I wonder – would a Christian official be able to get away with a comment disrespectful of Jewish (or other) religious beliefs in a manner similar to this?

The Ohio Christian Alliance and state Republican Party have demanded an apology from the state attorney general for telling his communications director that some of the bad press the spokesman got was worse than Christ's crucifixion.

The Dayton Daily News obtained reams of e-mails sent and received by Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann at his office. The e-mails were released after a lengthy battle over public records access.

On April 6, Dann wrote to his director of communications, Leo A. Jennings III, about an editorial in the Youngstown, Ohio, newspaper that yielded a series of unflattering online postings about Jennings.

"Jesus had it better on good [sic] Friday," Dann wrote in the e-mail — which was written on the Christian holiday commemorating Christ's crucifixion and death.
Following the Daily News' publication of the exchanges, Ohio Christian Alliance President Chris Long drafted a letter demanding that Dann apologize.

"I think it would benefit all if he was to make a public apology," Long said in an interview. "That a public official would make a bigoted comment about the crucifixion on Good Friday has people outraged and in disbelief."

The GOP has joined in calling for an apology from Dann, who mocked the crucifixion on the Christian holy day marking it. But Dann refuses to apologize.

He said that he and Dann have been friends for more than 20 years and that the attorney general, who is Jewish, doesn't discriminate against people of any religion.

"Marc cherishes his own faith and is deeply respectful, considerate and tolerant of the religious beliefs held by others," wrote Jennings.

"He is absolutely committed to upholding the religious freedoms guaranteed by both the U.S. and Ohio Constitutions and he would zealously oppose any attempt made by anyone to impinge upon those freedoms."

So it appears that DannÂ’s defense is that he is a nice Jewish boy who would never say anything offensive, so all of the folks who are offended can go pound sand. Such insensitivity from the stateÂ’s attorney general is unacceptable, and he should certainly offer an immediate apology -- and seriously consider resigning.

After all, I'm sure that is what Jewish leaders would expect of a Christian official who made such insensitive comments about Jewish practices.

Posted by: Greg at 10:39 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The American people support a policy of letting employers require English in the workplace.

So did an overwhelming majority of legislators in both houses of Congress.

So what is the delay in enacting the provision given this support?

It's been less than a week since New York's Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Eliot Spitzer had to climb down from their support of driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has moved to kill an amendment that would protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English. Among the employers targeted by such lawsuits: the Salvation Army.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, a moderate Republican from Tennessee, is dumbstruck that legislation he views as simple common sense would be blocked. He noted that the full Senate passed his amendment to shield the Salvation Army by 75-19 last month, and the House followed suit with a 218-186 vote just this month. "I cannot imagine that the framers of the 1964 Civil Rights Act intended to say that it's discrimination for a shoe shop owner to say to his or her employee, 'I want you to be able to speak America's common language on the job,' " he told the Senate last Thursday.

Pelosi, it seems, is caving in to the Hispanic Caucus. In typical Democrat fashion, she is declaring that the minorities must prevail over the majority of Americans and their representatives.

Living in Texas, I've seen the problems that arise when employees do not all speak the same language. There is one local fast food restaurant that I no longer patronize because the linguistic confusion in the kitchen regularly results in orders that are incorrectly made. The city recently hired a contractor to work on water lines that run, in part, through my yard -- and they had to call a supervisor on the cell phone in order to explain to my wife who they were and what they were doing digging up the back yard because not one member of the work crew could speak English.

The last time I checked, the overwhelming majority of Americans spoke English as their first language. Employers ought to be able to require that employees be able to communicate with that majority without a translator.

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When will there be a similar push for concessions by the Terrorstinians?

The U.S. is pressuring Israel to meet a long-standing obligation to freeze all West Bank settlement construction ahead of a high-profile Mideast conference, rejecting Israel's stance that it be allowed to continue building in existing communities, Israeli officials said Sunday.

The officials said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Cabinet would discuss the settlement issue on Monday, though it remained unclear whether the ministers would endorse any changes in policy.

The U.S. has been urging Israel to make a series of gestures to the Palestinians ahead of the Mideast peace conference, which is expected to take place next week in Annapolis, Md.

The Terrorstinians have never made good on their promises to stop the violence directed against Israel. Indeed, only military action by Israel --promptly condemned by the international community in each case -- has slowed the pace of terrorist and paramilitary attacks over the years. The Terrorstinians still teach Jew-hatred as a part of the educational curriculum, and cannot even stop fighting among their one factions long enough to honor the founding terrorist of their terrorist-run country.

Why should Israel budge an inch? Indeed, why should Israel not abrogate every prior agreement and begin a policy of removing the terrorists from their midst?

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Are you one of the folks who has managed to massacre your credit rating? Well, there are still lenders out there who will do business with you, especially if you are making an honest attempt to use these bad credit loans to improve and repair your credit rating in a responsible manner. BadCreditOffers.com is a comprehensive directory of resources for you to use as a part of this endeavor. Check out their great sections on auto loans, home loans and credit cards, too.

Posted by: Greg at 11:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Given the history of scandals at the school, I'm not hopeful.

Texas Southern University is proposing top-to-bottom changes to ease the concerns of state lawmakers, including greater oversight from regents, tighter controls over spending and the involvement of outsiders in academic and financial matters.

The sweeping set of reforms comes after nearly two years of turmoil at the state's largest historically black university and could lead to an infusion of money from the state.

While the additional funding is an immediate and critical need, campus leaders characterized the proposed strategy as the best chance for improving a school with myriad of problems, including declining enrollment and low graduation rates.

The long-range plan calls for new policies that would require the governing board to be more involved than before, especially in money matters. At the same time, it says the regents' first priority should be to hire a permanent president.

The problem, of course, is that TSU has had these systemic problems for at least a generation. Indeed, this is not even the first time that the school will seek to bring in a reforming president to provide greater accountability and stronger financial management. After all, the last time they took that path, they hired Priscilla Slade.

Of course, that isn't the only problem with TSU.

On the academic side, TSU would use improved tests to assess the college readiness of applicants and strengthen advising and counseling programs to design "a plan for success" for each student. The university would advise students seeking job skills rather than a bachelor's degree to enroll elsewhere.

TSU, however, would not introduce entrance requirements, and doing so would be a fundamental change from its long-standing commitment to accept anyone who wants to pursue higher education, Lewis said.

"We're not concerned with your previous record, as long as you're committed from this point on," he said. "If you're committed, we can work with you."

Still, the university may ease out of the costly remedial education business, possibly transferring responsibility for improving basic math and English skills of its students to Houston Community College, according to the reorganization plan.

TSU estimates that roughly 70 percent of first-time freshmen arrive on campus without the skills needed to do university-level work. More than half do not make it to their sophomore year.

The university's enrollment plunged to its lowest point in five years with 9,544 students this fall. Although campus leaders are hopeful the numbers will stabilize next year, there is concern over a new state law that requires some students who do not complete specified high school coursework to attend a community college.

To reverse the enrollment decline, TSU must increase the number of transfer students from community colleges, said Gayla Thomas, vice president for enrollment management.

"The community college pipeline will be the wave of our future," she said.

The problem, of course, is that given the low standards at TSU, the academic life of the university is a step down for many community college transfers. Indeed, I've heard too many folks over the year describe the school as a four year community college with graduate programs. I find it ironic that the African-American community in the region take such great pride in an institution founded little more than a half-century ago in order to keep black students out of better, more prestigious schools. Indeed, it appears that the commitment to keeping things relatively unchanged is the equivalent of embracing the agenda of the racist Democrats who sought to keep blacks in their place -- that being a sub-standard segregated educational institution.

In the past, I've advocated for TSU to be folded into the University of Houston system in order to raise academic standards at the school, which is located just blocks from the main campus of the University of Houston. I've repeatedly heard objections to this from UH alums of all ethnic backgrounds. I can't help but see their point -- after all, UH has raised its academic standards and become a respected institution of higher learning. Why would we want to damage that by incorporating the sub-standard TSU into that system?

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I'm the brother of a police officer, so I know how many items a cop buys out of his own pocket to supplement what the department buys for him. I remember that, too, growing up on military bases and seeing the little "extras" that members of some specialized units purchased for themselves. The thing is, you need to by quality gear in such situations -- your life may depend upon it. BDU.com offers genuine Army Uniformsand other gear produced by Propper, the major supplier to the Department of Defense, so military personnel and police officers can be sure they are getting the good stuff when they buy from BDU.com's incredible selection of gear. And the prices are great, too!

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The situation is volatile in Pakistan right now, given Musharraf's state of emergency, but it appears that the United States is not just sticking with the Pakistani president in an effort to stop al-Qaeda. There is now a move to duplicate a strategy that has contributed to success in Iraq.

A new and classified American military proposal outlines an intensified effort to enlist tribal leaders in the frontier areas of Pakistan in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a broader effort to bolster Pakistani forces against an expanding militancy, American military officials said.

If adopted, the proposal would join elements of a shift in strategy that would also be likely to expand the presence of American military trainers in Pakistan, directly finance a separate tribal paramilitary force that until now has proved largely ineffective and pay militias that agree to fight Al Qaeda and foreign extremists, officials said. The United States now has only about 50 troops in Pakistan, a Pentagon spokesman said, a force that could grow by dozens under the new approach.

The new proposal is modeled in part on a similar effort by American forces in Anbar Province in Iraq that has been hailed as a great success in fighting foreign insurgents there. But it raises the question of whether such partnerships can be forged without a significant American military presence on the ground in Pakistan. And it is unclear whether enough support can be found among the tribes.

And that last point is rather important. We don't know how deep al-Qaeda support runs, or how easily we can sway the tribal groups of Pakistan's frontier region. The question is, given Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, if we can afford not to court these groups. After all, if the alternative is a nuclear al-Qaeda, isn't this policy preferable?

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Everybody needs a credit card of two in today's society. Indeed, credit cards have become the preferred method of payment in our society. And it doesn't matter if you are looking for a card with low rates, cash back cards, or even airline miles as a reward, you can find them at CreditCards.com.au if you take a minute or two to browse their many offers. They even have great offers listed for business cards, both of the charge and credit variety. They also have a whole host of helpful articles on credit related topics that will benefit you in finding the right card or in dealing with the ones you have. Now is the time for you to take a look at the offers they have an make the right credit move for you.

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The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are 'Land For Peace', American Style by Joshuapundit, and A Conversation in Bagram, Afghanistan by Austin Bay Blog.  Here is a link to the full results of the voteand the full tallies of all votes cast:

I've been on the Watchers Council for a long time now, and have to tell you, I've never seen results bunched quite this closely. Frankly, it serves as a tribute to the high quality of the work done by my fellow bloggers in writing about subjects of importance to them. In case i don't say it enough, I want to express the honor I feel being associated with these other fine writers and thinkers.

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Several long-time friends dating back to high school and college have entered the medical profession. In addition, over the years I have developed personal friendships with several other doctors through my political activity and seeking treatment for my wife’s medical issues. One thing that has always struck me is the high cost of medical equipment. I’ve been stunned by the high cost of equipment that is the “latest and greatest thing.”

But like any high-ticket product, there is also used medical equipment for sale. Indeed, one of my friends told me that much of the available refurbished medical equipment is relatively new. Such equipment is resold to other practitioners at lower costs, thereby improving the care received by patients and the cost-effectiveness of the practitioner or heath care facility.

DoctorsDepot.com is a family-run supplier of refurbished medical equipment. They offer great prices on high quality Anesthesia Equipment that is thousands of dollars below what one would pay for the same equipment new. Their selection is good and they work to ensure quick delivery of your purchases. They even have parts available for some medical equipment, and also offer medical equipment repair services. DoctorsDepot.com has an experienced technical staff, and specializes in equipment by Datascope, Datex-Ohmeda, and North American Drager. So if you are in the market for new medical equipment, check them out.

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The sort of people who do crap like this -- killing little children and the soldiers giving them toys.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least three children and three of the troopers, U.S. and Iraqi authorities said.

Seven children were wounded in the attack in Baqouba, where U.S. soldiers wrested control from al-Qaida in Iraq last summer.

The attack, along with a series of other blasts in the capital and to the north, underlined the uncertainty of security in Iraq even as the American military said overall violence is down 55 percent since a troop buildup began this year.

Police said the attack occurred as U.S. soldiers were handing out toys, sports equipment and other treats in a playground near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.

Few details were available, but the U.S. military said it was a "suicide vest attack" and that three American soldiers were killed.

Some on the Left want to claim that the Islamofascists are the latter day equivalent of our founding fathers. Events like this put the lie to that claim. After all, how many children did George Washington order killed at random?

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There are a number of great blogging platforms out there that will help you to maintain a great blog. While I've been using Movable Type, I'm preparing to make a change in the near future to a new platform . But one of the other platforms out there that I've heard many good things about is WordPress. And over at 34sp.com, they offer several great WordPress webhosting packages for you if that is the direction you choose to go. Their packages are quite affordably priced, and for a limited time you will receive a free upgrade if you order WordPress webhosting. They will double your space and bandwidth for free if you make the switch to them now. Who can ask for more?

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The more we come to know about the human genome, the more we come to recognize a certain, awkward fact. Genetic differences endow some folks with significantly more of certain desirable (or undesirable) traits than others.

Last month, James Watson, the legendary biologist, was condemned and forced into retirement after claiming that African intelligence wasn't "the same as ours." "Racist, vicious and unsupported by science," said the Federation of American Scientists. "Utterly unsupported by scientific evidence," declared the U.S. government's supervisor of genetic research. The New York Times told readers that when Watson implied "that black Africans are less intelligent than whites, he hadn't a scientific leg to stand on."

I wish these assurances were true. They aren't. Tests do show an IQ deficit, not just for Africans relative to Europeans, but for Europeans relative to Asians. Economic and cultural theories have failed to explain most of the pattern, and there's strong preliminary evidence that part of it is genetic. It's time to prepare for the possibility that equality of intelligence, in the sense of racial averages on tests, will turn out not to be true.

Now what does this mean for the question of equality? Does it mean that we need to abandon the notion that we all are created equal, given that it is manifestly untrue? I'd answer in the negative, because even at the time Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, it was already quite clear that there were differences between people based upon a whole host of factors that in no way undermined the essential equality and dignity of every person in the eyes of God. Indeed, that Jeffersonian equality was based upon the notion that our common humanity was the basis for our equality, and nothing more. That was true even in the case of slaves -- remember, of course, that Jefferson's condemnation of slavery (which presumed the equality of Africans) was stricken by the Continental Congress because of its threat to the "peculiar institution".

Ultimately, of course, there are two ways of dealing with the manifest inequality in the state of persons while still holding to the radical equality of persons as persons.

One, radically liberal in the modern sense, presumes that society must be leveled so that the inequalities are minimized and eliminated. Unfortunately, the result is that we round-down human achievement to the lowest common denominator. In literature, this is best modeled in the Vonnegut short story "Harrison Bergeron".

The other, today called conservative but in reality classically liberal, supports permitting individuals to rise to the fullest of their abilities, even if this results in socio-economic inequality and the concentration of wealth and power. While often accused of being a betrayal of equality (which it is, indeed, if one defines "equality" as equality of outcome ). The focus there is equality of opportunity, in the sense that one makes the most of what one has.

The problem with the notion of genetically based inequality is that it could lead some to presume that Huxley's Brave New World is the model for society to follow. It clearly is not, for the system there enforces a radical inequality. As such, the challenge ahead is to determine how to understand equality in an age where inequality is in part defined in our DNA.

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Like most folks, I have Credit Cards -- they are the avenue to so much information about us, and can be both a source of financial opportunity and financial danger.
However, there are benefits to credit cards, in terms of finding an offer that will save you money by allowing 0% balance transfers or 0% credit cards. Compare credit cards to find the best offers -- that is just a part of being a wise consumer.

One good place to look for great deals on cards is CreditCards.com.au, a fine Australian site dealing with credit issues. They have links to great deals, and also highlight a number of fantastic articles about how to build an d maintain good credit responsibly.

Posted by: Greg at 11:44 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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And yet the Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus still embrace him. I guess Nancy Pelosi hasn't got what it takes to rid the swampy House of Representatives of its biggest Louisiana gator.

The government alleges that in 2002 Jefferson, a Democrat, asked a lobbyist for a U.S. oil services company for payments of $10,000 a month for a family member. In exchange, Jefferson said he would help the company promote business in Africa. The lobbyist turned down the request, according to the document.

Jefferson later made a deal to urge NASA to do business with a U.S. rocket launch services and technology company, according to the filing. The company is accused of agreeing to pay Jefferson's family business and a relative in exchange for his help.

For all teh Democrats complain about the "corrupt" Tom DeLay, there was never an actual allegation of making a personal profit off the sale of his office. Indeed, the offense with which the rogue partisan hack from Austin has charged him is related to technical issues of how political donations are disbursed to political campaigns, not the sale of any office.

But then again, since when have the Democrats (especially Louisiana Democrats) been the party of clean government?

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It is impossible to miss the fact that the prices of gasoline and other basic commodities are continuing to rise. means you need to have greater cash flow if you are a business owner, and that may mean that you have to turn to loans and mortgages to help finance business projects or even basic operating costs.

If you are seeking simple and fast Commercial Loans and mortgages, an excellent place to check out the best deals from commercial lenders at Money MagicÂ’s website, Earth.co.uk. When you visit their website, you can get free commercial financial advice and quotes. You can even get approved for a loan within 48 hours, even if what you need is a bad credit loan. The site also provides mortgage guides with helpful information on interest rates, variable rate mortgages, tracker mortgages, and more.

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Let's honor every one of them.

We need to take this one viral, folks. If you've got a website site, put it up.

By the way, the alternative rock group 3 Doors Down is openly supportive of our military, as shown in this earlier video.

H/T Ragnar of The Jawa Report

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After all, the only reason that this problem exists is because every child of border-jumper born in this country is an American citizen -- and that means we must either let their law-breaking parents stay, deport the citizen children, or separate them. None of the options is attractive, as this article shows.

Federal immigration agents were searching a house in Ohio last month when they found a young Honduran woman nursing her baby.

The woman, Saída Umanzor, is an illegal immigrant and was taken to jail to await deportation. Her 9-month-old daughter, Brittney Bejarano, who was born in the United States and is a citizen, was put in the care of social workers.

The decision to separate a mother from her breast-feeding child drew strong denunciations from Hispanic and womenÂ’s health groups. Last week, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency rushed to issue new guidelines on the detention of nursing mothers, allowing them to be released unless they pose a national security risk.

The case exposes a recurring quandary for immigration authorities as an increasing number of American-born children of illegal immigrants become caught up in deportation operations. With the Bush administration stepping up enforcement, the immigration agency has been left scrambling to devise procedures to deal with children who, by law, do not fall under its jurisdiction because they are citizens.

“We are faced with these sorts of situations frequently, where a large number of individuals come illegally or overstay and have children in the United States,” said Kelly A. Nantel, a spokeswoman for the agency. “Unfortunately, the parents are putting their children in these difficult situations.”

The problem, of course, is that if we do not keep the border-jumpers locked up pending deportation, many of them will skip out on subsequent hearings -- indeed, many of them have done so at least once in the past, as was the case with the mother highlighted above. And what looks like a particularly cruel practice is, in fact, often the best way of balancing the need for the child to be cared for in a safe environment with the need of the government to keep tabs on their law-breaking parents. And as I have often pointed out in the past, these immigration criminals do have an option to keep their families together -- accept immediate deportation and take their children with them.

The problem would, of course, be easily solved by modifying the current understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment (or by an additional constitutional amendment) to exclude the children of individuals not citizens of the United States (or, perhaps, of those not legally present with some sort of permanent status). That way there would be no question of balancing the interests of a citizen child and an alien parent in most cases. Alternatively, we could establish a legal presumption that an illegal immigrant parent is automatically an unfit parent, which would allow the courts to strip such individuals of legal custody of their citizen children and their parental rights -- certainly something that would end the practice of crossing the border to have an anchor baby.

Liberals, of course, are up in arms over this story. As is so often the case, they side with the law-breaker over the rest of society. But I like the question asked by Jimmie at The Sundries Shack.

If the women profiled here had been arrested for theft, would the New York Times have written such a sympathetic article about them? I rather doubt it.

Indeed, we separate mothers and children (and fathers and children) all the time when a parent breaks the law. Sob stories like this one are not about concern for the children -- it is about pursuing the open-borders agenda of the Left.

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I may be reading between the lines here, but that may just be what this article is hinting at.

Last month, the bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion, a network of 400,000 breakaway Anglo-Catholics based mainly in America and the Commonwealth, wrote to Rome asking for "full, corporate, sacramental union".

Their letter was drafted with the help of the Vatican. Benedict is overseeing the negotiations. Unlike John Paul II, he admires the Anglo-Catholic tradition. He is thinking of making special pastoral arrangements for Anglican converts walking away from the car wreck of the Anglican Communion.

This would mean that they could worship together, free from bullying by local bishops who dislike the newcomers' conservatism and would rather "dialogue" with Anglicans than receive them into the Church.

The customary way of creating such "special pastoral arrangements" in the past is that seen among the various Eastern-rite jurisdictions (the historical term "uniate" is seen by many as derogatory, but still sometimes used), with a completely separate hierarchy. This could, of course, have interesting implications regarding the practice of priestly celibacy in the West.

Of course, I could be reading more into this than is really there.

Posted by: Greg at 08:52 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The open borders crew that seeks to embrace border-jumping immigration criminals often denounces the GOP as "anti-immigrant" because most Republicans want to see our immigration laws enforced. Well, what do immigrants -- legal ones, who followed the law to enter this country and become citizens -- think about the matter,

Their voter registration patterns tell an interesting story.

Minutes after taking the Pledge of Allegiance, new American citizens are urged to register as voters by Democratic activists who see them as natural party supporters who could hold the key to the 2008 election.

But with increasing illegal immigration threatening the economy and security of the United States, many legal immigrants anxious to uphold the laws of their adopted country are moving towards the more hard-line immigration stance of Republicans.

Even in CaliforniaÂ’s Democratic-controlled San Diego, sizeable numbers of AmericaÂ’s newly-minted potential voters said that illegal immigrants should be penalised rather than given an easy route to citizenship as most Democrats advocate.

“For a long time, immigration was OK,” said Sarah Wright, 49, a seamstress from Mexico who arrived in the US legally in 1986.

“But now, no more. A lot of really bad people come from Mexico and commit crimes.

“People are coming in and having two, three, four babies and going on welfare. Some are making money here and spending it back in Mexico.

"That’s not right. They should go back to Mexico and get a permit.”

Mrs Wright, whose American-born husband Ed served in the US Navy, was one of 1,591 people from 89 countries who became citizens at a ceremony in San DiegoÂ’s Golden Hall on Tuesday.

Nearly two thirds of them were from Mexico, whose border is just 17 miles from the city.

These are the sort of immigrants that the GOP embraces -- folks who follow the law, come here legally, contribute to our country and embrace the things that made it great. The Democrats, on the other hand, embrace a different sort of immigrant, one described perfectly by one of the new citizens.

“Those that do come into this country illegally are telling us that they are morally and ethically not trustworthy. They should not be here. It’s insulting to those of us who are here legally.”

So let's be really clear about this. The Republican Party is the party of law-abiding immigrants. The Democrats are the party that spits in their faces by supporting such immigrants. Remember that the next time you are called an anti-immigrant nativist by some liberal from the open-borders crowd -- or by an illegal immigrant who doesn't respect this country enough to follow its laws.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, Stop the ACLU, Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, Stix Blog, Right Truth, The Populist, Shadowscope, The Pet Haven Blog, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, CommonSenseAmerica, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Church and State, A Blog For All, 123beta, Adam's Blog, Grizzly Groundswell, Big Dog's Weblog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, Conservative Cat, Nuke's, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Allie is Wired, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Wolf Pangloss, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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Historical revisionist. International imperialist. Socialist dictator.

All three apply to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez based upon news in the last 24 hours.

Let's start with the first, most amusing, piece of news.

History books record that Simón Bolívar, the liberator of South America, died of tuberculosis in 1830: a banal end to a magnificent life. Now Bolívar is depicted as the victim of a perfect murder, a crime so deft that for almost two centuries nobody suspected a thing.

In the absence of any evidence to support the allegation, the amateur sleuth who made it would normally command little attention. But Hugo Chávez is difficult to ignore.

Venezuela's president elicited gasps when he told a press conference in Caracas that Bolívar did not succumb to disease. "He was assassinated - they wanted him dead."

The socialist leader said he had conducted his own investigation and concluded there was a conspiracy and cover-up. He asked scientists and historians to open an inquiry and promised "to move heaven and earth" to confirm the conclusion.

Chavez, of course, fails to actually disclose any of the evidence he used to reach this conclusion, one which contradicts every contemporary source and which conveniently leaves out the little detail of who "they" were. Indeed, the argument amounts to the claim that since many people wanted him dead, he must have been murdered. That there is no evidence to support the theory is evidence of just how perfect and successful the crime was. He ranks right up there with 9/11 Truthers and JFK conspiracy theorists in his disregard logic and the historical record.

And then there is his attack on a peaceful neighbor -- an act of war that the world seems intent upon ignoring.

Venezuela has denied destroying two gold-mining dredges on Guyanese territory following a strong protest from Guyana's government.

Guyana says 36 Venezuelan soldiers used helicopters and Compostion-4 (C-4), a type of plastic explosive, to blow up the two dredges on Thursday.

It has summoned Venezuela's ambassador to explain the incident.

Venezuela denies using force and said the army was removing illegal miners inside its own territory.

Given the history of lying and misrepresenting the truth engaged in by the Venezuelan leader, I'll accept the Guyanese version of the events. Somehow, though, I suspect that the cinema socialist set will rush to the support of their hero Hugo if there ever is an uproar over the violation of Guyanese sovereignty.

But what the heck -- Chavez has already shut down much of the opposition media, and is preparing to set himself up as, effectively, President-for-Life in a move denounced even by former allies.

In two weeks, Venezuela seems likely to start an extraordinary experiment in centralized, oil-fueled socialism. By law, the workday would be cut to six hours. Street vendors, homemakers and maids would have state-mandated pensions. And President Hugo Chávez would have significantly enhanced powers and be eligible for re-election for the rest of his life.

A sweeping revision of the Constitution, expected to be approved by referendum on Dec. 2, is both bolstering Mr. Chávez’s popularity here among people who would benefit and stirring contempt from economists who declare it demagogy. Signaling new instability here, dissent is also emerging among his former lieutenants, one of whom says the president is carrying out a populist coup.

“There is a perverse subversion of our existing Constitution under way,” said Gen. Raúl Isaías Baduel, a retired defense minister and former confidant of Mr. Chávez who broke with him in a stunning defection this month to the political opposition. “This is not a reform,” General Baduel said in an interview here this week. “I categorize it as a coup d’état.”

Chávez loyalists already control the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, almost every state government, the entire federal bureaucracy and newly nationalized companies in the telephone, electricity and oil industries. Soon they could control even more.

For my entire life, I have watched as the people of Cuba have suffered under the yoke of oppression in a "workers paradise". I fear that I may spend the rest of my life watching just such oppression crush the people of Venezuela as well. And if the imperialistic policy demonstrated by his attack on Guyana is any indication, Venezuela's neighbors need to be fearful of what is yet to come, and prepare themselves to fight off future attempts by Chavez to expand his power by expanding the borders of his country.

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CDEarth is a company that offers child educational software that is fun, engaging and, most importantly, educational. They are offering free educational software that is part of the Fun with Learning series. The CD contains 70 activities and games for children ages 2 - 10. They is making this offer in the hope that you will buy the other volumes of the series after you see the value of volume.

And make no mistake -- CDEarth makes learning fun. It is loaded with activities that help children learn math, reading, typing, science, computer literacy, geography, art, music and many other basic skills. Every activity is has levels that adjust to your childÂ’s growing ability as they interact with the program
Our society is increasingly becoming dominated by computers and technology. Our children will need to know how to use computers effectively to compete in the classroom and workforce as they grow older. And who are we kidding -- they are going to be using the computer anyway, for entertainment if nothing else. As educators and parents, we need to ensure that the computer is a learning tool for them as well, and this software does precisely that.

Posted by: Greg at 10:04 PM | Comments (52) | Add Comment
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Fresh from his rousing failure at giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is about to attempt to bring in another policy sure to lose votes and influence people to vote against him -- gay marraige.

Gov. Spitzer said at a private fund-raiser that he wants a Democratic-controlled state Senate to legalize gay marriage - a highly divisive and controversial issue - as one of its first priorities in 2009, a witness to the remarks told The Post.

Spitzer, a gay-marriage proponent, pledged to help Democrats next November win the three Senate seats they need to gain the majority.

"One of the first things we're going to do when [Senate Minority Leader] Malcolm Smith is [majority] leader is gay marriage," the witness recounted Spitzer as telling some 60 people who paid up to $10,000 each to attend the event in Greenwich Village Wednesday night.

"Everybody applauded when he said that," said the witness, who was among senators, Democratic activists and lobbyists at a fund-raising event for the Senate Democratic Committee. It was held in the library of the elegant West 13th Street home of HBO's "Oz" creator Tom Fantana.

Two other witnesses, including an elected official, said they couldn't recall Spitzer's exact language, but added that the governor suggested a Democratic-controlled state Senate would follow the state Assembly's action this year in passing, for the first time ever, a gay-marriage bill.

Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson denied the governor said a Democratic-controlled Senate would make gay marriage a top priority. She said his reference to the Assembly passing a gay-marriage bill "was the line greeted with applause."

It is a top priority for Spitzer, of course, because we know that New York state has no other problems that need to be addressed in a more pressing, urgent manner. And we know that even though polls show that a majority of New Yorkers (like other Americans) oppose the gay marriage agenda, this is the most important thing that the unpopular, scandal-plagued Spitzer can focus his attention upon for the betterment of the lives of the people of his state. Seems to me that he is again wedded to an extreme ideology pushed by the far-left supporters who propelled his campaign than he is on the needs and desires of all New Yorkers.

But this time he did make one interesting move -- he indicated that he will not make this push until after the 2008 presidential election. I wonder -- how big a chunk of his butt did Hillary chew off after the "licenses for illegals" debacle?

Posted by: Greg at 09:23 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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IÂ’m losing my hair. Have been for years. And I know roughly how this is going to end up, since I remember my mothers father from when I was a kid and have seen plenty of picture of my fatherÂ’s father to give clues as to what my DNA has in store for me in terms of hair loss.

But it doesnÂ’t have to be that way if I donÂ’t want it to be. There are Hair Loss Treatments out there to stop or reverse balding, whether through pharmaceutical methods or hair transplants or other methods of bringing back what nature has taken away. And there are many highly qualified hair loss specialists out there who can help me overcome my hair loss if I ever decide that it is a priority for me to do so.

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Gee, now Ron Paul's supporters are making counterfeit money with his picture on it.

Federal agents raided the headquarters of a group that produces illegal currency and puts it in circulation, seizing gold, silver and two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Agents also took records, computers and froze the bank accounts at the "Liberty Dollar" headquarters during the Thursday raid, Bernard von NotHaus, founder of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act & Internal Revenue Code, said in a posting on the group's Web site.

The organization, which is critical of the Federal Reserve, has repeatedly clashed with the federal government, which contends that the gold, silver and copper coins it produces are illegal. NORFED claims its Liberty Dollars are inflation free and can restore stability to financial markets by allowing commerce based on a currency that does not fluctuate in value like the U.S. dollar.

Now there are some things that the group says that reasonable people can sympathize with. For example, I think their underlying idea that money ought to be backed by specie rather than simply issued by fiat is an excellent idea, and that deviation from it has caused much of the inflation we have been saddled with since the gold & silver standards were abandoned and US currency was allowed to float in value.

That said, however, the "strict constitutionalists" of NORFED decided to ignore that provision of the Constitution that allows only Congress to authorize the issuance of money.

And while Ron Paul's campaign has disavowed NORFED and its activities, this is just the latest of the strange doings among Paul's supporters. is it any wonder that folks have begun to refer to them as RonPauLunatics?

Posted by: Greg at 07:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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There are, dare I suggest it, two ways to make use of Google's Adwords system -- the right way and the wrong way. Now most folks would tell you that the two can be determined based upon whether or not you use the services of an SEO specialist to help you optimize your pay-per-click strategy, but that isn't necessarily true. You can learn how to work within the boundaries of the Adwords system at by reading PPC ebook available through EpiphanySolutions.co.uk. In this book, you'll learn how to maximize the conversion rate and convince Google that your site is relevant to the topic being searched. And after all, that is what you are paying that SEO company for, isn't it? So learn the secrets of the trade yourself, and save yourself some money while making even more.

Posted by: Greg at 06:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Because the race hos are involved.

Three young black men break into a white man's home in rural Northern California. The homeowner shoots two of them to death - but it's the surviving black man who is charged with murder.

In a case that has brought cries of racism from civil rights groups, Renato Hughes Jr., 22, was charged by prosecutors in this overwhelmingly white county under a rarely invoked legal doctrine that could make him responsible for the bloodshed.

"It was pandemonium" inside the house that night, District Attorney Jon Hopkins said. Hughes was responsible for "setting the whole thing in motion by his actions and the actions of his accomplices."

Prosecutors said homeowner Shannon Edmonds opened fire Dec. 7 after three young men rampaged through the Clearlake house demanding marijuana and brutally beat his stepson. Rashad Williams, 21, and Christian Foster, 22, were shot in the back. Hughes fled.

Hughes was charged with first-degree murder under California's Provocative Act doctrine, versions of which have been on the books in many states for generations but are rarely used.

The Provocative Act doctrine does not require prosecutors to prove the accused intended to kill. Instead, "they have to show that it was reasonably foreseeable that the criminal enterprise could trigger a fatal response from the homeowner," said Brian Getz, a San Francisco defense attorney unconnected to the case.

Personally, I think that Edmonds deserves a medal for helping to clean up the environment. After all, scum like Williams, Foster, and Hughes are clearly an environmental contaminant that need to be removed from society for the betterment of everyone elseÂ’s life.

But the NAACP and the associated race-baiters are out in force, wanting to charge the victim and let the criminal off with a slap on the wrist.

The NAACP complained that prosecutors came down too hard on Hughes, who also faces robbery, burglary and assault charges. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

The Rev. Amos Brown, head of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP and pastor at Hughes' church, said the case demonstrates the legal system is racist in remote Lake County, aspiring wine country 100 miles north of San Francisco. The sparsely populated county of 13,000 people is 91 percent white and 2 percent black.

Brown and other NAACP officials are asking why the homeowner is walking free. Tests showed Edmonds had marijuana and prescription medication in his system the night of the shooting. Edmonds had a prescription for both the pot and the medication to treat depression.

"This man had no business killing these boys," Brown said. "They were shot in the back. They had fled."

Here in Texas that would not mater under the Castle Doctrine. There is no duty to retreat, or to let the criminals escape.

And let’s be really clear about who was victimized here, since the fake “man of God” Amos Brown wants to help a violent criminal from his church escape a just punishment for his crimes.

The district attorney said that race played no part in the charges against Hughes and that the homeowner was spared prosecution because of evidence he was defending himself and his family, who were asleep when the assailants barged in at 4 a.m.

Edmonds' stepson, Dale Lafferty, suffered brain damage from the baseball bat beating he took during the melee. The 19-year-old lives in a rehabilitation center and can no longer feed himself.

"I didn't do anything wrong. All I did was defend my family and my children's lives," said Edmonds, 33. "I'm sad the kids are dead, I didn't mean to kill them."
He added: "Race has nothing to do with it other than this was a gang of black people who thought they were going to beat up this white family."

Well, IÂ’m sure that fake man of God Amos Brown and company would argue that if only the white family hadnÂ’t been in their home with legally prescribed medication, there would have been no need to shoot the thugs who attacked them. Or maybe he believes that Edmonds, Lafferty, and the rest of the family just plain had an obligation to allow the animals to kill them.

Here’s my question for the fake man of God Amos Brown – if this situation had been reversed, and a white man were charged with the murder of his accomplices because a black man killed them after they broke into his house and nearly killed a family member, would you be objecting to these charges and demanding that the homeowner be charged with murder instead? Or would you be praising the prosecutor for trying to ensure that justice was done in a case of shocking and senseless violence.

No, Amos, don’t bother answering – the sort of appeal you’ve made in this case already tells us what would happen. Now drop to your knees and pray to God to be forgiven for and converted from your grievous sin of RACISM. And while your at it, show you have really repented by offering a prayer for Dale Lafferty as he sits in a rehabilitation center, the victim of the dead men and the man you falsely claim is a victim.

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Posted by: Greg at 11:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I mean, antiquated notions like "right" and "wrong" just seem so dated to some folks when they get in the way of their sex lives.

Some gay Catholics said they were frustrated by a local archbishopÂ’s homily last month that railed against gay marriage.

The homily, delivered Oct. 25 by Baltimore Archbishop Edwin O’Brien during a special Mass for judges and attorneys, asserted that straight marriage is “radically threatened” by courts and lawmakers intent on legalizing gay marriage.

According to the Catholic Review, O’Brien called on congregants to make the defense of heterosexual marriage “an urgent necessity to ensure the flourishing of persons, the well-being of children and the common good of society.”

The homily did not sit well with gay Catholics like Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministries, a Maryland organization that advocates for the inclusion of gays in the Catholic Church.

“It’s frustrating that someone like him, in a position of power and authority in the church, has such a misinformed view about sexuality, relationships and marriage,” he said. “The church really would do better if he would enter into a dialogue with gay and lesbian people and their families and those who are ministering with them.”

It is frustrating that someone like DeBernardo, who runs what is supposed to be a Catholic organization, is so poorly catechized that he thinks his position has any theological merit whatsoever. DeBernardo and his ilk would do better if they would enter into a dialogue with God the Father, his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to help him understand what is wrong with his position in support of sin. Who knows, they might even come in contact with a little bit of God's transforming grace, and attempt to conform themselves to His will rather than insisting that the Church conform to theirs.

But if they cannot find their way clear to accept the teachings of the Catholic Church, might I suggest that there are other religious bodies they could choose that much more neatly fit their theological proclivities. Perhaps they could consider one of those instead.

Posted by: Greg at 11:30 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Who is behind the anti-Mormon push polling in Iowa and New Hampshire?

Residents in New Hampshire and Iowa have received phone calls raising questions about Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, his Mormon faith and the Vietnam War-era military deferments he received while serving as a missionary in France.

Western Wats, a Utah-based company, placed the calls that initially sound like a poll but then pose questions that cast Romney in a harsh light, according to those who received the calls. In politics, this type of phone surveying is called "push polling" — contacting potential voters and asking questions intended to plant a message in voters' minds, usually negative, rather than gauging peoples' attitudes.

A spokesman for the company would not comment on whether it made the calls. "Western Wats has never, currently does not, nor will it ever engage in push polling," its client services director, Robert Maccabee, said in a statement released Thursday night.

The 20-minute calls started on Sunday in New Hampshire and Iowa. At least seven people in the two early voting states received the calls.

I'm sorry, Mr. Maccabee, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it is most certainly a freakin' duck.

What was in the calls?

Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney's faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.

"It started out like all the other calls. ... Then all of the sudden it got very unsettling and very negative," said Anne Baker, an independent voter from Hollis, N.H.

"Whatever campaign is engaging in this type of awful religious bigotry as a line of political attack, it is repulsive and, to put it bluntly, un-American," Romney spokesman Matt Rhoades said. "There is no excuse for these attacks. Governor Romney is campaigning as an optimist who wants to lead the nation. These attacks are just the opposite. It's ugly and divisive."

Sabrina Matteson, a Republican from Epsom, N.H., said she got a call on Wednesday.

"The first 15 or 20 questions were general questions about the leading candidates," she said. "Then he started asking me very, very negatively phrased questions about Romney. The first one was would you have a more favorable, less favorable, blah, blah, blah, impression of Mitt Romney if you knew that his five sons had never served in the military and that he considered working on a presidential campaign as public service or some such question."

The questions sound biased towards McCain, and but there are connections between Western Wats and folks involved in both the McCain and Giuliani campaigns. Current speculation is that this call may be coming from a 527 organization. If so, what is the organization and who is it serving as a surrogate for?

I'll say it flat out -- any candidate whose campaign sponsored this call would be unfit to receive the nomination. Any 527 that engaged in this sort of behavior ought to be rejected by decent Americans, and those involved with the group's operation should be blackballed by every campaign. And the failure of any candidate to denounce this sort of tactic of attacking Romney's religion must be denounced by every candidate, Republican and Democrat, as such bigotry has no place in American politics.

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Posted by: Greg at 11:27 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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The failure to include me on the list is simply one more in a string of glaring oversights committee by People Magazine over the years. And now Salon has excluded me as well.

Our alternative to that annual Bible of Sexy -- with its catalog of lantern jaws, bulging biceps and Seacrest hair -- struck such a rich chord with you last year that it's back, and looks to be here for good. We've got 26 more men that, sure, are easy on the eyes, but who also unleash complicated emotions in us that we just have never been able to articulate. Until now.

The blow to my ego and self-esteem is almost crushing.

Surely this overweight, middle-aged, slightly balding blogger tops all of these clowns.

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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You see, they don't get to live like a refugee.

The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday refused to hear an appeal by two U.S. military deserters who sought refuge in the country to avoid deployment to Iraq, a conflict they argued is “immoral and illegal.”

The announcement ends a bid by American soldiers Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey, the plaintiffs in the case, to win refugee status and opens the way for them to be deported to the United States, where they could face court martial for going AWOL and missing troop movements. It also could lead to deportation of dozens of other American soldiers who have filed formal applications for refugee status.

“Theoretically they (are) facing immediate removal,” said Jeffry House, a Toronto lawyer who represents most of the U.S. refugee applicants, including Hinzman and Hughey. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case, “vastly advances the government’s agenda to remove them,” he said.

The rejection also closes off that legal avenue for other U.S. military personnel who have gone to Canada and remained illegally. House estimates there are at least 300 AWOL U.S. soldiers living in Canada.

Let's hope that the Canadian government takes immediate action to send these dishonorable cowards back to America. Once here, a court martial awaits them. And then, on to some nice accommodations, courtesy of the Department of Defense.

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Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As a teacher, I see many of my students struggling to find money to continue on to college after graduation. After all, an education isn't cheap, and not everyone can play Division I football or basketball. Where should you look to find money to continue your education? How do you avoid overlooking resources or making mistakes that can cause you to miss good scholarship opportunities, or end up paying for resources that are actually available for free?

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Posted by: Greg at 11:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Looks like that home run ball may need to be branded with prison stripes, not just an asterisk.

Barry Bonds, who holds two of baseballÂ’s most cherished records, was indicted in San Francisco today on four counts of perjury in connection with his testimony about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

He was also indicted on one count of obstruction of justice. The charges stem from his testimony to a federal grand jury in December 2003 when he denied knowingly taking steroids.

Whispers about Mr. Bonds’s record-setting performances — becoming the career home-run leader with 762 and the single-season record-holder with 73 home runs in 2001 — grew louder because of his links with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. The lab, also known as Balco, has been the subject of a federal investigation on illegal steroid use. Other athletes, including the former track star Marion Jones, have pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Ms. Jones recently returned the five medals she had won in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

But Mr. Bonds’s lawyer, Mike Rains, said: “I am utterly confident that this case will absolutely dissipate when the misconduct of the government comes to the forefront in this case. Barry is innocent of the charges, this is ridiculous.”

So let's see.

Bonds testified that he didn't knowingly take steroids.

He's now been indicted for perjury because of that testimony.

If he is convicted, that should be a sufficient basis to conclude that he did, in fact knowingly take steroids.

Seems to me that should be a sufficient basis for MLB to ban him from further connection with baseball, and from the Hall of Fame. Heck, one could legitimately argue that it is sufficient grounds to nullify his home run records.

Posted by: Greg at 10:56 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When I was in college, I developed a terrible case of Plantar Fasciitis. It is a condition that I would not wish upon anyone in terms of the pain associated with it. I took regular cortisone injections in the bottom of my heel, and needed a cane to walk for the better part of six months while the tendon healed. I've had to deal with the condition from time to time since then, though never to the extent that I did back then.

One nice thing about today's flare-ups, though, is that the is a new product called Heel Seats that serve as a supportive cup for the heel, enabling healing to take place, the cushioning and support actually helps solve the problem, not just alleviate symptoms. I'm going to order myself some now, because I've recently begun to feel the first hints of that familiar pain in my left foot. Folks say it works, so i will definitely try it for myself.

Posted by: Greg at 10:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One more sign that the situation in Iraq is improving, and that we are winning. The deadly campaign of roadside bombs engaged in by the terrorist insurgents has fallen off shortly, indicating that the Surge has crippled the enemy and forced Iran to back off its support of the terrorists killing Americans and Iraqis.

n American military official on Thursday reported a sharp decrease in the number of roadside bombs and other homemade explosive devices in Iraq. The official, Maj. Gen. James E. Simmons, said Iran, which American officials contend is the source of the deadliest of those weapons, appeared to be abiding by a reported commitment to halt their flow into Iraq.

General Simmons said 1,560 improvised explosive devices directed at international forces or Iraqis across the country were identified in October, down after a steady monthly decline from 3,239 in March. Half of the bombs recorded for October were found before they detonated and were cleared, but the other half exploded.

“We have found weapons that we believe are associated with Iran in some of the caches that we have picked up,” said General Simmons, deputy commanding general of the Multinational Corps-Iraq. “But most of these weapons appear to have been in Iraq for months, so we have not seen any recent evidence that weapons continue to come across the border into Iraq.”

He added, “We believe that the initiatives and the commitments that the Iranians have made appear to be holding up.”

The article goes on to note that a combined effort by US and Iraqi forces have caused most of the IEDs used to be moved out of areas where they were prevalent, and into other parts of the country, but that the number of such bombs is down sharply. And while the number of new devices brought in from Iran is down due in part to the agreement cited in the article, they are also down due to interdiction on the Iraqi side of the border.

So as we see yet another indication of progress, how can the Democrats continue to insist upon claiming that we have been defeated in Iraq and that we must surrender as quickly as possible? Indeed, why have they adopted the treasonous strategy of cutting off cash for the troops in order to advance their political strategy of defeat for America in Iraq to bring about victory for the Democrats in 2008?

Posted by: Greg at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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There are lots of beautiful religious gifts available through HolyLandGiftStore.com. Located in Jerusalem, each purchase also comes with the opportunity to submit a Prayer Request, translated into Latin, which will be offered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which marks the place where Christians have historically believed Christ to have been crucified and buried. They also let you make an offering to submit a Prayer Requestwithout a purchase.

Posted by: Greg at 06:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Mexican President Pendejo Felipe Calderón Cabrón thinks he can direct American citizens – including candidates for President of the United States – to speak or be silent as suits his beliefs.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón took the unusual step Wednesday of injecting himself into U.S. presidential politics, calling Mexican migrants "thematic hostages" of the race and urging candidates not to use them as a talking point.

Speaking at a conference here, Calderón criticized what he called "the growing harassment" of Mexicans in the United States and said his administration would finance a media campaign to underline immigrant success stories.

Calderón made his remarks one day before his environment minister, Rafael Elvira Quesada, is scheduled to release a report concluding that the U.S.-Mexico border wall is damaging the environment.

Calderóns statement on the U.S. presidential race caught many people here by surprise. Addressing delegates at a conference sponsored by the Mexican government agency that assists migrants, he said: "It is my duty to make a respectful but firm call to the candidates of the various political parties in the United States for them to stop using Mexicans in that country as thematic hostages of their speeches and their strategies."

Well, Mr. Cabrón, I’m sorry that the desire of Americans to secure their borders against the invasion of Mexican nationals from your corrupt, backwards nation offends you. I’m sorry that we need to build a wall due to the fact that your government encourages and abets these lawbreakers – as well as drug smugglers – in their crossing of the American border. None of the rhetoric or actions you complain about would be necessary if your government were to have done its job over the last several decades.

And Mr. Cabrón, your words serve only to underscore why we need to build that wall – and cut off all aid to Mexico. Americans will determine what is right for America, and what the policies of our country will be.

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Posted by: Greg at 01:25 PM | Comments (34) | Add Comment
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By noting that free Taiwan is ostracized from world affairs while Red China gets honors and the 2008 Olympics.

Neither independent nor subjugated, commanding one of the world's largest economies but officially recognized by few nations, the island democracy of Taiwan endures a tenuous existence in a world that requires global access. If that weren't bad enough, it is menaced by a hostile neighbor that claims ownership.

Other than the disadvantages of the status quo, Taiwan has few options. It can't risk declaring full independence and angering the giant that no longer sleeps, but has awakened in a cranky mood. And allowing itself to be governed from Beijing would be intolerable. Taiwan is not offered the same deal as Hong Kong, a former British colony, of having a free market in both goods and expression.

Taiwan's dilemma offers a similar set of difficulties for the United States.

Taiwan's de facto U.S. ambassador, Joseph Wu, outlined for members of the Houston World Affairs Council the several bitter ironies of the situation. The United States must maintain workable relations with China and can't recognize Taiwan, even though:

• China menaces Taiwan with missiles and threats, while Taiwan poses a danger to no one.

• Taiwan is a major U.S. trading partner, importing many tons of agricultural products, including Texas beef, and exporting electronic equipment that meets high standards of quality and safety. China sends us tainted food and toxic toys.

• Taiwan has curbed its air and water pollution, but China's regime fears environmental activists more than environmental degradation.

Chinese leader Hu Jintao recently called for talks with Taipei officials to maintain peace in the region. China and Taiwan should "resume talks on an equal footing as soon as possible," Hu said before his recent summit with President Bush in Washington.

A sudden collapse of authoritarianism in China is not impossible, but swift transition to democracy and freedom seems unlikely. Meanwhile, talks between China and Taiwan should be aimed at nourishing peaceful coexistence rather than extending Beijing's control to Taipei.

As for the United States, the least it can do is grant Taiwan the same generous trading terms it recently gave South Korea, one of Taiwan's chief competitors. Washington should also champion Taiwan's desire to work with vital international institutions such as the United Nations' World Health Organization. To deny Taiwan access is to punish a peaceful, democratic ally while rewarding an oppressive competitor.

The abandonment of Taiwan in favor of the Communist regime by President Jimmy Carter is one of the many shameful policies adopted during the administration of the worst president of the twentieth century (if not all of US history). It is time for the United States to correct that error -- a move that President Bush should take as a part of his freedom agenda set in the 2005 inaugural address.

The US must take the lead by treating Taiwan as equal to Red China -- and the IOC should issue an invitation to Taiwan to participate in the Olympics. If the Red Chinese refuse to allow Taiwan to participate, the 2008 Olympics should be canceled in the name of freedom and human rights.

Posted by: Greg at 11:41 PM | Comments (335) | Add Comment
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When you are representing a body in an international tournament or competition, it is not the time to make political statements. If you do, it is appropriate for that group to reprimand you for abuse of your position as an official representative of the group.

Unless, of course, the New York Times agrees with your sentiments -- which is why they question the patriotism and Americanism of the United States Bridge Federation for acting against competitors at an international tournament who used the opportunity to bash the President at an official event.

Three of the seven team members have expressed regret for the sign. The United States Bridge Federation has decided to get tough on the others. It is demanding that the players say who came up with the idea of the sign and has ordered a one-year suspension from play for the team members who refuse to apologize.

This sort of censorship is un-American, unsporting and counterproductive. It will only confirm the far-too-common belief that America is no longer committed to free speech — or fair play.

Sorry, folks, but that conclusion is wrong-headed. None from the USBF is saying that members or competitors must support the President -- merely that they refrain from political activity while representing the group in an official capacity. That is a reasonable position to take -- and it is unreasonable for the New York Times to oppose it.

Posted by: Greg at 11:29 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A quick FYI for my fellow diabetics.

The government slapped a prominent, though confusing, warning on the popular diabetes drug Avandia on Wednesday _ telling patients that it may, or may not, increase the risk of heart attacks.

The move is less stringent than steps Canada took last week to restrict the drug's use to hard-to-treat diabetics.

But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that studies are too contradictory to tell if Avandia really is riskier than other treatments for Type 2 diabetes.

So the FDA described the controversy in a black box on Avandia's label _ the most severe type of warning the agency can require _ pending further research. Unlike most black-box warnings that urge strong caution, Avandia's says, "The available data on the risk ... are inconclusive."

My doctor has switched all her patients off Avandia, from what she told me recently. I'd encourage anyone on the drug to seriously discuss the risks and benefits with their physician in order to make an informed decision.

Posted by: Greg at 11:14 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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