Looks like Rick Perry may not get to play doctor with the eleven-year-old girls of Texas after all.

A revolt by lawmakers has blocked Gov. Rick PerryÂ’s effort to make Texas the first state to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

In a 135-to-2 vote that appeared veto-proof, the Texas House gave final passage on Wednesday to a Senate bill that bars the state from ordering the shots until at least 2011. Even many supporters of the governor resented Mr. PerryÂ’s proposal as an abuse of executive authority.

Indeed, it is the latter issue that is the problem for a great many of us here in Texas. It isn't that we are "pro-cancer" or "anti-woman", but rather that we insist upon the proper constitutional limits on the governor's power be abided by -- adnd Rick Perry blew right through those. We also have some concerns about the vaccine itself, the question of parental rights, and the possible quid-pro-quo that got the governor to issue this executive order.

More to the point, many of us are all for making the vaccine more widely available -- just not mandatory. After all, Merck's ads for Gardasil tell women to ask their doctor IF the vaccine is right for them.

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I know many of us have bid in online auctions. I got my camera that way, and a few other odds and ends. You have to be the high bidder in such situations, though, and so you may end up in a bidding war for that special something you want.

But what if you could be the LOW bidder and win? Or at least the person with the low UNIQUE bid?

Well you can be over at bid4prizes!

here's how it works. Once you register, you text your bid to a designated number using your cellular phone. They will text back if your bid is low, high, or a duplicate. Or you can bid online. Keep on bidding until you believe you have beat everyone else -- and PAY ONLY THE DELIVERY CHARGES AND TAXES OWED THE IRS! Otherwise, that item is free to you.

Think about the fun you could have right now bidding on that 2007 Scion, Samsung 50" Plasma TV, or other great prizes currently up for bid. Compete for that item that has caught your eye -- and maybe end up with it coming to your home for next to nothing! Sounds great to me.

Paid Endorsement.

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Yep, I guess the economy really must suck -- not.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged past the 13,000 mark for the first time Wednesday, as U.S. stocks rallied on better-than-expected manufacturing data and strong corporate earnings.

The close, 13,089.89, comes less than two months after a late February plunge in world markets sent investors heading for safer ground. The broader market has been rising almost uninterrupted since late March. If the trend holds, U.S. stocks are on track to finish April with the biggest monthly gain in more than three years.

So I guess it would appear that the state of the US economy is quite sound -- at least according to those whose money makes the engine of capitalism run.

Posted by: Greg at 10:09 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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If the First Amendment and the questions asked in yesterday's oral arguments before the Supreme Court are any indication, quite possibly.

The Supreme Court put defenders of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law on the defensive on Wednesday in a spirited argument that suggested the court could soon open a significant loophole in the measure.

At issue is a major provision of the five-year-old law that bars corporations and labor unions from paying for advertisements that mention the name of a candidate for federal office and that are broadcast 60 days before an election or 30 days before a primary. By a 5-to-4 vote in December 2003, the court held that the provision, on its face, passed First Amendment muster.

But a new majority may view more expansively the ConstitutionÂ’s protection of political messages as free speech, and invite a flood of advertising paid for by corporations and unions as the 2008 elections move into high gear.

The argument on Wednesday was over whether, despite the 2003 blanket endorsement, the law would be constitutional if applied to three specific ads that an anti-abortion group sought to broadcast before the 2004 Senate election in Wisconsin.

The ads, sponsored by Wisconsin Right to Life Inc., mentioned the state’s two senators, both Democrats: Russell D. Feingold, a co-sponsor of the McCain-Feingold law, who was up for re-election, and Herb Kohl, who was not. The advertisements’ focus was a Democratic-led filibuster of some of President Bush’s judicial nominees. Viewers were urged to “contact Senators Feingold and Kohl and tell them to oppose the filibuster.” The ads provided no contact information, instead directing viewers to a Web site that contained explicit criticism of Mr. Feingold.

A special three-judge Federal District Court here ruled that because the text and images of the ads did not show that they were “intended to influence the voters’ decisions,” they were “genuine issue ads” that the government could not keep off the air.

McCain-Feingold is bad law all the way around -- but this particular provision may be among its worst, effectively stifling the ability of the people to engage in political speech and to petition the government for a redress of grievances -- a two-fer of First Amendment violations. While I'd love to see the entire law declared unconstitutional, I'd settle for this provision. But then again, I've always been one who sees more political speech as better than less.

Posted by: Greg at 10:06 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Back during the Great Teaching Job Hunt of 1997 (when I sent resumes to over 500 school districts around the United States), one of the areas where I concentrated my search was North Carolina. During that time, I became quite familiar with Asheville, because there were a number of openings in districts in that area. And since my wife and I had spent our honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains, this location was particularly attractive.

But it was more than that. The Asheville area was already growing, and seemed to be a dynamic place with lots of entertainment, recreation, and dining opportunities for a "relatively) young couple looking for a place to become an older, retired couple in 30 or so years. After all, there is a lot to do there -- but it still retains that small city charm that so many parts of the South have always had. In some ways, I remain disappointed I didn't end up teaching down there.

One other nice feature was the availability of homes at a reasonable price. And I mean area new homes, Asheville existing homes, and condos and apartments galore. It was, and appears to remain, a good place to find a place to settle down in for life.

So take a look around – Asheville might just be calling you home.

Paid Endorsement.

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I love this line from a letter in today's Houston Chronicle.

After responding to more than 70 questions with some variation on the words, "I don't recall," [Gonzales] demonstrated he is either a gross incompetent, a party hack or a liar.

Now let's see, if that makes the attorney general "either a gross incompetent, a party hack or a liar", what would answering "I don't recall" or some variation 50 times during testimony before a House committee make a Democrat? Oh that's right -- First Lady, Senator from New York, and the leading candidate for her party's presidential nomination!

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I'd keep a promise, that's what I'd do with my loan .

You see, early in our marriage, I promised my darling wife an Alaska cruise. She's always wanted to go, but finances have never made it possible. Between the expenses that were associated with our early married life, debt from our move to Texas, the first couple years in our new house, and her health issues, there simply has never been enough cash for me to do what she's always wanted -- take the Inside Passage to Glacier Bay.

Now there are lots of loans out there for you to consider -- whether you are after a personal loan or a secured loan. And while this year might not be the year for us to go, maybe next summer will be.

Paid Endorsement.

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Thanks to James Taranto over at Opinion Journal for pointing out these two pictures.

Reuters has a couple of amusing photos from a mass gathering in the Palestinian territories. This one shows a guy brandishing a rifle in his right hand and shaking his left fist. At least one more rifle is visible among the crowd walking behind him.
This one shows another guy, holding a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher. Both photos have the same caption:

Palestinians attend a demonstration against violence in Gaza April 23, 2007.

We've often noted that many so-called pacifists seem to have a taste for tumult, but only in Palestinistan would a peace protester carry an RPG launcher. Or should we say only in Reuterville?

Gotta love those anti-violence Palestinians!

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Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are all in an uproar over a pro-gun sign held by Second Amendment rights activists at the state capitol.

Members of the Legislative Black Caucus called yesterday for a state police investigation into the display of what they called a racist banner in the Capitol that said a Latino lawmaker should be "hung from the tree of liberty for his acts of treason against the Constitution."

The outcry came hours after several gun-rights proponents unfurled a banner saying that State Rep. Angel Cruz (D., Phila.) should be hanged for introducing legislation that would require people to register their guns and pay a $10 fee to the state police.

"People want to hang me for doing my job," Cruz said, adding that his bill was aimed at trying to reduce gun violence in his district.

"I am appalled by the actions by a group of demonstrators," State Rep. Jewell Williams (D., Phila.) said. "We will not tolerate people making threats against members."

Williams was one of 10 Philadelphia-area lawmakers who appeared at a news conference yesterday afternoon to denounce the banner's language as a "terroristic threat" that raised the ugly specter of mob violence against African Americans.

Cruz, who is of Puerto Rican ancestry, is a member of the Black Caucus.

Now hereÂ’s the sign that so offended folks.

Now the language is provocative, but clearly not a threat – especially if one has any notion of the quote referenced by the phrase “the tree of liberty”.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Who was the hate-mongering terrorist who is responsible for such an evil sentiment being expressed?

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence an third President of the United States – generally credited as being one of the greatest Americans who ever lived. It refers to the reason why the right to keep and bear arms was and must be viewed as fundamental to a free society – that a free people must be armed to preserve their liberty in the face of tyranny.

So cool your jets, folks, and recognize that these demonstrators are simply more historically literate than you are. And to the demonstrators, might I suggest that you recognize your average lawmaker is not terribly bright, so it is probably best to assume that they won’t understand an appeal to the words of any president that predate “I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.”

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When is enrichment of uranium mot enrichment of uranium? When the European Union might otherwise have to show some backbone and stand up to Iran over its illegal nuclear program.

On the eve of talks in Ankara today between top Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani and EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana officials familiar with the negotiations said the discussions, for the first time, could try to sidestep the deadlock over enrichment by trying to agree on a new definition of the term.

Iran's defiance of a U.N. Security Council demand to freeze all activities linked to enrichment -- a possible pathway to nuclear arms -- has led to two sets of sanctions against the country. Although the punishments are limited and mild, they could be sharpened if the Islamic republic refuses to compromise.

The Europeans like to work with Muslim dictators because it is profitable – look a how they supplied Saddam Hussein with material in violation of UN resolutions. Why should we expect any change in their behavior now – after all, they have been appeasing tyrants since at least 1938.

Posted by: Greg at 12:02 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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Bigots! What else can you call a bunch of “religious” leaders who condemn public officials based upon their religion because they properly carried out their constitutionally defined role?

Hypocrites! What else can you call a group that complains that judges applying the Constitution and the clear (as mud) standards set out in Roe v. Wade to uphold an act of Congress are guilty of imposing their religion upon the American people – and then insist not only that THEIR religious values should be enacted but also that legislation be passed to forbid medical personnel from abiding by their own values?

A coalition of religious leaders took on the Catholic Church, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Bush administration on Tuesday with a plea to take religion out of health care in the United States.

They said last week's Supreme Court decision outlawing a certain type of abortion demonstrated that religious belief was interfering with personal rights and the U.S. health care system in general.

The group, calling itself the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said it planned to submit its proposals to other church groups and lobby Congress and state legislators.

"With the April 18 Supreme Court decision banning specific abortion procedures, concerns are being raised in religious communities about the ethics of denying these services," the group said in a statement.

"They are imposing their points of view," Barbara Kavadias, director of field services for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, told reporters in a telephone briefing.

She noted that the five Supreme Court justices on the majority in the 5-4 decision were all Catholic men -- Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Antonin Scalia.

All were appointed by conservative Republican presidents who oppose abortion, including President George W. Bush.

The group also complained about Catholic-owned hospitals that refuse to sterilize women who ask for it, refuse to let doctors perform abortions and do not provide contraception.

"Doctors, pharmacists and nurses are also increasingly exercising a so-called 'religious or moral objection,' refusing to provide essential services and often leaving patients without other options," the group said in a statement.

In other words, they not only want to disqualify Catholics and other conservative Christians from holding public office (or at least bringing their values with them), but they want to require that Catholic hospitals quit being Catholic and that Catholic and other conservative Christian medical professionals stop acting on their religious beliefs.

I think that this response says it best.

Marie Hilliard of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia said she had grave concerns about the report.

"There is no recognition of the true meaning of the separation of church and state, which mandates that the free exercise of religion, including that of the provider, be respected," she said.

And at the risk of offending these hypocritical religious bigots in pastor’s robes, may I heartily say “Amen!”

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson's Website, The Random Yak, Adam's Blog, Maggie's Notebook, Big Dog's Weblog, The Pet Haven Blog, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, Conservative Thoughts, The Magical Rose Garden, Faultline USA, stikNstein... has no mercy, , Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Renaissance Blogger, Planck's Constant, CORSARI D'ITALIA, Gone Hollywood, The Yankee Sailor, and OTB Sports, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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You wonÂ’t be missed, Rosie.

On the heels of her obscene comments at a recent media event, an infamous feud with Donald Trump and countless politically sensitive remarks, Rosie O'Donnell is leaving "The View" at the end of her first season on the show.

ABC said Wednesday it was unable to agree on a contract with the opinionated host, and she'll leave the show in June.

O'Donnell said in a statement that "my needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me."

"This has been an amazing experience," she said, "and one I wouldn't have traded for the world."

And there are a whole bunch of folks around the blogosphere who are in mourning today – after all, what will they do for material once the Voice of Inanity is off the air?
But not to worry – ABC is going to try to get her back for a number of specials next year, so she may still be available to spew liberal stupidity while chewing the blubber fat with her brainless gal pals.

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This case could have a big impact upon the legal accountability of members of Congress – including, perhaps, the issues surrounding last year’s search of William Jefferson’s office. The issue is simple – how far does the “speech and debate” clause of the Constitution extend in immunizing Senators and Representatives, and to what degree do statutes (and, one presumes, warrants) have upon Congressional offices.

To ensure robust debate, the U.S. Constitution protects members of Congress from lawsuits rising out of their legislative duties. But does that provide immunity from an aide's claims of discrimination?

The U.S. Supreme Court took up a Minnesota case Tuesday that could answer that question.

The case involves former Minnesota Sen. Mark Dayton, who was sued by staffer Brad Hanson for discrimination after he was fired in 2002.

Dayton said he dismissed Hanson, who directed his Minnesota office, for poor performance; Hanson claimed it was because he had a heart condition and needed time off.

A lower court allowed the lawsuit to proceed, but the case has never been tried, pending higher court rulings on whether it should be.

The issue at hand is whether the staffing of one’s congressional office is an administrative act or a part of the legislative process. If the court holds that it is the latter, it seems to me that one could then infer that any activity or material in the office could be deemed a part of the “legislative process”, rendering those offices “safe zones” for stashing evidence of criminal conduct. On the other hand, a ruling for the plaintiff in this case would apply the laws of the land to members of both houses by upholding the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, which gave congressional employees the same legal rights as other American workers (holding for Dayton would effectively strike down this law as unconstitutional).

DaytonÂ’s team is now arguing that the case should be deemed moot because he was able to stall the matter until he left office. That argument should not fly, because for four years Brad Hanson may have suffered the consequences of illegal employment discrimination, and he is therefore entitled to his day in court.

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Ten years ago, Democrats called impeachment an attempt to “overturn the results of an election”. Today, at least one of those same Democrats calls it a fulfillment of the Declaration of Independence.

"I do not stand alone," Dennis Kucinich said as he stood, alone, in front of a cluster of microphones yesterday evening.
The Ohio congressman, a Democratic presidential candidate, was holding a news conference outside the Capitol to announce that he had just filed articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney. But subsequent questioning quickly revealed that Kucinich had not yet persuaded any of his 434 colleagues to be a cosponsor, that he had not even discussed the matter with House Democratic leaders, and that he had not raised the subject with the Judiciary Committee.
Kucinich did have one thing: a copy of the Declaration of Independence. And he was not afraid to read it. "We hold these truths to be self-evident," the aspiring impeachment manager read at the start of his news conference. He continued all the way through the bit about the right of the people to abolish the government.
"These words from the Declaration of Independence are instructive at this moment," he said.

I looked at the resolution, and Kucinich wants to declare disagreements over policy and good-faith reliance upon the best available intelligence into a high crime or misdemeanor. On the other hand, he and his party couldn’t support impeachment of a president over perjury – an actual felony (AKA "high crime"). That tells you everything you need to know about the Democrats – they seek power at any cost, even the integrity of the US Constitution.

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After all, it might get in the way of cutting, running, and surrendering. So one simply chose not to hear what General Petraeus has to say – and the other declares anything that contradicts the assertions that the war is lost is a lie. At least one Republican has had the guts to speak out on this disgraceful situation.

On the other hand, the (relatively) moderate Arab states in region don’t want the US to withdraw from Iraq because of the very real, very negative consequences of such a course of action.

The so-called axis of moderate Arab states - comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - dreads an early US withdrawal. First, because it would be widely interpreted as an American defeat, which would weaken these pro-American regimes while both energising and radicalising their populations.

Second, if the US leaves, the emergence of a Shia regime in Iraq - in itself an offensive prospect to them - would only be a matter of time. Facing Arab antipathy, this regime would be likely to look eastward and forge close ties with its Iranian co-religionists. In the view of most Arabs, this would present a formidable challenge, setting in motion a series of dangerous events - an Iranian-Iraqi alliance; political and material support from Arab countries being offered to disgruntled Iraqi Sunni groups; retaliation by Iraqi forces; and the threat of broader regional involvement.

Third, a US departure risks triggering Iraq's partition. As some Arabs see it, the occupation is what holds the country together. So long as coalition forces are deployed, a full-blown breakup can be avoided.

But the no-faith (in our troops) based Democrats don’t care about the consequences of their strategy – except the hoped-for electoral success a perceived military defeat brings to their party. It must such, having to root against your country to get power for yourself. A patriot couldn’t do it.

Posted by: Greg at 11:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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After all, it might get in the way of cutting, running, and surrendering. So one simply chose not to hear what General Petraeus has to say – and the other declares anything that contradicts the assertions that the war is lost is a lie. At least one Republican has had the guts to speak out on this disgraceful situation.

On the other hand, the (relatively) moderate Arab states in region donÂ’t want the US to withdraw from Iraq because of the very real, very negative consequences of such a course of action.

The so-called axis of moderate Arab states - comprising Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - dreads an early US withdrawal. First, because it would be widely interpreted as an American defeat, which would weaken these pro-American regimes while both energising and radicalising their populations.

Second, if the US leaves, the emergence of a Shia regime in Iraq - in itself an offensive prospect to them - would only be a matter of time. Facing Arab antipathy, this regime would be likely to look eastward and forge close ties with its Iranian co-religionists. In the view of most Arabs, this would present a formidable challenge, setting in motion a series of dangerous events - an Iranian-Iraqi alliance; political and material support from Arab countries being offered to disgruntled Iraqi Sunni groups; retaliation by Iraqi forces; and the threat of broader regional involvement.

Third, a US departure risks triggering Iraq's partition. As some Arabs see it, the occupation is what holds the country together. So long as coalition forces are deployed, a full-blown breakup can be avoided.

But the no-faith (in our troops) based Democrats don’t care about the consequences of their strategy – except the hoped-for electoral success a perceived military defeat brings to their party. It must such, having to root against your country to get power for yourself. A patriot couldn’t do it.

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As I reported yesterday -- a school burns down, and the biggest concern of the state of Texas is -- making sure the kids retake the TAKS test since the answer sheets from the original administration were destroyed in the fire.

State education officials have approved a plan to let high school students whose TAKS tests burned up in a deliberately set fire to retake the exams, possibly as early as next week, officials said.

The test results were destroyed when the fire heavily damaged Needville High School early Monday in rural Fort Bend County. The tests were administered last week.

"Once we determine a date when they are actually going to conduct the testing, then we will ship those materials out to them," Texas Education Agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said Tuesday.

Marchman said the tests could be sent to Needville at the end of this week so that ninth-, 10th-, and 11th-grade students could take the state-mandated exams sometime next week.

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is an annual statewide standardized test used to measure student and school performance.

Classes for high schoolers will resume Monday with students going to school on a staggered schedule, said Needville Independent School District Superintendent Curtis Rhodes.

"With the classroom space that is available, we will just kind of double up and share the classrooms," Rhodes said.

Only 19 instructional days remain in the school year.

Like they don't have better things to do with those last four weeks of school.

Shameful -- just shameful!

Posted by: Greg at 10:41 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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After all, they are the media and have special rights -- the rest of America has no right on under the Constitution to comment on political matters if the government incumbents order them to shut up.

Corporations have been prohibited since the early 1900’s from contributing to political campaigns. This ban and a similar one imposed later on unions prevents these wealthy entities from buying elections and elected officials. The Supreme Court, in upholding these bans, has recognized that Congress has a compelling interest in preventing the “corrosive and distorting effects” of corporate and union contributions.

Corporations and unions have, not surprisingly, tried to get around the ban. One tactic they have used is bankrolling phony “issue ads”: commercials that purport to educate the public about a policy issue, but are actually intended to elect or defeat a particular candidate. Today’s case involves phony issue ads run on radio and television by a group called Wisconsin Right to Life, which accepted major contributions from corporations against Senator Russell Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin.

The ads attacked Mr. Feingold and WisconsinÂ’s other senator, Herb Kohl, for blocking President BushÂ’s judicial nominees, and urged the public to contact the two men to complain. Clearly the adsÂ’ purpose was to try to prevent Mr. FeingoldÂ’s re-election. Wisconsin Right to Life had made it clear that it was targeting him for defeat. Mr. FeingoldÂ’s opponents were using the issue of judicial nominees against him. The ads ran shortly before the election, while the Senate was in recess and no votes on judges were being held. And they did not provide contact information for Mr. Feingold and Mr. Kohl.

Let's be quite honest here -- these ads were really no different in content from the sort of things that regularly appear on the editorial pages of the New York Times (a corporation, don't you know) on a daily basis, urging a position and implicitly seeking to influence the behavior of politicians and the actions of voters. In fact, the corporation known as the New York Times offers endorsements -- specific directions to voters on who to vote for. But this corporate entity, the New York Times, is unrestricted, while issue-related groups like Wisconsin Right To life (which receives money from both individuals and corporations) is banned from speaking. Hardly seems reasonable -- especially since Wisconsin Right To Life is engaged in speech, the freedom of which is as firmly guaranteed by the First Amendment as is freedom of speech.

But I'm particularly disturbed by this closing line.

It would be disturbing if the court now changed the rules to make it easier for special interests to corrupt American democracy.

Actually, no it wouldn't be -- what would be disturbing is for the Supreme Court to turn the First Amendment on its head and decree that pornography, a crucifix dipped in urine and flag burning have more protection under the Constitution than measured and responsible speech on political matters and politicians.

Posted by: Greg at 10:32 PM | Comments (196) | Add Comment
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If you are trying to manage Pay Per Click accounts, Acquisio is releasing new software that you might want to look at. The program accounts for where your traffic is coming from and where it moves on to, as well as what links are productive ones for you, and includes Keyword Bid Management. Such knowledge enables you to maximize your profit -- which is, after all, why you went into business in the first place, right?

Paid Endorsement.

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I don't think he is -- but I hope that the Texans invite him in as an unsigned free agent if no one drafts Walter Thomas this weekend.

On the edge of the Texas Gulf is a 370-pound football player who can execute a perfect forward flip.

When he lands, the ground trembles.

The playerÂ’s name is Walter Thomas, and as he kicked his size 16 feet overhead Saturday morning, onlookers studied the sculpted giant with curiosity and awe. It was the kind of reaction Thomas usually elicits from professional football scouts.

“I feel like I’m a big secret,” Thomas said. “The secret of the draft.”

The National Football League draft, which begins Saturday, does not really have secrets anymore. Prospects are timed and tested, interviewed and investigated, over and over again. Entire dossiers are prepared for second-string players.

Thomas is as close as modern football can come to an old-fashioned sleeper. In the past two years, his only playing experience was at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. He played in two games, both losses. Then he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, according to the Tate County (Miss.) Circuit ClerkÂ’s office, and never played college football again.

Judging by his credentials, perhaps Thomas should not be drafted. Judging by his dimensions, however, Thomas has to be drafted.

Big Walt, as he is known, is a 6-foot-5 defensive tackle who wears a size XXXXXXL jersey. He bench presses 475 pounds and squats 800 pounds. Weight lifters at the Galveston Health and Racquet Club stop their workouts to watch him.

Football teams everywhere are filled with big men, but many of them can barely move. Thomas has run the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds, faster than some N.F.L. tight ends. He is the rare tackle who can catch a running back from behind.

Not only that, h is so nimble that he can do back-flips. He's a freakin' 6'5", 370 pound gymnast! And Lord knows we need some help on the defense (and the offense, and special teams) down here in Houston. But Thomas' record might not merit the use of a draft choice -- at least not before the sixth or seventh round. After all, he has made a mess out of his college career, and so enters teh draft as damaged goods with a big question mark attached.

But Walter Thomas is a local boy, from just 45 miles the next county over from Houston. People here remember his high school career. H has the potential to be a performer on the field -- and a sentimental favorite among the fans. I'd love to see him play here.

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Should you check out your dates on Google before you go out? This post deals with the issue of running such background check on your date, looking at the pros and cons of the issue and being pretty negative about it because of the potential to short-circuit the dating process.

On the other hand, my question is simple -- why would you go out with someone who was such a stranger that you would need to run a Google search on them in the first place? But then again, that is just me.

Paid Endorsement.

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Lord knows that I am a big advocate for a broad interpretation of the Second Amendment, but I have to support this move by Virginia's governor.

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday that he is considering an executive order to make sure that gun sellers have more information about the mental health of potential buyers, a move that would have kept Seung Hui Cho from purchasing the handguns he used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech last week.

A court had found Cho to be dangerously mentally ill, but that information was not available in the computer systems used by the outlets that sold Cho the guns. Kaine's proposal would ensure that such mental health information be in the database.

"I think there's a way to tighten this and to get more data onto the system," Kaine (D) said. If that data had been available at the gun stores, Cho, who killed himself after the rampage April 16, would have been barred by federal law from buying the weapons.

Even lawmakers who have traditionally been reluctant to restrict gun ownership said that providing additional information would help keep guns out of the hands of the dangerously mentally ill.

"The murderer down at Virginia Tech never should have been able to purchase a gun," said Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg). "Someone who's declared a threat to themselves or others should not be able to purchase a firearm."

Since Cho was adjudicated an imminent threat to himself or others in 2005, he was ineligible to make that gun purchase under federal law -- but only actual involuntary commitments got entered in the gun database, not cases in which the individual voluntarily went to into a mental health facility. This change corrects bad practice on the part of Virginia -- and I do not know a singe gun owner who would question the propriety of this move by Gov. Kaine.

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Practicing good medicine for chronic pain patients is not a crime!

William E. Hurwitz, the prominent doctor on trial here for drug trafficking, spent more than two days on the witness stand last week telling a jury why he had prescribed painkillers to patients who turned out to be drug dealers and addicts. But the clearest explanation of his actions — and of the problem facing patients who are in pain — came earlier in the trial.

The problem -- too many doctors don't want to give opioids to treat chronic pain, wven though they are often the most effective medications. The result is that patients suffer -- and are often incapacitate -- by pain that can be relieved. Indeed, chronic pain patients are often dismissed and given les effective treatments by doctors adhering to old ways of doing things or covering their butts out of fear of prosecution by over-zealous prosecutors.

Consider this testimony from defense experts (who testified for free, unlike the prosecution experts) about the standard of care given by Dr. Hurwitz.

Prescribing opioids was once taboo because of concerns over patientsÂ’ becoming addicted. But medical opinion gradually shifted over the past two decades as researchers concluded that high doses of opioids could sometimes be safer and more effective than alternatives like surgery or injections.

Two of the leading pain experts, Dr. Russell K. Portenoy of Beth-Israel Medical Center and Dr. James N. Campbell of Johns Hopkins University, testified without pay as experts for the defense. They said Dr. Hurwitz was widely known as a knowledgeable physician and passionate advocate of giving patients full pain relief, unlike many doctors who were reluctant to prescribe opioids because they feared legal repercussions, particularly when dealing with patients who sometimes used illegal drugs.

Such “problem patients” consumed so much time and energy that most doctors refused to treat them “regardless of what the consequences would be for the patient,” Dr. Campbell testified. He said that he had been initially skeptical of some of Dr. Hurwitz’s high-dose treatments, but was then impressed by the results in patients he sent to Dr. Hurwitz.

He said some doctors might argue that Dr. Hurwitz was guilty in some instances of negligence that would make him liable for damages in a civil case. But Dr. Campbell contradicted the prosecution’s experts by testifying that all the prescriptions were clearly within the “bounds of medical practice.”

But sadly, fear of prosecution is a real problem. One physician's office I was in recently had signs posted stating that "This office no longer prescribes Oxy-Contin, Lortab, or Darvocet" -- medications that are among the best out there for dealing with constant, debilitating pain. Good medicine? No -- good legal advice, after a visit from an inspector from medical regulators concerned about the number of his patients on pain medication. Another doctor I know insists upon a monthly visit from her patients seeking refills of pain medication they have been on for chronic conditions, after being asked by an insurance company to justify the number of pain pills she prescribes each month o its patients. And my wife's neurologist has had to document her case (as well as all his other patients) in excruciating detail to justify her level of pain medication -- to satisfy the demands of his lawyer, not best medical practices, so that he stays out of jail.

This prosecution is particularly troubling because Dr. Hurwitz was generally viewed as one of the leaders in his field. If they can go after him over disagreements on how to best manage the symptoms of chronic pain patients, how intimidated should every other doctor in the field feel? And if the level of risk becomes too high, what will be the fate of my wife, and hundreds of thousands of patients like her around the country?

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Hamas just can’t stop attacking Jews – and they don’t care who knows it.

Hamas militants in Gaza fired rockets and mortar shells at Israel for the first time in five months Tuesday, retaliating for deadly Israeli raids in the Palestinian territories and leaving a largely successful Gaza truce in serious doubt.

The barrage, which came on Israel's 59th independence day, did not cause any damage or injury, but it marked the first time Hamas acknowledged firing shells toward Israel since agreeing to the cease-fire. Hamas is tightly organized, and Israel says attacks from Gaza have the tacit approval of the militant group's political leaders.

Hamas gave conflicting predictions about the future of the truce — some officials said it was over, while others said everything depends on Israeli actions.

The cease-fire, announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in November, declared an end to Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli attacks, including airstrikes at Gaza militants and punishing invasions of towns in northern Gaza.

Israel stopped most of its military activity but kept Gaza in a stranglehold by closing vital crossings, citing security threats. And while Hamas rocket squads stayed on the sidelines, other groups, like Islamic Jihad, kept up fire of homemade rockets almost daily at Israeli towns and villages just outside Gaza.

“A largely successful truce”? Only if “successful” is defined as Israel being under attack by surrogates for Hamas, and Hamas doing nothing to stop those attacks -- all while Israel receives international condemnation for seeking to root out those who break the cease fire.

It strikes me as long past time for Israel to clean out the rat hole that is Gaza.

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Not that I think it goes quite far enough.

Maybe a congressional race was so nasty that a large number of voters simply didn't want to check the box next to either candidate.

That's what state Sen. Mike Bennett said he believes happened in the now-infamous District 13 congressional race.

Hoping to prevent a repeat, he persuaded the Senate Ethics and Elections committee to approve a bill, SB-494, on Monday that would require ballots to have the additional option of "I choose not to vote."

That option could not win a race, and the actual candidate with the highest number of votes would win the election.

Bennett, R-Bradenton, said the no-choice option would enable uninformed or disgusted voters to opt out in a way that clearly displays their intention to abstain for elections officials.

I’ve got a better idea – one freely stolen from L. Neil Smith’s classic libertarian science fiction novel, The Probability Broach.

Give us the option of “None Of The Above Is Acceptable”. And let that choice be a possible winner. Then either leave the office vacant for the course of the term, or mandate a special election which excludes any of the defeated candidates.

That might raise the caliber of elected official in this country.

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They are your people – you take care of them.

Mexico's new secretary of health visited San Francisco on Monday to learn about the health needs of the millions of Mexican immigrants living in California and to further collaborate with state officials to meet those needs.

"We can build a new model for attention to the health needs of Mexican workers here," said Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, appointed by Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderon.

The former hospital chief and medical school director from the state of Guanajuato said he plans to meet every six months with U.S. health officials and Mexican immigrant communities to create a basic health care plan to cover Mexicans in the United States and eventually extend to them a system of universal health care that is being developed by the Calderon administration.

Cordova, who came here from a meeting on border issues in Tijuana, spoke with reporters at the Mexican consulate and then met with Bay Area groups that provide health care to Mexican immigrants. He planned to end his one-day trip to the Bay Area, his first official visit to this country, by hosting a dinner at Tommy Toy's restaurant with officials of the University of California, the governor's office, and the state and federal health departments.

Now if you would only be as proactive about stopping them from crossing the border illegally as you are about trying to get them medical care in this countryÂ…

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This looks good – and may well lead to a quickening of the pace towards the next generation of spacecraft and exploration vehicles.

The UK and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for closer collaboration on missions to explore our solar system, including robotic exploration of the moon and trials of technology that could one day be sent to Mars.

The deal was reached in Washington last Friday, after a series of meetings between officials.

It will give NASA wider access to the UK's expertise in robotic and small satellite technologies, and could mean UK participation in manned lunar missions.

Science and innovation minister Malcolm Wicks said: "During my recent meeting with Nasa's administrator Dr Michael Griffin, I was keen for the USA and UK to co-operate on exactly this sort of exciting endeavour."

Griffin recently suggested that the "level of participation would go so far as to include astronauts".

This will make for some interesting times down the street at JSC if true.

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You have to love a man who insists that the “beautiful people” live up to the standards they want to see imposed upon the rest of us.

A leading skeptic of global-warming science is challenging celebrity activists such as Al Gore and Sheryl Crow to lower their "carbon footprint" to the same level as the average American by Earth Day in April 2008.

"I simply believe that former Vice President Al Gore and his Hollywood friends who demand we change the way we live to avert this over-hyped 'crisis' not only talk the talk, but walk the walk," said Sen. James M. Inhofe, Oklahoma Republican.

"How hard is it for these elitists to become as frugal in their energy consumption as the average American? I think the American public has a right to know they are being had."

* * *

Yesterday, the Web site thesmokinggun.com revealed that Miss Crow's tour caravan includes three tractor-trailer rigs, four buses and six cars.

Come on, Sheryl – if it is really An Inconvenient Truth that global warming is all about Earth In The Balance, then you need to do your part. Even if that means scaling back your tour and entourage.

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Really – I’m serious. Do most of us find the notion that a murderer sentenced to death isn’t just whisked away into a dreamless sleep the least bit disturbing? I know it doesn’t trouble me at all.

The drugs used to execute prisoners in the United States sometimes fail to work as planned, causing slow and painful deaths that probably violate constitutional bans on cruel and unusual punishment, a new medical review of dozens of executions concludes.

Even when administered properly, the three-drug lethal injection method appears to have caused some inmates to suffocate while they were conscious and unable to move, instead of having their hearts stopped while they were sedated, scientists said in a report published Monday by the online journal PLoS Medicine.

No scientific groups have validated that lethal injection is humane, the authors write. Medical ethics bar doctors and other health professionals from taking part in executions.

The study concluded that the typical "one-size-fits-all" doses of anesthetic do not take into account an inmate's weight and other key factors.

The journal's editors call for abolishing the death penalty.

Personally, I’m all for replicating the sort of horror they perpetrated upon their victims – but if that troubles the squeamish, I’m all for bringing back the firing squad or the guillotine.

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You know, I've started doing my some advertising through PayPerPost.com. There are lots of fine bloggers that are also participating in this program, but I've not looked at many of them. One blogthat I have glanced in at more than once is JustLovingLife.com. What do I like about it? Well, this darling Aussie blogger is a very light-hearted breath of fresh air. Her blog is well-written and humorous -- and hunts out some stories I wouldn't write on but which are fun to read. Seriously -- if you want a little bit of fun, try JustLovingLife.com!

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Do you, as a passenger in a stopped vehicle, have a right to get out and walk away? Or have you been "seized" by police -- therefore bringing into play a number of rights under the Bill of Rights?

Most people sitting in the passenger seat of a car that has been stopped by a police officer do not feel free to open the door and leave. Neither do most members of the Supreme Court, or so the justicesÂ’ comments indicated during an argument Monday on the constitutional rights of passengers in that familiar but uncomfortable situation.

The question of whether a “reasonable” passenger would feel free to leave was significant because that perception is a principal part of the court’s test for whether a “seizure” has taken place within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.

If a reasonable person would not feel constrained, then he or she has not been “seized” and has no basis for complaining that the police have violated the Fourth Amendment. The converse is also true: a person who reasonably feels detained by the police is entitled to challenge the validity of the police action and perhaps to keep illegally seized evidence out of court.

The surprisingly vexing question of the rights of passengers was brought to the Supreme Court by a California man who was a passenger in a car that a police officer stopped, ostensibly to investigate a possibly expired registration. The stop was later found to be improper because, earlier in the day, when the car was parked, the same officer had checked and learned that it was properly registered.

Given that the first thing police officers do when you try to open that door is order you to close it and remain in the vehicle -- at times with weapons drawn -- I don't think that there can be any other conclusion than to decide in favor of the fellow who was arrested and charged in this case -- though there might well be other bbases for upholding his conviction.

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About a decade ago, I was doing my last big job hunt, trying to find a teaching job I could be happy with. I ended up in Houston, but would have been really happy to end up in the very hospitable community of Scottsdale, where I interviewed for a position that almost sounded too good to be true. I liked what I saw, and looked at Scottsdale Homes for sale to find a good house. it would have been a great place to live.

Heck, let's be honest --I can't imagine many places in the county better that Scottsdale to try to sell houses. I bet they just sell themselves, given the natural beauty and vibrant growth in the area.

Paid Endorsement.

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Isn't the best regulation of television the regulation of the marketplace -- exercised by remote controls and consumer preference? Do we really need more government control over our entertainment choices?

Federal regulators, concerned about the effect of television violence on children, will recommend that Congress enact legislation to give the government unprecedented powers to curb violence in entertainment programming, according to government and TV industry sources.

The Federal Communications Commission has concluded that regulating TV violence is in the public interest, particularly during times when children are likely to be viewers -- typically between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., FCC sources say.

The agency's recommendations -- which will be released in a report to Congress within the next week, agency officials say -- could set up a legal battle between Washington and the television industry.

For decades, the FCC has penalized over-the-air broadcasters for airing sexually suggestive, or "indecent," speech and images, but it has never had the authority to fine TV stations and networks for violent programming.

The report -- commissioned by members of Congress in 2004 and based on hundreds of comments from parents, industry officials, academic experts and others -- concludes that Congress has the authority to regulate "excessive violence" and to extend its reach for the first time into basic-cable TV channels that consumers pay to receive.

First Amendment experts and television industry executives, however, say that any attempt to regulate TV violence faces high constitutional hurdles -- particularly regarding cable, because consumers choose to buy its programming.

I'm particularly disturbed by the attempt to grap power over cable television -- after all, the "broadcast spectrum as public resource" argument doesn't work nearly as well there. In addition, it sets a precedent that would allow the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" to be extended to cable news channels if the Democrats ever seek to reimpose government control of news reporting -- creating a Brave New World of regulated media and strangled voices.

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One a statesman, one a journalist.

First the statesman -- Boris Yeltsin.

Boris N. Yeltsin, the burly provincial politician who became a Soviet-era reformer and later a towering figure of his time as the first freely elected leader of Russia, presiding over the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the demise of the Communist Party, died yesterday in Moscow. He was 76.

His death, at a hospital, came at 3:45 p.m., the Kremlin said, making the announcement without ceremony, a reflection of the contradictory legacy of Mr. YeltsinÂ’s presidency in the view of many Russians, including his successor, the current leader, President Vladimir V. Putin.

Medical officials told Russian news agencies that Mr. Yeltsin had died of heart failure after being admitted to the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow. He had suffered heart problems for years, undergoing surgery shortly after his disputed re-election as Russian president in 1996.

Yeltsin's resignation eight years ago took him out of the political spotlight -- so much so that many had forgotten he was still alive. It also brought Valdimir Putin to power -- a move that has had dire consequences for Russian democracy.

And then there is the journalist, David Halberstam.

avid Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and tireless author of books on topics as varied as AmericaÂ’s military failings in Vietnam, the deaths of firefighters at the World Trade Center and the high-pressure world of professional basketball, was killed yesterday in a car crash south of San Francisco. He was 73, and lived in Manhattan.

Mr. Halberstam was a passenger in a car making a turn in Menlo Park, Calif., when it was hit broadside by another car and knocked into a third vehicle, said the San Mateo County coroner. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man who was driving Mr. Halberstam, a journalism student at the University of California at Berkeley, was injured, as were the drivers of the other two vehicles. None of those injuries were called serious.

Mr. Halberstam was killed doing what he had done his entire adult life: reporting. He was on his way to interview Y. A. Tittle, the former New York Giants quarterback, for a book about the 1958 championship game between the Giants and the Baltimore Colts, considered by many to be the greatest football game ever played.

You didn't have to agree with Halberstam to respect his writing -- and personally, I feel a sense of loss that the book in progress may never be finished, because the topic intrigues me.

Two lives -- ended on one day. Two important figures gone from the world stage. Two of the many who died yesterday -- but two whose lives had impact far beyond their own circle of family and friends.

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A headline from today's Houston Chronicle.

Arson Hits Needville high School; TAKS Tests Destroyed

Excuse me? The first concern is the destruction of the testing material from last week? What about the impact on hundreds of students and the community as a whole.

Oh, maybe this explains the focus of the headline.

[School Board President Jim] Kocian said TAKS tests were in the building, but he did not think the destruction of the tests was the reason behind the fire. "Even if the TAKS tests are destroyed, they have to retake them. So they don't accomplish anything by that," he said.

Yeah, neve mind those science labs and administrative offices -- the kids need to retake those tests so that they can be "assessed". Never mind that there might be things that need a little bit of a higher priority right now.

Then again, is there a glimmer of hope for common sense here?.

No decision has been made about the TAKS tests taken last week by high school students. The answer sheets were still in the office, waiting to be sent Monday to TEA offices in Austin for scoring. Passage of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge Skills test is required for graduation.

Texas Education Commissioner Shirley J. Neeley, who was traveling Monday, will talk with Rhodes by telephone and probably decide today what to do about the TAKS test, said agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson.

Culbertson said experts at the state agency don't recall a whole district's test papers being lost in a fire before. "We have had boxes of tests come up missing, and there was one time when a box fell off an airplane," she said.

Here's hoping that Neeley exercises a little prudence and common sense and simply waives the requirement this year -- if she is able to do so under state law.

Because state testing should be the lowest priority for Needville ISD right about now.

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I've got to tell you -- we've certainly had a lot of banks opening around the Houston area over the last few months. It seems like all the major national banking players have moved into the area. You name it, they have a presence in this market today. Add to that a number of upstart banks and a whole crop of credit unions, and it is clearly a customer's market.

Of course,all these banks now have an online presence. Now if you are looking for the best Current Accounts and Savings Accounts, you might want to drop by and look at The Thrifty Scot. Heck, they even are able to give you advice on how to challenge some of those ugly bank fees and Claim Bank Charges that some banks try to stick you with. So take a look!

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In fact, I think I've completely lost my appetite.

A man chopped off his penis with a knife in front of horrified diners at a busy restaurant.

Police were called to Zizzi, in The Strand, London, at 9pm on Sunday after reports of a man in possession of a knife.

Sales rep Stuart McMahon, who was eating at the restaurant with his girlfriend, told the SUN:

"This guy came running in then charged into the kitchen, got a massive knife and started waving it about.

"Everyone was screaming and running out as he jumped on a table, dropped his trousers and popped his penis out.

"Then he cut it off. I couldn't believe it."

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said a man aged between 30-40 was the only person injured and that his injuries were self-inflicted.

She said he was taken to a south London hospital where his condition was today described as stable.

Next time I may just order out for Chinese food.

MORE HERE

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I just wish it hadn't taken so long.

The Wiccan pentacle has been added to the list of emblems allowed in national cemeteries and on goverment-issued headstones of fallen soldiers, according to a settlement announced Monday.

A settlement between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Wiccans adds the five-pointed star to the list of "emblems of belief" allowed on VA grave markers.

Eleven families nationwide are waiting for grave markers with the pentacle, said Selena Fox, a Wiccan high priestess with Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, Wis., a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The settlement calls for the pentacle, whose five points represent earth, air, fire, water and spirit, to be placed on grave markers within 14 days for those who have pending requests with the VA.

Speaking as a Christian who loves my country and its Constitution, my only question is "What took so long?" This should have been settled as soon as the issue was raised.

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And yet this same imam no doubt demands the full protection of the First Amendment for his loathsome belief system. However, he insists that author and human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali must die for rejecting such barbarism.

Imam Fouad ElBayly, president of the Johnstown Islamic Center, was among those who objected to Hirsi AliÂ’s appearance.

“She has been identified as one who has defamed the faith. If you come into the faith, you must abide by the laws, and when you decide to defame it deliberately, the sentence is death,” said ElBayly, who came to the U.S. from Egypt in 1976.

* * *

Although ElBayly believes a death sentence is warranted for Hirsi Ali, he stressed that America is not the jurisdiction where such a crime should be punished. Instead, Hirsi Ali should be judged in a Muslim country after being given a trial, he added.

“If it is found that a person is mentally unstable, or a child or disabled, there should be no punishment,” he said. “It’s a very merciful religion if you try to understand it.”

Yeah, merciful if you are willing to submit to the barbarism of sharia and not use your head on pain of having it separated from your shoulders for daring to reject its false teachings.

Not content to seek this heroic woman's death, though, ElBayly and other Islamic leaders also sought to ban her speech at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Fortunately, university officials let the lecture go on, but the mere fact that they were even willing to hear and consider their anti-freedom point of view is distressing. They should have been told to pound sand, and given precisely the amount of consideration that the KKK or American Nazi Party would be given if they came around demanding a speech be canceled.

ElBayly's statements leave me wondering if there is any possibility of his being deported back to Egypt. Regardless, his Islamist mosque must be put under intense surveillance and scrutiny, just like any Christian Identity pukes receive.

And I wonder -- where are the denunciations of such hate by so-called mainstream Muslims? Or are they silent because ElBayly accurately reflects the true nature of Islam?

MORE AT Jawa Report, LGF, Riehl World View , Ace of Spades HQ, Hot Air, PAWaterCooler.com, Right Voices, Blue Crab Boulevard, Freedom Zone, Sister Toldjah, Blog-o-Fascists, Atlas Shrugs

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