every attack on them, answered. The right wing conspiracy revived, answered, again.

Hillary's book is next.

Could someone please tell these people to shut up?

Who said this?
Rush Limbaugh? Nope
Newt Gingrich? Nope.
None other than Susan Estrich, who ran Michael Dukakis' campaign.
Great article.

Total Lunar Eclipse
Doesn't happen often, should be very cool.

A Big Win For the 2nd Amendment
I wonder, had this ruling gone the other way, would you have heard about it? My bet is that the decision would be the lead story on all 3 major network news shows, Larry King would have covered it tonight, etc.
Not the media is biased or anything.....

A Column From Michael Kelly's mother

I have not been able to bring myself to remove Michael Kelly's name from the permalinks on the right. This may keep it there permanently.

The Democrat Filibuster

I recognize this senate testimony by Professor Tom Eastman is tough reading. Well worth it though.

Here is his conclusion:
In sum, there is good reason that the filibuster has only rarely been used in the context of judicial confirmations, and never before against a circuit court judge. The use of the filibuster thwarts the will of the majority, and is therefore not only undemocratic but very likely unconstitutional. Moreover, should the Senate decide on its own initiative to repeal the offending use of the filibuster rule, any attempt to use the filibuster to entrench the filibuster would itself be unconstitutional, and would provide grounds for court intervention either by nominees, by individual Senators, or perhaps by the President himself, to insure that the constitutional norm of majority rule is given effect.

Suicidal Democrats
Of Course! John Podheretz has figured out the answer! Here's a quote:

May 9, 2003 -- FOR all you conspiracy theorists out there, I've got a hot new one for you: Based on the available evidence offered over the past few days, it appears key Democrats on Capitol Hill are secretly in the employ of the president and his political adviser, Karl Rove.
What's more, these double agents are using some useful idiots in the media to advance their nefarious effort to discredit the Democratic Party and hand the 2004 election over to George W. Bush without a fight.

It's the only possible explanation. How else can you decipher the suicidal decision of several important Democrats to make a stink about Bush's speech on board USS Abraham Lincoln last week?

Fighting the Good Fight
The American Center for Law and Justice is a great site to check the latest in the ongoing battle to preserve religious liberty in this country. Check out the teacher's aide fired in Pennsylvania for wearing a cross to an elementary school.
Here's the story from The Washington Times.

I love Oklahoma, most of the time. Then there are days like this.

A Conversation Between Union Bosses Past and Present.

A Bill Passes That May Greatly Impact The Future:
And I'll bet you've not heard a word about it.

The Soft Nation and The Hard Nation
A great article by Michael Barone on the two Americas.

This Is A Public School Classroom?
Rush Limbaugh introduced this story in his first hour this morning. I was amazed. Not surprised, just amazed. And the school board defended this teacher for this?

Among the student projects that Mott said he photographed were a poster of the President Bush with duct tape over his mouth and a large papier-mâché combat boot with the American flag stuffed inside stepping on a doll. He said there also were pictures of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and his former chief lieutenant, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, posted on the walls.

There's a Reason They Call It The Left Coast
A Democrat Governor, a Democrat run statehouse.
A state with roots to Ronald Reagan heading far left.
No, its not Illinois.
At least, not yet.

Hollywood Defends Another Dictator: Good Ole Fidel
Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover etc.
I wonder if the Dixie Chicks will do a gig in Havana?

A Typical Media Hatchet Job From UPI
This is a great example of presenting an allegation from "Another source with close knowledge of the matter."
Anytime I see that phrase, I insert, "bitter people with axes to grind."

The President's Speech
It was easy to forget what the President said in the visual imagery of where he said it.
That would be a mistake. Last night marked another vivid policy announcement, a reaffirmation, and a new name to call the past month, The Battle of Iraq. One battle, in a longer War.

This is one of my favorite quotes from The Lincoln Speech.

Today, we have the greater power to free a nation by breaking a dangerous and aggressive regime. With new tactics and precision weapons, we can achieve military objectives without directing violence against civilians. No device of man can remove the tragedy from war; yet it is a great moral advance when the guilty have far more to fear from war than the innocent.

Take a minute to read the text. World War IV began 9/11/01, and continues to unfold.
Another quote:

The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11, 2001 — and still goes on. That terrible morning, 19 evil men — the shock troops of a hateful ideology — gave America and the civilized world a glimpse of their ambitions. They imagined, in the words of one terrorist, that September the 11th would be the "beginning of the end of America." By seeking to turn our cities into killing fields, terrorists and their allies believed that they could destroy this nation's resolve, and force our retreat from the world. They have failed.

And here, he gives a taste of where World War IV may lead.

In these 19 months that changed the world, our actions have been focused and deliberate and proportionate to the offense. We have not forgotten the victims of September the 11th — the last phone calls, the cold murder of children, the searches in the rubble. With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got.

Our war against terror is proceeding according to principles that I have made clear to all: Any person involved in committing or planning terrorist attacks against the American people becomes an enemy of this country, and a target of American justice.

Any person, organization, or government that supports, protects, or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent, and equally guilty of terrorist crimes.

Any outlaw regime that has ties to terrorist groups and seeks or possesses weapons of mass destruction is a grave danger to the civilized world — and will be confronted.
And anyone in the world, including the Arab world, who works and sacrifices for freedom has a loyal friend in the United States of America.

And here at the end, the defining principles:

Those we lost were last seen on duty. Their final act on this Earth was to fight a great evil and bring liberty to others. All of you — all in this generation of our military — have taken up the highest calling of history. You're defending your country, and protecting the innocent from harm. And wherever you go, you carry a message of hope — a message that is ancient and ever new. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "To the captives, 'come out,' — and to those in darkness, 'be free.'"

No higher calling for a military, or a nation.

Peter Jennings and ABC News Biased?
'Nuff said

Most of the Campaign Finance Law Ruled Unconstitutional
Now, are you really surprised? I suspect John McCain isn't.

This story on Bill Bennett and gambling millions of dollars in Vegas is disturbing on many levels.
Take this quote for example:
“I play fairly high stakes. I adhere to the law. I don’t play the ‘milk money.’ I don’t put my family at risk, and I don’t owe anyone anything,” Bennett says. The documents do not contradict those points.

Well, yeah, but.....

Glen Reynolds, of Instapundit fame, has a great article on Space Colonization and Star Trek.
Gotta admit, I'm guilty of believing its inevitable too.

May Day: A Wonderful time to Celebrate the Victory of Capitalism

Hillary Alert
I love this quote from a look at Hillary's impending book tour.

It's time for a heightened stage of security alert—for the nation's readers. Is there a color above red on that stupid Department of Homeland Security scale?

Yesterday came reports that on June 9, Hillary Clinton's memoir, Living History, will hit bookstores like so many Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

Couldn't have said it better. Great article.

Definitions: Evangelicalism.
No better source for a definition of what is meant by Evangelical Christian than The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals. While Evangelicals are found in most denominations, they do represent a separate group within Christianity.
They are not one group, with one set of beliefs, but do hold certain beliefs in common. This site helps explain that.

Iraq and Terrorism: The Clinton Failures
The connections between Saddam and Al Quaeda continue to build, as does the Clinton ineptness at foreign policy.

Upon Working Sick
Seeing as how I'm taking a sick day d/t a little stomach flu, this article is most interesting.

And Just When I thought It Was Safe.....
Just when I thought I'd given my final words, along comes this by Stanley Kurtz. Excellent, required reading for all sides.

The Dixie Chicks Begin Their American Tour
Yes, I watched the interview on Thursday night. This pretty much sums up my feelings on the issue.

Iraq and Terrorism: Part Whatever
Another major find on the links between Saddam and Al Quaeda. They just keep building.

Another Santorum Perspective
I cannot begin to explain what a tough issue this is for me.
As an Evangelical Christian, much of what Rick Santorum said made perfect sense to me. He was in many ways speaking the language of Evangelicals, especially with his version of the old "hate the sin but love the sinner" line. But I think this requires translation for non-Evangelicals.
At some point, I'll try to do that. For now, Stanley Kurtz does a good job of putting some more perspective on the media spin that is keeping this issue going.

Iraq and Terrorism: Part Whatever
A great article from that bastion of the Great Right Wing Conspiracy, The New York Times.

A "secretive" religious group. It's only later we read this is the group that hosts the National Prayer Breakfast. Across the street is another "secretive" group renting to lawmakers. The Methodists.
And the Methodist Church's most prominent member? George W Bush.
Yahoo! News - Religious Group Helps Lawmakers With Rent

This occurred a couple of weeks ago. I've kept the permanent link up at reader's request. I'll leave it up for a few more days.
Michael Kelly was one of my favorite columnists.
He has been, and will continue to be, deeply missed.
Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq (washingtonpost.com)

Now, who's the extremist here?


The head of the National Organization for Women's Morris County chapter is opposing a double-murder charge in the Laci Peterson case, saying it could provide ammunition to the pro-life lobby.

"If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder," Morris County NOW President Mavra Stark said on Saturday.
Umm, Mavra, we already DO call it murder.

An Asthma Vaccine?
I'm Feeling Better Already.
Asthma Vaccine on The Way

''The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'' Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

A sad, sad commentary on Journalism. The title is appropriate, The News We Kept to Ourselves.
Would CNN have ever reported what they knew had the anti war protestors and the Democrats won the argument?
One thing is certain, the torture, rapes and children prisons would still be continuing today.
There is an insightful commentary by a Rush Limbaugh listener. Ummm, it isn't me, but I wish it were.

One More Reason to Love Baseball:
USATODAY.com - Hall of Fame cancels event over war comments

A Different View of the War
If you want a slightly different view on the whole thing, check out The Onion. Ummm, the articles are satire, and fictional.
Just like the New York Times.....: - )

Iraq and Terrorism: Part 7(I Think.)Time to stop giving numbers to this heading. There are just too many to keep track of.
Anyway, greetings from Sunny San Diego! It's supposed to get up to 80 today, and we are headed to the beach.
With a pause in the ground offensive, this seems like a good time to turn off FoxNews, and do a little sight seeing.
The links keep building, the article I linked to above is more evidence of Osama's boys helping Saddam. Remember the old quote: The enemy of your enemy is my friend.

Here I am, on the way out the door, and I get stopped cold by another Victor Davis Hanson commentary.
Victor Davis Hanson on Operation Iraqi Freedom on National Review Online

Me and mine will be on the left coast for a week or so.
The posts will be few and far between, as beaches, sun and Disneyland beckon.

Straight From The Source
Defenselink is straight from the Defense Department. Great site for specific info on the war and all things military.

War Coverage on the Net
This is most definitely a television war. I've frankly been disappointed in the internet coverage.
In spite of that, a few sites that may help you stay informed.
Kim Komando has a great radio call in show on computers and all things internet. As a part of her website, she has a good listing of some of the best sites on the web. Check it out here.

MSNBC has by far one of the best interactive sites, full of up to date information That one can be reached here. Right now I've got a small live view of Baghdad from that site playing, complete with sound.

Another great overall site is google news.

Hope that helps. Let me know of other sites you find, folks. I'll post them as they come in.

A wonderful listing of international newspapers. Worth a read. Sherry, you should find what you are looking for on this site.

An Historic Week

This week could well be seen by historians as the end of the United Nations as we have known it.
Much as the League of Nations fell apart in the thirties, the United Nations faces its own Ethiopian crisis.

Support for the liberation of Iraq is growing.

Iraq and Terrorism Part 5
Multiple stories on a training base for terrorists.
The main link in the heading refers to the connections to 9/11/01 from The New York Sun.
Others include a Frontline peice on Iraq.
Buried in the site is an interview with a former captain in the Iraqi military.
Need more? Here's a story from the New York Times, a couple of months after 9/11/01.
The links to terrorism are there, if you choose to look for them.

Remembering Solhenitsyn
Great look at a prophetic speech 25 years ago. Here's the speech itself.

What Would Lincoln Do?
Profound look by Bill Bennett

Lincoln described liberty by a useful analogy: "The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty." Lincoln made it clear who the sheep was and who the wolf was. It is equally important to recognize who the liberator is. Those who march against the U.S. and the U.K. today, those who condemn Bush and Blair and remain silent when it comes to Hussein, are in league with the wolf's view that the shepherds are destroying liberty. The people of Iraq will soon know what Afghanis know. The true wolf was devouring Afghanis, the true shepherd saved them.

The Jews Are At Fault
Here's the quote and the apology:
If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this. The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should."

And here's his apology: "I made some insensitive remarks that I deeply regret. I should not have singled out the Jewish community and regret giving any impression that its members are somehow responsible for the course of action being pursued by the Administration, or are somehow behind an impending war."

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Virginia)

Ummm, then why say it at all, Rep. Moran?

More on Just War Theory.
A Wonderful exposition on Just War Theory.

More on Carter's Fallacies
Ranesh Ponnuru takes apart Carter's editorial better than I ever could.

Read this carefully. Note how they carefully avoid calling these babies, yet clinically discuss how they may be concious. They even discuss using "anesthetic" before killing these infants. How humane.

A Just War, Carter Style
My goodness. A former President, blasting the current one. And citing Just War Theology to do it.
Trouble is, his points are very far from the tradition of Just War as espoused by Augustine and Calvin.
By Carter's definition, no war is just, as there are always options to war, up to and including surrender.
For a look at Just War Doctrine as the Christian community has traditionally understood it, take a look here.

Rather you are in to Country Music or not, this is a song you really should listen to.
Have You Forgotten. by Darryl Worley.

The Smoking Gun
Why did Mr Blix not discuss this on Friday. Three Guesses, and the first two don't count.
At least he, or someone, had the integrity to include this in the written report.

Resolution 1441:
Here is the resolution in English. If you read through all the whereases and recollections, do you really believe Saddam has lived up to either the spirit or even the letter of this resolution?

This is site you simply must explore. Wanna know who funds what, and who the board members are for your favorite activist group? Take a look on ActivistCash.com

A Pivotal, Though Short Commentary from Paul JohnsonForbes.com: Five Vital Lessons From Iraq

5 Lessons From Iraq
A pivotal, though short commentary from Paul Johnson

A Follow Up to Stanley Kurtz's column yesterday on North KoreaThe Center Ring is Korea

Letter to a European Friend
A wonderful explanation of why we fight.

"History always repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, and the second as farce." Karl Marx 1851
Just when you think Victor Davis Hanson can't do any better, he writes something like this.

Iraq and Terrorism Part 4
And here, from the administration's own report, Iraq:A Decade of Deception and Defiance.
And in case you missed it, or conveniently forgot it, Colin Powell's pivotal speech to the UN. At this site you can also view the speech as a webcast.

Iraq and Terrorism Part 3
From the Guardian. Step by step links between Mohammed Atta and Iraqi officials. The links to terrorism build.

The Myth of Bush's Unilateralism.
On of the few liberal sources on the right side of this issue. A step by step look at the Bush Administration's attempts at reaching out to other nations. Also, a look at where the myth of unilateralism comes from.

Mapping the Battles
A wonderful resource of maps of Iraq, with as much detail as you could ask for.

Iraq and Terrorism Part 2
From Janes.com. No better source for defense information.
Realize that until our forces get into Iraq and are able to look around, all evidence is based on conjecture and supposition.
Many in the antiwar movement appear more willing to believe Saddam Hussein than George Bush. Many are the same people who were willing to believe Bill Clinton right to the end....

Soon, Swift and Short
A wonderful article from The Sun of London.
A few of my favorite quotes:
One of the first casualties of the conflict — apart from Saddam — is likely to be French President Jacques “The Worm” Chirac.

Relations between America and France are icy after Chirac’s attempts to sabotage UN moves to disarm Saddam.

In a blistering phone call last week, President George Bush told the posturing Frenchman: “President Chirac, we will not forgive and we will not forget.”

Leaders are being reminded of the huge sums in US aid which could be at risk if they vote with France.

Others who have stashed billions of corruptly-gained dollars in Swiss banks have been warned that American intelligence agencies know their account numbers. Heh, heh heh.

Iraq and Terrorism: Part 1
One of the criticisms made by those who oppose the coming liberation of Iraq is the lack of links to terrorism.
So, here we go. This will likely be an ongoing, continuing post, as I keep finding the links. Here's the first one, from Terrorismfiles.org.
Look for the heading above to skip around and find the latest.
By the way, I'm still working on getting the ongoing email debate on the site. stay tuned.....

Bush as Anti-Clinton? This is a reasonably well balanced report on Bush's faith. It's been turned around by the talking heads all weekend into some kind of threat. It's not. We had a man with no morals and no faith to speak of in the White House. It's good to have his opposite now.

No matter what your view on the coming Iraqi Incursion, this cannot be tolerated.

Once again, Victor Davis Hanson shows the historical perspective on the war.
And if you haven't picked up a copy of An Autumn of War, here's the link to Amazon.

Pro-Life forces win a big victory. In the midst of the pre war news, this can be overlooked. Important win for the unborn.

A true Pioneer falls silent at last. We can't underestimate the work Pioneer 10 has done over the past 30 years. It passed the orbit of Pluto in 1983. It is now over 11 light hours from its home. Godspeed.

In a day or two, I'll post the feedback I've recieved from friends and family members to my post of 2/23/03.
For now, here's an anonymous editorial from The Christian Science Monitor. A sobering read for the peace protesters.
And if that weren't enough, here's another from National Review.

An Important Editorial By The Prime Minister of Australia. Why containment doesn't work in today's war.OpinionJournal - Featured Article

This is a copy of a letter I sent to a friend who very much opposes the coming action with Iraq. As I say in the letter, its the first time I've set my thoughts to "paper." Having posted so many thoughts from others, I figure its about to time to post some of my own.

Thanks for the email Kathy. I read it Friday night, and very much enjoyed it. I also knew upon reading it that it would require me to think deeply about both the article, and the antiwar movement from which I suspect it springs.

I have read much from both those who support war, and those who oppose it, since that awful day when the skyscrapers fell, and three thousand people died. No world event has so profoundly affected me. It forced me to think deeply about world events, and their affect on both myself, and my family. It has caused me to weigh the consequences of each vote I make, each political speech I hear.

I'm well aware you and I stand on opposite sides in our view of the upcoming battle for Iraq. I believe historians will write that the War started September 11th. The upcoming preemptive strike on Saddam Hussein is but the next theater of operations. And yes, I firmly believe it won't be the last, just as the invasion of the Solomons, or the Battle of Midway surely did not mark the end of World War II, but only one more hard fought goal toward the ultimate end.
I'm not sure what this war will be called in the history books, just as no one was sure what WW I would be called in 1915. Perhaps it will be called World War III, perhaps the Islamo-Terrorist War. That is for historians to decide.
But there is no doubt that the results will be just as cataclysmic as the so-called Great War, or its continuation a generation later that we call World War II.

And just as surely as World War II, this war must be fought. Fought and won. The stakes are just as high now as they were in those dark days of 1942, when the Swastika ruled Europe, the Emperor ruled the Pacific, and the outcome of the war was truly anyone's guess.

A few weeks after September 11th, Peggy Noonan wrote a profound commentary, entitled "We're All Soldiers Now" She describes parts of life, like Halloween, getting back to normal. Yet beneath the normality is the sure and certain knowledge that nothing will ever be the same again.

A profound illustration of that fact is found within this email. I've used the date of September 11th three times in this email. I have purposely left out the year. Did you have any doubts about which of over 2000 "September Elevenths" since the birth of Christ I was referring too? Such is the scar that terrible day left on us all. That day The War began.

I would draw your attention to two recent articles. One speaks to the anxiety you mention, but from a very different perspective.

Peggy Noonan:2/17/03

Also, one of the pivotal editorials to come out in recent weeks,
Charles Krauthammer: 2/14/03

Below is a quote from that editorial.

We are in a race against time. Once such hostile states establish arsenals, we become self-deterred and they become invulnerable. North Korea may already have crossed that threshold.

There is a real question whether we can win the race. Year One of the new era, 2002, passed rather peaceably. Year Two will not: 2003 could be as cataclysmic as 1914 or 1939.

Carl Sagan invented a famous formula for calculating the probability of intelligent life in the universe. Estimate the number of planets in the universe and calculate the tiny fraction that might support life and that have had enough evolution to produce intelligence. He prudently added one other factor, however: the odds of extinction. The existence of intelligent life depends not just on creation but on continuity. What is the probability that a civilization will not destroy itself once its very intelligence grants it the means of self-destruction?

This planet has been around for 4 billion years, intelligent life for perhaps 200,000, weapons of mass destruction for less than 100. A hundred -- in the eye of the universe, less than a blink. And yet we already find ourselves on the brink. What are the odds that our species will manage to contain this awful knowledge without self-destruction -- not for a billion years or a million or even a thousand, but just through the lifetime of our children?

Those are the stakes today. Before our eyes, in a flash, politics has gone cosmic. The question before us is very large and very simple: Can -- and will -- the civilized part of humanity disarm the barbarians who would use the ultimate knowledge for the ultimate destruction? Within months, we will have a good idea whether the answer is yes or no.


© 2003 The Washington Post Company

Many have spoken in these days of the consequences of doing nothing, of "giving peace a chance." I've placed many of those voices on my blogsite. http://longinus62.blogspot.com/

Finally, a word about guidance during this critical time. As Christians, the highest calling is knowing God's will. Inner guidance has been historically but one of the pillars of knowing his plans for individuals, societies and nations. It has traditionally been known as the least trustworthy of those pillars. Scripture, Church tradition and teaching, and the wisdom of Christian leaders are also guides for knowing the will of God. Of these, Christian history has always pointed back to the Bible as the ultimate guidance. It is from this source that Augustine and Calvin forged the theory of Just War. There are many voices in Christendom today on crying out against the coming phase of the war. It is important to listen, and to judge the wisdom of those voices by the guidance of Scripture, tradition, wisdom from Christian leaders, and the"still small voice" within. Few modern Christian leaders have laid out the biblical case better than Charles Stanley. His recent message, A Nation At War clearly lays out what both scripture and Christian Tradition have said about the Christian's responsibilities in time of war. It is a message worth hearing, even if you disagree with it. His scriptural case is difficult to refute.

I do not expect to change any minds by this email, Kathy. This is the first time I have set my own thoughts to "paper." It has been therapeutic for me to finally do so. I am very open to hearing other views on this deeply personal, deeply disturbing time. My respect for you has only grown over the almost 20 years I've known you. It is out of that respect that this letter was written.

Mark