No, You Cannot Join My Club!

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
-1ST Amendment to the U.S. Constitution


The right to associate, or to not, has created such a stir that it has caused some lawmakers to force otherwise law abiding citizens to break the law by not sharing air with their disturbing brethren.

It all begins with our general freedom to pretty much do as we please, as long as it does not interfere with another's, as far as it pertains to our person-hood.

We have a general understanding that we are not to be forced by The Federal Government to "associate" our thoughts or our being with anything that is incongruent with our self-actualized identity. Further that we have not the power, through any government or personal conquest, to force others to bend to our thoughts or actions until such a time as we can persuade them on such through the exchange of agreed upon goods, service or due process.

The problem has seemed to have presented itself where some of our fellow citizens have confused the word "association" with the word "acceptance." The Freedom to acceptance exists nowhere in The United States Constitution. You are free to disassociate yourself with my thoughts and properties, just as I am free to run away screaming from yours. You have the freedom and the right to organize a large group of supporters to stand up for your right to be you just as I am to create the same to denigrate you doing so. The critical line is drawn at me forcing you, through the power of government, to shut your mouth on either side of the equation.

What seems to have happened is that we have become lazy and have come to a general conclusion (not legal) that those things, with which we do not agree that make us uncomfortable, are included in this protection. They are not, and never were. One of the most fundamental protections of The First Amendment is the right to be unpopular or wrong. This includes being hateful or counter-cultural. It also includes being traditional, religious or old-fashioned.

I think it is important to recognize that while you may not agree with who I am, I may not agree with who you are and that neither of us has the right to empower our government to force us to see it any differently.

Election Day Eve - Original by Wes Harvey

Election Day Eve

If you’ve heard Joe the Plumber or seen Sgt. Joe Cook,
Then please take a minute and give this a look.
Election Day Eve is upon us again,
And our country now hinges on who’s going to win.
Will it be the silver-tongued new guy that promises hope?
Or the silver-haired grandpa that’s as old as the pope.
Obama’s stance is to redistribute the wealth,
He promises big changes via universal health.
McCain says no tax hikes to any when things are this bad,
And if I’m an Exxon exec this makes me real glad.
But Obama says tax ‘em while out on his stump,
This may sound real good, but we’ll pay more at the pump.

Barack says he’ll change the Washington curse,
The change that you’ll see will be less in your purse.
He calls John McCain, George W. Bush,
But comparing these gents seems quite a big push.
The Maverick has differed on many a stance,
He puts country first, I say give him a chance.
John puts party aside and the USA one,
He’ll fight for a dream and get the job done.
Things are not good now, for this much is true,
But things won’t get better if our country votes blue.
John’s hope is in us, he knows we’re the best,
With John at the helm, we’ll pass the tough test.

The Messiah, The Great One, Obama’s his name,
But please tell me now, what is his real game?
What of this Bill Ayers dude, Acorn, or the Reverend J. Wright?
Is this the man that will put country first and fight the best fight?
He tells all of us; please don’t be so glum,
While his Aunt Zeituni lives in some rundown old slum.
He’ll take care of us, I‘ll wager that bet,
You and me buddy, we’ll be the first he’ll forget.
I know he’s well-spoken and it sounds kinda nice,
But voting for him is like rolling the dice.
The plans that he speaks of are not that well thought,
He’ll wipe out the greatness for which so many have fought.

Yes tomorrow is Tuesday, and I urge you to vote.
But think with your noggin’ and don’t be a goat.
The American spirit, the American dream,
It is still alive, no matter what it may seem.
McCain and Palin with their SNL skits,
Showed the millions that watched, that they can be hits.
But the real bats they’ll wield as they clean up DC,
And mop up this mess for you and for me.
The media drive-bys claim McCain-Palin will fail,
Let the truth be told though and both will prevail.
Go out and vote, ‘cause it’s not over yet,
But don’t make it a vote that for years we’ll regret.

-CWH

48 liberal lies about American history (OneNewsNow.com)

The Soviet economy didn't just fail. The fall of communism didn't suddenly happen. And the Berlin Wall didn't crumble of its own accord. But our children won't learn the whole truth in school, thanks to the blatantly biased textbooks they study.

read more | digg story

What We Learn From a Play-Money Auction

A play-money auction serves as a good example of what we now face. With the passage of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the Fed is poised to accelerate the redistribution process at a rate not seen in our lifetime. Those who will be hurt the most, of course, will be those who do not receive the new money.

read more | digg story

"Vandals spray-painted the words 'Republican means slavery'"

What these folks are too stupid to remember is that The Republican party was created to end slavery, did so, and then was instrumental in passing equal rights legislation. The ignorance displayed in such actions is striking.

read more | digg story

2006 McCain letter demanded Fannie/Freddie action

Sen. John McCain's 2006 demand for regulatory action on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could have prevented current financial crisis, as HUMAN EVENTS learned from the letter shown in full text below.

read more | digg story

It is really very simple...

The Government can only do what it does my confiscating the property of others. It creates nothing new, but transfers the property of one to another who it deems more worthy or deserving of said property.

read more | digg story

Obama Fascism's Global Reach

"Senator Barack Obama's cult of unity, strength and purity has reached global scale as supporters of his brand of fascism at the highest levels of governmental silence dissent and the free expression of opinion and truth. The march toward global socialism is alive and well and moving forward in the name Obama!"

read more | digg story

Pope says world financial system 'built on sand'

While I would not go to The holy Father for financial advice, he is spot on here. It would do us all well to spend more time focusing on what is actually important, rather than the passing fancy of limited objects.

read more | digg story

The Right Wing View on Unwanted Pregnancy

I post a lot of very hotly debated topics on my blog and on Face Book because I see a great deal on confusion in them. Consequently we never get past the emotions of any one particular issue which leaves us to make decisions at the ballot box with lacking or faulty information. I know none of us wants to do this, so I try to crate debate and open conversation whenever I can.

Recently a friend asked what I thought, specifically, about the issue of unwanted pregnency. I truely appreciate his candor in the question and was happy to divulge my belifes on the subject, of course backed up with facts.

I do not have his permission to post this, so I will not give his name.

Feel free to add what you think is missing..

"So the right wing view is... "You have to have this severely deformed child no one will adopt and you cannot afford and no, we will not provide any assistance in raising it because it is your own fault because you did not learn about birth control on your own because sex education shouldn't be taught in school and your parents were absent because law makers were influenced by a religion which we are "free" not to subscribe too"? I'm not sure, but sometimes I think I hear this."

First off I do not think you will find many conservatives who would say that they are against helping a struggling single mother to raise her child. You have a multitude of social aspects that lead us to the circumstance that you purport. I think you would agree that it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for it to go down exactly as you have suggested. Public policy must be made on reality. I cannot speak for all but the general thought is that situations like the one you have described are first off better handled by the charity/private sector in the community as they are closer to the person and most likely know the details of the lives we are talking about. Secondly, if government is to get involved, it is best handled at the local and state levels. Nowhere in The Constitution does it provide Congress with the power, or authority, to meddle in such things. State and local governments have way more latitude in these areas.

Second, on the "unwanted/deformed child" argument; I do not know when it came to be considered good policy that an individual's unalienable right to live depend upon somebody else wanting them. Better watch out for the application of the equal protection clause of The 14th Amendment because you and I are next, as I am sure someone doesn't want us‼ I do not think that anyone would argue with Planned Parenthood’s slogan “every child is a wanted child,” but the idea that another human being’s right to life is contingent upon another human being’s deeming them “wanted,” reminds me of Hitler’s Germany. Remember that anyone who was not “Aryan” was not “wanted.” If you do not want a child…do not have sex. Why is the decision not to have sex beyond the ability of some, but the decision to have an abortion completely OK?

Third, your adoption argument: In 2006 there were 200,000 couples who wanted to adopt and only 25,000 babies available for adoption. I do not have current #’s but the point is that there are many more “parents” who want to adopt, who are forced to go to foreign countries, than babies available. Further, most abortions occur as a result of misused, or not used, or failed contraceptives. So we are removing the need for the responsible thinking that should always precede these decisions because we are removing all consequences.

Fourth, sex education should not be taught in a one-size-fits-all fashion. This whole debate brings us back to school choice and the need for the principal of federalism. State and local governments should deal with education, not The Federal government. There is no clause in The Constitution giving The Federal Government this power. If this were the case then you and I would choose schools for our children where this subject was taught in a manner in keeping with our belief system. I no more want to force you to believe what I believe than you do me or any one so let’s stop empowering The Federal Government to force our beliefs on others!!

Zucker: Republican is "the new gay"

I have consistently said that the straight-Christian-white-Conservative-male is the only "group" left who hasn't demanded special treatment from the law and is the only one which can be openly bashed and discriminated against while people laugh on the side-lines. I don't want special treatment here, I just think the hypocrisy is blinding.

read more | digg story

Flexible screen could lead to foldable computers

This is just really friggin' cool!!Researchers have demonstrated a flexible television screen which could result in people folding up their computer and putting it in their pocket.

read more | digg story

Sarah Palin's Style Selling Out!

Honestly, I think this stuff is a little stupid but the market never lies (to the chagrin of many liberals) and tells you where people's heads are. I think you could make an argument that, based on this phenomenon, the election is over.

read more | digg story

BBC investigated over climate change documentary

Well, of course they're going to lie. When you have no facts to back up your claims your only choice is to fabricate evidence. It only takes about 30 min. of research and an open-mind to discern that this is a magician's trick.

read more | digg story

The IRS & The Constitution

Schulz explained that the petition that he submitted to the United States Government included the following alleged violations of the Constitution: U.S. aid to Israel, illegal immigration, North American Union, the Iraq War, The Patriot Act, the Federal Reserve, and income tax fraud.

read more | digg story

The Real Global Crisis

It does us great harm to ignore the lessons history can teach. We are not the first to come this way, however, most people's historical perspective begins from the moment of their birth. This failure to garner wisdom from our ancestors has us to believe that Socialism/Communism/Marxism are new and exciting ideas, nothing could be further from the truth. I was reminded years ago why my parents insisted on a good education, and why my dad always was demanding that I think, I just hope that one day we will all do as my dad requested. The present financial turmoil is really a failure of global statism. Socialism has failed once again. Let's try capitalism.

read more | digg story

Government hangover

Much of the problem comes down to US government 'anti-redlining' legislation, which forced institutions to lend to people in parts of town where the local property market was bad collateral. Lenders knew they'd have to comply or face regulator's retribution. Unfortunately they also meant a lot of 'sub-prime' debts on the institutions' books.

read more | digg story

Paul or Cornelius: Who's Conversion do You Prefer?

Mr Keating is the founder of Catholic Answers-

KARL KEATING’S E-LETTER

September 23, 2008

TOPIC: Owing More to Cornelius Than to Paul

Dear Subscriber:

Whose conversion to Christianity was more important, that of Paul or that of Cornelius? “Why, Paul’s, of course,” you say. After all, who talks about Cornelius nowadays? Paul gets all the press—and for a good reason.

But let’s think this through. I believe one can argue that Cornelius’s conversion was the more important. Let me explain by turning to Luke’s Gospel, chapters 9 and 10, and looking at what happened to each man.

First of all, each had a vision, Paul having perhaps history’s most famous as he was on the road to Damascus. A light flashed around him, and he was knocked to the ground (whether from his feet or, as in traditional artwork, from a horse we don’t know). He heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” The voice was Jesus’. Saul, now blind, was told to go into Damascus and to await further instructions. Meanwhile, in Damascus a man named Ananias had a vision, the Lord telling him to restore Paul’s sight and to baptize him.

Now let’s switch to Cornelius. He lived in Caesarea and was a Roman soldier—in fact, an officer commanding a century, which was a subdivision of a Roman legion. One afternoon Cornelius had a vision of an angel. The vision at first terrified him (an unsurprising response, I would think). The angel told Cornelius to send men to Joppa and to have them bring Peter to Caesarea. The phrasing indicates that Cornelius did not know who Peter was, but he obeyed at once, sending one of his trusted soldiers and two of his personal servants.

While the three were on their way to Joppa the next day, Peter himself had a vision, the one in which a giant sheet contained all sorts of animals, clean and unclean. In the vision Peter was told to eat the animals, but he protested against eating the unclean ones. The voice told him that it was God, not Peter, who would determine what was clean and what wasn’t. After the vision concluded, Peter sat thinking about it, and just then the men sent by Cornelius showed up. The next day Peter set off with them for Caesarea.

At the house of Cornelius Peter gave an address, and, as he ended, “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word,” with graces coming even to the Gentiles. Peter asked, “Can anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Then the Gentiles—Cornelius included—were baptized.

Later Peter reported on these events to the other apostles, and they said, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life.” (Keep in mind that Jesus had neither baptized nor authorized the baptism of Gentiles; the apostles here accepted Peter’s determination of what should be done.)

Let’s summarize. Paul and Cornelius received visions that resulted in their conversions. Paul was baptized by Ananias, a man of such little importance that he disappeared from Christian history, as though he had only a walk-on part. Cornelius, by contrast, was baptized by the first pope. Paul was brought into the Church in order to bring others in; he would become the first great missionary. What later became of Cornelius is unclear, but he and those with him were the first non-Jews to become Christians, which means that he was the prototype for most of us.

Which conversion was the more important—the one that opened the faith to the large majority of mankind (everyone who was not a Jew) or the one of the man who would begin the task of bringing in those people?

Fr. Vincent McNabb put it this way eighty years ago, “Paul’s conversion prepared the worker for the harvest; the call of Cornelius prepared the harvest-field for the worker.” While Paul’s conversion was “fateful for the Church, [it] was not so fateful as that of the centurion who, when he entered the flock of Christ, brought with him the world of Gentiles.”

This is not to say that Cornelius ended up the greater saint, of course, but it does suggest that we may profit from looking at biblical events in slightly different ways.

Until next time,

Karl

Taxes and Tax Cuts in Terms of Beer

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the
bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill
the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite
happy with the arrangement until one day the owner threw
them a curved ball (or is that a curved beer!).
'Because you are all such good customers,' he
said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily
beer by $20.'

Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay
our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They
would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20
windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair
share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if
they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the
fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to
drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to
reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and
he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And
so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%
savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first
four continued to drink for free. But once outside the
restaurant the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,' declared
the sixth man.. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he
got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth
man. 'I only saved a dollar too. It's unfair that
he got ten times more than me!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.
'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The
wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in
unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The
system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth man and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks,
so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when
it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something
important. They didn't have enough money between
all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college
professors, is how our Tax System works. The people who pay
the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax
reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy
and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might
start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

David R Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
Universityof Georgia
For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is
possible.'

George Will thinks McCain isn't ready to be president

Leading conservative columnist, George Will, says McCain is not ready to be President.

read more | digg story

Do You Know The Power?

I just want to share my past week with you. Over the past weekend I had not been listening to the news to hear what was going on with the weather. So we go church on Sunday and we come out and we feel the wind just whipping around us and pushing Tyler along. We go to the grocery store, like we normally do, to buy Sunday dinner and food for the week. My niece Ryan was moving into her first apartment and after dropping off the groceries we changed and went to her apartment.

Ryan's apartment was filled with family and friends. As we sat in the living room we began noticing people's roofs coming apart, garbage cans being swept blocks up the street, and branches flying around like we were in Kansas (Wizard of Oz). Then the lights went out. After the second outage we all decided to head home. In Cincinnati we were not prepared for uprooted trees and power lines sparkling on most major roadways. Getting home was something of a puzzle. All the traffic lights were going out. Even the detours had detours. Once we finally got home we realized our power was out too. Alex got out a deck of cards and we played several games of 'Kings in the Corner' I went outside and spoke with my neighbor and remembered that my friend Stephanie had gotten a call that the city would be out of power for days.

My lights went out on Sunday and did not come back on until Wednesday afternoon. We, like many of our neighbors, lost all of our food and had no hot water. Over that span of time we visited my sister and parents probably more than we have all year. A very close friend of mine made sure we had candles and kept our home secure at night. So for three nights we had what I now call 'Kool Aid by candlelight' It has been difficult for many in our city, our family, and my close circle of friends to regroup and go on with daily life.

School was out for three days, only three grocery stores were open and getting gas was like a scene in an action movie. Our lives were simply at a standstill.
What I will cherish the most is the time I spent with my family, especially with my sons. Talking to them each night before going to sleep and running around the city making sure they were clean and fed made me realize how much I enjoy being their mother.

My life has changed so much. Sunday September 14, 2008 forced me to see life differently. What if I did not have electricity? What if I had to travel around the city daily searching for food and clean water? What if at night I had no place to sleep? God is amazing and He delivers us through our adversities. I want you to always remember that God has you through your situation. He loves you so much that He will allow a blackout to happen to prove that He is all you truly need. Be Blessed Arlinda

Obama Is Stoking Racial Antagonism

What I have found is that those who do not like Mr.Limbaugh have not taken the time to listen to him. I don't agree with everything that he says, but he is far from embodying the attacks that are so routinely leveled in his direction. I understand the rough and tumble of politics. But Barack Obama -- the supposedly post-partisan, post-racial candidate of hope and change -- has gone where few modern candidates have gone before.

read more | digg story

New Life On Earth Baby!!

Well, life that we didn't know about anyway. Several thoughts popped into my mind while I was reading... Why is it that humans are always referred to as disturbing the delicate animal life by the same folks who claim that we are just very distant cousins of the same? Can't we all get along? Just curious..also, do you think that it is possible for some of these folks to start looking at other animals to determine if they too are guilty of overpopulation? I doubt it. Lastly, hypothetically of course, if it were possible for humans to have been around when the dinosaurs were here (no Palin jokes please) would we be at fault for that too?Sorry one last thing...you do realize that the only reason that a government is ever interested in anything is if it will lead them to more power.

read more | digg story

The Way Ahead: How We Got Here.

George Washington was the original CHANGE agent.

read more | digg story

Pelosi: Dems bear no responsibility for economic crisis

So, you already have a partial grip on the economy, you want more, but it's not your fault when things go a bit south. When Obama gets elected and they ram through socialized medicine I bet they will be innocent when people are waiting in lines for simple tests and annual check-ups. Wake-up America!

read more | digg story

The Gibson Doctrine - Dennis Prager

Charles Gibson showed more contempt for Gov. Palin than Dan Rather did in his interview with Saddam Hussein or Mike Wallace did in his interview with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He asked Palin about the non-existent Bush Doctrine-There are at least 4 doctrines that are called "Bush Doctrine,". Gibson's Doctrine: Peace w/enemies, war w/ Republicans!

read more | digg story

How the death tax bulldozed a hole in the environment

The Left's tax policy has, once again, destroyed a small business, left us with one less local farm and killed a slew of old-growth trees. They stuck it to "The Rich" though...nice job!!

read more | digg story

ABC's Gibson grilled Palin hard, but it may backfire

Even now, Obama has yet to receive any comparable grilling on his 20-year attendance in the congregation of the notoriously racist Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

read more | digg story

No WMD in Iraq? Let them eat yellowcake!!

Have you heard? The truth is out there if you want it.

read more | digg story

Hundreds of WMDs Found in Iraq: for those who haven't heard

The United States has found 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003, and more weapons of mass destruction are likely to be uncovered, two Republican lawmakers say.

read more | digg story

Charlie Gibson's Gaffe: This is what I mean by arrogant and snobish.

'At times visibly nervous . . . Ms. Palin most visibly stumbled when she was asked by Mr. Gibson if she agreed with the Bush doctrine. Ms. Palin did not seem to know what he was talking about. Mr. Gibson, sounding like an impatient teacher, informed her that it meant the right of 'anticipatory se...

read more | digg story

Divinity School Liberals Are Insufferable

Um, ok...uhhh...er...ah...wow, I am actually speechless. Your turn.

read more | digg story

'People's History' headed to movies

So, here they come again the America-Bashing Hollywood Left with another attempt to teach the great unwashed that we have been duped for the last 200+ years. They can say whatever they want, the American GI has died for that, but I can still say that they're stupid. Oh, one last thing, this would be brave if they were doing it in Communist China, not brave in pluralistic America. ;)

read more | digg story

Arugula Fatigue

Miss Parker always hits a home run in my book. I read her every chance that I get because of her fair and humble rhetoric you can't help but exclaim, "that's what I was thinking!"

read more | digg story

Countdown to man's Big Bang begins

Scientists are today preparing to switch on the world's biggest scientific experiment. ummm...I hope they don't create a black hole, because that would SUCK!! He He ahhhh...hope I see you tomorrow!!

read more | digg story

Thomas says Constitution forbids racial preference

"I can tell you when you have fudge words, it leaves a lot of room for mischief," he said. "People have a tendency to read their personal opinions into fudge words. You want, when it comes to the issue of race [and all other issues pertaining to law], absolute words."

read more | digg story

Michelle Obama's Boot Camps For Radicals

It just blows me away that people will read something like this and then just slough it off as though it is no big deal, or that those of us who think it is a big deal are over-reacting. When you have people who have designs for public office who say things like, "Individual salvation depends on collective salvation," they mean communism. For those who would say that these are the same views that Jesus had I would submit that, yes, well sort of, but he didn't say that it should come from government.

read more | digg story

Robert De Niro's restaurant chain sells endangered tuna

A Michelin-starred restaurant chain part-owned by the actor Robert De Niro is serving endangered bluefin tuna at its London outlets without telling customers, DNA tests have shown.Undercover investigators targeted the Nobu chain, which has 21 restaurants on four continents and is the haunt of celebrities such as Madonna, Kate Winslet

read more | digg story

Anti-American or Anti-Green?

The spin-meisters will spin, that is what they do. This is not an isolated incident that can be looked at in a vacuum. I do not think that Obama put these there, a lower level staff member, even a the janitorial crew of the convention center probably did. But it is indicative of the culture that is created within an organization. Both McCain and Obama have "people" to take care of these things. McCain's people would have kept them for the next event. Obama's should have been smart enough to know that it gets this petty at this level. The other side looks for every angle. At the very least, though, wasn't this dubbed as a "Green Convention?" These flags can be recycled for the next 60 days; what a great statement that would have made to the country!!

read more | digg story

The Power of Palin

With an always fresh perspective, Buchanan, makes several very astute insights into The Power of Palin.

read more | digg story

Baghdad plans giant Ferris wheel

The Ferris wheel, dubbed the Baghdad Eye, will soar more than 650 feet over the city and feature air-conditioned compartments that would each carry up to 30 passengers, Baghdad municipal spokesman Adel al-Ardawi said Wednesday.

read more | digg story

Pope Pelosi At the Gate

"In other words, human life begins at conception. That is not a religious posture, but a scientific fact that the lowest paid laborer on the planet can assert without qualm. What we do with that understanding is another matter, but no one in the 21st century should pretend not to know when human life begins."

read more | digg story

Best DUI ever

I have been instructed by my wife to lighten up a bit on my blog posts. "Don't be so serious with the politics all of the time," she says. So, here's something really funny you may have seen before. Peace, love and cute puppies!

read more | digg story

The Next War of the World

I saw this guys (Niall Ferguson) documentary on PBS last night and he, along with several other facts that have come to my attention, and am still investigating, are beginning to fine tune my world view. I believe that I am thinking towards several conclusions here.

Not prepared to put it into words yet...

read more | digg story

Look Before You Judge...or Pope Paul IV Was Right!

Who the hell am I? I mean i don't know everything, even though I am very sure of quite a bit. The world is a crazy place and it is extremely difficult to know who to believe. For me, track record says a lot. If what you say pans out I am going to listen up a little more the next time you have something to say; just makes sense right?

Well Pope Paul IV had something to say 40 years ago, and you could argue that it's all coincidence, that's fine. You should look into it though.

Forty years after "Humane Vitae"

BY FATHER PETER J. DALY

There was an eruption in the Catholic Church 40 years ago over the release of Pope Paul VI's encyclical letter Humanae Vitae ("Of Human Life").

At the time, secular culture pronounced it a "dead letter." Cultural critics said the church was out of touch with the modern age on the role of human sexuality.

"Humanae Vitae" was blamed for the erosion of respect for the church's moral teaching and the departure of many people from the Catholic Church.

But, at the time, secular culture made some pretty extravagant claims for the virtues of artificial contraception. Forty years on, it is worth asking: What about the claims of secular culture? Were they right?

Happier marriages?
The first birth control pill came on the market in the early 1960s. It was featured on the cover of news magazines. It was talked about on television. People said it would usher in a new and happier age of sexual relations.

Did it?

Forty years ago it was said that artificial contraception would make marriages happier and more stable. Freed from the stress of many children, married couples would be better able to concentrate on each other and their marriage.

So what happened?
The divorce rate has skyrocketed. Marriages are less stable. There were many cultural factors involved, of course, but whatever can be said about birth control, it has not made marriages happier or more stable in U.S. culture.

Forty years ago it was said that the pill would mean more fulfilled sex lives. People could be more spontaneous. Sex would be more joyful. People would be less repressed.

Did it happen?

Separating the sexual act from conception has degraded the meaning of sex, caused it to lose its significance. Instead of being special, a sign of love and commitment reserved for husbands and wives, it is now commonplace.
When something becomes commonplace it loses its allure. Ice cream and cake, for example, are special if reserved for birthdays. If eaten all the time, they are boring, even damaging.

Anti-child mentality
The pill has meant that sex is meaningless, the stuff of sit-coms and lurid talk shows.
In our modern world sex has nothing to do with making babies. It also has very little to do with making love. The surreal "Sex in the City" world has turned everyone into a sex object, because sex is seen as an act without meaning or consequence. It has more to do with giving pleasure to the self than showing love for the other.

Forty years ago the advocates for contraception said that it would mean fewer unwanted children. There would be less child abuse and neglect because children would be more wanted since they were more "planned."

Ironically, today children seem less wanted. They are seen not as gifts from God but as financial burdens. Television reporters do stories on the "total cost" of raising a child as if children could be compared to buying a boat or second home.

With the ability to prevent pregnancy came the presumption that you should prevent pregnancy. Babies are now regarded as a burden. Large families are regarded with derision even in Catholic circles.

Birth control has led to an anti-child mentality.

When a woman today begins to show with a third or fourth pregnancy, people ask her, "Did you make a mistake, dear?"

Forty years ago there was an explosion in the church over "Humanae Vitae." Now that the dust has begun to settle a bit, it seems that secular culture was wrong about many of its claims for birth control.

It helps to take the long view. Maybe that is God's view?

Catholic News Service

Father Peter J. Daly writes on church life from his parish, St. John Vianney in Prince Frederick, Md. He may be contacted at cns@Catholicnews.com.

Can Our Economy Afford More Union Corruption?

This union phenomenon constantly boggles my mind. The primary job of any business is to serve it's customers, not to provide jobs to the community. The latter is a result of a well-run, growing company.

read more | digg story

Calling All Marylanders!!!

Is this true?!?!?!

Scared of Maryland

August 20, 2008

In 1991 I had a choice. To best work for term limits, I needed to move close to the nation’s capital. But where? Maryland or Virginia or the District of Columbia? I chose Virginia.

Nowadays I regularly travel through all three jurisdictions, though Maryland makes me nervous.

Prince George’s County police recently barged into the Berwyn Heights mayor’s home and shot his two dogs dead. Turns out their little home invasion was illegal — they lacked a no-knock search warrant, or any real case.

Weeks before this, a man arrested for the alleged homicide of a policeman was murdered in jail. Police working there refuse to cooperate in the investigation. Now we learn that many guards at the jail have criminal records and have committed crimes at the jail.

The Prince George’s County police have a long, sordid history. But you may be thinking, why lump in the whole state?

Well, the ACLU recently obtained documents showing that for 14 months in 2005 and 2006, Maryland state police spied on anti-death penalty and anti-war activists, with no probable cause of any crime. Names of political activists were entered into law enforcement databases as suspected terrorists or drug traffickers.

No wonder when the Washington Post held a contest to pick a new slogan for the state, the winner was: “Maryland — wait, we can explain.”

Hmm. But how exactly do you explain a police state?

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Why Africa Is Still Starving

Las Vegas is a desert too, and they are doing quite well. It looks as though they had something positive going and then Congress decided to put our corn into our gas!! Do-gooders never do, they just look like it!! Markets never lie people...until someone restricts them!!

read more | digg story

Stupid in America

If you ever wanted to know what "School Vouchers" are about watch this.

read more | digg story

Obama on Clarence Thomas - WSJ.com

This would be funny, if it were not so very serious. "Delos" also makes a great point, by mentioning that McCain didn't vote against any of those he named when he had the opportunity. However, I must also point out that The President nominating and The Senate confirming require two different levels of agreement. The former usually means a complete agreement with the jurist's philosophy, while the later is simply a "stamp of approval" which is to ensure that The Justice is not a complete buffoon.It is only recently that the nomination process for The Supreme Court became such a difficult and contentious process. Though it is something to look at, I would fault Obama's disparaging words more than I would McCain's following of tradition.

read more | digg story

Hannity's Gospel

A clip of Sean Hannity's "cafeteria" approach to Catholicism in arguing with Fr Thomas Euteneuer of HLI.ORG on FoxNews.This apparently happened last year and I am very shocked by Sean's position here. He obviously is misinformed about the faith he proclaims...Here's the deal, you do not have to be a Catholic, but if you choose to name yourself as an adherent to this faith it is incumbent upon you that you know what it means. Sean is very misguided and is wrong and illogical in the way that he argues. He engages in classic issue switching and relativistic arguments which take away from the central point of the debate. It is not if Sean is a good person, or if the Catholic Church is comprised of perfect people. The point is that if you are going communicate with other people it is critical that you agree on the meaning of terms. In this case Sean is wholly mistaken in his definition of The Catholic Faith; it is not what any one person decides it to be, but rather what Jesus Christ, The Apostles and The Holy Spirit say that it is. this is not a debatable point.

read more | digg story

Most companies in US avoid federal income taxes

I just think it is a scam that people fall for this class-envy/shell-game stuff that politicians put in their heads. The fact of the matter is that ALL companies will always pass along the costs of doing business to their consumer. No matter if the expense is the cost of materials, or taxes, the consumer always absorbs the expense.

The other thing that occurs here is that a politician may claim that they are sticking it to the Big Bad Corporation out of one side of their mouth, but then they will give the company some loophole in the tax code while you are not looking, all the while convincing the unread voter that they are being protected by the great and powerful politician, and then they get large campaign contributions from the very same company.

There are a myriad of other scams that the politicians pull on us, but the single solution is to adhere to the limits in The Constitution and shrink The Goverment down to a size that doesn't allow for so much power in so few hands.

A Limited Federal Goverment baby!! Works every time.

How to Produce Real Change

I do believe that I need to learn more about Mr. Wilberforce and work to adopt his methods...how about you?

read more | digg story

Things Have Not Always Been the Same

This will give you a much-needed shot of perspective...

read more | digg story

Drop Dead, Oregon’s Socialized Health System Tells Patients

Either you value life, or you don't. You cannot have someone put up the cash for something yet still have a say in how that cash is allocated. The procurement of the resource is inextricably tied to the control of it.

read more | digg story

Don't believe everything you see...or read.

I wanted to share this with my loyal readers because you simply cannot go through life turmoiled in the guilt that is constaintly foisted upon you by the fear industry. Is this to say that the truth is not out there? No. It is, but you cannot simply trust that the nightly news, or the daily paper has your best interest at the front of their minds. Bottom line is they are after the same thing that those they deamonize are... sales. They are not the altruistic do-gooders they claim to be.

You may not have liked Ronald Reagan, I did, but he popularized a very intelligent practice. Trust But Verify.

(Click the link in the title) :)

House Dems turn out the lights but GOP keeps talking

You just have to pay attention to this stuff! I hear people all the time saying that this issue or that issue is just politics, or they don't like the name calling or whatever. The bottom line is that maintaining liberty is not an easy sippin' iced tea on the front porch kind of thing. It take guts and fortitude to protect the rights we have by God's grace and enshrined in The Constitution. People like Pelosi and her ilk will always be around trying to steal from us. TYRANTS!!Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House and turned off the light and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.

read more | digg story

CO2 Doesn't Cause Global Warming?!?!

What will Algore and his socialist buddies do now to control our lives? I mean surely there is some way that he can prove that humans must be removed from the planet!!!

read more | digg story

Does The Majority Truely Rule?

There's nothing inherently noble about a majority of people agreeing on a particular issue. Indeed, bad ideas often prove more popular than good ones. It's only when popular majorities are anchored to the idea of inalienable rights that they're most entitled to our respect. Without that underlying commitment to individualism, majority rule can and frequently will degenerate into the loss of liberty for unpopular minorities. The racist policies of the Jim Crow South, after all, were often extremely popular among white voters.

So before we get too misty over the will of the people of South Dakota, let's remember that James Madison warned us about the tyranny of the majority, not the tyranny of unfettered individual liberty.

Every child deserves a chance, but does The State have the best formula?

Whether we want to own up to it or not, the welfare state has done what Jim Crow, gross discrimination and poverty could not have done. It has contributed to the breakdown of the black family structure and has helped establish a set of values alien to traditional values of high moral standards, hard work and achievement.

read more digg story

Seize This Opportunity or, please rule my life sirs!!

Yet another example of Government’s well-intentioned control of our lives turning into a dismal failure; the private citizen is a much better guarantor of his well being than some busy-body bureaucrat 100’s of miles away. It makes absolutely no sense to me why someone would advocate that these sorts of duties are better left in the hands of government. Not to mention that in our form of government, and according to the law of the land, this is an absolute violation of the law.What will unfortunately happen here is that the elite mind’s of congress (by the way what exactly qualifies them as experts in finance? Oh yes, they won a popularity contest) will determine that a government entities’ failure is the fault of the free market and that their needs to be more control and oversight by them. I should be so lucky as to gain employment that enshrines in me the wisdom to determine that my failures were actually the fault of my competition. We should throw all of our mortgages in the Boston Bay!!!

read more digg story

Facts are obsolete

Why is it that when otherwise intelligent people begin to engage in the political process they are consistently duped by charlatans and snake-oil salesmen. It blows this citizen's mind that we are unable to utilize our common sense in matters which have such consequence. Thomas Sowell, once again, asks some very important questions.

read more digg story

Why a Black Artist Replaced the National Anthem

What Marie did embodied a plethora of leftist ideals and characteristics: Ethical relativism, multiculturalism, the supremacy of feelings, the belief that artists are above normal ethical standards and group victimization.

read more digg story

Conservatives for Obama?

What is becoming ever more painfully apparent is that too many people this year-- whether conservative, liberals or whatever-- are all too willing to judge Barack Obama on the basis of his election-year rhetoric, rather than on the record of what he has advocated and done during the past two decades.

read more digg story

My passion for party was subdued when I read this...

What do you feel are the proper foreign relatonships. Should we open up all of our trade in a free and Laize fair mentality; or should we place restriction upon our international commerce so that we can learn to produce our goods on a more local basis. It is a question that is important enough to put down your beer and think upon. The results of this decision are liberty or tyranny. We see it today.

read more digg story

Why America Is The Greatest Country On Earth

American history, in all of its most glorious permutations, represents the outgrowth of our founding philosophy. Only by accepting the greatness of America's founding philosophy can we hope to ensure that freedom flourishes at home and around the globe.

read more digg story

The Ultimate Resource

So you're telling me that Napolean, Ghengis Khan and Jesus could have had Iphones? YES!!Walter E. Williams does it again! What a great explanation of how absurd myopic views of society can be. Such simple language. One of the best!

read more digg story

Does Patriotism Matter?:By Thomas Sowell

It is critical that you think about the long-term results of your actions...or lack of action. What kind of world do you want to leave behind? Have you been duped into thinking that America sucks, or is evil? Should you seek a second opinon?

read more digg story

Buyer Beware!!!

The next time you are excited about some "BIG" company being sued by the little guy, or being heavily taxed by the government, don't forget that they pass all of their costs onto you.

http://tinyurl.com/6c5rqm

This article describes a case which will no doubt raise the price of paint. Now, you may not be in the market for paint right now, but you are about to buy gas, food, toys etc. All of which have been, or might be the victim of some frivolous lawsuit, or government regulation, that never should have been brought in the first place.

Are there legitimate reasons to sue and regulate companies that do bad stuff? YES!!!! But not all of them. We need to get a handle on the legitimate use of the courts and the legislators.

The truth about ANWR

Pictures showing the size of the actual proposed drill area in ANWR. The article also shows comparisons of the typical pictures you see in the media to what the drill area actually looks like.

read more digg story

Read the Constitution lately?

It is truly disgusting what our elected officials do on a daily basis with the power we lend to them.

This article will, on it's surface, appear as though it is about the abortion debate. While that is a debate that I engage in, and am more than motivated to discuss, I wish to highlight what might otherwise be overlooked. This is supposed to be an Iraq War Supplemental Bill and one of our illustrious "representatives" felt it was a good idea to tack on a provision that has nothing to do with the war. Now, you can agree or disagree on the war, and you can agree or disagree on the abortion issue, but you must, in all candor, be with me when I say that the name of any bill should be in close alignment with it's contents.

One of the sneaky little tricks in Washington is something called an earmark. It occurs on both sides of the aisle and it is, in this humble thinker's opinion, tantamount to blatantly violating one's oath of office. In its essence it is a money laundering scheme with Tax Payer dollars and You should be thrown out of office for doing such things.

read more digg story

Communism or Commerce: The Debate Drones on...

This is really good, The Senate is talking out of both sides of their mouth, as usual. Any common sense person can see the hypocracy here. Boy I sure hope Obama gets in there because he represents change!!

Global Warming: Logic or Big Government Hoax?

This is one of the most concise and honest assesments of the current debate you will see. You must, however, open your mind because much of what you have heard about this debate are lies and deception designed to strip you of your liberties. This post is not intended to scare or to whip up emotions, but rather to inform and enlighten.

The Audacity of Democrats

The often times shocking statements of The Democrat Leadership causes me to wonder to whom they assign their allegiance. Is is to The US Constitution (as their OATH of office would have you believe) or to the reacquisition of their power AT ANY COST? The link in the title has this quote to add,

"Deliberately or not, the Democratic Party and the left wing media, with their endless criticisms of the Iraq conflict, and their endless public comparisons of that war to Vietnam, sent a direct message to the rag-tag army of ultra-violent terrorists in Iraq who were detonating car bombs in crowded marketplaces, beheading and mutilating civilians and killing American and Coalition soldiers: "Keep the violence up just a bit longer. We'll take care of wearing down America's will to win from within, just like during Vietnam."

It does not make good sense to me and forces me to ask the question, "Are we really that blinded by political ambition that we would rather see our beautiful republic destroyed rather than let the other guy get his way?"

Beethoven for President

Local Newscaster Jack Atherton waxes eloquent on the virtues of hard work and sacrifice. A lesson our political leaders would do well to emulate.

read more digg story

The Power of Four Dollars

If you define yourself as politically Liberal...you must read this.

read more digg story

Income Redistribution: Rangel’s Reward

Democrats sure know how to say thank you. Or perhaps it’s just coincidence that a bill passed by the House last week contains a special tax perk for trial lawyers—one of the largest contributors to Democrat campaigns. Buried in the Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008 is a provision, offered by House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY), which would let trial layers deduct the up-front expenses they incur while chasing ambulances—er, filing contingency-fee lawsuits—whether or not they anticipate future reimbursements for these expenses. Under current law, these expenses, deemed “loans” to clients, are deductible only if not repaid. Rangel’s Reward would allow lawyers to claim deductions now and, in essence, defer tax payments until they receive reimbursements—which, as we know from watching infamous class-action lawsuits unfold, can take years.

A Rangel spokesman claims, “This is purely a matter of fairness and tax equity. The individuals who would benefit from this provision are already eligible to deduct expenses related to contingency-fee lawsuits, the only question is when.” In reality, though, the bill gives trial lawyers a green light, no speed limit, and free gas to launch a convoy of ambulance chasers.
Of course, as a rule, tax cuts are a good thing, but when they come in the form of special-interest loopholes that reward often-frivolous, economy-wrecking lawsuits, we hardly see the “fairness and equity” in that.

-REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE PATRIOT POST_

Regulatory Commissars: How to lower prices

The spectacle of liberals in fiscally strapped states making unrealistic and unsupportable promises of government-controlled health-insurance schemes is providing Republicans with a chance to campaign on conservative ideas in the field of healthcare. Some conservatives have begun to take action on this topic.

In Florida, the state legislature unanimously approved Republican Governor Charlie Crist’s proposal to allow insurers to sell cheaper insurance containing fewer of the costly government requirements that price consumers out of the market. Only in overregulated markets does the idea of shedding costly government requirements to enable entities to meet consumer desires seem radical. In New Jersey, where the health-insurance market was destroyed by state-government intervention in the 1990s, Republican Assemblyman Jay Webber will introduce legislation to let residents purchase low-cost health insurance from any policy issued in any other state. Despite New Jersey’s costly mandates, Webber’s reform will prove ineffective unless the state also discards the guaranteed-issue and community-rating laws that increased premiums for a family policy anywhere from 500 to 700 percent. (No, that’s not a misprint—New Jersey insurance costs are about double those of states lacking these laws.)

Health-insurance reform is an issue conservatives can win on—if they quit acting like big-government liberals. Billions in unsustainable debt through expanding bankrupt government programs is never a good idea, nor is it conservative. Conservatives succeed only when they act like conservatives.

-REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE PATRIOT POST-

Futures Markets hold a valuable social function

Here is just another tidbit to answer the myriad of accusations regarding the recent spike in prices. Most people choose to grasp for the most popular villain, which just happens to be those operating in the free market, The news media is happy to agree and run ex posse after ex posse claiming moral authority. The truth is much different.

read more digg story

Just a question

Why is it that when we discuss MAN-MADE Global warming we never ask ourselves how THE SUN might be changing, or dying even. I seem to remember from my Earth Science classes in school that not only do Solar flares have a significant impact upon us, but also stars die and this process takes millions of years. Why is it that it is my fault? Why is it required of me to live like a caveman? I am going to look into this further, but I just had to ask the obvious.

This is just a must see for those who care about truth

It is so true what has been said in so many different ways before; what we learn from history is that nobody learns from history. This has happened to me countless times in the past that I learn of someone or something that i wish i had come across years ago, better late than never.

read more | digg story

Global Warming Skeptics Plot 'Carbon Belch Day'

Grassfire.org is the latest group to question whether global warming is a real phenomenon ...London's Daily Telegraph this week called environmentalism "the new secular faith." The paper said the United Kingdom's carbon credits program for industry is "just like the medieval trade in indulgences"

read more | digg story

Czech President Klaus ready to debate Gore on climate change

Klaus, an economist, said he opposed the "climate alarmism" perpetuated by environmentalism trying to impose their ideals, comparing it to the decades of communist rule he experienced growing up in Soviet-dominated Czechoslovakia. Like their (communist) predecessors, they will be certain that they have the right to sacrifice man and his freedom...

read more | digg story

Ben Stein on Memorial Day

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world. A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him. A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad. The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists. We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

Bodies exibit

Former Chinese prison camp inmate knows about 'Bodies'. So many have not thought through the potential human rights abuses that may be connected to this exibit. I think it interesting that they will not say from where these bodies come. It also shocks me how few people seem to have a problem with this and in the same breath say how dare we defend ourselves.

read more | digg story

The Clinton Chorus::By George Will

political correctness and racism will bite you in the but sooner or later.

read more | digg story

Gay Rights vs. Democracy

It is not about Gay marriage...it's about the law having meaning.

read more | digg story

Congressional Problem Creation::By Walter E. Williams

If you think that our challenges have been created by big business, you had better do yourself a favor and look up the facts. When you allow the facts to guide your opinion, rather than the latest scare tactic from a reporter or politician, you will find that our dilemmas are a result of bad law and central planing, not because of free markets. The socialist agenda of many in Congress is absolutely destroying the economy.

read more | digg story

The Government gets bigger and rich farmers get richer.

How we have elected a group of tyranical panderers who care nothing for The US Constitution. The death of liberty is upon us.

read more | digg story

National Catholic Register: Sex sells girls short – Psycholo

The destruction of our culture is happening at an alarming rate and right before our eyes. We must take note of the real dangers and not allow the moral relativists to beat us into submission with their politically correct jargon.

read more | digg story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYBCtpI4m-Y

Drive Free Retire Rich

This is not a scam and no one will ask you for a dime. It is just a small twist in your thought process that will blow your mind!!

read more | digg story

Satellite Radio, Gas Prices and the Credit Crunch

The MSM wants to scare you. The truth will set you free!!

read more | digg story

Liberty

It ain't easy...liberty, it is by far the most difficult of arrangements in which to live. Because it requires that we take responsibility for our own actions and trust, have faith, that others are capable of the same. This requires a degree of humility. It also demands that we be watchful of the slick tongued despots who would convince us otherwise. Can you handle it?

DEBT!!

If the American People ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks...will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

President, Thomas Jefferson