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These days, people have many options available to make themselves fit the cultural standards of being physically fit and more beautiful. We all know about the easy availability of plastic surgery for the purpose of losing weight or adding beauty. Indeed, plastic surgery has become a regular occurrence, with large numbers of people opting for plastic surgery for getting rid of their physical flaws (at least as they see them to be). And while once plastic surgery was limited only to the wealthiest strata of society, the decreasing cost of plastic surgery has made it much more accessible to a much broader range of income levels in our society.

Of course, plastic surgery has reaches the zenith of its potential when used to aid the people suffering from various physical defects and deformities due to birth defects, accidents or burns. And as medical professionals advance the field of plastic surgery, the techniques are becoming more beneficial for more people. For example, breast augmentation, which began for cosmetic purposes for women who had lost a breast as a result of accidents or medical treatment, has become big business with many women getting the procedure done to increase the size of their breasts. There are also breast reductions, which can be beneficial to women whose breast size has created difficulties with their vertebrae, as an example.

In recent years, some of these techniques have been transferred over into the ever-growing field of liposuction. This is all the more true as obesity has emerged as a major problem around the world. As a result, medical science is continuing to introduce new and faster ways to providing some relief in the problem. If you are looking for a Beverly Hills liposuction provider, you might want to consider visiting the last link to learn more about liposuction and one popular provider in the area. They are known for providing all sorts of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, and so can meet your needs for any sort of plastic surgery.

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Mexican President Pendejo Felipe Calderon Cabron has demanded that US presidential candidates limit themselves to Mexican government-approved statements on immigration and that the United States Congress comply with conditions set by Mexico for receiving foreign aid from the United States.

President Felipe Calderon accused U.S. presidential candidates yesterday of anti-Mexican posturing and warned the U.S. Congress not to impose conditions on an anti-drug aid package.

“The only theme in the (U.S.) electoral campaign is to compete to see who can be the most swaggering, macho and anti-Mexican,” Calderon told a local radio station, Enfoque. He did not name any candidate or party.

“I find the greatest sensitivity in the U.S. government, some in Congress,” Calderon said, but added that there was “a total lack of understanding and aggravation, hostility toward Mexico” among Americans in general.

Calderon also appeared to reject any conditions on a proposed $1.4 billion U.S. anti-drug aid package that had been negotiated with American officials, saying, “I cannot accept any submission or subordination.”

The proposal by the Bush administration, called the Merida Initiative, is to give Mexico aid, training and equipment to fight drug trafficking, which U.S. officials see as a national-security problem.

It awaits approval in Congress, and some U.S. legislators have suggested that the program may need safeguards to prevent corruption or human-rights abuses by Mexican authorities.

“I need that technology,” Calderon said. “Give it to me. And give it to me without conditions.”

Of all the incredible gall! His pathetic nation cannot support its people or appropriately deal with its own law enforcement needs without American money, and yet he wants to dictate to the United States the conditions under which it is appropriated and disbursed by the American government? Who the f*ck does this guy think he is?

Forget Iran – the time has come to roll the tanks south and throw out la basura -- the coyotes, the drug lords, and the corrupt government. Maybe in 20-30 years, Mexico will, for the first time in its history, be ready for self-government – or for gradual admission of new states to the union, given the number of Mexicans who want to be in the United States. After all, would it not be infinitely more logical and humane to move the US border south rather than require these people to face the dangers of migrating north illegally?

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Looks like the big legacy-builder in Annapolis will be a failure just as surely as every prior peace conference has been. Why? Because the Terrorstinian Anarchy has declared its official negotiating policy to be intransigence.

The PA legislature has passed the first reading of a law forbidding any concessions in, or even negotiations regarding, Jerusalem.
Ahmed Bahar, a leading Hamas member and the Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Authority parliament, announced Thursday that the body had passed a first reading of a "Jerusalem bill." The legislation, proposed by Hamas parliament member Ahmed Abu Hilbiya, absolutely bans giving up any part of Jerusalem.

The bill states that Jerusalem, according to its "borders recognized during the period of the Islamic Khalifate," is "Palestinian, Arab, Islamic land." It further avers that all of Jerusalem, "including its archaeological sites and the sites that are holy to Islam and Christianity, are waqf (dedicated in sanctity) for Palestinian, Arab and Islamic generations." This would appear to include not only the Temple Mount, but also the Western Wall, the Jewish Quarter, and the City of David.

The new PA bill also states that it is forbidden to discuss, cede, or negotiate over any part of Jerusalem, or hold a referendum on this matter - and that if such negotiations or votes are held, they are null and void in advance. Anyone who violates the above provisions on behalf of the PA will be considered guilty of treason, the bill states, and will be liable to the relevant punishments.

When will the Israeli government and the leaders of the civilized world learn that negotiation with the Terrorstinians and their fellow Islamists is a fruitless endeavor. When will they recognize that there can be no compromise with those whose position is the destruction of the Jews. They don’t want a settlement – they want it all.

The time has come for Israel to write a similar provision into its laws. After all – the Israeli claim is based upon a longer history – and the Terrorstinians are merely the seed of those who have repeatedly defiled the Jewish and Christian holy places by their presence.

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I’ve got no problem with this – indeed, it shows that residents of this neighborhood have a sense of decency and morality that is offended by this woman’s evil actions.

DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. — Waterford Crystal Drive is one of those suburban streets that seem so new as to have no history at all. But the suicide of a teenage girl — and allegations she had been tormented by a neighbor over the Internet — have brought a reaction that is old, almost tribal, in its nature.

Residents of the middle-class subdivision have turned against the neighbor, Lori Drew, and her family, demanding the Drews move out. In interviews, they have warned that someone might be tempted to "take matters into their own hands."
"It's like they used to do in the 1700s and 1800s. If you wronged a community, you were basically shunned," said Trever Buckles, 40, who lives next door to the Drews.

Drew became an outcast after she participated in a hoax in which a fictional teenager who went by the name of Josh Evans exchanged online messages with 13-year-old Megan Meier. Megan received cruel messages from "Josh" that apparently drove her to hang herself in her closet in 2006.

Frankly, why would any decent person want this trashy woman living in their neighborhood. Shunning is a reasonable response to what happened. After all, no one is under any obligation to associate with Lori Drew or her family. Indeed, IÂ’d argue that they should not.

Of course. There are those who have taken this matter too far. They have crossed the line into the criminal by their death threats and acts of vandalism. But their wrongs pale in comparison to an adult woman hounding a child to her death. Indeed, this “Ashley” woman who conspired with Lori Drew to go after this little girl needs to be named and shamed as well.

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While we are talking about Pearl Harbor on this sixty-sixth anniversary of the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet, I'd like to repost this piece from last year, one that has special significance to me.

Today is the sixty-fifth anniversary of the sneak attack on Pearl harbor by the Japanese. Today's New York Times carries a special section dealing with the recovery from the attack -- with pictures and articles censored and locked away during the war, with a special focus on the civilian shipyard workers brought to Pearl to aid in the recovery.

In the months after Dec. 7, a sleepy shipyard went into hyperdrive, pulling off unprecedented feats of engineering that The Times’s Robert Trumbull described in a series that is excerpted on today’s Op-Ed page. The Japanese had crippled the fleet but left the Navy base’s immense oil storage tanks untouched, making it possible to ramp up the shipyard for 24-hour duty. The Navy and the civilians made it up as they went along: The U.S.S. Oklahoma, flipped with its belly exposed, was righted by a fantastical arrangement of cables and winches out of “Gulliver’s Travels.”

In May 27, 1942, the carrier Yorktown, severely damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea, pulled into port and was immediately swarmed upon by more than 1,400 workers. She sailed out again on the 30th, fit to fight in the Battle of Midway.

The local labor force was supplemented by a flood of thousands of workers, mostly bachelor men, shipped in from the states. Their lives centered around the shipyard and Civilian Housing Area III, population 12,000 at its peak and suddenly Hawaii’s third-largest city after Honolulu and Hilo. It had its own train station, bus fleet, police department, baseball fields, boxing arenas, theater, post office, stadium and football tournament, the Poi Bowl. And it had a newspaper, The Pearl Harbor Banner, filled with small-town news items (“Five Hundred Pairs of Shoes Salvaged Here,” “Fresh Vegetables Now Assured”), photos, sports scores and updates from the front.

One of those civilians was Fred Bagley, My maternal grandfather, who was recruited in Providence, Rhode Island, to help bring the Pacific Fleet back to fighting strength. This special section therefore has a special meaning to me, thirty-seven years after a heart attack took him away from me. I never got to hear the stories that I know he had to share, so I will count this as a chance to learn a little more about him and what he did during the war.

I encourage readers to take the time to read about the work of thousands of men whose efforts were so important to the war, but whose work is often overlooked as we rightly honor those who fought and died.

Posted by: Greg at 11:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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How did Pearl Harbor impact the lives of those in Hawaii. I've often wondered, but have never looked at the question in depth. I appreciate this article today for doing exactly that.

Children carried gas masks to the playground. Military officers commanded civilian courts under martial law. Residents feared that enemy troops would parachute into the mountains and then swarm the beaches.

This year's 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor offers reminders of how the assault upended the lives of Hawaii's civilians, in addition to the severe damage inflicted on the military.

"It was scary," said Joan Martin Rodby, who had to carry a gas mask everywhere as a 10-year-old -- even as she sat for her fifth-grade class portrait in 1942. "It was more or less living in constant fear they were always going to come back."

Annual remembrances of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack often evoke images of burning ships in Pearl Harbor and exploding planes at Hickam Field. This year's observance will be no different. But the plight of civilians who survived the attack has attracted more attention because of deepening interest in the home front during World War II.

"Maybe the unsung heroes that we should remember and look at are the civilians that endured the attack on Pearl Harbor and the years after it," said Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the USS Arizona Memorial.

At this great distance from the events of December 7, 1941, we face the reality that those who lived the events of that day are dying. It is important that we hold on to these memories, so that future generations know the full impact of the attack that dragged an unwilling nation into war. Thank you to the Washington Post, and reporter Audrey McAvoy, for enabling us to hold on to that history.

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If you are looking for the right
cell phones for senior citizens, it is fair to say that the easier the phone is to use, the better the fit. After all, many seniors have special needs, so the phone may need features like big buttons, and an easy-to-read display for older folks with failing eyesight. Unfortunately, most cell phone manufacturers place a high premium on ensuring that phones that are feature-rich, stylish and small. So how can they accommodate a senior who just wants a cell phone that they allows them to just dial, talk, and hang up? Well, there is an answer – a couple of fantastic senior cell phones">senior cell phones that fit the bill wonderfully. I’m talking about the Jitterbug Phones.

Jitterbug offer two types of cell phones with large buttons and simple instructions. The Jitterbug OneTouch is an incredibly easy phone for senior citizens who do not want any complicated dialing features. It doesnÂ’t even have a numerical keypad. On the other hand, it does have a big red emergency button to press should there be a need some assistance. The Jitterbug Dial, on the other hand, has large fonts on the display, buttons that are large and easy to press, and important contacts can be pre-installed into the phone. With these two phones, Jitterbug has made it easier for senior citizens to keep in touch with their loved ones or to call for assistance. These cell phones are designed with the goal of making life easier for seniors and would certainly make great gifts for senior citizens">gifts for senior citizens this Christmas. Visit Jitterbug.com today to find out more!

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See Sheila.

See Sheila spin.

Spin, Sheila, spin.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee told a House committee Thursday that her proposal to slash prison time for older, nonviolent federal inmates was not intended to benefit child pornographers or white-collar criminals.

"This is not a bill to give comfort to the Jack Abramoffs of the world," the Houston Democrat said Thursday at a hearing before a House Judiciary subcommittee. Abramoff, a former Washington lobbyist, pleaded guilty in January of 2006 to charges of conspiring to bribe members of Congress.

Jackson Lee criticized the Houston Chronicle for its "interpretation" of her bill in an article on Thursday.

The Chronicle reported that the measure, as originally written, could result in the early release of white-collar felons such as Abramoff, Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt and former Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Andrew Fastow.

"This is not an effort to focus on certain heinous crimes," Jackson Lee said. "It is an effort to address the question of recidivism, bring crime down and make our communities safer."

Notice, of course, that she doesn't deny that the reduction of the sentences in question will happen under her legislation. She simply doesn't "intend" for these perpetrators of "heinous" crimes to benefit.

She neglects to consider, however, that every crime is "heinous" to the victims of that crime.

Spin Sheila!

Spin Sheila!

Spin Sheila!

Posted by: Greg at 11:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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You guys all know that I love my dog -- you can get me talking about here quite easily. Indeed, she is even curled up at my feet while I'm typing , softly snoring. She is our baby, and she knows it.

Do you want a place to talk about dogs? Someplace where you can get information about care and feeding of your pet, of training animals for show, and even about breeding? Well, you can find such Dog Forums at BreederRetriever.com/Forums/, where they have discussion threads on all manner of Puppy Problems and Doggie Dos and Don'ts. And if you look around the site further, you can also find reputable breeders from whom you can get your pure-bred pup -- a great companion for life.

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A bit over a month ago, I described the problem faced by the congregation of the Third Church of Christ, Scientist in Washington, DC this way.

The church is an ugly, non-functional building only three decades old. The religious group that worships there wants to demolish it and replace it with a structure that actually serves the needs of the congregation. The city wants to stop them, declaring the non-functional eyesore to be "historic" -- because it is a non-functional eyesore.

Now it should be clear to anyone that any such action by the city would be not merely unreasonable, but also impose a substantial burden upon the ability of these believers to use their property for worship. It should be obvious that so drastic an action by the city would constitute a "taking" of the property by any definition of the word. But that doesn't matter to the city's Historic Preservation Review Board. They awarded the building "historic" status despite the vocal objections of the congregation.

But the arrogance of the board is particularly shocking.

Tersh Boasberg, the board's chairman, said during the hearing that the board would not address First Amendment issues in its consideration of the church's architecture. Instead, he said, the board would base its ruling on the significance of the design.

Translation: We won't let little things like the Constitution get in the way of a decision that we have already made. We are just going to go through the motions of engaging in a little bit of brutalism ourselves, and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights will be no obstacle.

Of course, I have no problem with designating a structure historical. but when sucha designation carries with it restrictions on use of the property that does not impact other property owners on an equal basis, you have a taking in a very real sense -- and that should be compensated. And when, like in this case, the designation renders the property unusable by the owners, the proper solution is for the government to buy the property from the owner AT THE PRICE SET BY THE OWNER.

After all, if the building is so significant, so priceless, there is no legitimate argument that the people as a whole, whose interest is supposedly benefited by preserving this building as-is, should jointly bear the burden of maintaining the building in that state. And if the preservation of the building is not a fit expenditure of the public treasury, imposing exactly that burden on a single individual or entity is unjustifiable.

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I've got to be honest -- hotel living really sucks. That can be especially true when you are on vacation. After all, here you are ready to relax and you end up with a lousy bed and no amenities, often at an inflated price that really does not reflect the value you are receiving.

Why not rent a house or a condo instead? You know, a place that has all the comforts of home ready for you. Someplace you can settle in to for the duration to get a good rest.

Over at HomeAway.com, they have great Vacation Rentals available for you for not much more than you would pay for a hotel. For example, I just saw one unit located a zip code away. I know what the local hotels charge for a night -- and this place is only $20 more a night than the hotel three blocks away! Seems to me there are some great deals out there, if you take the time to look.

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Upon the completion of Governor Mitt Romney's speech in College Station, my dear wife sent me an email that set the tone for our discussion tonight.

His speech is/was extremely boring, like listening to you lecture

Indeed, I suspect that the reason I liked the speech so much is that it so clearly reflected my thoughts and so wonderfully incorporated history, political science, and theology into one wonderful mosaic. It is what i would have liked to say were i given the opportunity. I join with Hugh Hewitt in saying that I view it as "magnificent".

Of course, I'm going to begin by agreeing with one point made in Christopher Hutchins' generally wrong-headed column -- the choice of a venue with the Presidential Seal on the podium and a background of flags was quite clever.

But more generally, I think the choice of the Sam Adams anecdote was a good one -- my view on religion and political candidates is that I want a man (or woman) why has good character and some form of piety that keeps him grounded in something larger than himself. I don't have to agree with the theological particulars of that religious faith, and indeed do not particularly find it necessary to inquire too deeply into such things. But I do look for the works that have grown from that faith -- and I see them in the life and career of Mitt Romney, which is why I endorsed him early and have not transferred that allegiance.

I could turn this post into a collection of excerpts, in effect fisking the speech, but I won't. I will, however, point to one weakness of the speech and one problem that it could never solve.

In terms of the weakness, I believe it was the profession of faith in Jesus Christ. And while he acknowledged the difference in theological stances taken by the LDS Church and the bulk of Christianity, I think that can almost be seen as a bit disingenuous due to the wide gulf between Mormon teachings and mainstream Christological positions of th Catholics, Orthodox, and protestant traditions. As was noted by David Frum at National Review today, if it is legitimate for Romney to answer that Jesus Question, what other Jesus Questions would it be legitimate to put to him?

Now I think this speech may have raised the comfort level of one group of folks who objected to Romney's candidacy on religious grounds. That would be those who held to the belief that a member of a hierarchical religion might find themselves the religious leaders. That was the JFK question in 1960, and is the Romney question today.

But there are others, objecting on a different basis, who were not and could not have been comforted by today's speech. For such folks, the issue is one of the degree to which they find the religious beliefs reasonable, even if they reject them. Examining the whole spectrum of religious belief, the question becomes one of how reasonable you find the beliefs of the candidate. The question regarding Mitt Romney then becomes "Is Mormonism more like Catholicism, or more like Scientology, in terms of how reasonable I find their beliefs?" For those people, there really is no changing their mind short of convincing them that Mormonism is reasonable -- and for the very reasons that Governor Romney pointed out, doing so would be inappropriate in the context of a presidential campaign.

No candidate can be all things to all people. However, I believe that Romney was very much what he needed to be today.

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Now to be fair, they are simply agreeing with Hillary Clinton, who made the same statement about those who call the authorities about known lawbreakers. And besides, they are only referencing those who call the authorities over those who break laws that the Boston Globe dislikes (except when they can use them to play “gotcha” with a GOP politician).

During a radio debate Tuesday in Iowa, Democratic candidates were even asked whether individual Americans should turn in people they know to be in the country illegally.

Thankfully, the answers were mostly no. Hillary Clinton said turning "every American into a suspicious vigilante" would do grave harm to the fabric of the nation. And in last week's debate, even Romney seemed to agree, asking Giuliani heatedly if he was suggesting that Romney should demand to see immigration papers whenever a person speaks with a "funny accent."
Give these candidates credit for rejecting what would be a civic nightmare. Encouraging individuals to act like border-control vigilantes would create a chaotic flow of true and false charges that could overwhelm immigration officials. The country would end up detaining and deporting thousands of service workers, upending the economy, and creating humanitarian crises for workers' children.

Of course, similar arguments could be made about other crimes. Imagine the disruption of educational and child care services if every child molester were reported, arrested and imprisoned? There would be a crisis! A similar argument could be made about crooked cops and accountants. Even if the person making the report was 100% certain about the facts, the impact upon America would be astounding. Better to let law enforcement find the perpetrators without the amateur vigilantes dropping a dime on lawbreakers – that way it won’t overtax the system. Besides, imagine the humanitarian crisis that would be created for the children of all these lawbreakers if their crimes were properly punished.

Oh, and about that “funny accent” comment. I do believe that recent reporting by the Boston Globe implies that Romney is supposed to do precisely that – demand the immigration papers of any individual who doesn’t speak English perfectly. After all, that is what they did – having spent more time at Romney’s home than Romney has over the last few weeks. And it appears that the Globe has not bothered to reveal the answers to my questions from the other day:

1) Are all three employees actually here illegally?
2) Did they present fraudulent documents or engage in identity theft to get these jobs?
3) Did the employer know that these workers were illegal?

Until we get those answers, we really don’t know if Romney did anything wrong – and we don’t know if Ricardo Saenz was a victim of the illegal workers providing fraudulent documents, or if he knowingly and willfully continued to hire illegal workers after being caught before.

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I won't be shopping at Target this year -- or for the foreseeable future.

After all, their official policy is religious accommodations for Muslims, but not for Christians.

Debbie Schlussel is on this one for us.

The retail giant employs Muslims and Christians (and those of many other religions). But the former is far more equal than the latter at the home of Isaac Mizrahi cheap chic and Archer Farms foods.

Earlier this year, when Muslim cashiers decided to refuse to ring up pork and pepperoni pizza at the checkout lane, Target allowed this to go on. The retailer insisted that it respect and accommodate the extreme religious beliefs of its Muslim employees despite the cost and hassle to the customer and the retailer. The practice held up lines and required double teams of cashiers to keep up with the Muslims do-and-don't lists of scanning and ringing up items.

But that was then. This is now. And now, Brian Bundy of Swartz Creek, Michigan, is gone from his job at Target. He was fired because, unlike its Muslim employees, Target would not accommodate his Christian religious beliefs. That's even though--unlike the Muslim cashiers--Bundy informed Target of his beliefs before he was hired by Target Corporation.

Bundy is a pharmacist. It is against his religious beliefs to fill prescriptions for the "morning after" pill a/k/a "Plan B," which is used to terminate pregnancy in the 72 hours after unprotected sex. When he was hired by Target, the retailer told him that he could refer those who wanted the drug to another pharmacy.

But since then, Target changed its tune. Instead of accommodating Bundy's religious beliefs like it did with Muslims who won't ring up pig products, Target fired him. Target's rationale: It's bad for business. Customers won't put up with it, and Target will lose money.

Seems to me that there is a clear double standard here. A relatively minor inconvenience for a few customers results in religious discrimination by the retailer, while a much broader disruption involving more employees and more customers is company policy out of sensitivity. Now granted, Brian Bundy and his fellow Christian pharmacists are not nearly as likely to make a vocal fuss -- or threaten/engage in acts of violence -- as the Muslim clerks and their co-religionists are, but that is not sufficient reason under state or federal law for the discriminatory treatment.

Posted by: Greg at 11:36 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
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I don't have much use for televangelists. On the other hand, I have even less use for political grandstanding. I therefore applaud Creflo Dollar's response to Charles Grassley.

One of six Christian ministries under investigation by a Senate committee is rebuffing inquiries into its spending, challenging the panel's watchdog role over religious groups, The Associated Press has learned.

A lawyer for preacher Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International in suburban Atlanta has asked Sen. Charles Grassley to either refer the matter to the IRS or get a subpoena, according to a letter from Dollar's attorney obtained Wednesday by the AP.

Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent pointed questionnaires in early November to a half-dozen ministries, asking about salaries, perks, travel and oversight. The Iowa Republican set Thursday as the deadline for a response.

All six organizations preach a form of the "prosperity gospel," the belief that God wants his faithful followers to reap material rewards.

Besides Dollar, several other televangelists have signaled concerns about invasions of privacy and violations of religious freedom. Only Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., has provided the detailed financial and board oversight information sought by Grassley.

Dollar's refusal could lead to a court fight, giving a judge the authority to decide whether the committee is entitled to all the information it requested.

Grassley emphasized the other five still have time. The senator also reiterated that his probe "has nothing to do with church doctrine" and is strictly concerned with making sure the tax-exempt groups are following the law.

I happen to agree with the stance being taken here. If you truly believe something is wrong here, refer the matter to the IRS. If you are looking to change the law, issue subpoena's that will provide confidentiality to those forced to turn over records. But untill you do ojne of those two things, Senator, we are just looking at an attempt to garner a little publicity at the expense of disfavored religious groups.

By the way, Senator, might it not be better to subpoena the resoucres of mosques to see if they are somehow supporting terrorism, rather than concerning yourself about he lavish (and, dare I say it, scandalously unChristian) lifestyles of these televangelists and their heretical "prosperity gospel"? Granted, these ministries are a safer target due to the infinitesimal probability of a terrorist bombing or attempted beheading by their followers, but I think my suggestion would be much more important for the security of the United States.

Posted by: Greg at 11:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When you buy a new home it is of the quite important that you receive a clear title to the property. There could be claims from the family or heirs of a previous owner, or there could be a lien on it by a contractor or creditor. Heck, the IRS might even have some claim based upon unpaid taxes. You could purchase the property and suddenly discover that someone else has some ownership or security interest in it that may make it impossible for you to sell or develop the property you bought.

That is where title insurance comes into the picture. The title company has already given you the assurance that there are no blots on title to the property you are purchasing – at least none that can be discovered from the public records. The title insurance will then cover undiscovered claims growing out of the unrecorded or overlooked claims that could threaten your ownership of the real estate.

After purchasing title insurance, the
title insurance companies protect you by defending your title in the face of the claim, in court if necessary, and they cover the cost of settling if the claim proves valid. What they do is protect your title and maintain your possession of your property.

ItÂ’s a win-win. You only pay premium, when you purchase your home; title companies routinely offer it at closing, so you are covered from day 1.

Posted by: Greg at 11:18 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The teen pregnancy rate is up? I've noticed that in my classroom for the last several years.

In a troubling reversal, the nation's teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials and reviving the bitter debate about abstinence-only sex education.

The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.

The reason for the increase is not clear, and federal health officials said it might be a one-year statistical blip, not the beginning of a new upward trend.

However, some experts said they have been expecting a jump. They blamed it on increased federal funding for abstinence-only health education that doesn't teach teens how to use condoms and other contraception.

Some key sexually transmitted disease rates have been rising, including syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. The rising teen pregnancy rate is part of the same phenomenon, said Dr. Carol Hogue, an Emory University professor of maternal and child health.

"It's not rocket science," she said.

It is no statistical blip. Take it from the guy with a half-dozen pregnant girls in his classes this fall, including two who are so far along that I daily expect to have to deliver the baby in my classroom. I know which of my girls have "pink passes" from the nurse that get them all sorts of special privileges (come late, leave early, virtually unrestricted right to leave during class, etc) due to their condition. I noticed the change about three years ago, so the timing with regard to this report seems about right.

Why the change? Easy -- there's no stigma to having a baby at 15, and even certain benefits in the peer group. Besides, when we get the glorification of the "Baby Mama" culture out there, combined with the generally degrading attitude towards women as sex objects actively promoted by the rap culture of popular music, more sex is going to happen -- and more babies are sure to follow.

And by the way, these folks talking about abstinence education don't know how it is taught in practice. yes, abstinence is promoted, but birth control is discussed in these same classes. heck, as conservative as the state of Texas is, all you have to do is look at the state standards for health education to realize that students are hearing about their contraception options.

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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When I was younger, I got to take in a game at Legends Field, home of the Tampa Yankees. It was neat to see, since I love minor league baseball, but I have always wanted to go back and catch a bit of spring training ball there on some future vactaion. After all, Legends Field is the spring home of the New York Yankees. Who wouldn't want to get a couple of New York Yankees Spring Training tickets down the third base line and snag some foul balls? Sounds like a great way to spend a few afternoons with the one you love.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Given this plan to freeze mortgage interest rates on borrowers in the sub-prime market with adjustable rate mortgages, I have to ask what the government will do for me about my mortgage.

President Bush will announce this afternoon an agreement with major mortgage firms to freeze interest rates for five years for financially troubled homeowners -- a plan advocates say will help forestall a major foreclosure crisis but some conservatives say amounts to a bailout of people who made bad financial decisions.

The plan would apply to homeowners who got adjustable-rate subprime mortgages between Jan. 1, 2005, and July 31 of this year and are facing a sharp jump in their rates before July 31, 2010. It would also offer to put them on a fast track to refinance their mortgages through lenders or through state and local housing authorities, according to several people briefed on the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been officially announced.

yeah, but what about the rest of us. You know, the folks referred to in this paragraph.

On Capitol Hill yesterday, some Republican lawmakers and their aides expressed concern that the plan would anger homeowners and others who stayed out of the subprime mortgage mess.

I bought my house in 2001, choosing a higher interest rate for a fixed-rate lone rather than one of the gimmick loans with adjustable rates or interest-only payments. In other words, i was a responsible consumer, a responsible borrower. Why should my mortgage rate stay fixed where it has been for the last six years when a bunch of folks who got absurdly low rates for bigger loans than they could afford reap the benefit of a government bail-out by being allowed to keep that same absurdly low rate.

And make no mistake, this is a government bail-out, because the cost to the lenders in lost profits will be a tax write-off for those lenders. in other words, my taxes will go to subsidize the "generosity" of irresponsible and predatory lenders in showing mercy to the irresponsible borrowers who will see their interest rates frozen at their absurdly low teaser rates.

But I'll tell you what -- I'll support this plan under a couple of conditions.

First, make the loss to the lenders non-deductible on their taxes.

Second, count the savings to the irresponsible borrowers as income to be taxed by the government.

And if you are not willing to do either of those, roll back the mortgage interest rates of all of us responsible folks by a couple of points. After all, don't responsible borrowers deserve a little mortgage relief, too?

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Posted by: Greg at 10:53 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I just encountered a website called "The Harry Situation". It is all about the development of a sit-com that went horribly awry, creating loads of problems for the fellow who created it. It deals with network problems, sponsor problems, and other assorted problems that took what was to be a high-brow comedy into low-brow territory, destroying what could have been a great show.

Unless, of course, it is all a satire -- and if it is, it is good enough to leave me guessing.

Drop by, take a look, and enjoy!

Posted by: Greg at 06:48 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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While the race hucksters have been able to muddy the waters in Jena, Louisiana with their calls for justice, the one person who has received no justice in the case is 18-year-old Justin Baker, the victim of a brutal, unprovoked hate crime by six thugs who were just out to get a white boy because of his race.

The family of a white student allegedly beaten by six black classmates in rural Louisiana has filed a civil lawsuit against the teens' parents, the adult teens, an additional student and the local school board.

One teen, Mychal Bell, pleaded guilty to battery in juvenile court on Monday in the attack. Five other teens face criminal charges in the case and are awaiting court appearances.

Justin Barker, 18, and his parents, David and Kelli, allege in the suit that seven Jena High School students attacked Justin on Dec. 4, 2006, as he left the school gym.
The suit names the attackers as the "Jena Six" students — Bell, Bryant Purvis, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Theo Shaw and a juvenile — as well as a second juvenile.

Law enforcement officials have not named the second juvenile as one of the attackers.

"Petitioners show that Justin was singled out by Mychal, Bryant, Robert, Carwin, Theodore (and the two juveniles), and that the malicious and willful attack of Justin was of such extreme nature so as to require emergency medical care and treatment for the harm inflicted by the attack, and resulting in extensive and permanently disabling injuries," the lawsuit states.

Barker was hit by Bell, knocked unconscious and then repeatedly kicked and stomped by a group of students, according to testimony and court documents.
The beating was preceded by racial incidents, including three white students hanging nooses from a tree.

Now let’s for the moment presume that all the claims of the Jena mob are true, and that there was some sort of unequal treatment of black students and white students by both the school and law enforcement. That STILL does not justify the attack on Justin Baker, who was not one of the three students who hung the nooses – unless, of course, you want to argue that lynching the first available victim of the proper race is an acceptable response to cross-racial crime. For that matter, the attack could not be justified legally or morally even if Justin Baker had been one of the three students from the tree incident, any more than a revenge assault upon Mychal Bell by a group of white students would have been acceptable.

Given the unaccounted-for cash the Jena thugs have received from “admirers” and well-wishers, I think it only reasonable that their victim get a share of the pie.

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I know this sounds weird, but Iraqi concerns that the country cannot handle the influx of returning refugees should be seen as a good thing.

Iraq's government acknowledged Tuesday that it cannot handle a massive return of refugees, as the U.N. announced a $11 million relief package to help the most vulnerable Iraqi families trickling back to their war-ravaged homeland.

The return of refugees is a politically charged issue in this country, where the embattled government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is eager to point to recent military gains against al-Qaida in Iraq and other militants as evidence that Iraq is now a relatively safe place.

But the U.S. military has warned that a massive return of refugees could rekindle sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites and that some returnees have found their Baghdad homes occupied by members of the other Muslim sect.

"In reality, the ministry cannot absorb a return on that (large) scale," Iraqi Migration Minister Abdul-Samad Rahman told a news conference. "If the influx is huge, then neither the ministry nor the entire government can handle it."

At the same time, he appeared to take issue with U.S. and U.N. assertions that security remains too fragile for Iraqis to come home in big numbers.

"I am not trying to defend the government or lure Iraqi families to come back, but we must tell the truth: the security situation is 90 percent stable," Rahman said. "The rate at which Iraqis are returning is not proportionate to the level of stability and security."

Think about it -- it has not been all that long since folks were trying desperately to get out of Iraq. Now they want to come back home. That speaks well to the security situation there, and to the success on the ground. But the reality is that people are coming back too fast, and so the Iraqi government needs some help -- on the road to recovery. It is a nice problem to have, don't you think?

Posted by: Greg at 11:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I remember my father bringing my mother a beautiful double strand of pearls forty years ago after one of his many West Pac cruises. They were (and still are) beautiful. I'd love to be able to gt my wife something like them, but have been put off by the cost. But I recently came across the website at PurePearls.com, where they have beautiful pearl jewelry at excellent prices. With their exclusive contracts with a number of pearl farms, they are able to save you an incredible amount of money on beautiful pearl jewelry, whether you want South Sea pearls, Tahitian pearls, or freshwater pearls. The available selection is incredible -- and many of the pieces are quite reasonable. This Christmas, show your love with pearls.

Posted by: Greg at 11:17 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'm wary of disciplining teachers for their online writings -- especially since I'm a teacher who writes a controversial political blog and who has been attacked by my political opponents. I've even had a couple attempt to interfere with my employment because they don't like what I write. But even without that experience, my natural inclination is to be supportive of the First Amendment rights of my fellow educators.

But I think this one probably went far enough that action should be taken.

Bloggers and free speech advocates are calling on prosecutors not to file charges against a teacher arrested for allegedly posting an anonymous comment online praising the Columbine shooters.

Some were disturbed by the post police say James Buss left on a conservative blog, but other observers said it was a sarcastic attempt to discredit critics of education spending.

The suburban Milwaukee high school chemistry teacher was arrested last week for the Nov. 16 comment left on http://www.bootsandsabers.com, a blog on Wisconsin politics. The comment, left under the name "Observer," came during a discussion over teacher salaries after some commenters complained teachers were underworked and overpaid.

Buss, a former president of the teacher's union, allegedly wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School.

"They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!" he wrote, adding they should be remembered as heroes.

The comment disturbed at least one teacher, who called police in West Bend, 40 miles north of Milwaukee and home of the blog's administrator. Police traveled to arrest Buss at his home in Cudahy, south of Milwaukee, last week after the blogger gave them the anonymous poster's IP address.

After his arrest, Buss spent an hour in the Washington County jail before he was released on $350 bail. He did not return phone messages and e-mails seeking comment, and it was unclear whether he had a lawyer.

How should this be handled? I'm not entirely sure, but I think that a good place to start would be to consider how a student who wrote that comment would be dealt with by both the law and the school. I suspect that there might be criminal charges -- at least a misdemeanor -- if this were a student. I'm certain that the student would face expulsion from school over words like these, which would be appropriately seen as a threat due to the lack of any context that could make them appear otherwise.

Obviously, Buss should receive a similar treatment -- and I can't help but argue that such misconduct could be legitimate grounds for termination. And given some of the cases in which I've supported the free expression rights of teachers and students who have done things I find distasteful outside of instructional time, I hope you realize how difficult it is for me to take such position.

And best regards to the guys at Boots and Sabers for their fine way of handling the issue. Their post on the incident is here.

Posted by: Greg at 11:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Are you thinking of starting your own small business in the near future? Maybe you’ve got a plan in mind, but not the cash in hand despite seeing the opportunity. Well, if you think the time is right, then maybe you should consider getting your Small Business Loan at EZUnsecured.com. They are the folks with the motto that says “No time + No Collateral = NO PROBLEM!”

At EZUnsecured.com, it is possible for anyone to expand their businesses when they feel the time is right. Their application process is easy, their decisions are quick, and their service is fantastic. So, if the time seems right, talk to EZUnsecured.com!

Posted by: Greg at 11:00 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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You know, sometimes the regulations in place just do not account for reality.

In 1944, an Italian prisoner of war was found lynched following a night of rioting at Fort Lawton in Seattle.

Forty-three black soldiers were tried in one of the largest courts-martial of World War II. Of those, 28 were found guilty of rioting and sentenced to as many as 25 years in prison.

In late October, the Army's Board of Corrections of Military Records ruled the trial was ''fundamentally unfair and improper.'' It said the soldiers should be given honorable discharges and compensated. About a week ago, one of the men, Samuel Snow, got a check.

For $725.

The Army said that was the amount he would have been paid between the time he was convicted and the time he was released from prison about 15 months later.

The compensation, says Rep. Jim McDermott, is far less than Snow deserves. The amount -- based on Snow's wages at the time of $50 a month -- was not adjusted for inflation or to reflect any interest for the 63 years the Army withheld the money.

The regulations, of course, do not anticipate a situation like the one in this case. It rarely takes six decades to correct a miscarriage of justice like this one. But the Army has to follow the regulations in place, and so it acted properly -- as McDermott certainly knows.

Were, then, does justice lie? With McDermott and his congressional colleagues. I'm sure that special legislation can be written and passed to arrange for appropriate compensation in this matter -- as a matter of justice, not special favor.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:56 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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One of the things I never thought about before I bought a house was teh question of having a clear title to the property. Seriously, I assumed that the sales process was a simple one, and that the transfer of ownership from person to person was really quite a simple process. Dare I say that I've since come to understand that this is not the case -- though fortunately, not from any problem with my home. And I now understand why you need to have title insurance when you buy.

Recently, a family member found herself facing a real problem with the property upon which she had built her home. She and her husband had made the purchase years ago, and had built a nice house for the family. But when probate was done on the will of a neighboring farmer, there arose a question about where the property line was -- and that property line ran right through the house. That is where the title companies got involved, and worked out the issue so that the home remained in their possession without any additional expense to them. Not bad for a policy on which you pay only a single premium at the time you purchase the house.

So as you close on the sale of your new property, check out various title insurance companies to make sure that you are getting a policy from one that is reputable.

Posted by: Greg at 10:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Do you find a certain irony in this? Even Slate's Mickey Kaus notes it.

Hillaryland Hates Obama: Is It Just Arrogance? Hillary's people "despise Obama," reports David Corn in a fine piece of schmoozalism. They "don't need any prompting in private conversations to decry Obama as a dishonest poser." Hillary has (not uncleverly) asked, """How did running for president become a qualification for being president?" ... Is this just because Obama's presumptuous enough to deny her rightful nomination? Or is there another root-cause complaint that the citizens of Hillaryland can't voice because even though it's true it wouldn't help them: that Obama's an 'affirmative action baby' who's been promoted faster than his merits would ordinarily permit? If he weren't black he'd be Dick Durbin! (Or a more appealing but less experienced version of Dick Durbin) ... That Hillary's cadres can't voice or even permit themselves to think about thinking this thought, of course, might tend to make them even madder. ... P.S: Of course, Hillary is not an affirmative action baby. She got her position the old fashioned way--by marrying it.

Let's be real honest here -- what qualifications does Hillary Clinton REALLY have to be president of the United States? Heck, what qualifications did she have in 2000 to be elected Senator? While a law career makes for nice resume material, name one substantive accomplishment in her life that makes her the best candidate for the highest elected office in America -- other than the fact that she has bedded down with Bill Clinton for the last few decades. If she were Hillary Smith, married to Bob Smith of Anytown, USA, would she ever have won that Senate Seat -- and would she be seen as a serious presidential candidate?

Heck, if we were to look at the Democrats and consider qualifications, Joe Biden and Bill Richardson would be running neck-and-neck for the Democrat nomination.

Posted by: Greg at 10:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sometimes you have to travel. It may be something short-term, or it may involve longer stays away from home. And the thing is, the longer you are away from home, the less appealing even the nicest of hotel rooms gets to be a bit drab, dreary, and depressing. ThatÂ’s why there is a growing market in luxury apartments, condos, and houses available for short term rentals in many parts of the world, just right for the upscale business travelers who need temporary quarters when they are in a different city for a few days or a few weeks.

One of the places where this market has really taken off has been in Dubai. These temporary residences include beautiful hotel apartments in Dubai that are centrally located in this modern, cosmopolitan country located on the Gulf. The selection out there is truly astonishing, especially given the recent increase in residential construction in Dubai which is intended to cater to Westerners who are in Dubai as part of its thriving business community. There are also beautiful villas in Dubai for those who are looking for a larger, more luxurious place to live. Regardless of where you choose to stay, these accommodations have modern, luxurious amenities for you to enjoy during your stay. The communities in which these residences are located meet the most exacting wishes for visitors, often complete with round-the-clock security coverage.

Now you may ask, how much are these luxury accommodations in Dubai will cost the weary traveler. Well, Dubai furnished apartments can had for less than $200 a day, depending upon what your needs and wants are. The upper limit? Well, letÂ’s just say that depends upon how much luxury you want. To find out more, though, you need to get in touch with the fine folks at http://www.dubaiapartments.biz/ about their more than 120 rental properties. Their easy-to-use website will allow you to pick just the right place to stay, so be sure to check with them for more information about the residential possibilities for your stay in beautiful Dubai!

Posted by: Greg at 06:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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But not necessarily as alarming as some would like to make it.

Kevin Madden, Mitt Romney’s national press secretary, just sent out an e-mail announcing that the Massachusetts governor had fired Community Lawn Service after “learning that a company caring for the governor’s property was employing individuals who are not permitted to work in the United States.”

The Boston Globe reported last year that Romney had used a landscaping company that hired illegal Guatemalan immigrants to tend to his property. The charges have dogged the former Massachusetts governorÂ’s presidential campaign.

Most recently after Mr. Romney accused his Republican rival Rudolph W. Giuliani of running a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants when he was mayor of New York, Mr. Giuliani accused Mr. Romney of having a “sanctuary mansion” because he employed illegal immigrants at his home.

The problem is that Romney DID NOT employ these illegals -- the landscaper did. And while the past record of this employer would have led me to discontinue my business contacts, I can understand the decision to get the guy to do right and continue that relationship. Consider what we do know at this point.

After the discovery a year ago of the illegal workers, Mr. Romney said in his statement yesterday that he “gave the company a second chance with very specific conditions. They were instructed to make sure people working for the company were of legal status. We personally met with the company in order to inform them about the importance of this matter. The owner of the company guaranteed us, in very certain terms, that his company would be in total compliance with the law going forward. The company’s failure to comply with the law is disappointing and inexcusable, and I believe it is important I take this action.”

The company’s owner, Ricardo Sáenz, a legal Colombian immigrant, met Mr. Romney through the Mormon Church, according to The Globe.

Last Thursday, the day after the debate, The Globe interviewed two of the three workers from the company who were working on Mr. RomneyÂ’s lawn. Both admitted they were illegal immigrants from Guatemala. One of them said the third worker was also in the country illegally.

Now I'd like to know some details here before passing judgment.

1) Are all three employees actually here illegally?
2) Did they present fraudulent documents or engage in identity theft to get these jobs?
3) Did the employer know that these workers were illegal?

The answers to these questions are quite critical. After all, there is a limit to how far an employer can go to question the legal status of an employer who presents documents purporting to show legal work status. It may be that the employer in this case was defrauded by the employees in question. And if that is the case, not only have the Romneys been victimized here, but so has the employer. Interestingly enough, the Boston Globe story does not seem to have pursued that aspect on the story -- merely the "gotcha" angle that obscures the issue rather than illuminates it. As such, this is a case of a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin asks some other interesting questions of the Boston Globe and the MSM, too.

Will Geraldo Rivera and his open-borders companions accuse the reporters of Nazi-like tactics for “harassing” the illegal immigrants?

Will the Globe reporters be accused of, ahem, “stalking” the poor illegals and invading privacy? Note that they didn’t just drive by the house once. They hung out on the lawn over the last two months.

And when is it permissible to ask an illegal alien his citizenship status?

Now, the answers are loud and clear:

It isn’t “harassment” when liberal MSM journalists spy on illegal aliens…if it will embarrass a Republican presidential candidate.

It isn’t “stalking” when liberal MSM journalists snap photos of your lawn and conduct two-month-long recoinnasance missions…if it will embarrass a Republican presidential candidate.

And while itÂ’s bad for police to ask suspected criminal aliens their citizenship status, itÂ’s fine and dandy for journalists to ask lawn workers whether theyÂ’re here illegallyÂ…if it will embarrass a Republican presidential candidate.

All perfectly appropriate rhetorical questions -- and spot-on answers. But I still would like to have my questions answered.

More At Hugh Hewitt, Patrick Ruffini, Andrew Sullivan

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Another suicide attempt by a detainee. Unsuccessful. Unfortunately.

A Guantanamo Bay prisoner slashed his throat with a sharpened fingernail last month, spilling a lot of blood but surviving, a U.S. military commander said Tuesday.

Guards administered first-aid and took the prisoner to the prison clinic, said Navy Cmdr. Andrew Haynes, the deputy commander in charge of the guard force.

"There was an impressive effusion of blood," Haynes told reporters visiting the base. He would not disclose the man's name or nationality. A medical officer, who could not be identified under military rules for journalists, said the prisoner received several stitches and spent a week under psychiatric observation.

There have been four suicides since the U.S. opened the military prison at Guantanamo in January 2002 for men suspected of involvement in terrorism or links to al-Qaida and the Taliban.

I know we have to treat these guys humanely. I know we have to give them medical care. And I know the fact that we do both is part of what separates the United States from our enemy.

But I still can't help but feel that the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.

Posted by: Greg at 03:16 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A shameful end to a shameful incident.

The British schoolteacher jailed in Sudan for allowing her 7-year-old pupils to name a class teddy bear Muhammad was pardoned Monday by the Sudanese president and left for England later in the evening.

President Omar al-Bashir made the decision after meeting with two Muslim members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament.

The British prime minister, Gordon Brown, said he was “delighted and relieved” at the news and that “common sense has prevailed.”

The teacher, Gillian Gibbons, was sentenced to 15 days in jail last week for insulting Islam and was to be released next Monday. Under Sudanese law, Ms. Gibbons could have received 40 lashes and been jailed for six months. On Friday, hundreds of Sudanese in Khartoum, the capital, protested what they considered a lenient punishment and called for her to be put to death.

British officials had been ratcheting up pressure on SudanÂ’s government to release Ms. Gibbons, 54, saying she had made an innocent mistake. Muhammad is one of the most common names in the Muslim world, but it is also the name of IslamÂ’s holy prophet.

Frankly, I find the whole incident shameful.

That an innocent action with no malicious intent was treated as a crime is shameful.

That crowds of outraged Muslims called for this woman's death is shameful.

That two Muslim peers traveled asked the Sudanese leader for a pardon is shameful -- they should have demanded an unconditional release and exoneration of Ms. Gibbons.

That Ms. Gibbosn accepted the pardon and its implication of wrongdoing is shameful.

That those who insist that non-Muslims conform to actions to Islamic law and sensibilities won again is shameful.

Posted by: Greg at 12:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It is time for the city of Houston to drop its sanctuary policies, just like Phoenix has.

Under pressure from advocates for stricter immigration laws, the mayor of Phoenix said on Monday that he no longer backed a Police Department order barring officers from routinely asking the immigration status of people it arrested and announced a panel to study a policy change.

A spokesman for Mayor Phil Gordon, Scott Phelps, said the policy was “written for another time” on the belief that the federal government “would fulfill all of its immigration responsibilities, and clearly that has changed.”

But Mr. Gordon, a Democrat, announced the change at a time when sentiment against illegal immigrants has intensified in Phoenix after the shooting death two months ago of a police officer, Nick Erfle, by an illegal immigrant. There have also been weekly protests at a furniture store whose owners have pressed the authorities to arrest day laborers who congregate there and who are believed to be in the country illegally.

These policies effectively aid and abet illegal immigration. And the preferred change is simply to determine the immigration status of those arrested on other charges, not to start broad sweeps through immigrant communities, looking for illegals. And in the end, the result will be the removal of the least desirable illegal immigrants -- the ones who are criminals -- and the creation of a safer community for everyone else, regardless of race, ethnicity, or immigration status.

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Am I the only one who takes offense at this attempt to have it both ways by Richard Cohen?

What could be called "The Huckabee Moment" occurred Sunday morning when ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked the former Arkansas governor, suddenly and ominously the front-runner in Iowa's GOP contest, whether Mitt Romney is a Christian. Mike Huckabee knew precisely what was being asked of him, and he also knew, because he is a preacher, what the right -- not the clever, mind you -- answer should be. But Huckabee merely smiled that wonderful smile of his and punted. This, with apologies to George W. Bush, is the soft demagoguery of low expectations.

Until just recently, the expectations have indeed been low for Huckabee. He is more famous for losing more than 100 pounds than for any towering political accomplishment. But he is an ordained Baptist minister, and Romney is a Mormon -- a member of a church that some conservative Christians consider heretical. Huckabee has presented himself as the un-Mormon.

Pardon me for saying so, but that is the chief difference between the two. On about all the social issues you can name -- abortion, stem cells, gun control -- Huckabee and Romney are in sync. So their religious differences are not about morality. They are about belief -- religious belief, precisely the issue that is not supposed to matter in this country. Huckabee, though, clearly thinks it ought to.

Now hold on here, Richard. You insist that religious belief is not supposed to matter in a political race in this country. And yet you take Huckabee to task for not passing theological judgment upon Mitt Romney and his religious faith. How can those two positions possibly be reconciled? And more to the point, would any answer given by Mike Huckabee have satisfied you. Do you mean to tell me that had Huckabee answered "No, Mitt Romney is not a Christian," you would have sheered him for forthrightly proclaiming his religious belief about the nature of the Mormon faith? If he had said "Yes, Mitt Romney is a Christian," am I expected to believe that you would not be making a big deal about his breaking with Southern Baptist Convention and many other conservative religious groups on the status of the LDS Church, with its unique, distinctive beliefs? In other words, how can you seriously tell us that belief does not matter and then excoriate Huckabee for not formally stating his religious belief on a Sunday morning news show.

Now please understand that i think it is high time that Mitt Romney speaks out about the issue of religious tolerance. I expect that Thursday's speech will be an important one. But in no way can it or should it be a determining factor in the theological debate over the question of whether or not Mormonism is or is not a Christian faith. That gets into an entirely different realm.

But interestingly enough, Cohen's language of religious tolerance is belied by his repeated slams directed at conservative Christians who express their faith in a public manner. You know, the comment about Huckabee's "obdurate and narrow-minded religious beliefs" and the slam about Huckabee's position on evolution. What's more, Cohen dares to pass the judgment that Huckabee is not a good Christian. I suppose we should ask who died and made this Jewish columnist Pope, with the wherewithal to determine the validity of someone's Christian faith.

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All right, folks, here's a neat site for all you chemistry students out there. ChemiCool.com has the periodic table for you, accessible online at the click of you mouse. not only that, but they also have a host of other online resources. There is a chemistry dictionary, calculators for important chemical formulas, and even some important chemistry graphs that can help you with your homework. And for those of you who are into chemistry in a serious sort of way, they even have a forum section where you can discuss chemistry, from the most basic issues to the most advanced. Really, what a site! I wish there was a site like this for my history students.

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Muslim complaints about anti-Muslim bias crimes up.

Could it be that CAIR and its fellow travelers are lying?

Not only are anti-Islamic hate crimes way down, but they're a fraction of overall religious hate crimes. The overwhelming majority of such crimes target Jews, something CAIR and other Muslim groups don't seem all that concerned about.

In 2006, a whopping 66% of religiously motivated attacks were on Jews, while just 11% targeted Muslims, even though the Jewish and Muslim populations are similar in size. Catholics and Protestants, who together account for 9% of victims, are subject to almost as much abuse as Muslims in this country.

Last year's anti-Islamic hate crimes totaled 156. While just one hate crime is one too many, that's a 68% drop from 2001.

The FBI report gives lie to CAIR's alarmist narrative of "Islamophobic" lynch mobs marching on mosques across America. In reality, Americans have been remarkably, and admirably, tolerant and respectful of Muslims and their institutions since 9/11.

It's plain that CAIR, which claims to be the "Muslim NAACP," has been hyping tensions.

What is the real story? Consider this chart based upon FBI statistics.

What do you see there? Certainly not a rising tide of crimes against Muslims because of their religion. Instead you see the truly minimal number of incidents directed against Muslims. And while any crime based upon the victim's religion is wrong, the numbers don't lie -- but it is clear that CAIR does.

Posted by: Greg at 11:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In recent years, some folks have turned to foreign pharmacies to supply their medication needs. It certainly can lower costs of medications, that's for sure -- something especially important if you are on a fixed income. You can order from here and receive confidential shipments of your needed medications. At DrugDelivery.ca, they will have a physician review your order and approve medications that are appropriate. You can then place your order and save 40-90% on medications over American prices for the same drugs. Not only that, but folks receiving medications for ED or incontinence can preserve their anonymity, thus avoiding having neighbors know about their embarrassing condition.

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The National Intelligence Estimate SAYS Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program.

A major U.S. intelligence review has concluded that Iran stopped work on a suspected nuclear weapons program more than four years ago, a stark reversal of previous intelligence assessments that Iran was actively moving toward a bomb.

The new findings, drawn from a consensus National Intelligence Estimate, reflected a surprising shift in the midst of the Bush administration's continuing political and diplomatic campaign to depict Tehran's nuclear development as a grave threat. The report was drafted after an extended internal debate over the reliability of communications intercepts of Iranian conversations this past summer that suggested the program had been suspended.

"Tehran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005," a declassified summary of the new National Intelligence Estimate stated. Two years ago, the intelligence community said in contrast it had "high confidence that Iran currently is determined to have nuclear weapons."

The new estimate, prepared by the nation's 16 intelligence agencies, applied the same "high confidence" label to a judgment that suspected Iranian military efforts to build a nuclear weapon were suspended in 2003 and said with "moderate confidence" that it had remained inactive since then.

Even if Iran were to restart its program now, the country probably could not produce enough highly enriched uranium for a single weapon before the middle of the next decade, the assessment stated. It also expressed doubt about whether Iran "currently intends to develop nuclear weapons."

Now there are some caveats that need to be added here.

1) The "suspension" of the nuclear weapons program can reasonably be described as more of a pause in the process than a complete shutting down of the program.

2) The assumption is that Iran has not acquired the necessary nuclear material from another source.

3) This does not account for Mahmoud the Mad's rhetoric about raining down destruction on Israel and the United States. Would it have been responsible to assume anything else prior to this NIE?

Oh, and a reminder for my liberal buddies who are going nuts about turf wars in the Executive Branch and the previous White House rhetoric on the issue -- these are the same intelligence agencies that were telling us for several years leading up to the current conflict in Iraq that there Saddam had a flourishing WMD program, at the same moderately confident level. Why do you trust this NIE when the previous one leads you to scream "Bush lied, people died"? Is it just that you like these results?

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