I've never made a secret for my love of rodeo -- indeed, the one positive thing about the approaching end of the football season is that it brings me that much closer to RodeoHouston this spring. And right now its time for the National Finals Rodeo, the event that caps off the year for the sport that grew out of the everyday skills of the American cowboy.

The New York Times covers it today.

Just as they did in the 1882, when Buffalo Bill Cody organized the first major rodeo, in North Platte, Neb., cowboys rope calves, ride rough stock and wrestle steers. Life for a cowboy, however, does not get much better than the 10 days they spend here each December chasing the biggest pot of the year at the National Finals Rodeo.

It means that after 80 or so rodeos, they are one of the top 15 competitors in their discipline. It means that after more than 270 days on the road driving four cowboys to a truck and sleeping two to a room — or often a tent — they finally receive their own accommodations.

And at the lower levels of the sport, that is exactly the case every weekend. But at the NFR -- not to mention here in Houston -- you see the best of the best competing for incredible amounts of cash. That is where the living is sweet -- though the risk is high. Certainly the physical toll that the sport takes is every bit as high as football -- except that there is no such thing as a penalty flag on a bucking horse, nor does a bull stop its spinning and bucking after 8 seconds. And yet these men keep on enduring the pain for one more shot at the gold buckle and a check.

Indeed, I've got only one complaint about the article. Why pick this picture to be the first thing you see about the story?

I can tell you that there would have been plenty of American flags and probably 49 other state flags presented in an identical fashion. Why play up the one with the Confederate Battle Flag so prominently displayed? Is it a sign that someone with the NYT wanted to surreptitiously present an editorial opinion about rodeo and its enthusiasts? Or was this really the best that they had?

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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This is going to turn out to be an ugly day for Major League Baseball -- and yet it may also begin the redemption of the game.

The headquarters for George J. MitchellÂ’s investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has been the DLA Piper law offices in Midtown Manhattan, right next to Rockefeller Center and only blocks from the Park Avenue offices of Major League Baseball. On Tuesday, as MitchellÂ’s 20-month investigation drew to a conclusion, it was Major League Baseball that was on the move, as officials from the sport went to the DLA Piper offices to get a look at the report.

What it contains will be officially revealed Thursday, when Mitchell holds a 2 p.m. news conference in Manhattan. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will hold a separate news conference across town at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the report's findings. But two people who are familiar with MitchellÂ’s investigation, and his findings, said that the report would contain the names of more than 50 active and former major league players who are linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

More than 50.

Wow.

Not that anyone will be surprised by that number -- or by some of the names that surface. We've watched some of these folks have freakish growth spurts (paging Barry Bonds) over the years, and so we have a good idea who they are. Others have admitted using these drugs.

The question, ultimately, is one of rectifying past abuses and setting the course for a clean future. Here's hoping that we will see some penalties for those involved in this scandal -- and a continued commitment to the new penalties that have been imposed in recent years. Maybe I'll start going to games again.

Posted by: Greg at 10:53 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Better yet – instead of an EU ban on crosses, how about an EU ban on Muslims?

A Turkish lawyer is taking legal action against Inter Milan, the Italian football team, for wearing a strip with “Crusader-style” red crosses that he alleges is ”offensive to Muslim sensibilities”.

Baris Kaska, a lawyer in Izmir who specialises in European law, said that he had lodged a complaint in a local court against Inter Milan, which last month played the Istanbul team Fenerbahce in a Champions League match at the San Siro stadium in Milan. The Inter players wore a new strip - a white shirt with a giant red cross on it - marking the club's centenary.

Mr Kaska said he was not only seeking damages but was also appealing to Uefa to annul the match, which Inter won 3-0. “That cross only brings one thing to mind - the symbol of the Templar Knights,” he said. “It made me think immediately of the bloody days of the past. While I was watching the game I felt profound grief in my soul.” Mr Kaska told the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia that the cross symbolised “Western racist superiority over Islam”.

A couple of thoughts.

1) So your pathetic little Muslim sensibilities have been offended. Deal with it. In the free world, you have to put up with having your sensibilities offended. That is why, for example, I have to tolerate seeing dhimmified media outlets refer to Muhammad as the Prophet and putting “pbuh” after his name. That strikes me as an attempt to put your faith above mine, given that the American media never refers to Jesus as the Savior., despite the insistence of Christians that he truly is.

2) You are so concerned about the “bloody days of the past”? Why don’t you go out and do something about the bloody days of the present, when your co-religionists are waging a terrorist jihad against the civilized world. Heck, why don’t you do something about the oppression of Christians in your own country? Could it be that you want superiority for your false religion and false prophet over Christianity and Christians?

3) Sorry, but it is not racist to believe Christianity to be superior to Islam. It is the result of any amount of consideration of the fruits of those two faiths, and the state of the societies in which those two faiths dominate to see which one is superior.

4) Seeking to overturn the results of the game on the basis of the shirt? Sounds like the Muslim approach to the Middle East Peace Process – make a demand to be given what you cannot win on the ground. Bugger off.

Let's play soccer!

H/T Stop the ACLU, Jawa Report, Snapped Shot, Right Wing Rebel, Atlas Shrugs

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Michael Medved makes a good case for it.

He conforms perfectly to all four rules – he’s a well-known, nationally respected figure, hardly a fresh face; he’s a septuagenarian candidate who won’t be plotting his own future races; he’s a Washington insider (and easily the most influential single Senator of the last twenty years) who certainly qualifies as a hard-wired insider; he’s run for president twice, maintaining his dignity and integrity on both occasions; and his selection hardly qualifies as a “stunt” choice meant to grab votes in some sub-group (Episcopalian war-heroes hardly count as a contested voting block).

Some may object to the idea of McCain as a running mate because his record (particularly on campaign finance reform and immigration) won’t match the position of the nominee. Aside from the fact that he’s changed emphasis on the issues (he scarcely speaks about campaign financing and now insists on “border security first” regarding immigration reform) history shows that issues disagreements never hurt a ticket. No one looks closely at a Veep candidate’s position papers because it’s obvious that he won’t be shaping policy. Kennedy and Johnson, Reagan and Bush, Gore and Lieberman all disagreed on crucial issues, but media and voters ultimately ignored those disputes – especially after the Vice Presidential candidate inevitably (and appropriately) signified that he would follow the President’s lead.

Given the non-existent foreign policy and defense experience of the three front-runners (Romney, Huckabee, Giuliani) a McCain choice would be particularly necessary – sorry, Rudy, serving as New York City Mayor and responding to local destruction doesn’t truly amount to leadership on foreign affairs (however admirable it might be). Moreover, McCain’s home state, Arizona (where he remains hugely popular), will be a major battleground in ’08 – Democrats know that no Republican can win without it. McCain’s continuing popularity and credibility in the Hispanic community might also reduce the hemorrhaging of GOP Latino support due to strident anti-immigrant posturing by all major candidates. Moreover, on the abortion issue that inspires and engages so many Republicans, McCain’s unwavering pro-life record would help to solidify the candidacy of either Romney or Rudy if they selected him for the ticket.

I’ve said in the past that I have serious problems with McCain because of both his immigration record and, especially, his record on freedom of speech. I’ve even said I would not vote for him. But this would be the single exception – McCain as the vice presidential candidate. Not necessarily my first choice, but certainly a reasonable one.

Posted by: Greg at 10:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Would you have complained about the treatment of the Nazis at Nuremberg?

Nearly 100 foreign enemy combatants to be tried at Guantanamo Bay will have more rights than Nazi war criminals who faced the Nuremberg tribunal, a Senate panel was told yesterday.

Detainees in the war on terror will have the presumption of innocence and an automatic appeal, the latter not even afforded to U.S. citizens, said Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann, legal adviser to the Convening Authority for the Office of Military Commissions.

"No such presumption existed," said Gen. Hartmann in reference to Nuremberg while speaking to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security. "There were no rules of evidence, and virtually any evidence was freely admitted.

"That was painfully apparent to those who were found guilty and received the death penalty — they were hung within hours and days of the completion of the sentence announcement," he said.

Why give IslamoNazis any greater rights than the perpetrators of the Holocaust and other war criminals during the Second World War? And if you are willing to give them greater rights, why are you more sympathetic to our enemies during this war than you were to the last set of Jew-hating extremists to wage war against America and the civilized world? Is it simply that you sympathize with their goals – or that you hate America?

And then there is this little tidbit that needs to be burned into the brain of every judge in America.

Steven A. Engel, Justice Department deputy assistant attorney general, said that extending the peacetime notion of habeas corpus to military prisoners would be "unprecedented."

"In the nearly 800 years of the writ's existence, no English or American court has ever granted habeas relief to alien enemy soldiers captured and detained during wartime," Mr. Engel said.

In other words, the current policies of the Bush Administration are fully in accord with the Anglo-American legal tradition out of which habeas corpus grows. Those who seek to change that policy need to make a compelling affirmative case in favor of their position – and they cannot.

Oh, and as a reminder, those Japanese officials and officers tried following WWII were not even treated so well as the Nazis – in part because of their nation’s unprovoked sneak attack upon America. Have you forgotten 9/11?

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The leading voice of the conservative movement for the last half-century says it loud and clear -- Mitt Romney is the bet standard-bearer for the GOP in 2008.

Many conservatives are finding it difficult to pick a presidential candidate. Each of the men running for the Republican nomination has strengths, and none has everything — all the traits, all the positions — we are looking for. Equally conservative analysts can reach, and have reached, different judgments in this matter. There are fine conservatives supporting each of these Republicans.

Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest. While he has not talked much about the importance of resisting ethnic balkanization — none of the major candidates has — he supports enforcing the immigration laws and opposes amnesty. Those are important steps in the right direction.

* * *

More than the other primary candidates, Romney has President BushÂ’s virtues and avoids his flaws. His moral positions, and his instincts on taxes and foreign policy, are the same. But he is less inclined to federal activism, less tolerant of overspending, better able to defend conservative positions in debate, and more likely to demand performance from his subordinates. A winning combination, by our lights. In this most fluid and unpredictable Republican field, we vote for Mitt Romney.

Indeed, this is why I have supported Romney for months -- he is a real conservative who will pull us back to the right direction politically. And as a businessman, he also is keenly aware of the negative impact of government upon the economy. And most importantly, he avoids the drawbacks of each of the other four major candidates in terms of dividing the base or having too much personal baggage to be a effective candidate for our nation's chief executive. Three of those four are men I deeply admire and believe ought to have a place in a Romney Administration. Indeed, two of those three (McCain and Thompson) would make excellent picks for Vice President, while the third is the obvious choice for either Attorney General or Homeland Security secretary.

Posted by: Greg at 11:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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There is no place for Mike Huckabee in my GOP -- not after this move to play to and promote religious bigotry in order to undermine an opponent.

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, asks in an upcoming article, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

The article, to be published in Sunday's New York Times Magazine, says Huckabee asked the question after saying he believes Mormonism is a religion but doesn't know much about it. His rival Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is a member of the Mormon church, which is known officially as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The authoritative Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992, does not refer to Jesus and Satan as brothers. It speaks of Jesus as the son of God and of Satan as a fallen angel, which is a Biblical account.

A spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Huckabee's question is usually raised by those who wish to smear the Mormon faith rather than clarify doctrine.

Frankly, I'm disgusted by this move. By raising the question, Huckabee is proposing to do the exact opposite of what Mitt Romney argued for last week. Rather than promoting religious tolerance, Huckabee wants to impose a narrow religious test for any candidate for office -- and has shown that he cannot be president for all Americans. Indeed, I would expect a defeat on the order of that suffered by the GOP in 1964 when Barry Goldwater was thoroughly drubbed by Lyndon Johnson -- except without planting the seeds of future victory as Goldwater did.

And let's be quite clear -- the New York Times doesn't do favors for Republican candidates. It doesn't give them free rein to write a piece for publication unless there is something in it for the advancement of the New York Times' agenda. What Huckabee has done here is shown himself to be a narrow-minded little bigot, just like the Left wants to portray all religious Americans to be.

Let me say it -- Mike Huckabee will be the death of the GOP built by Ronald Reagan. And I will not vote for him for President, based upon this misguided action alone. Indeed, the prospect of "President Huckabee" will lead me to give serious consideration to voting for "President McKinney". After all, could she really be any more divisive?

Posted by: Greg at 11:35 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Losing these seats would have been bad -- but holding on to them both in as strong a fashion as the party has could be a sign that Republican support is not so weak as one might have thought.

Republicans retained control of two Congressional seats Tuesday in special elections in Ohio and Virginia, thwarting Democratic efforts to expand their control in the House. The elections were held to complete the terms of members of the House who had died.

In Virginia, Robert J. Wittman, a first-term Republican state legislator, easily defeated the Democratic candidate, Philip Forgit, a teacher. Mr. Wittman will complete the term of Jo Ann Davis, who had represented a southeastern Virginia district for seven years. Ms. Davis died of breast cancer in October.

In Ohio, Robert E. Latta, a Republican state representative, defeated Robin Weirauch, a Democrat who was making her third run. Mr. Latta will replace Paul E. Gillmor, who died in a fall in September. Mr. Gillmor was first elected in a northwest Ohio district in 1988.

Two chances to snatch safe seats from the GOP. Two failures.

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I have been trying to keep all of my wife's graphics stored someplace safe so that we never have another disaster like last year. That means a lot of blank media is required -- media that has to be good quality but not too expensive. I found exactly that at SuperMediaStore.com. The website offers a great many discounted products from quality brands, and at prices that are much cheaper than what one would get at your local retail outlet.

SuperMediaStore.com also has cheap ink cartridges and a lot of other products for your computer. That includes flash memory, accessories, duplication hardware, CD/DVD burners, hard drives, and a great deal more.

Posted by: Greg at 11:09 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Now here's a plan -- name your successor and have your successor give you day-to-day control of the government.

The longtime aide tapped by Vladimir V. Putin to be his successor as president of Russia declared Tuesday that he wanted Mr. Putin to be his prime minister, offering the clearest indication yet of how Mr. Putin plans to maintain firm control over the Kremlin after his term ends next spring.

The announcement, in a speech to the nation by the aide, Dmitri A. Medvedev, raised the prospect of a stark realignment in the structure of the Russian government, which is led by a strong president who appoints a prime minister to serve largely as an administrator.

As prime minister, Mr. Putin could very well overshadow Mr. Medvedev, turning him into the kind of figurehead president found in parliamentary systems like GermanyÂ’s or ItalyÂ’s.

Mr. Putin did not publicly respond to Mr. MedvedevÂ’s offer. But it is widely assumed here that Mr. Medvedev was taking this step at the behest of his patron.

Now this could be interesting. The power that Putin has acquired for himself is not likely to evaporate. His prestige and influence will move with him into the new office. But the end result will be that Putin will have doen an end run around provisions in teh Constitution designed to limit any one man's hold on power -- and that does not bode well for the already weak democracy in Russia.

Posted by: Greg at 11:06 PM | Comments (25) | Add Comment
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As Christmas break approaches, this teacher finds himself more and more stressed out. I'll be honest -- I need those days off to rest, relax, recharge, and maybe catch up on a bit of reading. But I wouldn't mind a neat trip to someplace unusual.

I've started looking around, just to see if there is anything out there that would be reasonable in cost and exotic in scope. One of the places I've seen mentioned is Cyprus. And for cheap flights to Cyprus, one of the best available sources is HolidayHypermarket.com -- if you are flying from the UK. For that matter, they have great prices going almost anywhere in Europe.

Posted by: Greg at 11:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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As a kid, I cheered Jack Pardee as a player for the Washington Redskins when he was a part of the "Over the Hill Gang". Later, when he was coaching the Chicago Bears, I got to meet him (and his team's budding young superstar, a running back named Walter Payton) when the team was using a drill hall at Great Lakes boot camp during a cold snap. And I've always had a soft spot for any team he is coaching. For that reason alone, I'm excited about this possible comeback.

For University of Houston athletic director Dave Maggard, the search goes on for a football coach to replace Art Briles. But a person with knowledge of the situation said that it has been narrowed to two candidates — former NFL and Cougars coach Jack Pardee and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Michael Haywood.

Pardee said Tuesday he had not been offered the job, and Haywood could not be reached for comment. Maggard would not comment on the situation, saying only that "there is still a lot of work to do."

Now either of these guys would be a good choice as head coach, but I personally like the choice of Pardee. And i like this coaching staff.

Pardee's projected staff would reportedly include current assistants Jason Phillips (wide receivers), Bubba McDowell (cornerbacks), Tony Fitzpatrick (defensive line) and Thurmond, with newcomers like former SMU assistant Ronnie Vinklarek (offensive line), Tomball High's Tommy Kaiser (S-backs and special teams), Arlington Bowie coach Kenny Perry (safeties) and former Cougars quarterback David Klingler (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach).

Pardee said the staff would have a good blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm.

Not only that, but it is also a good blend of what has been a very successful coaching staff under the team's former coach and new coaches who will introduce new perspectives and talents. the presence of both continuity and change would be good for teh Cougars -- and might just propel them back tot he heights that they reached under Jack Pardee two decades ago.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I remember the first scanner I ever saw. It was huge, and the resolution was crap. Not only that, but all scanned images were in black and white. And prices, like for any new device, were sky high. Today, however, you can get a good color scanner for a low price, so most serious computer users and virtually all businesses have scanners. Indeed, now you can get them combined with a printer, too!

I scan documents, and also a lot of photos. When I do that, I know that the copy will last for as long as I want it. I know that my documents and pictures are safe digitally so if anything happens to the hard copy, I have the scanned copies in a safe place.

One great development is duplex scanners, which are probably the best way to go for certain purposes. It scans both sides of the scanned document simultaneously, so it may so be used to scan business cards, plastic ID cards, and documents up to legal size. Newer models now have a USB 2.0 standard interface, so there is no external power needed. Best of all, they are very light weight, so you can carry them anywhere you will need it.

Posted by: Greg at 06:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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What can I say about this one?

Republican Eric Story is seeking to unseat Democrat Gene Green in Texas Congressional District 29 after a strong showing in a long-shot race in 2006.

And I think he may have a reasonable chance this time.

After all, even the Democrats think he is a decent, honorable guy who is worthy of being elected to and holding a position of public trust.

How do we know this? Easy -- Harris County Democrats sent Eric Story a letter, seeking to recruit him to be Precinct Chair and Election Judge in his home precinct.

Yeah, that's right -- the Democrats want him in office in their own party!

So either they are acknowledging that that Eric Story is precisely the sort of man that Texans need in office.

Or they are in such disarray that they don't know their butts from a hole in the ground.

Either way, why vote Democrat?

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Mitt Romney is taking on Mike Huckabee with a new television ad in Iowa.

His shot at the Republican presidential nomination in jeopardy, Mitt Romney will begin running a TV ad against Iowa front-runner Mike Huckabee on illegal immigration starting Tuesday while weighing how much negative campaigning he can add to the methodical plan he's followed all year.

The ad says the former governors have a lot in common — but not on illegal immigration, an important issue in Iowa, which will lead off nomination voting with its caucuses on Jan. 3.

"Mitt Romney stood up, and vetoed in-state tuition for illegal aliens, opposed driver's licenses for illegals," the ad says. "Mike Huckabee? Supported in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants. Huckabee even supported taxpayer-funded college scholarships for illegal aliens."

"On immigration, the choice matters," the ad ends.

With Huckabee surging in Iowa — and showing strength nationally as well — Romney offers positive as well as negative words on his rival.

"Two former governors. Two good family men. Both pro-life. Both support a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage," the ad says — then it focuses on what it says are stark differences on illegal immigration.

Romney's campaign characterized the "contrast ad" — the first in which he names a rival — as a reaction to Huckabee's own new TV commercial in which he touts his immigration proposal.

Some will call this a negative ad. But if contrasting your position on an issue with those of your opponent constitutes negativity, I say bring on even more. After all, what are we supposed to be talking about if not the issues? On what basis should we decide our candidate if not upon their records and proposed policies?

Let's face it -- this ad is not destructive, is not insulting, and is in the best tradition of American political debate and dialogue. Romney should be applauded for taking the high here, rather than criticized for "going negative".

Posted by: Greg at 11:29 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
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If these numbers are correct, we could see Democrats slugging it out for the nomination as surely as the GOP will be.

With just slightly more than three weeks until the first nominating contest, three new MSNBC/McClatchy/Mason-Dixon polls show that the Democratic contest isnÂ’t just a dead heat in Iowa -- itÂ’s also tied in New Hampshire and South Carolina. In Iowa, Clinton has the lead over Obama, 27%-25% (although thatÂ’s within the pollÂ’s 5% margin of error), while Edwards comes in third at 21%. In New Hampshire, itÂ’s Clinton 30%, Obama 27%, and Edwards 10%. And in South Carolina, itÂ’s Clinton 28%, Obama 25%, and Edwards 18%. To borrow a sports analogy, the impressive underdog (Obama) has tied it up in the fourth quarter after trailing the once-seemingly invincible favorite (Clinton) for most of the contest. ItÂ’s now anybodyÂ’s game.

The question is, how badly will a failure to run away with it in these states hurt Hillary Clinton?

And with the splintered vote on the GOP side of the race, some are arguing that we may see an old-fashioned brokered convention That might not be a bad thing. After all, the excitement would buy news coverage and the attention of the nation.

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I hate to see an innocent man railroaded by a rogue prosecutor.

I have confidence in such cases that justice will prevail.

But in this instance, I understand why Scooter Libby is going to end his quest for justice with the stain on his honor still legally in place.

Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is no longer appealing his conviction in the CIA leak case, a tacit recognition that continuing his legal fight might only make things worse.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury and obstruction but President Bush commuted his 30-month prison sentence in July. As a convicted felon, Libby will lose his law license and, in some states, cannot vote.

He might have had a chance to avoid those consequences had he won on appeal, but at a new trial his commutation would be meaningless and Libby would again face potential prison time.

"We remain firmly convinced of Mr. Libby's innocence," attorney Theodore Wells said Monday. "However, the realities were, that after five years of government service by Mr. Libby and several years of defending against this case, the burden on Mr. Libby and his young family of continuing to pursue his complete vindication are too great to ask them to bear."

And therein lies the problem. Prior to the commutation (which I opposed), Libby had good reason to fight. After all, he was facing jail time in addition to the fine and the legal disabilities imposed upon him as a convicted felon.

Unfortunately, a successful appeal would result only in a new trial -- and the commutation would become meaningless. Following a new trial, Libby could again face the prospect of years behind bars. For that reason, Libby is probably correct in dropping his appeal in favor of a sure thing rather than taking the risk inherent in another roll of the dice at trial. Here's hoping that at some point justice is done in this case and Scooter Libby is pardoned.

Posted by: Greg at 11:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The sun sure does beat down on the house here in Texas. You need to keep the light and heat out when it does. I'm thinking that maybe some Custom Blinds like these blackout Roman shades may be the solution to the energy costs associated with all that light and heat, and would be a good decorating solution as well. And the price sure is right.

Not only is the price right, but so is the quality. If you doubt me, look at the bamboo shades and other sorts of blinds they hang when next you watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They provide the blinds and shades for the show.

Posted by: Greg at 10:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Our allies sure think so.

British spy chiefs have grave doubts that Iran has mothballed its nuclear weapons programme, as a US intelligence report claimed last week, and believe the CIA has been hoodwinked by Teheran.

The timing of the CIA report has also provoked fury in the British Government, where officials believe it has undermined efforts to impose tough new sanctions on Iran and made an Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities more likely.

The security services in London want concrete evidence to allay concerns that the Islamic state has fed disinformation to the CIA.

The report used new evidence - including human sources, wireless intercepts and evidence from an Iranian defector - to conclude that Teheran suspended the bomb-making side of its nuclear programme in 2003. But British intelligence is concerned that US spy chiefs were so determined to avoid giving President Bush a reason to go to war - as their reports on Saddam Hussein's weapons programmes did in Iraq - that they got it wrong this time.

A senior British official delivered a withering assessment of US intelligence-gathering abilities in the Middle East and revealed that British spies shared the concerns of Israeli defence chiefs that Iran was still pursuing nuclear weapons.

There are questions of a fake defector and a compromised wiretap that would allow disinformation to be fed to American intelligence services. So are we certain that we want to trust a guy who continually makes apocalyptic threats against his enemies to suddenly start playing nice?

Posted by: Greg at 10:35 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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My wife grew up in western Pennsylvania, about two or three hours from Niagara Falls. She visited the falls a number of times when she was a kid. On the other hand, my single experience was a visit to the Falls when I was about eleven – something that I didn’t particularly enjoy. But I did get a chance to go back when Paula and I were preparing for our wedding – we drove up for a day and saw the falls, shopped a bit, and then went home to her mother. Money was really tight at that point in our lives, and so we didn’t do much of the touristy stuff.

But you know, I sure would love to go back for a visit. I think that at this point in my life, a guided tour might be the best way to go. You know, shepherding us around so that we get to the Maid of the Mist for the journey behind the falls, a visit to the whirlpools, and a trip to the top of Skylon Tower would be the way to go. No parking hassles, no navigating our way through unfamiliar streets – just a day of relaxation and sightseeing. I could concentrate on taking care of Paula.

If you are looking for such tours, sign up for the Trusted Travel eNewsletter. Trusted Tours has tours of Niagara Falls and many other cities. They can get you through the highlights if you are in town for a short visit, or guarantee that you see all the sights if you have a bit longer.

And when you sign up for that nesletter, all new subscribers will be automatically entered into a drawing for an iPod Nano!

Posted by: Greg at 10:34 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Or maybe he will just need to cower in isolation for the whole time.

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison Monday for running a "cruel and inhumane" dogfighting ring and lying about it.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Vick, who turned himself in Nov. 19 in anticipation of his sentence, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit.

After Vick apologized to the court and his family, Hudson told him: "You need to apologize to the millions of young people who looked up to you."

"Yes, sir," Vick answered.

The 27-year-old player acknowledged using "poor judgment" and added, "I'm willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions."

Although there is no parole in the federal system, rules governing time off for good behavior could reduce Vick's prison stay by about three months, resulting in a summer 2009 release.

Probably hoping to be back for the 2009 season. Let's hope the NFL has other plans. I'm certain that NFL fans – especially those of us who buy the tickets and actually go to the games – don't care to see him back on the field.

Posted by: Greg at 10:33 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
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Are you planning a getaway before 29th February next year ? Well, if you are, you may well be interesting in the special offer currently being run some hotels & bed and breakfasts on Amelia Island in Florida.

If youÂ’ve not been there before, click on the Lodging Special link. YouÂ’ll find out that Amelia Island is in the northeast corner of the state, just a bit off the coast. It is right there, by the Georgia border.

The offer itself is not that difficult to understand. When you book three consecutive nights, you only pay for two! You’ll have to check out that link to find out which places are a part of this great offer. And while you are scoping out the deal, take a look at the attractions that are listed. Don’t they make you want to go there even more? For example, over the next two weeks you’ll find that Santa is throwing a story book party and a showing of “It’s A Wonderful Life” in an outdoor cinema.

And if you are into history like me, then make sure you look at the many changes this island has seen in its history, which has included no less than 8 different flags having flown over the island, including Spain, Britain, Mexico and France. That makes for some neat history right there.

Posted by: Greg at 06:04 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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And it seems that Pakistan's opposition leaders understand that reality quite well, based upon their decision to participate in next month's elections.

The two main opposition parties led by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif said they would participate in Jan. 8 parliamentary elections, despite deep misgivings about whether the vote could be free and fair.

The move came as an opposition call to boycott the elections foundered Sunday.

Mr. Sharif, the former prime minister who returned from exile two weeks ago but has been barred from running himself, would marshal his party to participate in elections, said Ahsan Iqbal, a party spokesman.

Mr. Sharif had called for a boycott of the election to protest the continued rule of PakistanÂ’s president, Pervez Musharraf, who imposed a state of emergency on Nov. 3, suspending the Constitution and dismissing the Supreme Court. But when Ms. Bhutto, also a former prime minister, made it clear that her party would run, Mr. Sharif could not afford to stay out of the race, Mr. Iqbal said.

The parties that will participate say that they are doing so “under protest,” and that they will mount a campaign against unfair election conditions and the government’s efforts to return a Parliament and government favorable to Mr. Musharraf.

The participation of the main opposition parties would grant some credibility to Mr. Musharraf. Opposition groups that support a boycott argue that fair elections would be impossible with the country still under emergency rule, a muzzled news media and a pro-Musharraf caretaker government, election commission and newly appointed Supreme Court in place.

Ms. Bhutto said her Pakistan Peoples Party would participate in the elections in order to force them to be open and to prevent the pro-Musharraf coalition from winning a majority.

“We believe it is important to take part under protest because by boycotting we play into the hands of Musharraf,” she said in a telephone interview on Sunday from her home in the United Arab Emirates, where she spent the weekend.

Mr. Musharraf has said he will lift emergency rule on Sunday and has pledged to hold “fair and free elections according to the Constitution.”

The current situation in Pakistan is not the best for free elections, but it may be the best opportunity to highlight any unfairness. Furthermore, failure to participate concedes victory to Musharraf and his supporters. The better option is to create a strong opposition bloc -- fi not an opposition majority -- in parliament to try to control the damage.

And let there be no illusion -- none of the leaders -- Bhutto, Sharif, and Musharraf -- are saints. But neither are these leaders with corrupt histories without popular support, so it seems that they are what Pakistan has to work with. May these flawed individuals fashion a vibrant democracy.

Posted by: Greg at 11:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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We will likely be seeking disability for my wife in the near future. This story isn't encouraging.

Steadily lengthening delays in the resolution of Social Security disability claims have left hundreds of thousands of people in a kind of purgatory, now waiting as long as three years for a decision.

Two-thirds of those who appeal an initial rejection eventually win their cases.

We are fortunate. my job is secure, my health insurance is marginally acceptable, and we're not overextended like some folks who spent the last decade piling up debt.

But three years? To confirm what should be patently obvious from teh medical records.

That is discouraging.

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I skipped the Univision debate. No, not because of the station -- because I'd rather hear Christmas music at the church cantata. But I have looked at transcripts and coverage of the debate, and find the following characterization of of the positions taken by the GOP candidates a bit troubling.

Most of the seven candidates took a softer tone on Sunday, even as many spoke of working to eradicate illegal immigration. Some spoke of trying to send some of the 12 million people who are estimated to be in the United States illegally back to their native countries.

They sandwiched their remarks between gauzy paeans to legal immigration and the values of immigrants.

It seems that someone doesn't get the point. The GOP is, almost universally, in favor of legal immigration. What most of us have a problem with is the fact that our laws are going unenforced, and the lawbreakers are going unpunished (and, in fact, rewarded with access to government social services). We welcome law-abiding immigrants -- but not those whose very act of crossing the border was a violation of the law. The same can be said of the GOP candidates.

Posted by: Greg at 11:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Christmas is coming! Preparations are underway for the holiday, as we do our decorating and shop for gifts for a needy child. It is also time to get started on the Christmas cards. We are doing our “he said/she said” letter again this year, and may do a photo card.

Unlike my wife, I am not a big fan of greeting cards. Christmas is the exception. I love Christmas cards. I especially love the ones that beautifully represent the holy reason for the season, and find that such Christmas cards really do add to the season.

I also love

You get the opportunity to customize these cards with the picture of your choice, and to make sure it is just right before you finalize the order. From start to finish, the decisions are yours, making these cards fully personalized.

These may not be the cheapest personalized cards, but they sure are beautiful. They are certainly wonderful for those of us who are not artistically inclined, or for who don't have the time to create something spectacular. But what you spend in cash will be appreciated by the recipients all the more, because of the great quality.

Posted by: Greg at 06:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Of Islamist Foxes and British Chickens by Wolf Howling, and Teddy Muhammad by Pierre Tristam's Middle East Issues Blog.  Here are the full results of the vote:

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Hopefully this comment will burst the bubble of the folks who support Mike Huckabee.

GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Sunday he wonÂ’t run from his statement 15 years ago that AIDS patients should have been isolated.

Huckabee acknowledged the prevailing scientific view then, and since, that the virus that causes AIDS is not spread through casual contact, but said that was not certain. He cited revelations in 1991 that a dentist had infected a patient in an extraordinary case that highlighted the risk of infection through contact with blood or bodily fluids.

“I still believe this today,” he said in a broadcast interview, that “we were acting more out of political correctness” in responding to the AIDS crisis. “I don’t run from it, I don’t recant it,” he said of his position in 1992. Yet he said he would state his view differently in retrospect.

Huckabee, as a Senate candidate that year, told The Associated Press that “we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague” if the federal government was going to deal with the spread of the disease effectively. “It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents,” he said then.

And here's my problem with that statement -- it flies in the face of what we know today. One could still -- barely -- take the silly position taken by Huckabee at the time. Now we know, unambiguously so, that his position is wrong. We don't need to intern AIDS patients in some sort of concentration camp. And while isolation might be advisable for some few individuals in this country who willfully spread their disease, we are pretty clear on the concept that such individuals are few and far between.

I'd almost been willing to see Mike Huckabee on the GOP ticket, despite my misgivings about another tax-raising governor from Hope, Arkansas being permitted in the same zip code as the White House. Not now -- not at all.

H/T The Liberty Papers

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Posted by: Greg at 02:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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When we first moved into the area where we live, we joined a local church. Among the many special people we met there were an older couple I’ll call George and Eliza. It was always fun to sit with these folks, who had been married right after the war in 1945. George would tell stories about his time in the navy, and later stories of his time working at NASA – imagine my shock at realizing who he meant during a conversation about the Apollo program when he referred to a conversation with Neil and Buzz. Those conversations stopped a couple of years ago, not long after the doctors diagnosed George as having Alzheimer's disease. Now his ability to keep his train of thought long enough to tell such a story is gone. That is a part of the Dementia that comes from the brain damage associated with Alzheimer's, damage caused by the irreversible destruction of brain cells. I miss my old friend very much.

I'm amazed to watch Eliza deal with the daily struggle that is a part of their life today. Gone is the man she has loved for over six decades, replaced with a sometime-stranger who has problems with his temper and his personal needs. I know that she suffers from this disease every bit as much as he does – perhaps more, because he does not always realize that here is anything wrong. And it is really grueling, for George needs constant care and supervision, only part of which is done by their visiting nurse and part-time housekeeper. And as much as she tries to understand that this is but one part of the disease, I am sure that the lapses of memory, anger, and stubbornness that are a part of the disease leave her discouraged. And yet she still cares for him, just as he nursed her through several serious illnesses in the years right before the onset of this disease.

But how do you learn to deal with such a disease? What resources are there for friends and loved ones of those suffering from Alzheimer's? Well, there is a DVD available called "A Time To Care". It is an informative video that presents answer and strategies to viewers in a motivational, easy-to-understand style. It is a four-part program that addresses the core issues related to care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Sadly, you may know someone who is caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. If you do, this DVD may be a truly considerate and compassionate holiday gift for them. There are other items available at the same site.

Posted by: Greg at 02:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've got no use for teachers who sexually abuse students. If this guy did this thing, I hope he rots. But the details here leave me asking one question.

On Nov. 30th, Antrim brought the teen to his home in Rogers, Minn. where she spent the weekend. She called her father and told him she was staying at a friendÂ’s house. According to the charges, Antrim had sex with his player on the night of Dec. 1 to Dec. 2.

In a statement, Antrim told police he gave her the cell phone and iPod as gifts. He admitted sending suggestive text messages and said he had been having “issues” lately. He admitted having sex with the teen the previous weekend.

Nathan Paul Antrim is in police custody and faces up 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine if convicted.

So, does anyone want to guess the odds of this guy getting a sentence like all these buxom young (and not-so-young) have gotten? I'm willing to bet that he does the full 15 years. After all, there does remain a double standard in the application of the law that no one wants to address.

Posted by: Greg at 02:27 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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WouldnÂ’t it be neat to win prizes doing things that you already do on a daily basis, or even more frequently? Well, if you start using SearchWorm.com - Search and Win to find the websites you are searching for on the Internet, you have a chance to win a prize for doing it. They select random times at which a prize is to be awarded, and then give it to the first person to search after that selected winning time! It is really easy. Use Search Worm at the appointed time and win a prize. Obviously, the more searches you do the more likely it is that you will be one of the winning surfers. The prizes can range from a $2 bill to gift cards to online sites. So maybe you want to consider using SearchWorm. After all, you could be the next winner!

Posted by: Greg at 04:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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But since it is directed at Mormons and (less directly) Evangelicals, that is OK in the eyes of her editors who blissfully ran her column trashing Mitt Romney today. After all, how else can you describe a column which quotes an anti-Mormon polemicist at length as an authority on Romney's religion?

And having then included a direct attack on Romney's religion as the heart of her piece, she concludes with this.

The problem with Mitt is not his religion; it is his overeager policy shape-shifting. He did not give a brave speech, but a pandering one. Disguised as a courageous, Kennedyesque statement of principle, the talk was really just an attempt to compete with the evolution-disdaining, religion-baiting Huckabee and get Baptists to concede that Mormons are Christians.

“J.F.K.’s speech was to reassure Americans that he wasn’t a religious fanatic,” Mr. Krakauer agreed. “Mitt’s was to tell evangelical Christians, ‘I’m a religious fanatic just like you.’”

The backdrop, he said, is “the wickedly fierce competition between Mormons and Southern evangelicals to convert people.”

The world is globalizing, nuclear weapons are proliferating, the Middle East is seething, but Republicans are still arguing the Scopes trial.

Mitt was right when he said that “Americans do not respect believers of convenience.” Now if he would only admit he’s describing himself.

The problem, of course, is that there is nothing in the speech which speaks of religious fanaticism. Indeed, it speaks of common values held by Americans of many faiths,

Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which
Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

Yeah, damn those religious fanatics. How dare Romney appeal to people who believe in equality, service to their neighbor, and human liberty. Such beliefs are positively unAmerican in the eyes of the likes of her. Never mind that such elements of fanaticism have been at the heart of abolitionism and civil rights.

Of course, the secularist Dowd is quite right -- Mitt is no JFK. Indeed, he took precisely the opposite tack from that former president. Kennedy distanced himself from his Church, making it plain that he really did not take Catholicism seriously. Romney, in a move that Dowd characterizes as fanaticism, refused to temporize or apostasize, and declared his firm adherence to the tenets of his faith, though he refused to allow them to be a matter of political import. And that, in Dowd's eyes, makes Mitt Romney dangerous.

After all, she is one of those who supports a religious test for office, one which disqualifies those who actually believe in anything except for the Gospel of Liberalism.

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds and Gateway Pundit provide a little tidbit about Mo Dowd's faulty memory -- She would have been 21 or 22 at the time of the events described in the "childhood memory" portion of her column. Makes you wonder about a tendency for fabrication in her columns -- sort of like Bill Clinton's burning black churches in Arkansas. Paging Jayson Blair!

Posted by: Greg at 02:32 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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My back teeth are sensitive. They all have deep fillings, and the only way to deal with them is to get them all crowned. Let’s see – 8 teeth times $700 equals $5600. YIKES – my crappy dental insurance provider will require me to spend the equivalent of seven mortgage payments just to take care of the problem! I’ve therefore intermittently needed to use special toothpastes for sensitive teeth. I was therefore quite happy when I learned of a new brand of sensitive toothpaste called Biotene.

Now when my teeth do get to that stage where they are sensitive, I get an instant shock from a cold cola or a cup of hot tea. Thank God I donÂ’t have to deal with cold winter air, or I would be driven insane. But those daily experiences mentioned above are quite enough, thank you very much.

Biotene’s sensitive formula contains potassium nitrate as the active ingredient to combat hypersensitivity. The result? An almost immediate reduction in the “shock and yow!” sensation when my teeth are subjected to a temperature change. It tastes great, too, and leaves a great aftertaste as well.

Biotene is not a miracle product, and canÂ’t replace regular dental care. It is, however, a great sensitive toothpaste, since it solves the problem and doesnÂ’t merely provide a temporary fix for the sensitivity.

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Wouldn't an answer consistent with Scripture and his denomination be a bit less than surprising?

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, surging in Iowa polls in the Republican presidential race, wrote on a questionnaire while running for U.S. Senate in 1992 that homosexuality is "aberrant" and "sinful."

"I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk," Huckabee wrote in the questionnaire for The Associated Press, which reported the answer on Saturday.

I guess I'm surprised that anybody is surprised. Believing homosexual activity to be sinful is pretty mainstream thinking among Christians -- at least among those who still grant some level of authority to the Bible -- and so why woulndn't he hold such a view. As for "aberrant" and "unnatural", when one considers that the primary purpose of sexual conduct is reproduction, one can certainly make a case for both of those terms as fitting homosexuality. They may be a bit strong to have put on that questionnaire, but that doesn't make the beliefs particularly shocking to me. it is really pretty mainstream Baptist teaching, and to expect Huckabee to hold anything different is indicative of lazy thinking.

Then there is this.

In another answer that could damage his standing in the presidential race, Huckabee wrote on the questionnaire that AIDS research was receiving an unfair amount of federal money. Instead, he said celebrities should pay for the research themselves.

"In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified," Huckabee wrote, according to the AP.

"An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna and others who are pushing for more AIDS funding be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research."

Frankly, I find this answer to be even less troubling than the first. I've always been struck by the hypocrisy of super-rich celebrities insisting that the government tax the common man more to pay for their pet causes while giving little more than pocket change for these same causes. And such celebrities and their pressure does warp our spending priorities -- given the number of men afflicted with prostate cancer and the number of women who suffer from breast cancer, is the research funding roughly equivalent on a per-patient basis? No, because one of those diseases has celebrity spokespeople pushing for greater spending on research, while the other does not. The same argument could be made regarding AIDS, and I believe that is the one Huckabee is making in that statement.

More troubling is this one.

"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.... It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents."

That one does sound much more harsh -- though he is making a point that many folks did in 1992, when this was written. We've historically quarantined folks with such deadly communicable illnesses -- typhoid, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases. The difference, of course, is that AIDS is less communicable and transmission can be avoided through simple precautions. A dear friend has been HIV-positive for over two decades and continues to be in great health -- and not one of us straight men and women who are his friends have contracted the virus because he and we are all conscious of what to do to avoid transmission.

This survey may be a difficult one for Huckabee to overcome, though I can't help but wonder if his views have shifted at all over time. It would be really interesting to hear his answers to the second two questions again, as i expect some evolution may have happened after a decade as governor.

Posted by: Greg at 08:16 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Senior members of the House lack "big sticks" for following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's failed leadership.

Pelosi proves she can't play with the big dogs by her response.

And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid proves that he has no balls with his response.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been really busy the last 24 hours,” Pelosi said. “How can I say this with the dignity of the office that I hold, and especially the dignity of the office that the vice president holds? It’s so beneath the dignity of his office — and mine — that I don’t even want to address it.”

Of course, the repeated slams she and her colleagues have made at the President and Vice President are somehow fully within the dignity of their offices, under this theory. Right!

And Harry Reid's response is just pathetic.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) did not comment on the remark but said in a Politico interview that “someone I was with said that” the comment sounded sexist.

I guess those testicles must be in a blind trust -- he certainly isn't using them if he refuses to take a position himself or acknowledge he agrees with the comment he just quoted. What a loser!

Posted by: Greg at 04:43 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Because, of course, there is legally no such thing as gay marriage in Rhode Island. Duh!

A lesbian couple that married in Massachusetts cannot get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court, in a 3-2 decision, said the state's family court lacks the authority to grant the divorce of a same-sex couple because Rhode Island lawmakers have not defined marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

"The role of the judicial branch is not to make policy, but simply to determine the legislative intent," the court wrote.

Set aside what the particular issue is in this case. That quote is one that should be inscribed inside the eyelids of every judge in America. Courts are not supposed to make policy, but rather to apply the policies adopted by the political branches of government.

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Andrew Sullivan highlights an Iowa newspaper commentary that deals with a provocative question.

National reporters have been calling and the most common question is 'What is wrong with the Clinton campaign?'

The answer, which Sullivan quotes at length, is pretty obvious. The problem is Hillary Clinton. She doesn't believe in anything. She doesn't stand for anything.

Let me correct that -- she does believe in and stand for one thing. The election of Hillary Clinton, who she believes deserves to be president by some notion of divine right of first ladies. After all, if she were Hillary Rodham Smith, would she even be a blip on the political radar screen?

Posted by: Greg at 04:32 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Once again, the probability of an American in victory results in Democrats deciding to cut and run.

This time, though, their decision to choose a policy of retreat and surrender is a good thing.

it means our troops will have what they need to win the war.

House Democratic leaders could complete work as soon as Monday on a half-trillion-dollar spending package that will include billions of dollars for the war effort in Iraq without the timelines for the withdrawal of combat forces that President Bush has refused to accept, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said yesterday.

In a complicated deal over the war funds, Democrats will include about $11 billion more in domestic spending than Bush has requested, emergency drought relief for the Southeast and legislation to address the subprime mortgage crisis, Hoyer told a meeting of the Washington Post editorial board.

If the bargain were to become law, it would be the third time since Democrats took control of Congress that they would have failed to force Bush to change course in Iraq and continued to fund a war that they have repeatedly vowed to end. But it would also be the clearest instance yet of the president bowing to a Democratic demand for more money for domestic priorities, an increase that he had promised to reject.

Of course, I can't help but notice that the Democrats insist upon more pork as a condition of allowing American national security to be served. Who is exercising fiscal restraint in Washington? Not the Democrats -- and their constituencies who prefer defeat to victory.

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There are a lot of gifts out there for friends and loved ones. Over at CollectiblesToday.com, I found a number of potential Personalized Christmas Gifts for people in my life. Perhaps the most beautiful one is an Ashton-Drake Galleries figurine of an infant cradled in a hand, called God's Greatest Gift. It is beautiful, and is also able to be personalized with the name of a child. This would be great for some dear friends of ours who just had their first pregnancy this year after a very difficult pregnancy. Imagine the joy of finding this keepsake from their baby's first Christmas.

CollectiblesToday.com has many wonderful collectible gifts available form the finest manufacturers. They are committed to customer satisfaction and delivering quality products. drop by and see their many wonderful gifts today.

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After all, what do you call this?

The daughter of a British imam is living under police protection after receiving death threats from her father for converting to Christianity.

The 31-year-old, whose father is the leader of a mosque in Lancashire, has moved house an astonishing 45 times after relatives pledged to hunt her down and kill her.

The British-born university graduate, who uses the pseudonym Hannah for her own safety, said she renounced the Muslim faith to escape being forced into an arranged marriage when she was 16.

She has been in hiding for more than a decade but called in police only a few months ago after receiving a text message from her brother.

In it, he said he would not be held responsible for his actions if she failed to return to Islam.

When you read the stories of mobs at the door, attempting to break into her homes to murder her for exercising the HUMAN RIGHT to choose her own religion, it is enough to make you shudder. No civilized person can believe that such actions fall within the bounds of acceptable behavior, and no decent person can claim that such conduct by the Religion of Barbarism ought to be accepted in a civilized nation.

And let's clarify exactly where this assault on human dignity comes from.

"I know the Koran says anyone who goes away from Islam should be killed as an apostate, so in some ways my family are following the Koran. They are following Islam to the word."

That's right, it comes from the malignant teachings of Muhammad and the Quran. It would appear that this victim of Islam is prepared to acknowledge certain points that the supporters of PC tolerance are not -- that to be a good and faithful Muslim means to murder those who seek to exercise their human rights, and to respect human rights requires one to be a bad Muslim who rejects some of the teachings of the Quran.

And please be aware -- over one-third of British Muslims support actions just like this one, according to a recent poll. I'd love to have similar polling data for the Muslim population in the United States. I suspect it would be enlightening for the secularists who argue that conservative Christians and neo-conservative Jews are the greatest threats to American freedom.

The answer to such abominable teachings and actions should be obvious to all who love religious freedom.

To those who would argue that such violations of human rights in the name of Islam are justified, we must apply a metaphorical beat-down in the form of outspoken opposition and arguments based upon the natural rights principles our nation's founding documents.

To those who would seek to give safe harbor to such evil practices in the name of Islam through litigation and legislation, we must apply a legal beat-down in the courts and the legislatures of the United States in defense of human rights.

To those who would act out the violence called for in the Quran, we must apply a physical beat-down in defense of the life and liberty of every American -- indeed, of every person in every nation -- to freely pick and peacefully practice the religion of their choosing, free from the violent coercion of religious or legal authorities and from the murderous reprisals of the followers of their former faith.

And note that the above strategy is not a call for members of any particular faith to take action against those who seek to follow the Quran in a literal fashion. It is a call for all people of good will, all believers in religious freedom and human dignity, to act against those who would substitute violence and coercion in religious matters for the liberty of conscience which is fundamental to freedom. Such people of good will are found in every faith community (including Islam), and among those who have no faith at all.

And let me add that this is an American strategy, fully consonant with the notions of religious liberty enshrined in our founding documents and our nation's long heritage. And if there are Muslims who find that they cannot live within such constraints, perhaps it is a sign that there is no place for their interpretation of Islam in this country -- or the civilized world.

H/T New Editor, Cafeteria Is Closed, Wolf Howling, Malkin, Below the Beltway, Sister Toldjah

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