Stem-cells have been used to stop dependence on insulin by a group of Type 1 diabetics in a recent study.

Diabetics using stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to produce the hormone naturally again.

In a breakthrough trial, 15 young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes were given drugs to suppress their immune systems followed by transfusions of stem cells drawn from their own blood.

The results show that insulin-dependent diabetics can be freed from reliance on needles by an injection of their own stem cells. The therapy could signal a revolution in the treatment of the condition, which affects more than 300,000 Britons.

People with type 1 diabetes have to give themselves regular injections to control blood-sugar levels, as their ability to create the hormone naturally is destroyed by an immune disorder.

And please note – this is not embryonic stem-cell therapy. Rather it is a therapy using the [patient’s own stem-cells to stimulate production of insulin. We are still waiting for embryonic stem-cells to produce ANY therapies for ANY condition, while adult stem-cells are proving quite efficacious.

But as a Type 2 diabetic, IÂ’m waiting to see if this will translate over to my condition, freeing me from the need to take my medication.

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One has to wonder if this will impact his decision on the 2008 presidential race – and the level of support that he will draw.

Former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson told FOX News on Wednesday that he's in remission from lymphoma cancer.

The "Law & Order" star who is considering a run for the White House in 2008, said he was diagnosed with indolent lymphoma in 2004 after a routine physical. He said the cancer is "fortunately a good kind if you can ever call something like that a good kind" and treatable.

"I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future — and with no debilitating side effects," Thompson said in a personal commentary following the interview.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year doctors will diagnose about 63,000 new cases of indolent lymphoma, a slow-growing type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, the part of the body that helps regulate the immune system.

Thompson has a favorable prognosis, said Dr. Bruce Cheson of Georgetown University Hospital. Thompson had been on a cancer therapy called Rituxan, but is not currently in treatment.

Now let’s be real clear here – this is not a form of cancer that is life threatening. Indeed, according to doctors it is more likely that Thompson will die of old age than of the cancer. But the specter of the “C Word” may be sufficient to cool the ardor of many conservatives towards a Thompson candidacy. We’ll have to wait and see if this turns out to be the case.

And regardless, we all need to keep Fred Thompson in prayer.

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Finally, and much too late, action is being taken against Texas Youth Commission employees who sexually preyed upon their charges.

A West Texas grand jury on Tuesday indicted two former administrators of a Texas Youth Commission lockup on multiple sex abuse charges, ending two years of inactivity in a case that has sparked an overhaul of the state's juvenile correctional system.

"It's about time," said Marc Slattery, a volunteer math teacher who first alerted a Texas Ranger to sex abuse complaints at the school.

The suspects, Ray Brookins and John Paul Hernandez, both 41, were indicted on charges of sexually abusing six youths, ages 16-19, who were incarcerated at the West Texas State School in Pyote in 2004 and 2005.

Brookins, the facility's former assistant superintendent, was arrested at his home in Austin and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Hernandez, the facility's former principal, was arrested at his parents' home in Fort Stockton; his bail was set at $600,000.

My question -- why did it take so long, and why were these reports covered up for so long? Who will be held responsible for those delays?

If you read the article, you will see the scandal goes deeper still.

Posted by: Greg at 10:48 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Will we finally see professional sports get serious about the thuggishness of some of the players?

The National Football League yesterday delivered the crackdown on criminal conduct by its players that it had promised. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire 2007 season and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry for the first half of it. The league also announced a strengthened conduct policy that empowers Goodell to banish a player permanently for repeated offenses and punish a team for misbehavior by its employees.

"We have long had policies and programs designed to encourage responsible behavior, and this policy is a further step in ensuring that everyone who is part of the NFL meets that standard," Goodell said in a written statement issued by the league. "We will continue to review the policy and modify it as warranted."

The issue became a priority for the NFL after at least 35 players were arrested in the first 11 1/2 months of last year, bringing waves of negative publicity for the country's most popular sport and making the game's leaders wary that sponsors and business partners could look for other places to spend their money. The trend of off-field misconduct has continued since, with approximately 15 more arrests.

I think this is a good move on the part of the NFL, as increasing lawlessness among a handful of players has begun to tarnish the image of the league as a whole. And as I've seen since one of my former students was drafted by the Detroit lions a few years ago (and since the Houston Texans came to town), most players are really good, decent individuals with high standards for their personal conduct -- but their wholesome lifestyles don't get the coverage that folks like Jones and Goodell draw for their criminal conduct.

My hope is that other professional sports follow this example -- especially the NBA, where players seeking "street cred" has led to any number of unfortunate incidents in recent years.

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If there is any justice in North Carolina, that will happen today.

The three defendants in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case and their families arrived in the area late Tuesday in expectation of an announcement from the state attorney general clearing them of all charges, one of the defense lawyers said.

“I am very comfortable what will happen when the attorney general makes the announcement,” said Joseph B. Cheshire, a lawyer for David F. Evans, one of three former Duke University students accused of sexual offense and kidnapping in a March 2006 lacrosse team party.

Another defense lawyer, James P. Cooney III, said the families were arriving so they would not have to travel at the last minute for an announcement. The lawyers declined to say if they had received assurances from the attorney generalÂ’s office.

The attorney general, Roy A. Cooper, and his spokeswoman could not be reached Tuesday night. Earlier, the spokeswoman, Noelle Talley, said it was possible the office would hold a news conference today culminating its three-month investigation.

Mr. Cheshire said the defendants and their families were all arriving and planned to hold a news conference of their own within an hour of the attorney generalÂ’s announcement.

On the other hand, the announcement -- if one is coming -- could be later this week.

The three men indicted in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case could learn this week whether state prosecutors plan to bring them to trial or drop the charges, a person close to the case said Tuesday.

The attorney general's office, which has said for several weeks it was close to completing its investigation since taking the case from the district attorney, has wrapped up additional interviews, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on a condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has not been made.

A spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office said Tuesday no announcement in the case was scheduled. No motions or court papers were filed in the case on Tuesday.

Real justice won't happen, however, until the false accuser is charged, tried, and convicted for her lies, and the corrupt DA is disbarred and jailed for his violations of the civil rights of these young men -- yeah, that's right, wealthy white guys have civil rights too, folks.

Posted by: Greg at 10:37 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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Short of cash? Need to pay bills or otherwise get your finances together? Well, you might consider the possibility that unsecured or secured personal loans might be the answer to your situation.

Now there are any number of ways you can go when seeking loans. it may be that you have equity in your home, so you could qualify for a variety of homeowner loans that draw on the value of your biggest asset -- your home. Or perhaps there are other sorts of personal loans available for you -- short-term, middle-term, or long-term -- that will help you deal with your need. Maybe the issue is medical bills or unexpected expenses around the home or related to your career -- borrowing can be a solution.

However, remember one simple rule -- don't borrow more than you can afford to repay. bankruptcy isn't a good idea, nor is cutting back to pay of excess debt any fun. So use your head before your borrow.

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Do we really need a scientific formula for the perfect bacon sandwich?

Should it be slithery or scrunchy, glutinous or grilled? The answer, British scientists say, may be divined by a formula: N = C + {fb(cm) · fb(tc)} + fb(Ts) + fc · ta.

That is the scientific answer to the question: what makes the perfect bacon sandwich?

And, no, it is not April 1.

Researchers at Leeds University spent more than 1,000 hours testing 700 variants on the traditional bacon sandwich, which many Britons refer to as a bacon butty (eschewing the term sandwich, said to have been coined to honor the fourth Earl of SandwichÂ’s habit of eating meat between slices of bread around 1762).

For Britons, butties come in a variety of guises — chip butties (French fries between slices of bread), crisp butties (ditto with potato chips) or even sugar butties, which are self-explanatory. None are viewed as especially healthful.

Bacon and sugar?????

And the results?

The research combined four types of cooking, using grills, pans and ovens, three kinds of oil and four types of bacon — smoked, unsmoked, streaky and thick cut — to establish the preferences of 50 tasters in such matters as the butty’s tactile and aural crunchiness. The study also considered a broad range of condiments (like ketchup and brown sauce) and spreads.

It concluded that the best bacon butties were made with crisply grilled, not-too-fat bacon between thick slices of white bread.

Eureka!

“We often think that it’s the taste and smell of bacon that consumers find most attractive,” Dr. Clayton said in a news release. “But our research proves that texture and sound is just, if not more, important.”

Crispy bacon, thick bread? Sounds like breakfast to me!

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Are you a Christian looking for a special partner?

If you are, you may need some help if your church has a demographic like mine.

Meeting a Christian single there would be difficult -- we pretty well break down into older retired couples who have been at the church forever and young couples with kids, mostly new to the neighborhood. We just don't have many single twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings.

That's why Christian Singles Sites ar a good thing -- not every congregation (especially small ones) is a great place to meet a mate, even if you are getting your spiritual needs met.

So look around -- maybe there is a Christian Singles Site out there where you can meet a true soul mate.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:30 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Horrors! Between a draft version of a report and the final version, editorial changes were made that reflect the truth on the subject matter -- and The New York Times smells a scandal.

A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of experts who concluded last year that there was little voter fraud around the nation, according to a review of the original report obtained by The New York Times.

Instead, the panel, the Election Assistance Commission, issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate.

The revised version echoes complaints made by Republican politicians, who have long suggested that voter fraud is widespread and justifies the voter identification laws that have been passed in at least two dozen states.

Democrats say the threat is overstated and have opposed voter identification laws, which they say disenfranchise the poor, members of minority groups and the elderly, who are less likely to have photo IDs and are more likely to be Democrats.

Though the original report said that among experts “there is widespread but not unanimous agreement that there is little polling place fraud,” the final version of the report released to the public concluded in its executive summary that “there is a great deal of debate on the pervasiveness of fraud.”

The topic of voter fraud, usually defined as people misrepresenting themselves at the polls or improperly attempting to register voters, remains a lively division between the two parties. It has played a significant role in the current Congressional investigation into the Bush administrationÂ’s firing of eight United States attorneys, several of whom, documents now indicate, were dismissed for being insufficiently aggressive in pursuing voter fraud cases.

The problem, of course, is that there is a great deal of debate over the pervasiveness of such fraud -- especially given a number of recent prosecutions for election fraud and certain irregularities in predominantly DemocratICK communities regarding the number of votes cast and the security of ballots. Part of the problem comes down to one of definition, and part of it relates to the question of how one defines "pervasive" -- and whether one considers voter fraud that impacts election results to be a serious problem worth even looking at.

One interesting change is this one.

The original report said most experts believe that “false registration forms have not resulted in polling place fraud,” but the final report cites “registration drives by nongovernmental groups as a source of fraud.”

Well let's consider that for just a minute. It may well be argued that fake registrations coming from such registration drives are caught by election officials, but the fact that groups such as ACORN have a long track record of submitting fake registrations is of concern -- and is an example of attempted election fraud.

Oh, and by the way, let's consider a little comment by one of the Democrats on the commission.

Gracia Hillman, the Democratic commissioner who voted in favor of releasing the final report, said she did not believe that the editing of the report was politically motivated or overly extensive.

“As a federal agency, our responsibility is to ensure that the research we produce is fully verified,” Ms. Hillman said. “Some of the points made in the draft report made by the consultants went beyond what we felt comfortable with.”

Which raises a question -- is the report the responsibility of the commission, or the consultants? And if the answer is "the consultants", why do we have the commission in the first place?

No scandal here -- but I'm willing to bet that we will continue to see efforts to create one by partisan Democrats interested in making one more attack on the Bush Administration.

Posted by: Greg at 10:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When we bought our house six years ago, we were very fortunate. We went with a mortgage broker who was based in our real estate agent's office. Since i really didn't know anything about Mortgages when I started, it was probably a good thing for me. She found me a 30-year mortgage at a fixed rate comparable to other mortgages out there -- but with no money down because I'm a teacher. best of all, it was underwritten by a major national bank, so I knew it was reputable. Indeed, she even managed to get my rate knocked down an additional 1/8 of a point in the hours before closing due to a market fluctuation.

That doesn't mean that everything was perfect. Everyone missed the fact that my school district taxes through the neighboring county, not the county where the house is located. The result -- they missed $1200 in property taxes annually, which resulted in a $200 increase in my mortgage payment the second year as I struggled to get my escrow account up to where it was supposed to be as well as paying the full tax bill! So while she got me a great loan, the oversight ended up putting a squeeze on the budget for the first couple of years in the house.

Now would I look at remortgages for my house? No -- the rate is still good and my equity and income are not where they would need to be for me to shorten my loan term. And while I liked my broker, I wouldn't be using her again after the error.

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The Madman of Teheran is boasting of his nation's outlaw nuclear program making strides towards "peaceful nuclear power" and nuclear weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Monday that Iran was now capable of producing nuclear fuel on an "industrial scale" in an expansion of the uranium enrichment program that the United Nations has demanded it halt.

The announcement suggests Iran has succeeded in operating a larger number of centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran.

Asked if Iran has begun injecting uranium gas into 3,000 centrifuges for enrichment, top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani replied, “Yes.” He did not elaborate, but it was the first confirmation that Iran had installed the larger set of centrifuges after months of saying it intends to do so. Until now, Iran was only known to have 328 centrifuges operating.

When will the world act to stop him?

Posted by: Greg at 10:48 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I guess the Second Amendment of the Constitution is a little bit inconvenient for them, so they want it overruled.

Attorneys for the District sought yesterday to preserve the city's gun-control law, asking a federal appeals court to reconsider a recent decision that called some restrictions unconstitutional.

The District urged the full appeals court to review the ruling made last month by a three-judge panel. The 2 to 1 decision declared that the Second Amendment grants a person the right to possess firearms and struck down a part of the D.C. law that bars people from keeping handguns in homes.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) vowed to fight the decision, and yesterday he was at the courthouse for the filing of a petition seeking a full review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Flanked by Attorney General Linda Singer, Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and Marion Barry (D-Ward , Fenty said the District cannot afford to accept a ruling that would increase the number of guns in the city.

"More guns quite simply leads to more violence," Fenty said.

In seeking another layer of review, the District argued that the case deals with "questions of exceptional importance" and noted that the decision creates conflicts in federal case law that must be resolved.

In a related development, Mayor Fenty and other city officials asked that the court also declare that the right of the people to peaceably assemble and the right of the people to be secure in their homes and their papers -- rights added to the Constitution at the same time as the right to keep and bear arms as a part of the so-called "Bill of Rights" -- apply only to government bodies and not to individual citizens, noting that applying such rights to individual citizens would do nothing besides protect criminals and rabble-rousers, leading to further disorder within the city.

Posted by: Greg at 10:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As a history teacher, I'm not just interested in the broader historical perspectives of world and American history. I'm also interested in my personal history -- where does my family come from, and where do i fit in the great scheme of the American fabric and the tapestry of the world.

When my cousins and I did our research some years ago, we found some interesting facts -- like which of bunch of siblings were secretly baptized Catholic by their father and which member of the older generation was born only five months after her parents married. We also found a cousin who had traced the family tree back to Germany in the 1500s -- and the nineteenth century traveling peddler who had at least two wives, at opposite ends of his route.

Well, that work was hard, especially as we overlapped with each other in our research and worked the project at some distance from each other. I wish we had access to Tribal Junction.

At Tribal Junction you can create a family tree that actually grows and connects itself to other family trees as you and others find the link. Your little family sapling can quickly become a branch of a giant redwood tree of relatives. That keeps you from having to re-trace branches found by others -- because you are already connected in to the larger family tree!

When you add to additional user features like group email, automated notifications, and customizable user profiles, you find yourself with an incredible range of options for connecting with others and communicating with the family you know -- and the family you are going to discover. That certainly puts you well-ahead of the other family tree sites -- sites which hold back information, don't link with other, related family tree, and are simply much more difficult to use.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:40 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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But wait -- they are going to let him finish out the week before starting the "punishment" for his racial slur.

MSNBC and CBS have decided to suspend Don Imus for two weeks following his reference last week to members of the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."

MSNBC first announced it would suspend telecasting Imus' radio program for two weeks, beginning next Monday.

A short time later, CBS announced it will suspend its broadcast of Imus' radio program for two weeks.

MSNBC said Imus' regret at making the inappropriate comment and his stated dedication to changing the show's discourse made it believe this was the appropriate response.

"Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word," the network said.

Imus, who has made a career of cranky insults in the morning, was fighting for his job Monday following the joke that by his own admission went "way too far."

Excuse me, but I can't help but ask where the joke was -- there was nothing remotely funny about the comment that was both racist and misogynistic. But then again, very little is amusing about Imus' show -- though certain politicians are more than willing to appear despite the host's history of insensitive remarks. Even yesterday, Harold Ford, Jr. was willing to appear in an attempt to rehabilitate Imus.

But let me raise this question -- if MSNBC and CBS radio are really trying to punish Imus, why the delay in implementing the suspension? If they really disapprove, why not act swiftly?

And to the members of the black community who were offended by the comments made by Don Imus, I ask this -- why are you willing to accept members of your won community insulting women as "hos", or accept them spewing the most vile of racial epithets as a part of the rap/hip-hop culture?

Posted by: Greg at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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My parents have a big anniversary coming up -- I won't give the number -- and I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a possible gift for the folks. I'll be honest with you -- they are not easy to buy for, given that they are in their 70s and really have their lives set up the way they want. Indeed, flowers have failed, food gifts are out for health reasons, and I'm still not sure that Dad has figured out how to program the VCR yet.

But this might just be a gift for them, because my folks do enjoy having fun, and have a very active social life with a fun circle of friends -- they may be retired, but certainly are not retiring.

And this would be the ticket for them. Executive Gaming Monthly offers a casino game of the month club! We could get them the gift of fun, one they could share with their friends.

What games would I get for them? Well, I suppose that blackjack would be fun for them to play at home, just like in Vegas. We could follow it up the next month with a roulette wheel -- imagine the fun that they could have with the neighbors or even the grandkids! And i seem to recall that my Dad had a hot run at craps some years ago -- perhaps he'd like to relive the experience with a gaming set-up of his own Imagine the possibilities -- those would be my first three choices for them.

And then there's my brother's birthday...

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That is a very important question being faced by churches as sex offenders seek to become members of their congregations. Christ enjoins us to forgive and accept the repentance of sinners -- but what does that mean when those sinners have a history of preying upon children?

On a marquee outside and on a banner inside, Pilgrim United Church of Christ proclaims, “All are welcome.” Sustained by the belief that embracing all comers is a living example of Christ’s love, Pilgrim now faces a profound test of faith.

In late January, Mark Pliska, 53, told the congregation here that he had been in prison for molesting children but that he sought a place to worship and liked the atmosphere at Pilgrim.

Mr. PliskaÂ’s request has plunged the close-knit congregation into a painful discussion about applying faith in a difficult real-world situation. Congregants now wonder, are all truly welcome? If they are, how do you ensure the safety of children and the healing of adult survivors of sexual abuse? Can an offender who accepts Christ truly change?

“I think what we have been through is a loss of innocence,” said the Rev. Madison Shockley, Pilgrim’s minister. “People think of church as an idyllic paradise, and I think that is a great part of that loss.”

I'd love to say that I know what I would do in such a situation -- but I don't. And i say that as a former Catholic seminarian, married to a former UCC pastor. Forgiveness is the easy part, but dare we trust such individuals, even with the most strict limits placed upon them? Indeed, within the denomination in which I was raised, it was a willingness to forgive and trust too easily that led to a scandal that has shaken Catholicism -- and society as a whole.

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It's Adios Reality.

Well, maybe not entirely fro a couple of stars of "As the World Turns". You see, CBS is giving away $5000 and a visit from Austin Peck and Terri Columbino as a part of their "Win a Day With Brad & Katie" contest. And when those two celebrities show at your house, they are going to do you least favorite household chores for you! Click here to enter the contest -- and start preparing your dirtiest job for your celebrity guests.

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It has been three years.

Two years ago, Matt Maupin was a typical American young man.

He worked at Sam's Club.

He was attending college, majoring in nutritional science.

He worked out at Powerhouse Gym.

He had a dog named Fibi.

He drove a Mustang.

And in February, 2004, he was deployed to Iraq with the 724th Transportation Company.

Six weeks later, on April 9, 2004, he was guarding a civilian convoy that was ambushed by so-called insurgents -- terrorists, to call them by their proper name -- and was captured. He is the only American to have been captured in Iraq.

The Pittsburgh Times-Review has a great piece about the Maupin family and their experiences over the last year-and-a-half. I encourage you to read it.

I also encourage you to copy my little PhotoShop project above and put it on your site.

For we must never forget Matt Maupin, a typical American young man, who fell into the hands of the enemy while fighting for this country and the freedom of the Iraqi people.

And we must make sure that Sgt. Matt Maupin returns home with honor -- an American hero.

Please feel free to use the badge to honor Sgt. Matt Maupin.

Here are a couple of great articles marking the anniversary.

Posted by: Greg at 11:09 PM | Comments (41) | Add Comment
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This guy needs to be D-E-A-D -- dead.

Moktada al-Sadr, the rebellious Shiite cleric and power broker, exhorted Iraqi security forces on Sunday to unite with his militiamen against the American military in Diwaniya, an embattled southern city in Iraq where fighting has raged for three days.

Mr. SadrÂ’s statement did not explicitly call for armed struggle against the Americans, but it still represented his most forceful condemnation of the American-led occupation since he went underground after the start of an intensified Baghdad security crackdown nearly two months ago. It also came as his followers streamed out of Baghdad and other cities to join a mass protest in southern Iraq organized by Mr. SadrÂ’s aides to denounce the American occupation of Iraq on Monday, the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The arteries winding to Najaf, the holy city where Mr. Sadr has his headquarters, were clogged with vehicles carrying protesters

* * *

The strife that is taking place in Diwaniya was planned by the occupier to drag down the brothers and make them quarrel, fight and even kill each other,” Mr. Sadr said in a written statement. “Oh my brothers in the Mahdi Army and my brothers in the security forces, stop fighting and killing because that is what our enemy and your enemy and even God’s enemy hope for.”

Mr. Sadr added: “God ordered you to be patient and to unite your efforts against the enemy and not against the sons of Iraq. They want to drag you into a war that ends Shiitism and Islam, but they cannot.”

He's declared his enmity against the United States -- treat him as such.

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I'll be honest -- I never thought much about mortgages before I bought my house. Yeah, i knew thy were secured loans with the money guaranteed by the house itself, but never about what went into getting one. Indeed, I went in blind, never stopping to look at a mortgage calculator to figure out what I could afford. Fortunately, I got in with a good broker who found me an excellent loan at a good rate -- but I hear today about too many folks who didn't luck out like I did, and are losing their shirts because of adjustable rates or outrageous payments.

Frankly, I'm glad I'm not looking for a house today or seeking to refinance because I am locked in at a very good rate that I've found I cannot beat. However, my friends seeking mortgages today appear to be entering the process with a lot more understanding and knowledge than I had. In addition, recent financial setbacks in the mortgage market are making those high-risk and exotic loans a little less common, as lenders seek to protect their capital -- which in turn protects buyers from getting into financial trouble, though that isn't out of any sort of altruistic motive on the part of lenders.

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When I attended Washington and Lee, one of the best courses I took was "The Bible as English Literature". As a pretty lukewarm Christian (searching for faith, but bordering on agnosticism), I came to see the beauty of the Good Book -- and found my faith. But I came to understand that text in a different way as well, as a literary and historical document that may be read on many different levels. And quite honestly, I'd love to teach such a course on the high school level.

But I do not believe that the state of Texas should mandate that such a course should be offered by every school district as an elective.

STATE Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, has proposed a bill that would require all Texas public school districts to offer high school students an elective course in the history and literature of the Old and New Testaments. Chisum, who heads the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, arguably the most powerful committee in either chamber, insists that the Bible would be used as "the basic textbook" for such courses, "not a worship document." The bill would require districts to make a Bible course available if at least 15 students signed up for it.

Terrific — on its face. The Bible has had a tremendous influence on Western civilization, and Texas students could benefit from studying its impact on all areas of American life, laws and culture. But given the record of most schools that already have such programs, the lack of resources available and the apparent motivation of the bill's author, the courses would wind up being oriented toward a particular branch of Christianity and therefore discriminatory, opening the way for court challenges.

The Chronicle then continues with a shameful attack on the religious beliefs of the bill's author -- but a cogent problem with the Bible-related courses taught in a handful of schools around the state. And it is those problems that lead me to object to this bill -- the lack of standards, materials, and safe-guards in place to keep these courses from becoming "religious education" classes.

But more important from my point of view is this -- the reality that many districts lack the resources to add this elective course, and too many of my colleagues around the state lack the training to teach this class as it should be taught -- an objective study of a beautiful text, not a devotional study of a work of faith. And as such, i think the bill must be defeated as well-intended but unwise.

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Let's be honest about credit cards -- they are the avenue to so much information about us, and can be both a source of financial opportunity and financial danger. I mean, one need only consider the recent breaches of credit card security at places like T J Maxx to realize that they can be teh vehicle to so much of your personal information as to virtually strip you naked for the world to see, and to allow great financial mischief to be made in your life. On the other hand, many credit card issuers monitor for fraud and will contact you if they see strange transactions, as one of mine did in the days before Hurricane Rita -- my purchase of evacuation supplies and material to board up my house were seen as unusual (six purchases in three hours on a card I use perhaps once a month), and so they called me to make sure that the transactions were authorized. So it does seem that the companies are out to protect our interests when they coincide with their interests -- such as fraud prevention

However, there are benefits to credit cards, in terms of finding an offer that will save you money by allowing 0% balance transfers or offering a lower interest rate. So if you do find credit card use to be necessary, it is a good thing to shop around for the best offers.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Most of the bloggers I deal with on a regular basis are pretty ethical people. They exercise responsibility in their posts, allow great latitude in their comments but clamp down on/ban obscene, racist, or defamatory commenters, and generally try to engage in reasoned political debate/discussion. They do this without being held to standards by some outside body -- which is, in my eyes, a good thing. And yet some wish to establish some sort of "ethical gold standard" for bloggers.

Is it too late to bring civility to the Web?

The conversational free-for-all on the Internet known as the blogosphere can be a prickly and unpleasant place. Now, a few high-profile figures in high-tech are proposing a blogger code of conduct to clean up the quality of online discourse.

Last week, Tim OÂ’Reilly, a conference promoter and book publisher who is credited with coining the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales, creator of the communal online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussion and debate.

Chief among the recommendations is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by visitors to their pages and be able to delete threatening or libelous comments without facing cries of censorship.

A recent outbreak of antagonism among several prominent bloggers “gives us an opportunity to change the level of expectations that people have about what’s acceptable online,” said Mr. O’Reilly, who posted the preliminary recommendations last week on his company blog (radar.oreilly.com). Mr. Wales then put the proposed guidelines on his company’s site (blogging.wikia.com), and is now soliciting comments in the hope of creating consensus around what constitutes civil behavior online.

Mr. OÂ’Reilly and Mr. Wales talk about creating several sets of guidelines for conduct and seals of approval represented by logos. For example, anonymous writing might be acceptable in one set; in another, it would be discouraged. Under a third set of guidelines, bloggers would pledge to get a second source for any gossip or breaking news they write about.

Bloggers could then pick a set of principles and post the corresponding badge on their page, to indicate to readers what kind of behavior and dialogue they will engage in and tolerate. The whole system would be voluntary, relying on the community to police itself.

“If it’s a carefully constructed set of principles, it could carry a lot of weight even if not everyone agrees,” Mr. Wales said.

But here comes my concern -- with the amount of censorware out there on the net, how long until some of the filtering companies begin filtering any blog that does not formally adhere to one of these sets of standards -- and until there ctarts being a fee for receiving that badge declaring that one is an ethical blogger? And how long until anonymous political speech -- you know, like that engaged in by the Foundingn Fathers when they wrote the Federalist Papers and other early American political classics -- is strangled by the "ethics mavens" out there as somehow unacceptable?

And let's be honest about matters -- there is good reason for anonymity -- or at least semi-anonymity -- out here on the web. There is, effectively, a record of every word one says, and it is there forever. A pseudonym is therefore not a bad thing. Similarly, I've seen one blogging buddy pull down his website and delete all archives because of a threat of termination by his employer -- and I had a group of local Democrat bloggers prove their commitment to freedom of speech by exposing my name and attempting to get my school district to fire me (don't think I wasn't told, guys).

Personally, I'd prefer self-policing -- with bloggers setting their own policies -- to some sort of over-arching regulation of speech, no matter how benignly intended. Otherwise, you'd get folks like this setting the standards -- and regulating the debate.

MORE AT Reason's Hit & Run

Posted by: Greg at 10:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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No, folks, that is not a typo or some weird code in the title -- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is an anime series found upon the Japanese manga by Yoshio Sawai, one of the most gifted artists of the genre. The series itself is now found on Cartoon Network and at Illumitoon.com. Check out the Official Website!

But let me tell you about this madcap series, one which not only is amusing in its own right, but also based upon its parody of other anime series such as Sailor Moon and Pokemon. The main hero, of course, is Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (AKA Bo^7), an Afro-coifed warrior out to defeat Czar Baldy-Bald IV and his force of head-shavers who are out to wage war upon hairstyles everywhere. OK, it sounds a bit strange, I realize -- but it includes so much more in the way of spoof, parody and satire throughout the series as the battles continue. However, explaining the series is a little bit difficult beyond this -- you sort of have to see it to believe it. Indeed, some liken its humor to that of the Simpsons, in that no aspect of Japanese culture is safe from the show. But even if some of that gets a little mudled int he translation, the effect is still so hilarious that you cannot help but enjoy the wild sight-gages and bizarre situations involving food, cross-dressing, and the like.

Of course, these episodes have recently become available on DVD. However, there is quite a controversy about them. The initial release was sold with "Dubtitles" (English dialogue subtitles) instead of Japanese Subtitles (literal translation of the original Japanese dialogue). As a result, there is a trade-in offer out to allow owners of the Dubtitled DVDs to trade them in for the Japanese Subtitled version.

Seriously, folks, if you enjoy anime and are into having a good hearty laugh at something a bit unusual, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is for you.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 06:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'll never forget the tragic events that left New England patriots player Darryl Stingley paralyzed on the field. Neither will most football fans of my generation.

Darryl Stingley has passed away at the much-too-young age of 55.

Former pro football wide receiver Darryl Stingley, a quadriplegic who became a symbol of the game's violence, died early this morning at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. He was 55.

The cause of death was not immediately available. An autopsy will be performed later today.

* * *

Stingley's life changed forever on Aug. 12, 1978, in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. A wide receiver for the New England Patriots, Stingley was the victim of a vicious but legal hit by Oakland Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum. The blow broke Stingley's neck and left him a quadriplegic for life.

Stingley grew up in Chicago and was a star player at John Marshall High School, where he was a standout running back. He received a scholarship to Purdue University, where he was converted to wide receiver. He was the third of three first-round draft picks of the Patriots in 1973.

Stingley's injury changed the game, making players generally safer and taking out some of the ugliness that had begun to creep into the game as outlaw players like Jack Tatum became on-field assassins, paid to intentionally injure their opponents. While there can be nothing positive said about the circumstances that led to Stingley's injury, there is at least that positive outcome.

H/T Political Vindication

Posted by: Greg at 02:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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And the rest of the crude, disgusting staff of his pathetic radio show. After all, there is no way that such a clear example of racism should go unpunished -- even after his insincere, disingenuous apology.

Radio host Don Imus apologized Friday for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy headed hos" on his nationally syndicated program.

The National Association of Black Journalists demanded his immediate firing after the man known as "Imus in the Morning" put his foot deep in his mouth Wednesday. Imus questioned the players' looks, describing them as tattooed "rough girls." His producer compared the team—which has eight black members—to the NBA's Toronto Raptors.

Near the start of Friday's show, Imus said he wanted to "apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team."

"It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry."

My standard is very simple -- how long would a conservative radio host be kept around if he made such a comment on the air? I think we all know the answer to that one -- and the same standard needs to be applied to Imus.

Posted by: Greg at 05:04 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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Good grief! The Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that a student cannot be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't the folks at Lewisville High School know that, since it is covered in every every school law class?

A student who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance has been given a two-day suspension from Lewisville High.

He says, saying the pledge violates his religious beliefs.

The school district says his behavior is a distraction to the rest of the classroom.

The problem is, his "distraction" was his refusal to say the words of the Pledge, nothing more. And since the kid is a Jehovah's Witness, just like the kids in the 193 case of West Virginia v. Barnette, there is not any basis for distinguishing between what this young man, Adrian Boykin, is doing today and what those students were doing 64 years ago.

"The only thing I pledge allegiance to is God, not a flag. It's cloth to me."

Boykin's family follows the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

They believe the pledge equates to worshiping an image or object above God.

"You're not supposed to put any idol before God," said Boykin's mother, Kolette.

Adrian Boykin says after several months in class, his teacher at Lewisville High finally noticed him not reciting the pledge.

The senior was sent to detention but refused to go, leading to a two-day suspension.

The district says a student has the right not to recite the pledge, but cannot cause distractions with their actions.

Now wait just a minute -- how can the district even begin to claim that there was a substantial disruption or distraction is it took the teacher several months to notice and take action against Adrian for not saying the Pledge. That is laughable on its face.

And as for his refusal to go to the detentions, the administration should have been backing him to the hilt, not suspending him. After all, the teacher's actions were no different than assigning him a detention because he is black. Surely the school would not allow suspend a student for refusing to accept sucha violation of fundamental rihts under the Constitution.

There is only one positive outcome I can see here -- we now know that young Mr. Boykin is likely to have a college fund large enough to attend the school of his choice. Unfortunately, it seems likely that the taxpayers, and not the teacher and administrators who displayed such utter incompetence concluded.

Posted by: Greg at 04:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It is a sad reality that some folks fall prey to drug and/or alcohol addiction. As a teacher, I see that all too often among both my high school and college students. In such cases, there needs to be some sort of intervention and treatment to deal with the addiction.

That is where Stone Hawk, a michigan addiction treatment facility, can be of assistance. Stone Hawk provides drug addiction and alcoholism treatment using the Narconon program, which is a program that focuses on adiction as a biochemical process that can be overcome using behavioral approaches, with education providing of skills to assist an individual through daily life problems and disorders. As such, it is not a program of medical intervention with one drug substituting for another. As I saw all too often when I worked with a homeless population, medical programs all too often result in nothing more than a switch in drugs to be abused, with the twist of multiple addictions. The Narconon program's rejection of that approach is therefore a healthy thing in my eyes.

Hopefully you will never need a drug or alcohol rehab program, and neither will those you love. If you do, though, please consider Stone Hawk as an option.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 03:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I love "To Kill A Mockingbird" -- despite the fact that I had never read the book before I found myself expected to teach it when I began teaching. Yet having read it many times since, and having taught it nearly a dozen times (when you include summer school sessions), I really do believe it is a book that every adult ought to read -- both from the point of view of its moral message AND due to the fact it is a great read. So when I hear folks criticize the book for its flaws and question whether it should be read, I bristle just a bit.

If there's one book you should read before you die, it's To Kill a Mockingbird. That's not my opinion. Apparently I was sick back in ninth grade when every other American kid read Harper Lee's novel of racism, moral courage and coming of age in 1930s Alabama. I read it for the first time only this week and have my misgivings.

But according to the Guardian newspaper's Web site, a 2006 poll of librarians — British librarians — put To Kill a Mockingbird atop the list of books every adult should read before they shuffle off. Ahead of the Bible. Ahead of Huckleberry Finn and Pride and Prejudice and even Harry "the Franchise" Potter.

According to a 1989 study in this country, 69 percent of public schools, 67 percent of Catholic schools and 47 percent of other private schools teach the book, most often in the ninth grade. And it's still assigned regularly, three Houston-area educators say.

For many young people, To Kill a Mockingbird, more than 45 years after its publication, looms like that first tattoo as a milestone on the road to adulthood. It has become, as Slate's Stephen Metcalf writes,"an inescapable fact of America's civic religion."

So what's its appeal? Why a fixture on school reading lists? And what's its status in the canon of American literature? Is it really a book for grown-ups?

As I've said, I think it is a great book -- but that doesn't mean that TKAM is a perfect book. There are obvious flaws in Harper Lee's classic, some of which are mentioned later in the article.

In a New Yorker review of Charles J. Shields' new biography of Harper Lee, Thomas Mallon savages Mockingbird for its moral simplicity and implausible characters. He calls Atticus Finch a "plaster saint" with a way "of making forbearance itself insufferable."

Mallon calls Scout "a kind of highly constructed doll, feisty and cute on every subject from algebra to grown-ups," her voice a "forced mixture" of the child and the adult.

He wraps things up by describing the novel as "a kind of moral Ritalin, an ungainsayable endorser of the obvious." The movie, he writes, is "rather better."

This smackdown prompted Stephen Metcalf, Slate's critic at large, to read the book for the first time and weigh in with a qualified endorsement. He likes Scout, calling her a clever child whose "cleverness nonetheless never interferes with her innocence, and whose innocence is finally a near-flawless arbiter of right and wrong."

He acknowledges that Lee mixes child and adult perspectives but praises the book's voice as being "almost always fetching, often vivid, and the small-town manners it captures are keenly observed." He particularly admires how the book evokes and critiques Southern white-class snobbery.

I find myself leaning a little Mallon's way. I don't find either Atticus or Scout particularly plausible. The black characters are long-suffering and large-hearted in a way that, today, comes across as condescending. Scout too often sounds like no child I ever met — too smart, too spunky.

Of course, I lean towards Metcalf. I like to point out to folks that there is a reason that Scout sounds like a mixture of child and adult -- the Scout that narrates the story is not a little girl, but is instead an adult woman approaching thirty, telling a story about her childhood. Indeed, the voice we hear is that of Miss Jean Louise Finch (or maybe Mrs. Charles Baker Harris -- my kids one year debated whether or not she ended up married to Dill) telling a childhood story. And like most of us telling such stories in our adulthood, we make ourselves both a little bit more innocent and a little more wise than we probably were -- it is human nature. And while Atticus comes across as a "plaster saint", isn't that how we saw our parents when we were young? It is therefore reasonable for Harper Lee, through her narrator, to try to capture that child-like view of Atticus.

And then there was that criticism of the presentation of the black characters. let's be honest -- in 1930s Alabama, that was precisely the face that black community showed to whites, even those who showed them sympathy. After all, this was a society where the Klan still held the reins of power -- Kluxer Hugo Black was a US Senator from Alabama when the story begins, and by the time the story ends he would have been nominated as a Supreme Court Justice by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. If you were black, you needed to hide that seething anger and discontent, and so Scout would likely never have seen it, even from Calpurnia.

Of course, my favorite point to make with my students is that TKAM is an example of one story framing another. After all, the adult Jean Louis Finch begins the book by telling us it is the story of how her brother Jem broke his arm! Well over 200 pages later, we finally find out how the arm was broken -- but only after learning about life in her small Alabama town, Boo Radley, and the horrible miscarriage of justice that is the Tom Robinson trial.

And perhaps the best thing about the story is that it does leave you wanting to know more about some of the characters. My favorite "untold story"? What experience did Atticus have (presumably during WWI) that led the "One Shot" Finch to permanently put down his rifle until the day he needed to kill a rabid dog? I've often hoped that Harper Lee has written that story, and that it awaits posthumous publication on a dusty bookshelf in her home.

Is To Kill A Mockingbird Shakespeare? No, it isn't -- and does not pretend to be. Still, I believe it to be an important book that ought to be read.

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Posted by: Greg at 01:45 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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AIMpromote is an on-demand lead management program for businesses. The greatt thing about AIMpromote is that it allows you to track every lead, trace every dollar, and check data on every business campaign in real-time, without having to wait for data to be gathered and reports generated -- because AIMpromote does it all for you!

One of the nice features about AIMpromote is that there is no need for you to spend a large number of man-hours configuring software to the needs of your enterprise. AIMpromote sets it all up for you, configures the program to your needs, and provides your people with the training that they need to use the program, all as part of the cost of the program itself. That is certainly better than many other lead management programs, which charge extra for those little necessities that are essential to your business. They even have dedicated support representatives to work with you in the event you have difficulties or concerns.

Not convinced? Well, you can always sign up for the 14-day free trial of AIMpromote. Try it -- you will become a customer.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are The Scourging by Eternity Road, and Universal Moral Equivalence by Gates of Vienna.  Here is a link to the full results of the vote.

Here are the full tallies of all votes cast:

Posted by: Greg at 10:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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You folks know I have been doing paid posts through PayPerPost.com for a while now, taking advantage of my blog traffic to monetize my blog and make a little extra cash. I've blogged about their programs in the past, but here's one that you ought to know about and which might interest you -- it's a promotion they are calling 1K Tuesdays.

Here's how it works. In addition to all the other posting opportunities that are available on a regular basis, each and every Tuesday during the month of April will provide posties with the chance to be the author of a very special post -- with a payout of $1000. Yep -- you saw that one correctly. A thousand bucks. Ten Benjamins. Your buddy Mr. Washington and 999 of his friends. All you have to do is be the lucky person who clicks the link and submits it when it pops up during the day.

Best of all, there is no segmentation going on. This post can be taken by ANYONE in PayPerPost, not just someone writing a specialized blog on business opportunities available to rug-weaving yaks in need of debt relief who has a Technorati rating below 5000, Alexa rating below 10000, a Google rating of 8 and the top PPP rating of 5 tacks. That means that even a PayPerPost newbie with a Blogger blog can do it! No segmentation at all to keep you (or better yet, ME) from being the lucky postie.

Now last Tuesday, expectant posties nearly crashed the server as tehy hit reload in the hopes of being the first to spot this golden opportunity. And given that we are in the midst of Oppapalooza, there are lots of great opportunities out there for posties to take advantage of. But I will tell you -- this one is the best, and puts my $125.00 post to shame.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I agree whole-heartedly with the Supreme Court precedent that burning a flag is constitutionally protected speech -- as long as it is your flag. As a result, I hope they throw the book at these three guys -- and deport the two who are not US citizens.

Three Yale University students were arrested early Tuesday morning for burning an American flag on a pole attached to a house in New Haven, the Yale Daily News reported today.

The three men, all of foreign origin, were charged with offenses ranging from reckless endangerment to arson and were held in jail Tuesday night after a judge refused to release them without bail.

According to the newspaper, the New Haven police said the men — two freshmen and a senior — first attracted police attention at about 3 a.m. Tuesday when they asked two offcers for directions back to their residence. They were identified as Said Hyder Akbar, 23, Nikolaos Angelopoulos, 19, and Farhad Anklesaria, also 19.

Dumb-asses.

Posted by: Greg at 10:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What is the old song by Irving Berlin? "Oh, How I Hat To Get Up In The Morning". Yeah, that's me. And since the school day starts at 7:15 and I live half-an hour away from school, I'm getting up at oh-dark-freakin'-thirty every morning just to make sure that I get a chance to blog and get myself through the morning ablutions before I shoot out the door.

But some days I forget to set the alarm clock. It would be great to be able to have a wake-up call in the morning, timed to get me started early.

And that, my friends, is where Snoozester enters into the picture.

Snoozester.com is a great new service that allows you to schedule wake-up calls in the morning, just like when you stay at a fancy hotel with silk sheets and a mint on the pillow -- the sort of thing a teacher like me doesn't get too often.

Well... not exactly like in the hotel.

You see, Snoozester calls are not exactly from normal operators. Indeed, there is very little that you can describe as normal about the characters who call you to get you up and moving in the dark of the pre-dawn morning.

Let's see, there are currently five of them who share wake-up duties, depending on your needs and desires.

There's Lisa, who I find sort of cute in a mousy sort of way -- but she certainly isn't enough to get my blood pumping when I need to get myself vertical and moving around the house for my morning business.

And then there is the kid, Max. Let's just say that he might be the right thing for some of you, but I really don't have any patience for whiny babies approaching their terrible twos a bit early. But hey, whatever floats your boat!

Yeah, and speaking of boats, you could always get Captain Snooze, the pirate. If you want to start your day talking like Long John Silver, the Captain is your man -- and maybe he can force max or Lisa right off the plank for you some morning before he swashes his buckles.

need a boot camp flash-back? Try Sgt. Snoozester, who is vaguely reminiscent of the fellow from Mail Call on the History Channel. He'll get you moving -- and sometimes even laughing.

But my favorite has to be Harbajan, the Indian prince who supplies me with regular updates on the latest gossip form Bollywood and the odd cricket score -- and you know, cricket scores are all a little odd to American ears. But he's funny, and you need a laugh when you have to turn the lights on to find the phone to answer the call.

And now, you can even get reminder calls for appointments, too!

best of all, you can try out Snoozester free, just for signing up. Ten free calls -- that is two weeks of work for those of you trust-fund babies and Kennedys used to those silk sheet hotels I mentioned earlier. So what have you got to loose, friend -- check it out! it is easy to use, easy to configure to your needs, and priced right for any budget.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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If the Senate Democrats are going to play politics with appointments because they object to the exercise of First Amendment rights by appointees, it is fully appropriate for the White House to use the Constitution to bypass them.

President Bush, defying Senate Democrats, gave recess appointments yesterday to three controversial nominees, including, as ambassador to Belgium, Republican donor Sam Fox, who had contributed to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group whose ads helped doom Sen. John F. Kerry's 2004 presidential bid.

Kerry (D-Mass.), who grilled Fox about his $50,000 contribution to the group during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February, had complained that Fox never disavowed his actions and that he should not be confirmed. "It's sad but not surprising that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency to reward a donor over the objections of the Senate," Kerry said in a statement yesterday.

No, Senator, it is sad that you and your colleagues would place your pathetic little ego and the demonstrable falsehoods in your Vietnam record above the First Amendment.

Posted by: Greg at 10:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I knew that down here in Texas, household mold is a problem. Frankly, I was surprised to find that the icky, drippy, toxic black goo and other forms of mold that afflicted one of my neighbors a few years back are also found in parts of the country that don;t have a semi-tropical environment. But I guess they have that problem out east as well, and need Mold Removal in places like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, too. But what shocked me as I looked at this site is the question they ask about their methods -- "Why Dogs?"

Mold dogs? Now I've heard of just about everything!

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I generally support many of the ideas put forward by State Senator Dan Patrick. Even when I don't, I at least respect where he is coming from. Unfortunately, he has really blown it this time.

Republican Sen. Dan Patrick on Wednesday boycotted the first prayer delivered in the Texas Senate by a Muslim cleric, and then praised religious tolerance and freedom of speech in an address at the end of the day's session.

"I think that it's important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths, and that was my decision," he said later.

"I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that."

Patrick, a conservative radio talk show host from Houston and self-professed Christian, said he wasn't the only senator to miss the invocation — in English and song — by the Imam Yusuf Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque.

I'm sorry, but being present for an invocation does not legitimize the faith of the person offering that invocation -- and if it does, then surely that makes the ACLU right on the issue of invocations being constitutionally suspect, especially if they are limited to representatives of the Christian and Jewish faiths.

And the bigger problem is that Patrick's more important point got overshadowed by that stupid part of his objection -- an objection to the individual who was selected to be the first Muslim to offer the invocation for the Texas Senate. Over at Lone Star Times (started but no longer owned by Patrick, and for which I was one of the original group of contributors), they offer a much more serious basis for objecting to Imam Yusuf Kavakci.

The prayer to begin this morningÂ’s Texas Senate session was given by Imam Yusuf Kavakci, a Turkish-born Muslim preacher who runs the Islamic Association of North Texas.

In 2004, Kavakci was a featured speaker at a conference in Irving entitled “A Tribute to the Great Islamic Visionary.” The conference, honoring Ayatollah Khomeini, discussed such moderate, genteel topics as… worldwide Islamic revolution.

HereÂ’s a flyer.

The guy also has an ugly tendency to praise guys like Hasan al-Turabi (OsamaÂ’s buddy who helped establish sharia in Sudan) and Yusuf Qaradawi (who thinks suicide bombings are just peachy.)

Muslim apologists constantly lecture America that jihadists are a tiny minority of Muslims, that the overwhelming majority are moderate, peace-loving folks.

Out of all those moderate Muslims, we couldnÂ’t do any better than this guy?

I'm all for having an imam in to do the invocation -- but seriously, is this the right man for the job? Unfortunately, Patrick's RELIGIOUS objection to the imam made it impossible for anyone to raise a principled objection to Kavakci without being tied to the religiously exclusive objections Dan voiced.

Rod Dreher of the Dallas Morning News offers this objection to the choice of Kavakci to do the invocation -- the ideologies of the Islamists and extremists with whom the imam and his mosque have associated themselves, including Islamic "scholars" who call for jihad against Jews.

Does Imam Kavakci disagree with this? Does he think that urging murder of Jews is consistent with being the kind of Islamic scholar fit to guide US Muslims? Sen. Shapiro should also ask Imam Kavakci about his similar "quality scholar" praise for the Sudanese Islamist leader Hasan al-Turabi, who gave Osama bin Laden sanctuary when he ruled Sudan, and who instigated jihad against Sudanese Christians and animists. How does Imam Kavakci reconcile this aspect of Turabi's life and belief with his (Kavakci's) praise for his brilliance as an Islamic scholar? Or does Imam Kavakci agree with him?

I do hope Sen. Shapiro or someone in the legislature will put the question to the Dallas imam. Every time I've tried to get him to answer these simple and legitimate questions, he's refused, and on several occasions accused me of Islamophobia for daring to ask. He shouldn't be allowed to bluff and bully his way around giving a straight answer to perfectly reasonable questions.

Reasonable questions -- and a reasonable basis for selecting someone else. After all, would it be appropriate to open a session with the words of someone who praised the Fred Phelps klan?

Oh, and a quick note for Harris County GOP chairman Jared Woodfill -- yes, the invocation occurs in the midst of Passover and Holy Week, but since yesterday was also the birthday of Muhammad the selection of yesterday for the invocation was not at all problematic. After all, as often happens, there is some overlap between the holy days of different faiths.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:18 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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A lot of my students are getting ready to go off to college in the next couple of years -- and before too long after that, many of them will find themselves in need of debt help because of the student loans they have taken out to pay for their educations. It is therefore very important that young people start planning early to determine how much student loan debt they can afford to take on.

But once you have found yourself with a lot of college debt that needs to be paid, what then? Well, it is possible that you could be eligible for a student loan consolidation program that could cut your payments. That is where DebtHelp.com could be of some assistance to you in finding your student loan debt solution. DebtHelp.com offers a wide range of solutions for you if you need such assistance, and excellent articles explaining your options.

I'm really impressed with that aspect of the site, as well as the other services available at DebtHelp.com -- credit counseling, mortgage refinance, tax debt relief and many others.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 06:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Few in sports really deserve the title of “great” for their efforts. Eddie Robinson was clearly one of those.

Former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson, who created a football powerhouse at the small, black college in northern Louisiana that turned out hundreds of NFL players, has died. He was 88.

The soft-spoken coach spent nearly 60 years at Grambling State University, where he set a standard for victories with 408 and nearly every season saw his top players drafted by NFL teams.

Doug Williams, a Super Bowl MVP quarterback was one of them. Williams said Robinson died shortly before midnight Tuesday. Robinson had been admitted to Lincoln General Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

“For the Grambling family this is a very emotional time,” Williams said Wednesday. “But I’m thinking about Eddie Robinson the man, not in today-time, but in the day and what he meant to me and to so many people.”

RobinsonÂ’s career spanned 11 presidents, several wars and the civil-rights movement. His older records are what people will remember: In 57 years, Robinson compiled a 408-165-15 record. Until John Gagliardi of St. JohnÂ’s, Minn., topped the victory mark four years ago, Robinson was known as the winningest coach in all of college football.

“The real record I have set for over 50 years is the fact that I have had one job and one wife,” Robinson said.

And if you look at the caliber of young men who came out of the Grambling program, you see the real measure of his success as a coach. His players overwhelmingly stayed out of trouble, and he often said he coached them like they were going to marry his daughter. By all accounts, Robinson was an outstanding individual – the sort who comes along all too rarely in the high pressure field of big-time sports.

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As I read this, we have both assault and unlawful imprisonment.

White House Advisor Karl Rove was the target of a protest on the American University campus Tuesday night, News4 reported.

Rove was on the campus to talk to the College Republicans, but when he got outside more than a dozen students began throwing things at him and at his car, an American University spokesperson said.

The students then got on the ground and laid down in front of his car as a protest.

The students said security officials picked them up and carried them away so Rove could leave.

Police said they have dealt with a lot of protests on campus and this one was handled peacefully.

No one was arrested.

Let’s hope that American university takes appropriate disciplinary action against the students in question for their unlawful conduct which certainly violates the campus code of conduct – provided, of course, that conservatives receive equal protection of campus regulations. After all, could you imagine that no arrests would have been made if this were Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Pelosi?

Posted by: Greg at 11:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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