Or hang them on your wall -- or do whatever else you want to do with them. After all, if you win this auction, they will be yours!

How do you manage to get Greenberg's shorts? By winning an auction sponsored by an online backgammon site that has been sponsoring Greenberg for some time. They are looking to raise money for a charity that will help Arab and Israeli children in distress. Who knows -- amybe buying these shorts will be the start of peace in the Middle East!

Of course, you may ant to know who Roman Greenberg is. Roman Greenberg is a 24-year-old Russian-born Jewish boxer training and competing as a heavyweight boxer. The online backgammon purchased his shorts to help him raise money for training as he seeks to become one of boxing's elite -- if he can take on a top 5 WBO contender this year, he will become recognized as the talented prospect he is, especially if he wins. He already has an undefeated record of 25-0 with 17 KO’s, so he seems to be going places.

How will the shorts be auctioned? BackgammonMasters will sponsor a tournament in which the accumulated winnings will be used to bid on Roman Greenberg's boxing shorts. The opening bid? $100,000. Expect the price to go much higher,a s folks seek to gain this collector's item -- the shorts of a possible future heavyweight champion. So if you love to play backgammon online, consider entering. Who knows -- you could end up in Roman Greenberg's shorts!

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Posted by: Greg at 12:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I despise Fred Phelps with a passion -- few individuals in America today are more despicable than the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, a tiny hate cult from Kansas. But as rancid as this crew of inbred cretins are, the First Amendment still applies to them -- which is why this decision by a federal judge in Baltimore really offends me, even more than the hate-filled anti-American actions that led to the decision.

A federal judge in Baltimore is ordering Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church to pay more than $3,000 in costs related to the funeral of a Marine the group picketed.

Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, is suing because church
members demonstrated at the funeral of his son, Lance Corporal
Matthew Snyder. Church members also posted pictures of the protest
on their Web site.

Corporal Snyder was killed in Iraq in March.

The lawsuit was filed in June. It says church members violated
the family's right to privacy and defamed the Marine and his family
at the funeral and on the church's Web site.

Court documents say the church has 30 days to make the payment
to Snyder.

I respectfully disagree -- and would argue that the political and religious speech these lowlifes engaged are fully protected by the First Amendment -- and that laws, lawsuits, and other efforts to prevent these hell-bound hatemongers from speaking are much more anti-American than the protests of the Phelps klan.

Posted by: Greg at 12:56 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Personally, I think you're an idiot. But that's besides the point. I think you're perfectly entitled to say what you're saying now, and that I 'm perfectly entitled to call you an idiot, both because of the First Amendment. However, with the case of the WBC, they should have received this fine, and in my opinion, been fined more.

Why did Imus get fired for his comments about Women's basketball? First Amendment, right? No, he screwed up. He's a professional, and he made a very unprofessional comment. If you're family died, how exactly would you perceive this? "They're assholes, but I completely respect their right to be complete assholes"? No, it's harassment, taken to the extreme.

There has to be restitution for their actions, and with that said, how do you propose that restitution be accomplished? They're pushing the bounds of the First Amendment as it is, and the fact is, it is what's protecting them. However, they overstep their bounds when they protest at funerals. They can protest with a press release, with a sermon at their church, anywhere they want, EXCEPT in front of the the families themselves as they mourn the loss of their son, brother, or father. That's pretty damned close to being the lowest form of harassment thus far conceived, the very definition of kicking them while their down.

They also are planning to protest at the funerals for the Virginia Tech shootings. Is that right? Is that truly legal? First Amendment my ass. They'd use the Constitution for toilet paper.

Posted by: No at Tue Apr 17 01:03:13 2007 (pvloB)

2 Sorry to see that you don't believe in the First Amendment, No.

And as for the disgusting plans to protest at the Tech funerals, I view that action as entirely within the bounds of the First Amendment -- entirely outside the bounds of any sort of Christian morality. But then again, I've been saying that for over two decades, since they started protesting at the funerals of dead gays with AIDS.

Private individuals and businesses can and should punish speech that crosses the line of decency -- government cannot and must not if it is to retain legitimacy under our Constitution.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Tue Apr 17 12:00:13 2007 (MAd+s)

3 Here is the number for the Westboro Baptist Church : (785) 273-0325
call them and let them know how much you disapprove

Posted by: snb at Wed Apr 18 04:46:33 2007 (aBLw4)

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There is a hot new site out there for recognizing the best blog in a variety of categories -- the Blogger's Choice Awards.

Consider some of the awards that are being voted on.
* Best Blog About Blogging
* Best Blog Design
* Best Blog of All Time
* Best Blogging Host
* Best Business Blog
* Best Celebrity Blogger
* Best Educational Blog
* Best Parenting Blog
* Best Political Blog
* Best Pop Culture Blog
* Best Religion Blog
* Best Video Blogger
* Freakiest Blogger
* Most Obnoxious Blogger
* The "Blogitzer"
* Worst Blog of All Time

And those are only some of the awards that I find particularly interesting! There are a bunch more, covering a lot of other areas. Drop by and take a look.

One of the great things about the BCA contest is that it is not ideologically drive. The folks seem to be on the up-and-up, accepting all comers and not skewing the categories towards one end of the ideological spectrum or another. And with that genuine commitment to inclusion, I think we may see some real fairness in the competition. That will separate it from so many of the other blog competitions out there, and hopefully allow for a real honest evaluation of sites.

So go by and nominate someone today -- and vote for your favorites. Competition runs through May 22.

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Posted by: Greg at 06:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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An appropriate loss for Imus -- and no great loss for America.

Bowing to a national outcry and internal protest, CBS Radio said yesterday it would end Don Imus's morning program "immediately," possibly bringing the sometimes inflammatory broadcaster's four-decade career to a swift and ignominious end.

CBS followed NBC, which Wednesday canceled the MSNBC simulcast of Imus's radio show. Imus touched off a conflagration last week when he made racist and sexist comments.

Imus -- as well as CBS and NBC -- struggled for the past eight days to craft an effective response to widespread criticism after he called the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos." But neither repeated apologies nor a two-week suspension imposed this week by the two media companies quelled the furor. Advertisers deserted Imus's show and protests continued, inside and outside the companies.

Imus was a repeat offender on this score, and thre was no defending what he said, No interpretation could make his comments acceptable.

Now, let's get after the rappers and other members of the "nigga bitch ho" pop culture that glorify such racism and degradation of women in the name of making the almighty dollar. I see its effects ever so clearly on a daily basis in my school, and want them held accountable as well.

Posted by: Greg at 10:47 PM | Comments (138) | Add Comment
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Too little, too late.

The Durham County district attorney apologized Thursday to the three former Duke University lacrosse players he had charged with sexually assaulting a stripper.

“To the extent that I made judgments that ultimately proved to be incorrect, I apologize to the three students that were wrongly accused,” the district attorney, Michael B. Nifong, wrote in a three-paragraph statement a day after the state attorney general, Roy A. Cooper, dismissed all the charges and called him a “rogue” prosecutor.

“I also understand that when someone has been wrongly accused, the harm caused by the accusations might not be immediately undone merely by dismissing them,” Mr. Nifong wrote. “It is my sincere desire that the actions of Attorney General Cooper will serve to remedy any remaining injury that has resulted from these cases.”

The apology was rebuffed by lawyers for the former students, whose families are seeking Mr. NifongÂ’s ouster and considering suing him for damages. The North Carolina State Bar has formally accused Mr. Nifong of numerous ethical violations.

“I still haven’t heard him admit he did anything wrong,” said James P. Cooney III, a lawyer for Reade W. Seligmann, one of the three. “I think the most concrete way he could apologize to everybody is to resign his office.”

No admission of wrong-doing, combined with an attempt to take credit for the dismissal of all charges by pointing out that he turned the case over to the NC attorney general -- but only after he was brought up on ethics charges. Add to that his efforts to intimidate the cabbie who helped clear one of the players and you see nothing but a corrupt prosecutor who would not know the truth if it walked up and bit him on the ass.

Mike Nifong needs to be in jail -- and so does Crystal Gail Mangum, the lying sack of crap whose false claims set off this entire tragedy. And both need to be sued into oblivion by the falsely accused and irresponsibly charged players.

Posted by: Greg at 10:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Let's get more like him -- and lock him away.

A federal grand jury indicted an Ohio man on charges of joining al-Qaida and conspiring to bomb European tourist resorts and U.S. government facilities and military bases overseas, officials announced Thursday.

Christopher Paul, 43, a U.S. citizen and resident of Columbus, spent time learning hand-to-hand fighting and how to use grenades and assault rifles at an al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan in the early 1990s, according to a federal grand jury indictment. He then joined the terrorist group in Pakistan and told al-Qaida members he was dedicated to committing violent jihad.

The investigation into Paul and his activities spanned four years, three continents and at least eight countries, FBI agent Tim Murphy said Thursday, shortly before Paul appeared before a federal judge.

"The indictment of Christopher Paul paints a disturbing picture of an American who traveled overseas to train as a violent jihadist, joined the ranks of al-Qaida and provided military instruction and support to radical cohorts both here and abroad," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein said in a statement.

Bill Hunt, first assistant U.S. attorney, declined to say whether any of the alleged plots were carried out. People whom Paul associated with in Europe have been arrested, he said.

Paul, who was arrested Wednesday outside his apartment, is charged with providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide support to terrorists and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, which carries the most serious penalty of up to life in prison.

Have a nice stay in the big house, you jihadi pig.

Posted by: Greg at 10:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I don't like the guy, but my prayers are with him.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine underwent surgery on Thursday night after a car accident in which he broke his left leg, sternum, collarbone, six ribs on each side and a lower vertebra, state police and other government officials said. He was in critical but stable condition at midnight, sedated and on a breathing tube.

Mr. Corzine was in the front passenger seat when his state police vehicle swerved to avoid an apparently out-of-control driver on the Garden State Parkway and hit a guardrail. He was flown by helicopter to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he received seven units of blood and a metal rod in his leg during a two-hour operation that ended about 11:30 p.m.

“He has what we call multisystemic injuries,” Robert F. Ostrum, Cooper’s director of orthopedic trauma, who led the surgical team, said in a midnight briefing for reporters here. “Injuries to his chest, lungs, to his legs, and he lost a significant amount of blood.” Asked whether Mr. Corzine was lucky to be alive, Dr. Ostrum said: “Yes.”

Mr. Corzine is scheduled for two more operations, Saturday and Monday, to clean up the wounds, Dr. Ostrum said, adding that it would be “days to weeks” until he was lucid enough to conduct state business, and three to six months before he could get around fairly well. Though the governor sustained a cut on his forehead, Dr. Ostrum said a CAT scan showed no brain injury.

Sounds bad, but it appears the governor will recover. I'm thankful for that -- because political disagreement doesn't constitute a basis for a death wish.

Posted by: Greg at 10:27 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Like I've said in the past, seeking out credit and loans are a part of our society. There are simply some purchases that your average person can't make, like a car or a house. In those situations, Secured Loans are usually the only option out there, with the lender having a lien on your house or car. That seems to be a fair trade -- after all, they are, in a sense, the real owner of at least some portion of the property until you have fulfilled your end of the bargain, right?

Secured loans, though, are not the only sort of personal loans you might need. many loans are unsecured -- especially as we look at credit card debt, which has run rampant in modern society as folks are extended credit well beyond their means to ever pay back. These folks often then find themselves taking out a Debt Consolidation Loan in the hopes of lowering payments and interest rates, as well as extending the time one has to pay off the debt. This can be a great move -- provided one has the self-discipline to not run up additional debt while clearing up the old mess.

My advice? Borrow only when you have to, and only to the degree that you can afford to pay back. Otherwise you face bankruptcy -- with all the credit and personal implications that implies.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The evidence is clear and unambiguous -- Pope Pius XII actively worked to save Jews during the Holocaust, and was one of the few major voices in Europe who dared speak out against the oppression of the Jewish people at the time. Israel's founders, such as Golda Meir, knew that and spoke out in fervent praise of his efforts. The director of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial and museum documented those efforts, and estimated that the Catholic Church was responsible for saving nearly 900,000 Jews during WWII. So why this defamation of the late pontiff in Israel today?

The Vatican and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial got into a public spat Thursday over the wartime conduct of Pope Pius XII during the Nazi genocide, threatening to upset fragile relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish state.

Separately, church officials announced new developments Thursday in the Vatican's case to make Pius a saint. A massive dossier on Pius' virtues _ some six volumes of 3,000 pages _ was handed over to a panel of bishops and cardinals earlier this month to study, they said.

At issue in the Yad Vashem-Vatican dispute is a photograph of Pius in Yad Vashem's museum in Jerusalem with the caption: "Even when reports about the murder of Jews reached the Vatican, the pope did not protest," refusing to sign a 1942 Allied condemnation of the massacre of Jews during World War II.

Pius "maintained his neutral position" with two exceptions, the caption reads, criticizing "his silence and absence of guidelines." The exceptions were appeals to the rulers of Hungary and Slovakia toward the end of the war, the caption says.

The Vatican's ambassador to Israel, Monsignor Antonio Franco, confirmed Thursday that he would not attend Yad Vashem's annual memorial service for Holocaust victims next week because of the Pius photograph.

"I don't intend to go to Yad Vashem if things remain the way they do," he said.

The memorial service is traditionally attended by all foreign ambassadors to Israel or their representatives. Yad Vashem said this would mark the first case in which a foreign emissary deliberately skipped the ceremony.

Yad Vashem is "shocked and disappointed" by Franco's decision, said spokeswoman Iris Rosenberg.

I'm shocked and disappointed by Israel's decision to include a blood-libel against a man universally recognized as a friend of the Jews during the holocaust -- by both the Jews and the Nazis. I wish more ambassadors had the integrity to stay away from the memorial service in recognition that the exhibit defames a good and decent man who did more than any other world leader to safeguard those targeted for death by the Nazi genocide machine.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Stop the ACLU, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Is It Just Me?, The Virtuous Republic, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, , Rightlinx, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein... has no mercy, , Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, 123beta, Maggie's Notebook, Adam's Blog, basil's blog, Phastidio.net, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, , Jo's Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, stikNstein... has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 10:24 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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When I bought my house, I really came to view my agent with something akin to awe. She was good -- very good. Indeed, from my first contact with her on the phone to the day of closing, she performed nothing short of miracles -- and her level of organization astounded me. I've had similar reactions as I watch friends n real estate work at their profession.

Because after all, there is a lot to keep track of and do. There are contacts, listings, buyers, finances, appointments, and tasks that need to be dealt with on a daily basis just to keep the business of selling a property going. There are also flyers to create and letters to send. What you need is software package that serves as a date book, spreadsheet, file cabinet, word processor and graphics program all at the same time. Where can you find such a program -- and how much is it going to set you back financially?

Well, what you need is AgentOrganizer Real Estate Software. AgentOrganizer does all those tasks mentioned above, and for a reasonable sum. Best of all, it is simple to use, which means you don't need to be a computer genius to make it work for you.

Even better -- you can try AgentOrganizer out for free for 15 days, and I mean the full version, not just a stripped down sample.

Paid Endorsement.

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Beat John Cornyn? They must not be in much contact with reality – but then again, they wouldn’t be Democrats if they were.

On the Democrats' Senate campaign Web site, Texan John Cornyn is labeled the least popular U.S. senator in the crop of Republican incumbents running for re-election next year.

He's also identified as the administration's most loyal ally on Capitol Hill, which could be an uncomfortable title to wear at a time of flagging public confidence in President Bush and the war in Iraq.

But Democrats have yet to field a challenger or offer any sign that the race should be shifted out of the "solid Republican" category where political handicappers have it listed. Meanwhile, Cornyn is busily working to build a $20 million campaign war chest.

"If there were credible senior Democrats in Texas, this would be a race to look at," said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. "But I don't see that person on the horizon here in Texas."

Democrats in Austin and Washington insist they'll field an attractive candidate. And while their bench of proven statewide vote-getters is thin, the Democrats argue that the race will be made competitive by demographic and political trends that are inexorably weakening the GOP's dominance of Texas.

"Given his record, given his approval ratings, we do believe that John Cornyn is vulnerable and Texas Democrats are going to work to challenge him at every corner," Texas Democratic Party spokeswoman Amber Moon said.

Though party officials are reluctant to publicly discuss potential candidates, the names mentioned include former Comptroller John Sharp; state Rep. Rick Noriega, of Houston; state Rep. Pete Gallego, of Alpine; and Barbara Ann Radnofsky, the 2006 Senate nominee against Kay Bailey Hutchison. U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, who earned celebrity in his party for claiming the seat formerly held by Republican Tom DeLay, also has been mentioned, along with former U.S. Rep. Jim Turner, of Crockett.

There isn’t a single credible Democrat in the bunch mentioned – with perhaps one exception.

Radnofsky? She got crushed by Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Gallego? Good guy, but not a household name.

Sharp? Out of office for years – though his name ID is high due to being part of the Texas equivalent of the Kennedy family.

Lampson? Well, he does hold DeLay’s seat – but then again, he will actually have to face an opponent on the ballot if he runs for Senate against Cornyn. Besides, he has already been rejected by the voters of two Texas congressional districts, and is likely to lose the CD22 seat in 2008, when he will actually have a GOP opponent on the ballot in our heavily GOP district.

Indeed, there only one on that list who I find to be of potential concern is Rick Noriega, whose balancing of legislative responsibilities and his duty as an officer in the Reserves has earned him the respect of many of us on the GOP side of the aisle.

But Cornyn is very popular in this state, especially among Texas Republicans – more than Kay Bailey Hutchison, to be honest about it. And if Texans get to decide the outcome of this race, we will certainly reelect this former state Attorney General and former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court – and maybe send him to the White House in the future.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Stop the ACLU, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, Is It Just Me?, The Virtuous Republic, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, , Rightlinx, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, stikNstein... has no mercy, , Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, 123beta, Maggie's Notebook, Adam's Blog, basil's blog, Phastidio.net, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, , Jo's Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, stikNstein... has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Gone Hollywood, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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It’s one of those funny things about Mother Nature – she and her predators don’t give a bunny’s behind about whether a species is protected by environmental regulations or not.

Most of a group of 20 endangered rabbits that were reintroduced to the wild with great fanfare last month have been killed by predators, state officials said.

Only four of the rabbits released on March 13 remained at the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area as of Tuesday, said David Hays, pygmy rabbit coordinator for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Hays said two males were removed earlier this month and will be returned at the end of April. The other 14 rabbits are believed to have fallen victim to predators, mainly coyotes, but also hawks and owls, Hays said.

The rabbits, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, eat sagebrush and are the only rabbits in the United States that dig their own burrows.

The Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area, about 10 miles north of Ephrata, is considered the last native home of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit. The rabbit was listed as a state endangered species in 1993 and federally protected in 2003.

Wouldn’t this be an example of the law of “survival of the fittest” at work?

Posted by: Greg at 11:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'm not one who believes we need to return artifacts to their country of origin in the name of PC or anti-imperialism -- but given how this particular artifact came into private hands, I believe this is appropriate.

Locks of 3,200-year-old hair from the pharaoh Ramses II have been unveiled at the Egyptian Museum, returned to Egypt after being stolen 30 years ago in France and put up for sale on the Internet.

The small tufts of brown hair were displayed alongside pieces of linen bandages and 11 pieces of resin used in the mummification of Ramses and his son Merneptah in a glass display case. Photographers mobbed the case as Egypt's culture minister and antiquities chief showed off the returned items. The hair will eventually be displayed next to Ramses' mummy at the museum.

The theft was discovered when the pieces of hair were put up for sale on a Web site last November by a French postman, Jean-Michel Diebolt, who gave the hair a price tag of $2,600.

Diebolt is the son of a French researcher who examined the 3,200-year-old mummy when it was brought to France in 1976 for treatment to stop the spread of a rare fungus. Diebolt is being investigated in France for allegedly possessing stolen goods.

Egyptian antiquities official Ahmed Saleh traveled to Paris last week to retrieve the stolen items.

"It was wonderful mission. I felt very great when I had the lock of hair of Ramses II in my hand," said Saleh.

Ramses II, who ruled from 1270 to 1213 B.C., is one of ancient Egypt's most famous pharaohs, known for building some of its grandest monuments. Some believe him to be the pharaoh at the time of Moses.

This is clearly stolen property, by any definition. I therefore think it is proper to return the lock of hair to the Egyptians.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Now here's an education conundrum that I don't have an answer to.

Tatyana McFadden has spent the last two years fighting for inclusion. The 17-year-old Paralympic wheelchair racer wants a chance, she said, to compete like anybody else: alongside able-bodied teammates, with results that count for Atholton High School's track and field team.

And now, after so much work, she feels more ostracized than ever before.

What began as a disabled athlete's hopeful journey to break down barriers has evolved into an unsentimental debate about whether all barriers need to be broken down. McFadden considers her equal participation a civil right; many track athletes and coaches consider it an unnecessary threat to the integrity of their sport.

In March, McFadden filed a federal lawsuit demanding that the state of Maryland treat her the same as all athletes at the state track and field championships -- her second lawsuit in a year. In doing so, she has forced Maryland to consider how to best combine wheelchair races and runners, a dilemma that thousands of road races face each year. McFadden's court date has yet to be determined, but Maryland's track community already has rendered its verdict.

Teammates worry about safety while running on the track while McFadden is racing, reaching speeds up to 20 mph. Competitors think Atholton, a public school in Columbia, will dominate meets because of the points the high school junior would earn by racing in a wheelchair division that consists of only herself. On Internet message boards and in private conversations, runners pose various forms of the same question: For McFadden, who won two medals at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens and continues to travel the world to compete, is a spot on the high school track team worth this much tumult?

And to be honest, I don't have an answer to these questions -- and I'm glad I don't have to be the one to answer them. I'm throwing this one out for you folks to discuss -- what do you think?

Posted by: Greg at 10:57 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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A literary legend passes.

Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Cat’s Cradle” and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” caught the temper of his times and the imagination of a generation, died last night in Manhattan. He was 84 and had homes in Manhattan and in Sagaponack on Long Island.

Mr. Vonnegut suffered irreversible brain injuries as a result of a fall several weeks ago, according to his wife, Jill Krementz.

Mr. Vonnegut wrote plays, essays and short fiction. But it was his novels that became classics of the American counterculture, making him a literary idol, particularly to students in the 1960s and Â’70s. Dog-eared paperback copies of his books could be found in the back pockets of blue jeans and in dorm rooms on campuses throughout the United States.

My personal favorite among the works of Kurt Vonnegut -- which I commend to you as my form of tribute to the great author -- is Harrison Bergeron.

Posted by: Greg at 10:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Cooperative Bank is a consumer led, ethically driven bank in the UK. It offers a wide array of options for its customers, and has a variety of bank account offerings for its online customers.

The Cooperative Bank offers its customers a choice of both debit and ATM cards with a £250 a day limit for cash machine withdrawals and the ability to pay for purchases using the cards. Customers can get customer service by internet and by telephone 24 hours a day.

One of the neat things, though, is that the bank operates on the following principles.

Through our investments, we seek to support the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In line with this, we will not invest in:

* any government or business which fails to uphold basic human rights within its sphere of influence.
* any business whose links to an oppressive regime are a continuing cause for concern.

Now I would be interested in understanding a little bit better how they make the determinations about the regimes deemed "oppressive", but presuming they are acting in an ethical fashion I believe that I could actively support that policy. I'm a little bit less excited about certain other aspects of their ethical policy, but fully support the right of consumers to seek out services from businesses that follow their moral values.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This has to be seen as a hopeful sign -- Senator Tim Johnson is well enough for his staff to begin planning for his return.

Aides to Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) have begun making structural changes to the space in his Hart Senate Office building suites in anticipation of his return to the Capitol following a serious illness. They are widening walkways so that the offices will be accessible by wheel chair.

Julianne Fisher, Johnson's spokeswoman, sent a memo to all Democratic press secretaries today explaining the changes to come, while tamping down expectations of when he will return from his rehabilitation after suffering a brain hemorrhage in a mid-December while on a conference call to South Dakota reporters. Johnson, according to Fisher, is still undergoing in-patient rehabilitation and must shift to out-patient rehab before he can return to work.

But the decision to restructure the office is the clearest sign yet that Johnson is recovering enough to return to the Senate, where his absence has left the Democrats with a razor-thin 50-49 majority. Had he declared he was incapable of returning to work, a Republican governor would have replaced Johnson for the remainder of his term through 2008, creating the potential for the Senate to be 50-50 and flip back to Republican control because of Vice President Cheney's tie-breaking vote.

Let's continue to pray for the Senator's recovery.

Posted by: Greg at 10:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Would you believe that, except for health insurance secured through my employer, I've been with the same insurance company for nearly 30 years? Really, I have been.

My father was in the military when I was a kid, so when I turned 16 my father immediately got me car insurance through the same military-oriented insuarnce company that he used. I've just never switched, given that every time I've looked the rates have been better than any of the companies out there -- even the one with the cute lizard mascot.

So when I got Home Insurance, i immediately wen with them -- and have, on balance, been happy with the same old company, which beats everyone else by over $100 every year.

Now I don't get travel insurance because I don't travel, nor do I get pet insurance for our dearest doggie due tot he availability of a wellness plan with our vet. But i don't doubt that my favorite company would best meet my needs, including the great claims service I've come to expect.

Still, it is important to shop around for good insurance.

Paid Endorsement.

Posted by: Greg at 10:38 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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MSNBC has fired Don Imus -- will CBS follow?

NBC News dropped Don Imus yesterday, canceling his talk show on its MSNBC cable news channel a week after Mr. Imus made racially disparaging remarks about the Rutgers University womenÂ’s basketball team.

The move came after several days of widening calls for Mr. Imus to lose his job both on MSNBC, which simulcasts the “Imus in the Morning” show, and CBS Radio, which originates the show.

CBS Radio, which is Mr. ImusÂ’s main employer, said in a statement last night that it would stick by the two-week suspension of the program, which begins Monday, that it and NBC news announced earlier.

But CBS said it would, in the interim, “continue to speak with all concerned parties and monitor the situation closely.”

The demands that Mr. Imus be fired had grown in intensity every day since last Wednesday when he made the comments, in which he labeled the women “nappy-headed hos.”

And ultimately, this is how things should work -- the market, not the government, has demanded the removal of Don Imus. He has the right to say as many stupid things as he wants, but no right to a privately-owned forum to spew them. The government can't punish you for your speech, but your employer can.

Posted by: Greg at 10:35 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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I love playing on my computer. I didn't really know anything about the game when I first started, but as I went along, I was able to pick up the various techniques of Mahjong Solitaire and become pretty proficient at it.

Now mahjong itself is an ancient Chinese game that dates back many centuries -- and it has been adapted into a solitaire game which has been made very popular on computers. A grid of 144 tiles is established, each with a different design on it. The goal? To match pairs, removing them from the board until it is empty or there are no more exposed tiles to match up. It makes for an interesting variation on many of the solitaire games out there, and also on the traditional game of mahjong played with partners.

Interested in more? Give Mahjong Solitaire a try!

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Charges in the Duke case have now been dropped due to a "tragic rush to accuse" – and the attack has been determined to have never happened.

Prosecutors dropped all charges Wednesday against the three Duke lacrosse players accused of sexually assaulting a stripper at a party, saying the athletes were innocent victims of a "tragic rush to accuse" by an overreaching district attorney.

"There were many points in the case where caution would have served justice better than bravado," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a blistering assessment of Durham County District Mike Nifong's handling of the case.

Cooper, who took over the case after Nifong was charged with ethics violations that could get him disbarred, said his own investigation concluded not only that the evidence against the young men was insufficient, but that no attack took place.

If this determination does not give rise to some sort of civil rights action against Nifong and civil damages for the actual victims in this case, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, then justice will not have been done.

And we need criminal charges brought against the false accuser – and that includes an end to the media practice of not naming this liar whose criminal actions have forever harmed these three INNOCENT young men and their teammates.

CRYSTAL GAIL MANGUM
LIAR

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Stem-cells have been used to stop dependence on insulin by a group of Type 1 diabetics in a recent study.

Diabetics using stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to produce the hormone naturally again.

In a breakthrough trial, 15 young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes were given drugs to suppress their immune systems followed by transfusions of stem cells drawn from their own blood.

The results show that insulin-dependent diabetics can be freed from reliance on needles by an injection of their own stem cells. The therapy could signal a revolution in the treatment of the condition, which affects more than 300,000 Britons.

People with type 1 diabetes have to give themselves regular injections to control blood-sugar levels, as their ability to create the hormone naturally is destroyed by an immune disorder.

And please note – this is not embryonic stem-cell therapy. Rather it is a therapy using the [patient’s own stem-cells to stimulate production of insulin. We are still waiting for embryonic stem-cells to produce ANY therapies for ANY condition, while adult stem-cells are proving quite efficacious.

But as a Type 2 diabetic, IÂ’m waiting to see if this will translate over to my condition, freeing me from the need to take my medication.

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One has to wonder if this will impact his decision on the 2008 presidential race – and the level of support that he will draw.

Former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson told FOX News on Wednesday that he's in remission from lymphoma cancer.

The "Law & Order" star who is considering a run for the White House in 2008, said he was diagnosed with indolent lymphoma in 2004 after a routine physical. He said the cancer is "fortunately a good kind if you can ever call something like that a good kind" and treatable.

"I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms. My life expectancy should not be affected. I am in remission, and it is very treatable with drugs if treatment is needed in the future — and with no debilitating side effects," Thompson said in a personal commentary following the interview.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year doctors will diagnose about 63,000 new cases of indolent lymphoma, a slow-growing type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, the part of the body that helps regulate the immune system.

Thompson has a favorable prognosis, said Dr. Bruce Cheson of Georgetown University Hospital. Thompson had been on a cancer therapy called Rituxan, but is not currently in treatment.

Now let’s be real clear here – this is not a form of cancer that is life threatening. Indeed, according to doctors it is more likely that Thompson will die of old age than of the cancer. But the specter of the “C Word” may be sufficient to cool the ardor of many conservatives towards a Thompson candidacy. We’ll have to wait and see if this turns out to be the case.

And regardless, we all need to keep Fred Thompson in prayer.

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Finally, and much too late, action is being taken against Texas Youth Commission employees who sexually preyed upon their charges.

A West Texas grand jury on Tuesday indicted two former administrators of a Texas Youth Commission lockup on multiple sex abuse charges, ending two years of inactivity in a case that has sparked an overhaul of the state's juvenile correctional system.

"It's about time," said Marc Slattery, a volunteer math teacher who first alerted a Texas Ranger to sex abuse complaints at the school.

The suspects, Ray Brookins and John Paul Hernandez, both 41, were indicted on charges of sexually abusing six youths, ages 16-19, who were incarcerated at the West Texas State School in Pyote in 2004 and 2005.

Brookins, the facility's former assistant superintendent, was arrested at his home in Austin and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Hernandez, the facility's former principal, was arrested at his parents' home in Fort Stockton; his bail was set at $600,000.

My question -- why did it take so long, and why were these reports covered up for so long? Who will be held responsible for those delays?

If you read the article, you will see the scandal goes deeper still.

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Will we finally see professional sports get serious about the thuggishness of some of the players?

The National Football League yesterday delivered the crackdown on criminal conduct by its players that it had promised. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire 2007 season and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry for the first half of it. The league also announced a strengthened conduct policy that empowers Goodell to banish a player permanently for repeated offenses and punish a team for misbehavior by its employees.

"We have long had policies and programs designed to encourage responsible behavior, and this policy is a further step in ensuring that everyone who is part of the NFL meets that standard," Goodell said in a written statement issued by the league. "We will continue to review the policy and modify it as warranted."

The issue became a priority for the NFL after at least 35 players were arrested in the first 11 1/2 months of last year, bringing waves of negative publicity for the country's most popular sport and making the game's leaders wary that sponsors and business partners could look for other places to spend their money. The trend of off-field misconduct has continued since, with approximately 15 more arrests.

I think this is a good move on the part of the NFL, as increasing lawlessness among a handful of players has begun to tarnish the image of the league as a whole. And as I've seen since one of my former students was drafted by the Detroit lions a few years ago (and since the Houston Texans came to town), most players are really good, decent individuals with high standards for their personal conduct -- but their wholesome lifestyles don't get the coverage that folks like Jones and Goodell draw for their criminal conduct.

My hope is that other professional sports follow this example -- especially the NBA, where players seeking "street cred" has led to any number of unfortunate incidents in recent years.

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If there is any justice in North Carolina, that will happen today.

The three defendants in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case and their families arrived in the area late Tuesday in expectation of an announcement from the state attorney general clearing them of all charges, one of the defense lawyers said.

“I am very comfortable what will happen when the attorney general makes the announcement,” said Joseph B. Cheshire, a lawyer for David F. Evans, one of three former Duke University students accused of sexual offense and kidnapping in a March 2006 lacrosse team party.

Another defense lawyer, James P. Cooney III, said the families were arriving so they would not have to travel at the last minute for an announcement. The lawyers declined to say if they had received assurances from the attorney generalÂ’s office.

The attorney general, Roy A. Cooper, and his spokeswoman could not be reached Tuesday night. Earlier, the spokeswoman, Noelle Talley, said it was possible the office would hold a news conference today culminating its three-month investigation.

Mr. Cheshire said the defendants and their families were all arriving and planned to hold a news conference of their own within an hour of the attorney generalÂ’s announcement.

On the other hand, the announcement -- if one is coming -- could be later this week.

The three men indicted in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case could learn this week whether state prosecutors plan to bring them to trial or drop the charges, a person close to the case said Tuesday.

The attorney general's office, which has said for several weeks it was close to completing its investigation since taking the case from the district attorney, has wrapped up additional interviews, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on a condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has not been made.

A spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office said Tuesday no announcement in the case was scheduled. No motions or court papers were filed in the case on Tuesday.

Real justice won't happen, however, until the false accuser is charged, tried, and convicted for her lies, and the corrupt DA is disbarred and jailed for his violations of the civil rights of these young men -- yeah, that's right, wealthy white guys have civil rights too, folks.

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Short of cash? Need to pay bills or otherwise get your finances together? Well, you might consider the possibility that unsecured or secured personal loans might be the answer to your situation.

Now there are any number of ways you can go when seeking loans. it may be that you have equity in your home, so you could qualify for a variety of homeowner loans that draw on the value of your biggest asset -- your home. Or perhaps there are other sorts of personal loans available for you -- short-term, middle-term, or long-term -- that will help you deal with your need. Maybe the issue is medical bills or unexpected expenses around the home or related to your career -- borrowing can be a solution.

However, remember one simple rule -- don't borrow more than you can afford to repay. bankruptcy isn't a good idea, nor is cutting back to pay of excess debt any fun. So use your head before your borrow.

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Do we really need a scientific formula for the perfect bacon sandwich?

Should it be slithery or scrunchy, glutinous or grilled? The answer, British scientists say, may be divined by a formula: N = C + {fb(cm) · fb(tc)} + fb(Ts) + fc · ta.

That is the scientific answer to the question: what makes the perfect bacon sandwich?

And, no, it is not April 1.

Researchers at Leeds University spent more than 1,000 hours testing 700 variants on the traditional bacon sandwich, which many Britons refer to as a bacon butty (eschewing the term sandwich, said to have been coined to honor the fourth Earl of SandwichÂ’s habit of eating meat between slices of bread around 1762).

For Britons, butties come in a variety of guises — chip butties (French fries between slices of bread), crisp butties (ditto with potato chips) or even sugar butties, which are self-explanatory. None are viewed as especially healthful.

Bacon and sugar?????

And the results?

The research combined four types of cooking, using grills, pans and ovens, three kinds of oil and four types of bacon — smoked, unsmoked, streaky and thick cut — to establish the preferences of 50 tasters in such matters as the butty’s tactile and aural crunchiness. The study also considered a broad range of condiments (like ketchup and brown sauce) and spreads.

It concluded that the best bacon butties were made with crisply grilled, not-too-fat bacon between thick slices of white bread.

Eureka!

“We often think that it’s the taste and smell of bacon that consumers find most attractive,” Dr. Clayton said in a news release. “But our research proves that texture and sound is just, if not more, important.”

Crispy bacon, thick bread? Sounds like breakfast to me!

Posted by: Greg at 10:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Are you a Christian looking for a special partner?

If you are, you may need some help if your church has a demographic like mine.

Meeting a Christian single there would be difficult -- we pretty well break down into older retired couples who have been at the church forever and young couples with kids, mostly new to the neighborhood. We just don't have many single twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings.

That's why Christian Singles Sites ar a good thing -- not every congregation (especially small ones) is a great place to meet a mate, even if you are getting your spiritual needs met.

So look around -- maybe there is a Christian Singles Site out there where you can meet a true soul mate.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:30 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Horrors! Between a draft version of a report and the final version, editorial changes were made that reflect the truth on the subject matter -- and The New York Times smells a scandal.

A federal panel responsible for conducting election research played down the findings of experts who concluded last year that there was little voter fraud around the nation, according to a review of the original report obtained by The New York Times.

Instead, the panel, the Election Assistance Commission, issued a report that said the pervasiveness of fraud was open to debate.

The revised version echoes complaints made by Republican politicians, who have long suggested that voter fraud is widespread and justifies the voter identification laws that have been passed in at least two dozen states.

Democrats say the threat is overstated and have opposed voter identification laws, which they say disenfranchise the poor, members of minority groups and the elderly, who are less likely to have photo IDs and are more likely to be Democrats.

Though the original report said that among experts “there is widespread but not unanimous agreement that there is little polling place fraud,” the final version of the report released to the public concluded in its executive summary that “there is a great deal of debate on the pervasiveness of fraud.”

The topic of voter fraud, usually defined as people misrepresenting themselves at the polls or improperly attempting to register voters, remains a lively division between the two parties. It has played a significant role in the current Congressional investigation into the Bush administrationÂ’s firing of eight United States attorneys, several of whom, documents now indicate, were dismissed for being insufficiently aggressive in pursuing voter fraud cases.

The problem, of course, is that there is a great deal of debate over the pervasiveness of such fraud -- especially given a number of recent prosecutions for election fraud and certain irregularities in predominantly DemocratICK communities regarding the number of votes cast and the security of ballots. Part of the problem comes down to one of definition, and part of it relates to the question of how one defines "pervasive" -- and whether one considers voter fraud that impacts election results to be a serious problem worth even looking at.

One interesting change is this one.

The original report said most experts believe that “false registration forms have not resulted in polling place fraud,” but the final report cites “registration drives by nongovernmental groups as a source of fraud.”

Well let's consider that for just a minute. It may well be argued that fake registrations coming from such registration drives are caught by election officials, but the fact that groups such as ACORN have a long track record of submitting fake registrations is of concern -- and is an example of attempted election fraud.

Oh, and by the way, let's consider a little comment by one of the Democrats on the commission.

Gracia Hillman, the Democratic commissioner who voted in favor of releasing the final report, said she did not believe that the editing of the report was politically motivated or overly extensive.

“As a federal agency, our responsibility is to ensure that the research we produce is fully verified,” Ms. Hillman said. “Some of the points made in the draft report made by the consultants went beyond what we felt comfortable with.”

Which raises a question -- is the report the responsibility of the commission, or the consultants? And if the answer is "the consultants", why do we have the commission in the first place?

No scandal here -- but I'm willing to bet that we will continue to see efforts to create one by partisan Democrats interested in making one more attack on the Bush Administration.

Posted by: Greg at 10:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When we bought our house six years ago, we were very fortunate. We went with a mortgage broker who was based in our real estate agent's office. Since i really didn't know anything about Mortgages when I started, it was probably a good thing for me. She found me a 30-year mortgage at a fixed rate comparable to other mortgages out there -- but with no money down because I'm a teacher. best of all, it was underwritten by a major national bank, so I knew it was reputable. Indeed, she even managed to get my rate knocked down an additional 1/8 of a point in the hours before closing due to a market fluctuation.

That doesn't mean that everything was perfect. Everyone missed the fact that my school district taxes through the neighboring county, not the county where the house is located. The result -- they missed $1200 in property taxes annually, which resulted in a $200 increase in my mortgage payment the second year as I struggled to get my escrow account up to where it was supposed to be as well as paying the full tax bill! So while she got me a great loan, the oversight ended up putting a squeeze on the budget for the first couple of years in the house.

Now would I look at remortgages for my house? No -- the rate is still good and my equity and income are not where they would need to be for me to shorten my loan term. And while I liked my broker, I wouldn't be using her again after the error.

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The Madman of Teheran is boasting of his nation's outlaw nuclear program making strides towards "peaceful nuclear power" and nuclear weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Monday that Iran was now capable of producing nuclear fuel on an "industrial scale" in an expansion of the uranium enrichment program that the United Nations has demanded it halt.

The announcement suggests Iran has succeeded in operating a larger number of centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran.

Asked if Iran has begun injecting uranium gas into 3,000 centrifuges for enrichment, top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani replied, “Yes.” He did not elaborate, but it was the first confirmation that Iran had installed the larger set of centrifuges after months of saying it intends to do so. Until now, Iran was only known to have 328 centrifuges operating.

When will the world act to stop him?

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I guess the Second Amendment of the Constitution is a little bit inconvenient for them, so they want it overruled.

Attorneys for the District sought yesterday to preserve the city's gun-control law, asking a federal appeals court to reconsider a recent decision that called some restrictions unconstitutional.

The District urged the full appeals court to review the ruling made last month by a three-judge panel. The 2 to 1 decision declared that the Second Amendment grants a person the right to possess firearms and struck down a part of the D.C. law that bars people from keeping handguns in homes.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) vowed to fight the decision, and yesterday he was at the courthouse for the filing of a petition seeking a full review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Flanked by Attorney General Linda Singer, Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and Marion Barry (D-Ward , Fenty said the District cannot afford to accept a ruling that would increase the number of guns in the city.

"More guns quite simply leads to more violence," Fenty said.

In seeking another layer of review, the District argued that the case deals with "questions of exceptional importance" and noted that the decision creates conflicts in federal case law that must be resolved.

In a related development, Mayor Fenty and other city officials asked that the court also declare that the right of the people to peaceably assemble and the right of the people to be secure in their homes and their papers -- rights added to the Constitution at the same time as the right to keep and bear arms as a part of the so-called "Bill of Rights" -- apply only to government bodies and not to individual citizens, noting that applying such rights to individual citizens would do nothing besides protect criminals and rabble-rousers, leading to further disorder within the city.

Posted by: Greg at 10:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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As a history teacher, I'm not just interested in the broader historical perspectives of world and American history. I'm also interested in my personal history -- where does my family come from, and where do i fit in the great scheme of the American fabric and the tapestry of the world.

When my cousins and I did our research some years ago, we found some interesting facts -- like which of bunch of siblings were secretly baptized Catholic by their father and which member of the older generation was born only five months after her parents married. We also found a cousin who had traced the family tree back to Germany in the 1500s -- and the nineteenth century traveling peddler who had at least two wives, at opposite ends of his route.

Well, that work was hard, especially as we overlapped with each other in our research and worked the project at some distance from each other. I wish we had access to Tribal Junction.

At Tribal Junction you can create a family tree that actually grows and connects itself to other family trees as you and others find the link. Your little family sapling can quickly become a branch of a giant redwood tree of relatives. That keeps you from having to re-trace branches found by others -- because you are already connected in to the larger family tree!

When you add to additional user features like group email, automated notifications, and customizable user profiles, you find yourself with an incredible range of options for connecting with others and communicating with the family you know -- and the family you are going to discover. That certainly puts you well-ahead of the other family tree sites -- sites which hold back information, don't link with other, related family tree, and are simply much more difficult to use.

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Posted by: Greg at 10:40 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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But wait -- they are going to let him finish out the week before starting the "punishment" for his racial slur.

MSNBC and CBS have decided to suspend Don Imus for two weeks following his reference last week to members of the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."

MSNBC first announced it would suspend telecasting Imus' radio program for two weeks, beginning next Monday.

A short time later, CBS announced it will suspend its broadcast of Imus' radio program for two weeks.

MSNBC said Imus' regret at making the inappropriate comment and his stated dedication to changing the show's discourse made it believe this was the appropriate response.

"Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word," the network said.

Imus, who has made a career of cranky insults in the morning, was fighting for his job Monday following the joke that by his own admission went "way too far."

Excuse me, but I can't help but ask where the joke was -- there was nothing remotely funny about the comment that was both racist and misogynistic. But then again, very little is amusing about Imus' show -- though certain politicians are more than willing to appear despite the host's history of insensitive remarks. Even yesterday, Harold Ford, Jr. was willing to appear in an attempt to rehabilitate Imus.

But let me raise this question -- if MSNBC and CBS radio are really trying to punish Imus, why the delay in implementing the suspension? If they really disapprove, why not act swiftly?

And to the members of the black community who were offended by the comments made by Don Imus, I ask this -- why are you willing to accept members of your won community insulting women as "hos", or accept them spewing the most vile of racial epithets as a part of the rap/hip-hop culture?

Posted by: Greg at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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My parents have a big anniversary coming up -- I won't give the number -- and I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a possible gift for the folks. I'll be honest with you -- they are not easy to buy for, given that they are in their 70s and really have their lives set up the way they want. Indeed, flowers have failed, food gifts are out for health reasons, and I'm still not sure that Dad has figured out how to program the VCR yet.

But this might just be a gift for them, because my folks do enjoy having fun, and have a very active social life with a fun circle of friends -- they may be retired, but certainly are not retiring.

And this would be the ticket for them. Executive Gaming Monthly offers a casino game of the month club! We could get them the gift of fun, one they could share with their friends.

What games would I get for them? Well, I suppose that blackjack would be fun for them to play at home, just like in Vegas. We could follow it up the next month with a roulette wheel -- imagine the fun that they could have with the neighbors or even the grandkids! And i seem to recall that my Dad had a hot run at craps some years ago -- perhaps he'd like to relive the experience with a gaming set-up of his own Imagine the possibilities -- those would be my first three choices for them.

And then there's my brother's birthday...

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That is a very important question being faced by churches as sex offenders seek to become members of their congregations. Christ enjoins us to forgive and accept the repentance of sinners -- but what does that mean when those sinners have a history of preying upon children?

On a marquee outside and on a banner inside, Pilgrim United Church of Christ proclaims, “All are welcome.” Sustained by the belief that embracing all comers is a living example of Christ’s love, Pilgrim now faces a profound test of faith.

In late January, Mark Pliska, 53, told the congregation here that he had been in prison for molesting children but that he sought a place to worship and liked the atmosphere at Pilgrim.

Mr. PliskaÂ’s request has plunged the close-knit congregation into a painful discussion about applying faith in a difficult real-world situation. Congregants now wonder, are all truly welcome? If they are, how do you ensure the safety of children and the healing of adult survivors of sexual abuse? Can an offender who accepts Christ truly change?

“I think what we have been through is a loss of innocence,” said the Rev. Madison Shockley, Pilgrim’s minister. “People think of church as an idyllic paradise, and I think that is a great part of that loss.”

I'd love to say that I know what I would do in such a situation -- but I don't. And i say that as a former Catholic seminarian, married to a former UCC pastor. Forgiveness is the easy part, but dare we trust such individuals, even with the most strict limits placed upon them? Indeed, within the denomination in which I was raised, it was a willingness to forgive and trust too easily that led to a scandal that has shaken Catholicism -- and society as a whole.

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It's Adios Reality.

Well, maybe not entirely fro a couple of stars of "As the World Turns". You see, CBS is giving away $5000 and a visit from Austin Peck and Terri Columbino as a part of their "Win a Day With Brad & Katie" contest. And when those two celebrities show at your house, they are going to do you least favorite household chores for you! Click here to enter the contest -- and start preparing your dirtiest job for your celebrity guests.

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It has been three years.

Two years ago, Matt Maupin was a typical American young man.

He worked at Sam's Club.

He was attending college, majoring in nutritional science.

He worked out at Powerhouse Gym.

He had a dog named Fibi.

He drove a Mustang.

And in February, 2004, he was deployed to Iraq with the 724th Transportation Company.

Six weeks later, on April 9, 2004, he was guarding a civilian convoy that was ambushed by so-called insurgents -- terrorists, to call them by their proper name -- and was captured. He is the only American to have been captured in Iraq.

The Pittsburgh Times-Review has a great piece about the Maupin family and their experiences over the last year-and-a-half. I encourage you to read it.

I also encourage you to copy my little PhotoShop project above and put it on your site.

For we must never forget Matt Maupin, a typical American young man, who fell into the hands of the enemy while fighting for this country and the freedom of the Iraqi people.

And we must make sure that Sgt. Matt Maupin returns home with honor -- an American hero.

Please feel free to use the badge to honor Sgt. Matt Maupin.

Here are a couple of great articles marking the anniversary.

Posted by: Greg at 11:09 PM | Comments (41) | Add Comment
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This guy needs to be D-E-A-D -- dead.

Moktada al-Sadr, the rebellious Shiite cleric and power broker, exhorted Iraqi security forces on Sunday to unite with his militiamen against the American military in Diwaniya, an embattled southern city in Iraq where fighting has raged for three days.

Mr. SadrÂ’s statement did not explicitly call for armed struggle against the Americans, but it still represented his most forceful condemnation of the American-led occupation since he went underground after the start of an intensified Baghdad security crackdown nearly two months ago. It also came as his followers streamed out of Baghdad and other cities to join a mass protest in southern Iraq organized by Mr. SadrÂ’s aides to denounce the American occupation of Iraq on Monday, the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The arteries winding to Najaf, the holy city where Mr. Sadr has his headquarters, were clogged with vehicles carrying protesters

* * *

The strife that is taking place in Diwaniya was planned by the occupier to drag down the brothers and make them quarrel, fight and even kill each other,” Mr. Sadr said in a written statement. “Oh my brothers in the Mahdi Army and my brothers in the security forces, stop fighting and killing because that is what our enemy and your enemy and even God’s enemy hope for.”

Mr. Sadr added: “God ordered you to be patient and to unite your efforts against the enemy and not against the sons of Iraq. They want to drag you into a war that ends Shiitism and Islam, but they cannot.”

He's declared his enmity against the United States -- treat him as such.

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