May I offer a hearty "who cares?"

Jordin Sparks says that she can’t take credit for her fabulous voice because it’s a gift from God. Apparently, the “American Idol” winner also had a little more earthly help: she reportedly had a vocal coach. That may come as a surprise to Sparks’ fans because on her official bio on the “Idol” Web site, when asked if she ever had formal training, Sparks answered, “No.”

I guess it is all in how you define "formal training" -- and whether you think it matters, given that Melinda was a professional back-up singer and others have been working in the music field for years.

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I teach. I don't make any secret of that. But would you like to know what my biggest frustration is as a teacher? It isn't discipline or lack of respect from students. No, it is that too many kids have weak reading skills -- and read at a pace that is slow as molasses.

What can be done for these kids. Well, there are a number of solutions to deal with the comprehension and vocabulary issues that such students have, but one thing that would help many of them now and in the future would be speed reading. What's more, it has been demonstrated that speed reading helps increase comprehension, because it relies on seeking out the key words for meaning.

Want to learn more? There is a great site over at SpeedReadingSecret.com that can give you more information and help you -- and your student -- improve reading skills today!

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Not that this comes as a surprise to anyone at all -- Fred Thompson is going to be forming an exploratory committee to explore the possibility of running for the White House. When? Monday.

"Law and Order" star Fred Thompson will make his flirtation with a White House bid official this week, forming a presidential committee and launching a fundraising effort that could culminate in a formal announcement over the July 4th weekend, advisers to the former senator said.

Thompson, who has been fueling speculation that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination with a spate of appearances and speeches around the country, urged a group of donors in a conference call yesterday to each attempt to raise a total of $46,000 from 10 couples starting on June 4, according to two participants in the call. Once the money begins flowing, Thompson will begin to hire a campaign staff and set up headquarters in Washington and Nashville, his advisers said.

The question is, of course, which staffers are not committed to someone else -- and which "names" will be jumping to Thompson from the other declared candidates in the GOP.

And the launch date for the "real" campaign? The Fourth of July weekend -- giving Fred one month to raise a substantial kitty. Expect him to make his announcement in Nashville.

The big question is -- who among the GOP leaders does this development hurt? Could it be Romney? Or is it McCain, whose political record is similar to Thompson's?

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Debt is a two-edged sword. It can allow you to acquire things you want or need, but it can also strangle you economically if you are not careful.

I look at the situation some friends found themselves in a few years ago. They were a nice couple -- he in his 50s and her in her 40s, with two wonderful kids. The problem was that they had allowed themselves to live a lifestyle that was well beyond their means. I mean they were in serious trouble. The had lots of unsecured and secured loans -- everything from student loans to car loans to credit cards to a mortgage. And then he lost his job, and they nearly lost it all. Fortunately, a new job for my friend and refinancing of their home to lower monthly payments and tap into their equity in their house allowed them to recover and live a more scaled-back life by use of this Secured Loan.

If you are facing financial need and you are looking for personal loans, might I suggest Loanwize.co.uk??

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Nancy Pelosi just does not get it.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) said Monday she led a congressional delegation to Greenland, where lawmakers saw "firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality," and she hoped the Bush administration would consider a new path on the issue.

Actually, Nancy, I know of very few folks who doubt climate change outright. What we question is the cause, the mechanism, behind it.

The California Democrat pointed to her delegation's weekend stop in Greenland, "where we saw firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality; there is just no denying it."

"It wasn't caused by the people of Greenland — it was caused by the behavior of the rest of the world," she said.

Scientists have noticed that Greenland's output of ice into the North Atlantic had increased dramatically, doubling over the decade that ended in 2005.

Yes, it has -- but has it been caused by human beings? Or has it been part of a cyclical change in climate that occurs over a 1000-1500 year period -- after all, have you never thought of why it was called GREENland by those who discovered it? The climate was much more temperate a millenia ago, while we are now coming out of a period which is often referred to by historians and climatologists as the Little Ice Age.

Oh, and by the way -- who rejected Kyoto? Try Bill Clinton, who never submitted it to the Senate -- and the unanimous Senate that expressed its opposition to the treaty in 1998.

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When the going gets tough -- the Loony Left posts over at Kos and then abandons the field.

Cindy Sheehan, the "peace mom" who made headlines in 2005 by staging a marathon protest outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, said Monday that she no longer wants to be seen as a leader of the anti-war movement.

In a 1,245-word missive entitled "Goodbye Attention Whore" posted on the liberal DailyKos blog, Sheehan said her campaign to end the war in Iraq had strained her relationship with her children, cost her a marriage and left her nearly penniless.

"This is my resignation letter as the 'face' of the American anti-war movement," Sheehan wrote. "I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost."

Her sanity and dignity are probably two of the things Sheehan will not recover, having clearly been driven around the bend by her son's death. I don't hate her -- I pity her, both for the loss she has suffered and her inability to channel her grief in a way that didn't destroy her family and disgrace the sacrifice of her son.

But I will point this out to you -- the Democrats embraced her in an opportunistic fashion only, as a weapon agains the GOP, so the conservative suggestion that she was a Democrat tool was, in fact, an accurate one. Once she ceased serving their purpose, she was discarded. It just sort of goes to show you how committed to the cause of ending the war in Iraq they really are -- and how much concern they really ahve for the troops and their families.

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This development in recent weeks has been interesting.

When Estonian authorities began removing a bronze statue of a World War II-era Soviet soldier from a park in this bustling Baltic seaport last month, they expected violent street protests by Estonians of Russian descent.

Expected, yes -- but the decision to remove the statue would be no different than one to remove a statue of the conquering Japanese from the streets of Manila.

They also knew from experience that “if there are fights on the street, there are going to be fights on the Internet,” said Hillar Aarelaid, the director of Estonia’s Computer Emergency Response Team. After all, for people here the Internet is almost as vital as running water; it is used routinely to vote, file their taxes, and, with their cellphones, to shop or pay for parking.

What followed was what some here describe as the first war in cyberspace, a monthlong campaign that has forced Estonian authorities to defend their pint-size Baltic nation from a data flood that they say was set off by orders from Russia or ethnic Russian sources in retaliation for the removal of the statue.

The Estonians assert that an Internet address involved in the attacks belonged to an official who works in the administration of RussiaÂ’s president, Vladimir V. Putin.

The Russian government has denied any involvement in the attacks, which came close to shutting down the countryÂ’s digital infrastructure, clogging the Web sites of the president, the prime minister, Parliament and other government agencies, staggering EstoniaÂ’s biggest bank and overwhelming the sites of several daily newspapers.

“It turned out to be a national security situation,” Estonia’s defense minister, Jaak Aaviksoo, said in an interview. “It can effectively be compared to when your ports are shut to the sea.”

Computer security experts from NATO, the European Union, the United States and Israel have since converged on Tallinn to offer help and to learn what they can about cyberwar in the digital age.

“This may well turn out to be a watershed in terms of widespread awareness of the vulnerability of modern society,” said Linton Wells II, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration at the Pentagon. “It has gotten the attention of a lot of people.”

The denial of a Putin connection is the most clear sign that there is one, given the byzantine workings of Russian government.

But more importantly, it raises the question of whether or not the US is ready for such an attack by our enemies -- and if we are ready to perpetrate one against our enemies. Given the freedom with which al-Qaeda and other Islamists prowl the internet, I fear that the answer may be no.

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You may notice that I've added a new blogroll on my site -- one devoted to fighting cancer. That issue is a very important one to me right now, given that my uncle will undergo cancer surgery beginning at 7:30 this morning, the time I've set for this post to appear on my site.

The originator of the blogroll, G.M. Roper (a fellow Munuvian) explains the goal this way.

Cancer is no respecter of race, religion, social status, income or profession. It is an insidious disease that robs people of a quality of life and too often, of life itself. This blog has one purpose, and one purpose only, to enroll as many bloggers in An Army Of Bloggers as possible and to encourage them to make an annual contribution to fighting cancer. The Rules for membership are simple, put the logo and blogroll on your blog, send a donation to a cancer program of any kind and post about it. It would be helpful if you write in the "memo field" of your check the following "Donated By The Army Of Bloggers." Help spread the word, help beat this s.o.b. into the ground. If you are a blogger, join the blogroll and make a donation. Leave a comment too if you would be so kind as to whom you donated to. Please leave the address and name of the charity in your comment (you don't need to name the amount). Please, if everyone helps this disease can eventually be whipped.

This Blog and accompanying Blogroll is dedicated Pamela Roper Clark, my beloved sister who passed away in 1990 from ovarian cancer. By putting the power of the blogosphere to work, we hope to make a citizens push to conquer this dread disease.

Who do I plan on supporting? The Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, which is a research partnership between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. It is where my uncle is being treated, and where, with the help of the dedicated medical team and the grace of God, he will beat this disease.

To join, please information, please visit this link. Also contact G.M. Roper for inclusion.

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Movies fascinate me. They always have. Even those films that are not well-made have to them a certain magical quality, combining elements of sight and sound with a narrative structure that is found in the written screenplay that gives the basic structure to the film. While my film art class in college was concerned with the technique of the final product, I have always been fascinated by the screenplay itself (just as I am with the theatrical play as a literary form). Indeed, you can't have a good film without a good screenplay.

Well, now you have the chance to learn to write a screenplay in under a month. No, I don't mean the lessons will take under a month -- I mean that the idea is that you can write a screenplay in 28 days -- that is merely four weeks! I know, that sounds crazy, but that is the promise over at MovieInAMonth.com -- you can learn to write good screenplays in only four weeks -- screenplays that sell.

MovieInAMonth.com is the brainchild of James Lamberg, who has written or ghost-written over 50 screenplays. His basic principle is that writing quickly means writing successfully Now that makes sense in a rather intuitive fashion. after all, the more you write, the more you can sell, write? And if writing quickly forces you to keep things real, so much the better.

Am i ready to buy the course -- I don't know, because I don't know that I want to be a screenwriter. However, this is definitely a program to consider if that is your goal in life.

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Outrageous -- especially because he knew the guilty party from the first day of his investigation and chose not to charge that individual. How can he therefore seek to sentence a non-leaker like he did the leak?

During the perjury and obstruction trial of Lewis Libby, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald never charged, and never presented evidence, that Libby illegally disclosed the name of a covert CIA agent. But now, Fitzgerald wants Libby to be sentenced as if he had been guilty of that crime.

Libby is scheduled to face sentencing on June 5. In court papers filed last week, Fitzgerald argues that Libby should be sentenced to 30 to 37 months in jail — a relatively stiff sentence that is appropriate, Fitzgerald says, because of the seriousness of the investigation which Libby was convicted of obstructing.

During the CIA-leak probe, Fitzgerald looked into possible violations of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and the Espionage Act. He did not charge anyone with breaking either law. But in his court filing, Fitzgerald writes that the grand jury “obtained substantial evidence indicating that one or both of the…statutes may have been violated.” Therefore, Fitzgerald is asking Judge Reggie Walton to treat Libby as if it had been proven that such crimes occurred. “Because the investigation defendant was convicted of endeavoring to obstruct focused on violations of the IIPA and the Espionage Act,” Fitzgerald continues, “the court much calculate defendant’s offense level by reference to the guidelines applicable to such violations.”

As a basis for his argument, Fitzgerald is using a common legal distinction: It’s more serious to obstruct a murder investigation than a shoplifting investigation. The problem, for Fitzgerald, is that he never proved that a crime, as defined by either the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, actually occurred. Now, he’s arguing not only that he proved a crime occurred but that Libby knowingly took part in it. The formula for calculating the sentence recommendation, Fitzgerald writes, “is designed to match the offense level to the conduct and result intended by the defendant.”

Absolutely outrageous. Fitzgerald didn't charge Libby with leaking, fought to keep him from presenting evidence that any disclosures were legitimate under the law, and hid the identity of the real leaker throughout the investigation -- ultimately choosing not to charge that individual, who was in no way influenced by or connected to Libby, and who in fact was an opponent of Libby and his boss, Dick Cheney. But now Fitzgerald wants to treat Libby like a leaker?

There is only one word taht fits here -- scapegoat.

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Maybe this will get the situation to improve.

President Bush has decided to implement a plan to pressure Sudan's government into cooperating with international efforts to halt the violence in its troubled Darfur region, where his administration said almost three years ago that genocide was taking place.

Administration officials said yesterday that the Treasury Department will step up efforts to squeeze the Sudanese economy by targeting government-run ventures involved with its booming oil business, which does many of its transactions in U.S. dollars. Bush will sanction two senior Sudanese officials and a rebel leader, who are suspected of being involved in the violence in Darfur.

The United States will also seek new U.N. Security Council sanctions against Khartoum, as well as a provision preventing the Sudanese government from conducting military flights in Darfur. The United Nations has accused Sudan's government of bombing Darfur villages.

Bush has been considering such steps for months and was set to announce the plan last month at the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum. But he held off at the behest of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who pleaded for more time to conduct diplomacy with Sudan's president, Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, toward allowing international peacekeepers into the country.

International organizations have been silent too long in the face of this crisis. The time has come for that to end.

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I love artwork. I really do -- a beautiful piece of art can lift one to new heights.

Park West Gallery is a fine art gallery that conducts art auctions throughout the United States and Canada. Indeed, they are the world's largest art gallery, dealing in the works of such diverse individuals as Chen Alexander, Friz Freleng, and Pierre-Aguste Renoir. I'm particularly struck by their work with animation art, something I have been interested in since I was a college kid and bought my first animation cell from them.

What is also interesting is that the company has expanded its horizons to include taking art and auctions onto the high seas. One affiliate, Park West at Sea, holds auctions on cruise ships -- let's hope that there are no pirate crews out there looking for a little bit of artistic booty!

But in all seriousness, Park West Gallery is a well-respected player in the field of art. If you are an art lover, a stop by their site would be well-worth your time.

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I'm stunned by this one.

Vandals burned dozens of small American flags that decorated veterans' graves for Memorial Day and replaced many of them with hand-drawn swastikas, authorities said Monday.

Forty-six flag standards were found empty and another 33 flags were in charred tatters Sunday in the cemetery, authorities said. Swastikas drawn on paper appeared where 14 of the flags had been.

Members of the American Legion on this island off Washington's northwest coast replaced the burned flags with new ones Sunday afternoon.

The vandals struck again on Memorial Day after a guard left at dawn, the San Juan County sheriff's office said. This time, the vandals left 33 of the hand-drawn swastikas.

"This is not an act of free speech. This is a crime," Sheriff Bill Cumming said in a statement released Monday afternoon

Burn your flag -- free speech. Burn someone else's flag, especially one from a soldier's grave -- criminal vandalism.

Catch these scumbags and throw the book at them.

H/T Malkin

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Now here is what I'd like to do for my darling wife. For her, I'd love to get that king sleigh bed that we have wanted since we got married, as well as a nice two tone sectional -- preferably with the chaise that she has always wanted.

And for me? How about home office furniture so that when I work on the blog I am nice and comfortable?

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Some quotes reveal everything about someone's character.

As Barry Bonds nears his record 756th home run, he's stockpiling quite a collection of souvenirs -- bats, balls, helmets and spikes, pieces of baseball history perfectly suited for the Hall of Fame.

Whether he'll donate any of them to Cooperstown, however, is in doubt.

"I'm not worried about the Hall," the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought. "I take care of me."

It still isn't too late do ban this steroid-enhanced cheater from the game. No one will miss him.

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I'm so looking forward to seeing Nick Lampson crushed in November, 2008. After all, he showed himself unwilling to face a Republican in 2006, and this time there will definitely be an opponent on the ballot to put the seat firmly in the GOP column where it belongs.

HereÂ’s a sign that full-bore preparations for the 2008 elections start when the legislative session ends later today: U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson of Stafford, near Houston, is letting it be known heÂ’s not running next year for the U.S. Senate seat held by John Cornyn, LampsonÂ’s political strategist says.

Mustafa Tameez of Houston, a political consultant to Lampson, said this morning that Lampson, the Democrat who last year captured the U.S. House seat vacated by Tom DeLay of Sugar Land, intends to seek re-election instead—fully knowing that his district historically leans Republican.

A Senate bid is “not going to happen,” Tameez said. “It sounds goofy, but he feels like he made a commitment to the people of Congressional District 22.” Tameez said Lampson feels a Senate try would be “disingenuous.”

Tameez aired Lampson’s decision to stamp out speculation regarding a Senate bid. “We just want it to stop,” he said (unwittingly the desire of some observers of this legislative session).

So Nick is willing to actually stand and face a GOP opponent this time around? Should be fun to watch him go down in defeat to a Republican -- again. After all, constituents keep rejecting him when he has to face an opponent who is actually on the ballot!

And let there be no mistake -- there are several credible candidates out there, ready, willing, and able to write the final line of Lampson's political obituary.

Deluded Democrat reactions at Musings and BayAreaHouston (OMG-- have I actually linked to John twice today?)

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The initial reports give signs of hope that Ryan Freel will be OK.

Reds center fielder Ryan Freel had feeling in all of his extremities and was coherent after colliding with right fielder Norris Hopper on Monday.

Freel, known for his all-out play, was down for 13 minutes while being examined and was taken off the field on stretcher.

The frightening scene took place in the third inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Freel and Hopper chased a ball hit by Humberto Cota leading off the inning. Freel caught the ball on the warning track and his left arm was run into by Hopper. Freel was twirled around to his left and fell at the base of the wall.

After being examined by Reds trainers and physicians, Freel was turned over on his back, strapped to a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital.

The Reds announced Freel's condition in the fourth inning. He was scheduled for further exams.

Hopper remained in the game.

Freel, hitting .253 entering the game, was replaced by Ken Griffey Jr.

The initial fears of a catastrophic injury involving paralysis seem to have been unfounded. Still, everybody keep Ryan Freel in prayer during his recovery from what still appears to be a serious injury.

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I don't know about you, but I want to know the score of the game right now. What game? Well, whatever game happens to catch my fancy. With Flash Score, I can get that information in a flash!

Do I want to know how my Astros are doing? The score is there.

How about the Chicago Bulls, the basketball team of my youth? I can find out in a flash.

And if the Texans are on the road, just one click will get me the score I need.

And for my colleagues at school who have a strange fascination with British soccer, all those scores are there as well, as well as scores from around the world.

So, sports fans, check out FlashScore.com!

Posted by: Greg at 07:20 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Let's be honest, folks -- this story about Marquise Hill does not look good.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews continued searching Lake Pontchartrain on Monday for New England Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill, who was reported missing following a jetski accident.

"We searched throughout the night," said Petty Officer Tom Atkeson.

According to WDSU-TV, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said they are no longer on a search and rescue mission. Now their mission is one of search and recovery and Hill is presumed drowned.

Hill's agent, Albert Elias, said he had been told Hill and a young woman were jetskiing Sunday in the lake when both of them went into the water, which had a strong current. Elias said the woman was able to make it to a pylon and hang on until she was rescued, while Hill was last scene floating away from the scene.

"I'm an optimistic guy," Elias told WWL television in New Orleans. "He's a strong kid and a fighter."

By all accounts, Hill is a decent guy, who has regularly returned home to help family members recover from the devastation left by hurricane Katrina.

Unfortunately, at least one media outlet has begun using the words "presumed dead" in their coverage -- let's hope and pray that this is a case of leaping to an unwarranted conclusion, and that Marquise Hill is found alive.

UPDATE -- 5/28/07 15:18 Central Time: The body of Marquise Hill has been found.

Officials told New Orleans television station WDSU on Monday that they recovered the body of Marquise Hill of the NFL's New England Patriots.

The news report came about 17 hours after the Coast Guard received word that Hill was missing following an apparent water scooter accident on Lake Ponchartrain.

The former Louisiana State University, a defensive tackle in the NFL since 2004, was reported missing Sunday night. the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said at about 10:45 a.m. Monday that they were no longer on a search and rescue mission.

Tragic.

May his family and teammates be comforted in the face of the loss of this gentleman at much too young an age.

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I just love the budget priorities this year when it comes to pay raises.

This year, it includes money for a teacher pay raise of up to $450 and a $35,000 raise for Gov. Rick Perry.

Fortunately, though, they decided to go back to fully funding the pension system this year.

And according to the wrong-wing BayAreaHouston blog, those are not the only two pay raise obsecenities.

Pay raise for our Texas school teachers: $430.

Pay raise for Governor Rick Perry: $32,000.

Pay raise for Attorney General Abbott: $25,000

Pay raise for the Commissioner of the Teacher Retirement System: $151,000.

Here's hoping the governor line-item vetoes the last three -- or better yet, vetoes the whole bill and brings them back to try again.

I'm curious, though, about whether or not the legislature gave itself a huge increase in pay this year. I wonder if John's leaving that out is because there isn't one -- or because it might make his Democrat cronies look bad for voting in favor of a budget that lines their own pockets, like they did last time around.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious -- if we average the two figures mentioned above, it works out to a raise of $2.35 per contract day for each teacher in the state. It's great to know how I am valued by my state legislature -- less than the cost of my lunch in the school cafeteria.

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And how do we stop them in this country without being accused of ethnic profiling and religious discrimination? Because they are expanding their reach beyond the battlefields of Iraq and into the rest of the Middle East -- and into the West.

“There are some operational parallels between the urban terrorist activity in Iraq and the urban environments in Europe and the United States,” Mr. Pluchinsky wrote. “More relevant terrorist skills are transferable from Iraq to Europe than from Afghanistan to Europe,” he went on, citing the use of safe houses, surveillance, bomb making and mortars.

A top American military official who tracks terrorism in Iraq and the surrounding region, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic, said: “Do I think in the future the jihad will be fueled from the battlefield of Iraq? Yes. More so than the battlefield of Afghanistan.”

Which is, of course, a good reason for decisively ending the terrorist threat in Iraq by wiping out every last vestige of al-Qaeda there, and by ruthlessly uprooting al-Qaeda where ever it rears its ugly jihadi head -- preferably with the help of our allies, but going it alone if necessary.

Provided, of course, that the American people are wise enough not to elect a president from a party that doesn't see terrorism as real threat to America.

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As a conservative, I hate to see anything run out of Washington. As a teacher, I particularly despise federal mandates in the realm of education, because all too often they are based upon pie-in-the-sky theories that bear little relationship to what actually goes on in the classroom.

However, might it not be a good idea to set a clear standard for what students should learn in high school, so that a diploma actually means something? Right now, it really does not, for core classes are not necessarily rigorous.

It's no secret to most high school students that taking the required courses, getting good grades and receiving a diploma don't take much work. The average U.S. high school senior donning a cap and gown this spring will have spent an hour a day on homework and at least three hours a day watching TV, playing video games and pursuing other diversions.

This is sometimes a surprise to adults, particularly state legislators and school board members who thought that by requiring a number of courses in English, math, science and social studies they had ensured that students would dig in and learn what they need to succeed in college.

Guess again, says a new study, "Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum," by the Iowa City-based testing company ACT Inc. "Students today do not have a reasonable chance of becoming ready for college unless they take a number of additional higher-level" courses beyond the minimum, the report said. Even those who do, it concluded, "are not always likely to be ready for college either."

Using research on the college success of students who took the ACT college entrance test, and comparing their test scores to their high school records, ACT researchers found that many core courses were not carefully constructed or monitored and that students often received good grades in the core courses even if they didn't learn much.

State requirements also leave something to be desired, the report said. More than half of states do not require students to take specific core courses in math or science to graduate. Many students pick up diplomas having taken "business arithmetic" rather than geometry or "concepts of physics" rather than a physics course with labs and tough exams.

let's set a rigorous standard nationally for education -- with course expectations that actually teach the important concepts that prepare a student for college or the work world. Furthermore, let's mandate a sequence that makes sense, and that will allow a student to move from district to district, and from state to state, without having their academic credits become a complete hash that delays graduation.

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You'll be punished if you try to bar homosexuals from your establishment in Australia -- but gay establishments can bar heterosexuals with impunity.

An Australian hotel catering for homosexuals has won the right to ban heterosexuals from its bars so as to provide a safe and comfortable venue for gay men.

In what is believed to be a first for Australia, the Victorian state civil and administrative tribunal ruled last week that the Peel Hotel in the southern city of Melbourne could exclude patrons based on their sexuality.

Australia's equal opportunity laws prevent people being discriminated against based on race, religion or sexuality.

But Peel Hotel owner Tom McFeely said the ruling was necessary to provide gay men with a non-threatening atmosphere to freely express their sexuality.

"If I can limit the number of heterosexuals entering the Peel, then that helps me keep the safe balance," Peel told Australian radio on Monday.

Welcome to Animal Farm -- where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

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After all, it wouldn't do for the American people to be given any sense that the war is going well this memorial day -- it wouldn't fit in the template of the narrative established by the MSM and the neo-Copperhead Democrats.

So you get this story highlighted by the Times.

Staff Sgt. David Safstrom does not regret his previous tours in Iraq, not even a difficult second stint when two comrades were killed while trying to capture insurgents.

“In Mosul, in 2003, it felt like we were making the city a better place,” he said. “There was no sectarian violence, Saddam was gone, we were tracking down the bad guys. It felt awesome.”

But now on his third deployment in Iraq, he is no longer a believer in the mission. The pivotal moment came, he says, this past February when soldiers killed a man setting a roadside bomb. When they searched the bomberÂ’s body, they found identification showing him to be a sergeant in the Iraqi Army.

“I thought, ‘What are we doing here? Why are we still here?’ ” said Sergeant Safstrom, a member of Delta Company of the First Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. “We’re helping guys that are trying to kill us. We help them in the day. They turn around at night and try to kill us.”

Of course, they then proceed to downplay the attitude of a different sergeant in the same unit, hiding his comments at the very end of the article, wehre they are most likely to be overlooked.

Sergeant Griffin understands the criticism of the Iraqi forces, but he believes they, and the war effort, must be given more time.

“If we throw this problem to the side, it’s not going to fix itself,” he said. “We’ve created the Iraqi forces. We gave them Humvees and equipment. For however long they say they need us here, maybe we need to stay.”

So, whose view of reality is more valid?

And let's not forget the point of view that highlights what has been accomplished, rather than the negatives.

“I thought it would not be long before we could just stay on our base and act as a quick-reaction force,” said the barrel-chested Captain Rogers of San Antonio. “The Iraqi security forces would step up.”

It has not worked out that way. Still, Captain Rogers says their mission in Kadhimiya has been “an amazing success.”

“We’ve captured 4 of the top 10 most-wanted guys in this area,” he said. And the streets of Kadhimiya are filled with shoppers and the stores are open, he said, a rarity in Baghdad due partly to Delta Company’s patrols.

Unfortunately, there are negatives to this situation -- including turncoats and infiltrators in the Iraqi Army. But a piece on disillusionment in a single unit, based upon interviews with 14 soldiers, hardly seems to be the thing of headlines drawing major conclusions about the war.

Unless the folks doing the writing and publishing have already decided the war isn't worth fighting.

Too bad the days are long gone when the press felt its role was to support, not undermine, the war effort.

H/T Malkin

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I'll be honest -- I didn't think much about mortgages before I bought my house. Yeah, I knew that mortgages were secured loans with the money guaranteed by a lien on/interest in the house itself, but never about the process of getting one. I went in blind, never stopping to look at a mortgage calculator to figure out what I could afford or considering different types of loans. Fortunately, I got in with a good broker who found me an excellent mortgage loan at a good rate -- but I hear today about a great many folks who didn't luck out like I did, and are losing their homes 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.

For information on types of mortgages and refinancing your home, visit Rebuild.com. They have many great articles on motgages and other loans.

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If this report is correct, one has to ask why Valerie Plame is not facing perjury charges. After all, her own memo seems to contradict her sworn testimony.

In her testimony before the House, Mrs. Wilson said flatly, “I did not recommend him. I did not suggest him.” She told the House committee that a 2004 Senate report, which concluded that she had indeed suggested her husband for the trip, was simply wrong. In particular, Mrs. Wilson pointed to a February 12, 2002, memo she had written, which the Senate said showed that she had suggested her husband for the trip, and claimed that the Senate had taken the memo “out of context” to “make it seem as though I had suggested or recommended him.”

The 2004 Senate report to which Mrs. Wilson referred had quoted a brief excerpt from her memo. In the new report, Sen. Bond publishes the whole thing, and it seems to indicate clearly that Mrs. Wilson suggested her husband for the trip. The memo was occasioned by a February 5, 2002 CIA intelligence report about Niger, Iraq, and uranium. The report had been circulating in the intelligence community for a week by February 12, and Mrs. Wilson headlined her memo, “Iraq-related Nuclear Report Makes a Splash.”

The report forwarded below has prompted me to send this on to you and request your comments and opinion. Briefly, it seems that Niger has signed a contract with Iraq to sell them uranium. The IC [Intelligence Community] is getting spun up about this for obvious reasons. The embassy in Niamey has taken the position that this report can’t be true — they have such cozy relations with the GON [Government of Niger] that they would know if something like this transpired.

So where do I fit in? As you may recall, [redacted] of CP/[office 2] recently approached my husband to possibly use his contacts in Niger to investigate [a separate Niger matter]. After many fits and starts, [redacted] finally advised that the station wished to pursue this with liaison. My husband is willing to help, if it makes sense, but no problem if not. End of story.

Now, with this report, it is clear that the IC is still wondering what is going onÂ… my husband has good relations with both the PM and the former minister of mines, not to mention lots of French contacts, both of whom could possibly shed light on this sort of activity. To be frank with you, I was somewhat embarrassed by the agencyÂ’s sloppy work last go-round, and I am hesitant to suggest anything again. However, [my husband] may be in a position to assist. Therefore, request your thoughts on what, if anything, to pursue here. Thank you for your time on this.

Now Byron York points out the obvious contradiction here -- them memo clearly puts forward her husband as a candidate for the mission to Niger, though admittedly she was not the first person to raise his name. however, she is clearly pushing his candidacy here, advocating for him to be selected. How can this be squared with her sworn testimony that she did not recommend her husband? After all, she is clearly laying out her husband's qualifications for the role -- the day before the vice president was briefed on the uranium matter and asked the questions that ostensibly led to her husband's mission.

There is also evidence that she made contacts abroad with US officials in Africa seeking concurrence for her husband's travel -- only hours after the Cheney briefing. However, there is no way that her timeline can be jibed with the contention that the vice president instigated her husband's trip to Niger -- because it is practically a done deal when she sent the cable, and she had already been putting forth her husband as a candidate to seek information in Niger on the previous day.

Now this leads to a very interesting problem for Plame and Wilson. They are now seeking damages based upon true statements made by executive branch officials trying to correct the record after her husband's statements in the press. We now know that Plame lied about her role in selecting her husband -- and have since the original Senate Committee report was issued. The matter is new even clear than it was at the time. Should this evidence not be the basis for dismissing the suit? Furthermore, should this not be the basis for trying Plame, and perhaps Wilson, on perjury charges?

Regardless, it is clearly a basis for appeal on the part of Scooter Libby -- assuming the president is unwilling to immediately do the honorable thing and issue a full, complete, and unconditional pardon. After all, any misstatements on Libby's parts were not material to the investigation conducted by Fitzgerald, the actual leaker was never prosecuted, and the one individual clearly guilty of perjury is the so-called victim in the case.

H/T Ace

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An important case concerning the human rights of those who do not wish to follow Islam will be decided on Wednesday by a court in Malaysia. It involves Lina Joy, a convert to Catholicism who I've blogged about in the past.

Lina Joy has been disowned by her family, shunned by friends and forced into hiding - all because she renounced Islam and embraced Christianity in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Now, after a seven-year legal struggle, Malaysia's highest court will decide on Wednesday whether her constitutional right to choose her religion overrides an Islamic law that prohibits Malay Muslims from leaving Islam.

Either way, the verdict will have profound implications on society in a country where Islam is increasingly conflicting with minority religions, challenging Malaysia's reputation as a moderate Muslim and multicultural nation that guarantees freedom of worship.

So it is very simple -- do basic norms of human rights recognized repeatedly under international law apply to those who have the misfortune of being born and raised Muslim? Or does forced submission to Islam trump the right to accept freedom in Christ?

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Now here is a position on illegal immigration that I can support completely. The column itself is great, but the conclusion is short, to the point, and dead-on correct.

People who break our laws should be shipped back to wherever they came from and should be told never to dare to darken our doors again. As Sonny Bono said, “What’s to debate? It’s illegal.”

Hurrah!

And might I add:

Round 'em up! Ship 'em back! Rawhide!

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If the goal of affirmative action programs is to help the disadvantaged, let's make sure that the disadvantaged -- regardless of race and ethnicity -- are the beneficiaries. That is the goal of this program.

Concerned that the barriers to elite institutions are being increasingly drawn along class lines, and wanting to maintain some role as engines of social mobility, about two dozen schools — Amherst, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Virginia, Williams and the University of North Carolina, among them — have pushed in the past few years to diversify economically.

They are trying tactics like replacing loans with grants and curtailing early admission, which favors the well-to-do and savvy. But most important, Amherst, for instance, is doing more than giving money to low-income students; it is recruiting them and taking their socioeconomic background — defined by family income, parents’ education and occupation level — into account when making admissions decisions.

AmherstÂ’s president, Anthony Marx, turns to stark numbers in a 2004 study by the Century Foundation, a policy institute in New York, to explain the effort: Three-quarters of students at top colleges come from the top socioeconomic quartile, with only one-tenth from the poorer half and 3 percent from the bottom quartile.

Race-based preferences are inherently immoral and contradictory to the spirit of US Civil Rights law and the Fourteenth Amendment -- in addition to often "helping" the most advantaged members of ethnic communities instead of those most in need. By focusing on actual evidence of need rather that blithely making the racist assumption that skin color is a surrogate for being disadvantaged, it may be that affirmative action programs may accomplish an important goal -- helping qualified individuals who truly need the assistance.

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That proposal is set forth in a commentary by US District Court Judge Edmund V. Ludwig. Indeed, he argues that any guest worker program is doomed to failure if birthright citizenship is not ended.

If not faced and dealt with promptly, the geometric, or Malthusian-type, consequences of birthright citizenship will careen Birthright Citizenship even further out of control.

Birthright citizenship accounts for many more persons within than the annual influx of illegal immigrants. One striking example is the woman in Chicago who earlier this year was ordered deported and sought asylum in a church because her child was a birthright citizen.

Guest-worker programs, opportunities to earn citizenship and trying to close our borders deal only with the visible aspects of the huge and complex immigration iceberg. All of them are vulnerable to the insidious issue of birthright citizenship, which deserves immediate attention.

And he is right. Guest workers arrive, have kids, and the kids are US citizens -- making it possible, in many cases, for the "temporary" parents to stay on well past the expiration of their status as guest workers.

If we don't reexamine this issue in a public fashion, and consider the implications of birthright citizenship on guest worker programs, we are simply setting such programs up for failure.

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Well, folks, you know I've become a real fan of PayPerPost over the last several months, where I get paid to blog. There are lots of them -- indeed, over 2900 of reasons, if you want me to be specific. That is why the big changes that have been happening around PPP have really been exciting to me. Beats the heck out of Google's offering, doesn't it?

Perhaps the biggest of late has been the introduction of PayPerPost Direct -- a new way of connecting advertisers and bloggers to their mutual advantage. Now, not only can we bloggers choose from the advertising opportunities that are posted at PPP, but now advertisers can come to us directly to propose opportunities for specific bloggers on specific blogs. The process is well-explained in this video from the PayPerPost.com blog.

Now some of you may want to know how this differs from some other programs out there, like ReviewMe. Well, take it from someone who signed up for their program -- they are worlds apart. For starters, there is the cost to advertisers and the revenue that goes to the bloggers. They mark up the cost of the ads by 100%, and keep the rest as profit for themselves. In other words, a $20 ad buy by an advertiser yields only a $10 payout to the blogger. That sure does eat up an advertising budget quickly, and keeps all but a handful of bloggers from seeing any serious payout for accepting offers. PayPerPost Direct, on the other hand, has only a 10% markup. How can they do it -- by being bigger and more efficient than the competition. That means that the same $10 payout to a blogger only costs and advertiser $11. I don't know about you, but if I were an advertiser i'd be willing to buy a whole lot more ads with PPP Direct bloggers -- simply because my budget would go further. And as a blogger, I'd know that my offers would be higher and/or more plentiful for precisely the same reason -- the advertisers could buy more advertising!

So consider signing up today -- the link is over in the right column if you wish to join PPP as a blogger or an advertiser, and there is one in the left column if you want to make me an offer.

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And this would be labeled as such by the press and the Democrats if Bill and Hillary had an R after their names instead of a D.

A longtime Clinton benefactor used corporate jets to fly the former president and Hillary Rodham Clinton on business, personal and campaign trips that a lawsuit brands as wasteful company spending.

The supporter, Vinod Gupta, also secured contracts worth more than $3 million for
Bill Clinton to provide consulting services to Gupta's Nebraska-based company, infoUSA, from 2003 through 2008, according to the suit.

Since 2002, Gupta spent $900,000 flying the former president to international locations on presidential foundation business and flying Hillary Clinton, a Democratic senator from New York, to political events.

The suit, filed by infoUSA shareholders last year, claims those expenses as well as millions of others unrelated to the Clintons were a "serial misuse of corporate assets and resources." The Clintons are not a party to the suit.

Details of the suit were first reported in February by The Deal, a business publication. Accounts also appeared in Saturday's New York Times and Washington Post.

These freebies have made it onto ethics reports and campaign finance disclosures. However, they do create an appearance of impropriety, because the Clinton sense of entitlement does not concern itself with little matters like appearances.

I'm curious -- will the Clintons provide reimbursement to the company at full cost if Gupta is found to have engaged in wrong-doing?

Oh, and one other question -- why did this story get buried in the Saturday paper on a holiday weekend by both the Post and Times? Is is an attempt to cover it up? And is it collusion to avoid embarrassing the former president and his presidential candidate wife?

In other words, there are lots of questions out there.

Posted by: Greg at 01:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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And maybe more importantly, how come the motivational articles for entrepreneurs he has posted are so good?

Well let me begin by telling you that Andreas Bard is a 22-year-old Swedish guy who is on what he calls a journey to freedom. He has caught the entrepreneurial spirit in a big sort of way, and loves to start and grow businesses -- and he wants to inspire you to do the same thing, if you dare.

Now what Andreas wants to do is help the young entrepreneur get started in business and persevere until he or she has been successful. It is all in how one thinks and what one does, you see. Anybody with sufficient motivation and desire can start a business and learn to make it grow into a going concern that makes money. To that end, he has written and/or posted motivational articles for you -- if you are really interested in making that big leap into the world of entrepreneurism.

And there are lots of areas for the young entrepreneur to consider. For example, have you ever considered how much self-discipline it takes to start and run your business? Really, it does, because with no boss watching over your shoulder or giving you direction on what to do and how to do it, you are on your own. If you don't do something, it doesn't get done and your business -- your livelihood -- disappears. Not a good thing at all.

Similarly, handling criticism is very important. Let's be honest -- you and your business are going to be criticized by customers and (if you have any) employees. And to tell the truth, at least some of that criticism is going to be true -- and some of it will not be presented in a constructive, helpful manner. What do you do? Do you listen to it? Do you ignore it? Do you mine out the nuggets of truth amidst the garbage? Andreas talks about that at length.

And there there is one that might not come to mind at first -- but is key to making your business a success. It is starting a healthier lifestyle. Don't forget -- your biggest asset in your business is you, especially at the beginning. If you don;t take good care of yourself, you will not be operating at your peak efficiency, and as a result your business will be at a distinct disadvantage.

Andreas has a lot of interesting stuff to say -- drop by and look, even if you are not an aspiring entrepreneur. To be honest, the healthier lifestyle one has hit really close to home for me, and has caused me to reassess some things about how I live my life.

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As a kid, i remember watching the show MASH. For some strange reason, one of the lines that stuck with me over the year was one by Radar, who announced that a party was because "Syngman Rhee 's been elected dictator again."

That line bubbled to the surface this morning as i read about the upcoming Syrian election, which will almost certainly award another seven-year term to Bashir Assad.

But as he prepares for a so-called national referendum in which he is certain to be overwhelmingly re-elected for a second seven-year term, Mr. Assad seems very much in control, with his rivals isolated, his critics increasingly in prison or fearing retribution, and international pressure eased. He has consolidated power around his immediate family and rewarded loyalists. And he has continued to reap the benefits of WashingtonÂ’s troubles in the region. In Lebanon, the anti-Syrian March 14 movement, which helped force Syria out, has seen its political fortunes plummet, mired in unrest.

“Syria has a great deal of confidence now,” said Abdel Fattah al-Awad, editor in chief of the government-run newspaper Al Thawra. “The country is convinced that the major pressures that once faced us have disappeared. We want to offer security — that’s what we offer. The Americans, they offer Iraq, which is chaos.”

Mr. Assad came to power on a wave of optimism, promising to bring change and to rule differently from his iron-fisted father, Hafez. But as he prepares for another term, Mr. Assad has increasingly begun to emulate his father.

Political campaigners openly called for change several years ago; today many have landed in prison in a government crackdown on dissent. Others shrink from public life.

Few Syrians would even speak on the record for this article, fearing government reprisal.

The article goes on to note his support for terrorist organizations in th region.

Remember -- this is one of the folks the Democrats want to negotiate with to ensure security in Iraq, despite the fact that he is a supporter of the very terrorists that American troops are fighting. I guess that human rights and free, fair elections -- and defeating terrorism -- are not particularly a value to that party after all.

UPDATE 5/28/2007: Assad has been reelected as dictator. But then again, when a leader doesn't permit an opponent on the ballot, what do you expect?

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Hearing that there is a new Police cd out has gotten me thinking and reminiscing as I think lustfully about owning a copy of this new compilation of the group's greatest songs.

I must have been fourteen or fifteen -- certainly in Ninth Grade -- when I first heard that rather striking opening wail.

Roxanne!
You don't have to put on the red light.

I'll be honest -- I was sold on the song and the singer and the group right then, just based on the first two syllables standing by themselves. The fantastic guitar work blew my mind. And the fact that the song itself was about a rather edgy and forbidden topic at my Catholic high school (love songs to hookers were not exactly a favorite of priests or nuns), I had to own the album, Outlandos d'Amour. And yes, I am talking VINYL. It was, in fact, the first thing I bought with my first paycheck from my first job. Cool.

I needn't tell you, of course, that Reggatta de Blanc quickly came into my music collection when it came out -- I fell in love with Message in a Bottle and, under the inspiration of the song and and a bit of vodka out of my Dad's liquor cabinet, actually penned a dreadful poem about a shipwrecked sailor sending a message in a bottle. It became my first published piece of poetry, in my high school literary magazine. I can only hope that all copies have been destroyed in the intervening quarter century.

And I'll be honest -- I never lost faith with Sting, Andy and Stewart. I always loved their music, even if I have not bought every release. Indeed, I have one song that makes me cringe every time I hear it -- as a teacher, Don't Stand So Close to Me cuts way to close to home for me to ever be able to listen to it the same way, though I still love Zenyatta Mondatta.

And of course, there are the final two projects that the group released. Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity became the sound track of my college years. I think I wore out at least to cassettes of each during the 1980s.

And now, as the group makes its triumphant return, to the concert stage in what is probably the second-most-desired reunion in rock history (and sadly, the Beatles are an impossibility), there is a new Police cd out compiling the best of the music of the Police.

And look at the music you get on it!

Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

What can I say -- I want it. I need it. I've got to have it. Somebody -- please -- give me a copy of this CD!

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And did those present stone him? No, they applauded him -- which proves two things that I've always known:

1) Christians reject the sort of violence promoted by Islam, because Farrakhan was not stoned to death or beheaded.

2) St. Sabina Catholic Church and its pastor have long since strayed from faith in Christ and into some fuzzy spirituality.

"Even though I am a Muslim -- I don't apologize for that -- I'm also a Christian," he told the crowd at 1210 W. 78th Pl. "Islam considers the Bible a sacred book."

"A good Muslim is a Christian, and a good Christian is a Muslim," he added later, stressing the common aspects of the faiths. "Whenever Christ's name is mentioned, I feel at home."

Calypso Louie lies here -- a good Muslim accepts blasphemy against the divinity of Christ, while a good Christian must reject the blasphemous teachings of Islam.

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Just remember -- Chavez is the hero of the nutroots activists, and they support his repeated assaults on freedom. At the same time, they claim that civil liberties in the US have been eviscerated by George W. Bush. Let's use this story to consider what the real truth is.

Venezuela's top court on Friday ordered the Defense Ministry to take control of installations of an opposition television station amid a show of military force before the station's controversial closure.

President Hugo Chavez's decision to close the RCTV television channel, which he accuses of backing a 2002 coup against him, has prompted international condemnation and several demonstrations.

Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered the military to "guard, control and monitor" some of the station's installations and equipment including transmission equipment and antennas throughout the country.

An RCTV source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said staff at the station believed troops would take over the station's Caracas headquarters.

The court determined that the government must take RCTV's broadcast equipment to ensure a smooth handover to a state channel that will replace RCTV with broadcasts promoting the values of Chavez's socialist revolution.

I've yet to see the president order the closure of a single media outlet in the US, even treasonous ones like the Washington post, New York Times, and ABC News, all of which have illegally disclosed classified military information that aid the enemies of the United States and actively seek to undermine our nation's war effort. I've not seen the President appoint judges that would give him the sort of deference to do so -- and I've not seen the nation's military leaders corrupted to the point that they would carry out such a violation of fundamental liberties. Yet this is the model the nutroots would follow.

That should make it pretty clear -- they don't want liberty or democracy, but instead want a leftist authoritarian government.

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The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Israel Faces Its Choices In Gaza by Joshuapundit, and On Dehumanizing the Enemy In War and the Nature of Victory by TigerHawk.  Here is a link to the full results of the vote). 

Here are the full tallies of all votes cast:

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Where can you go for treatment when you have an addiction? That is a question that some folks have to face in their lives.

There is a new drug rehab program in Michigan, First Step Rehab, that treats folks from around the country. It is not a Twelve Step program, but instead uses a five stage program to get patients off drugs and into a healthy lifestyle. If you or a loved one needs drug rehab, stop by their website for more information.

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