May 31, 2007

Economic Growth Slows For First Time Since 9/11

Let's just call it the Pelosi/Reid slowdown -- after all, the Rush economic policies enacted by a GOP Congress have resulted in a steadily growing economy during his term (excluding the immediate aftermath of 9/11). Now that the Democrats have taken charge of both the House and Senate, the economy has slowed and appears to be heading for a recession.

The government cut in half its estimate of economic growth in the first quarter, reporting the slowest rate of expansion since the end of 2002.

Before todayÂ’s numbers were released by the Commerce Department, it was clear the economy was downshifting from the rapid 5.6 percent expansion of the first quarter last year. But the new data reinforced how significant the slowdown has been.

Growth advanced just 0.6 percent, compared with an initial estimate of 1.3 percent. IThe chief reasons for the revisions were adjustments to the estimates of imports and business inventories. Imports, which subtract from the gross domestic product, were stronger than the government first thought. At the same time, businesses cut production and accumulated smaller inventory stockpiles.

Despite the adjustments to the growth figures, inflation in the first quarter was essentially unrevised. Prices excluding food and energy, a measure preferred by the Federal Reserve, advanced by 2.2 percent in the first quarter, still above what the central bank has said it considers acceptable.

While there is still optimism among economists, I'm sure that continued bad-talking of the American economy can produce a recession in no time --and will certainly do so if the policies proposed by the current crop of Democrats running for the White House get adopted.

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Write Quickly

I want to write a book. No, not a scholarly work of history or a weighty tome of political opinions. Heck, 'm not even talking about making my blog into a book -- who would pay for what is already free?

No, I want to write a novel. Science fiction, in particular. yeah, that's right -- I'm one of those geeky guys. And no, I'm not talking about the sort of thing written by Heinlein or L. Neil Smith, weighted down with political meaning and philosophy backed up with good story-telling. No, I just want to write something fun and pleasurable to read. I think the best word for such a book might be "escapist literature."

The problem is that I don't know where to begin. Heck, it is a lot different than writing this blog, with its relatively short component pieces. I'd need to plot out a story develop some good characters, and then actually get around to writing the darn thing!. That sounds like a heck of a lot of work to me.

Now I just came across a website that claims to be able to teach me how to write a book in just 28 days. What's more, it claims that I can do this while writing only one single hour a day -- and in bursts of no more than five minutes. Frankly, I find such a claim intriguing. I'm also intrigued by the money-back guarantee if you don't have a publishing contract within three months.

Why don't you drop by WriteQuickly.com and take a look -- and then tell me what you think.

Posted by: Greg at 11:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Iraq Sunnis Rejecting Al-Qaeda

As the terrorist strategy of murdering innocent civilians begins to backfire against them, Iraqis are increasingly seeking American help to take their country back.

U.S. troops battled al-Qaida in west Baghdad on Thursday after Sunni Arab residents challenged the militants and called for American help to end furious gunfire that kept students from final exams and forced people in the neighborhood to huddle indoors.

Backed by helicopter gunships, U.S. troops joined the two-day battle in the Amariyah district, according to a councilman and other residents of the Sunni district.

The fight reflects a trend that U.S. and Iraqi officials have been trumpeting recently to the west in Anbar province, once considered the heartland of the Sunni insurgency. Many Sunni tribes in the province have banded together to fight al-Qaida, claiming the terrorist group is more dangerous than American forces.

Will we abandon the Iraqi people right as those most opposed to us are coming over to our side -- and as we are seeing more and more operational success against the enemy?

Posted by: Greg at 11:43 PM | Comments (247) | Add Comment
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Instant-Hypnosis.com

Remember when I told you guys about the kid in my college speech class? You know, the one who looked like Sanjaya from American Idol. man, was he ever sold on the benefits of "self-hypnosis" for purposes of self-improvement. I laughed then, but over two decades later he is the guy I remember.

Well, I still flash back to that speech nearly a quarter century ago when i see stuff about this site for hypnosis downloads And what's more, the folks at Instant-Hypnosis.com really want you to try their material. Their offer? Two free hypnosis sessions for you! And since all sessions come with a money-back guarantee, you do not pay a thing for any session with which you are not completely satisfied. That, my friends, is a sign of confidence in one's product, being prepared to give up every penny with the assurance that one's customers will be happy enough enough to stay with the program in the future!

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Oppose Genocide In Darfur? No Coke For You!

That seems to be the position of the genocide-denying Sudanese ambassador to the United States. And i love Dana Milbank's nickname for this creep -- Khartoum Karl!

Now, the genocidal Sudanese government has an entry in this category. Let's call him Khartoum Karl.

Karl -- a.k.a. John Ukec Lueth Ukec, the Sudanese ambassador to Washington -- held a news conference at the National Press Club yesterday to respond to President Bush's new sanctions against his regime. In his hour-long presentation, he described a situation in his land that bore no relation to reality.

Genocide in the Darfur region? "The United States is the only country saying that what is happening in Darfur is a genocide," Ukec shouted, gesticulating wildly and perspiring from his bald crown. "I think this is a pretext."

Ah. So what about the more than 400,000 dead? "See how many people are dying in Darfur: None," he said.

And the 2 million displaced? "I am not a statistician."

Khartoum Karl went on to say that, all evidence to the contrary, his government does not support the murderous Janjaweed militia. "It cannot happen," he said, "so rule it out." As for the Sudanese regime itself: "We are the agents of peace, people like me, my colleagues who are in the central government of Sudan."

What's more, the good and peaceful leaders of Sudan were prepared to retaliate massively: They would cut off shipments of the emulsifier gum arabic, thereby depriving the world of cola.

"I want you to know that the gum arabic which runs all the soft drinks all over the world, including the United States, mainly 80 percent is imported from my country," the ambassador said after raising a bottle of Coca-Cola.

A reporter asked if Sudan was threatening to "stop the export of gum arabic and bring down the Western world."

"I can stop that gum arabic and all of us will have lost this," Khartoum Karl warned anew, beckoning to the Coke bottle. "But I don't want to go that way."

Personally, I'm willing to give up my soda fix -- it isn't particularly good for me. i wonder, though, how my Coca-Cola swilling spouse would respond to this development? I suspect she would be in the streets demanding massive retaliation.

Posted by: Greg at 04:34 AM | Comments (293) | Add Comment
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A License To Ill?

This case certainly concerns me because of the public health issues it raises.

A man who may have exposed passengers and crew members on two trans-Atlantic flights earlier this month to a highly drug-resistant form of tuberculosis knew he was infected, and had been advised by health officials not to travel overseas.

The man flew to Paris from his home in Atlanta on May 12 for his wedding and honeymoon, even though health officials told him they “preferred” that he not get on the flight, he said in an interview published today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Days later, while he was in Italy, he was contacted by officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and was told that he had a rare and potentially virulent form of the disease and should turn himself over to Italian health authorities immediately.

Officials of the centers said at a news conference today that they had begun to make arrangements with the Italian authorities to isolate and treat the man in Rome. But instead of cooperating with the plans, the man traveled to the Czech Republic and took a flight from Prague to Montreal.

He said in the published interview that he did that in the belief that he had been put on a no-fly list and would not be allowed to board a flight bound for the United States.

From Canada, he drove to the United States, and then turned himself in at a tuberculosis isolation hospital in New York City.

This is precisely the sort of entitlement-fueled arrogance that allowed the AIDS epidemic to spread -- the idea that the public does not have the right to be protected against highly communicable diseases because of the purported right of the plague carrier to be free of limitations on their freedom, the rest of society be damned. Knowing that he was ill and carrying the disease, we have a guy knowingly and intentionally exposing hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people to a didease that is drug-resistant and can kill its victims.

And the ACLU wants to make such a self-indulgent "license to ill" the law of the land in America. Just look at this suit.

A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union alleges that Maricopa County officials have violated the rights of a quarantined tuberculosis patient for months by treating him as a criminal.

The U.S. District Court complaint on behalf of Robert Daniels alleges health officials and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office have violated numerous constitutional rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The suit asks that Daniels be housed in appropriate accommodations, rather than the severe and "inhumane" jail conditions.

"It's good news for me," Daniels said Wednesday evening. "I finally have a chance to get out of this black hole."

Robert England, the county's tuberculosis control officer, declined comment. Other county health officials were not immediately available.

Daniels, 27, has been isolated in a jail ward at Maricopa Medical Center for 10 months under court order, although he was not convicted or charged with any crime.

Linda Cosme, an attorney for Daniels, said her client has been victimized by constitutional violations. "Robert is helpless," she added. "And he's at the mercy of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He needs as much support as possible, and the ACLU is supplying that support."

Arpaio said Daniels is confined under court order, and must abide by security measures. "I run a safe jail, and he's going to be treated like anyone else," he said.

The problem is that the only facility equipped to handle such a severe health issue in that county is the secure ward. And while Daniels thinks it is good news for him that someone is trying to spring him from the most appropriate medical facility in the region, it is bad news for every person that Daniels will come in contact with in a less secure setting -- those who may die due to the disease that Daniels passes on to them.

If terrorists ever want to do a biological attack on the US, all they have to do is send in a dozen guys with Ebola. The ACLU will quickly file suit to ensure the attack is a success. After all, public health and public safety can't trump the freedom to pass on deadly diseases.


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Demo-Hypocrisy On Earmarks

They were supposed to be the root of all evil -- and Democrats campaigned against them and promised to end them.

Guess what? Earmarks are the hallmark of Democrat pork-barrel spending. Not only that, but they want to hide it from you.

Sailing into majority status by running against the GOP “culture of corruption,” which included charges of widespread abuse of earmarks, Democrats have since turned their backs on promised reforms and instead have adopted rules that guarantee a continuation of the practice.

In the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., has made it clear that anonymous earmarking will continue, as will the practice of including the extra spending in the House-Senate conference report — behind closed doors with no debate whatsoever on the efficacy of the earmark while the bill is under consideration on the floor.

Obey’s arrogant response to questions about abandoning a major campaign pledge of the Democrats? “I don’t give a damn if people criticize me or not.”

Guess what, America -- they didn't mend it, they didn't end it. Obey and the rest have said "Screw you" to the American people. There's no better example of that than the refusal to condemn Jack Murtha's threats against a GOP colleague for exposing his earmarks to the public.

Turn them out in 2008 -- and elect real conservatives who have been acting to end earmarks.

Posted by: Greg at 01:41 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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Be Afraid -- Be Very Afraid

At last -- a potential presidential candidate I can treat with less seriousness than Ron Paul!

cynthia_mckinney.jpg

On May 25, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney participated in a 23-minute interview on Radio Station WBAI. The hosts asked her about the possibility that she may seek the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008. She said, “With the failure of the Democratic Congress to repeal the Patriot Act, the Secret Evidence Act, the Military Tribunals Act, I have to seriously question my relationship with the Democratic Party. The idea has not been ruled out. All the current Democrats running for president support the principle of potential military action against Iran; none of them is for impeachment of the President. They can’t speak for me. I am open to a lot of ideas in 2008.”

The Hit & Run blog over at Reason.com offers these questions.

Remaining questions:

1: Would McKinney get more or fewer votes than Nader did in 2004?

1a: Would the Libertarian candidate actually win fewer votes than her? Her? Really?

2: Would a McKinney candidacy make the LP look, by the mainstream media's lights, like the serious third party?

My answers?

1. More.

1a. Probably -- she takes all the right positions for the netroots, and the LP voters can't stuff a real ballot box like they do for Ron Paul in online polls.

2. No -- because the MSM actually likes McKinney, while they find the Libertarians insufficiently socialist -- though they do like the stuff about legalizing pot and prostitution.

Perhaps we can get a Cynthia/Cindy ticket in 2008 -- I doubt that Cindy Sheehan can keep herself out of the limelight more than two or three weeks and this would get her a platform.

Posted by: Greg at 01:26 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Cyber-Bullying

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i guess I've gotten a little more interested in the whole topic of cyber-bullying in the last few weeks, since a couple of my colleagues had MySpace accounts opened in their names -- one rather funny, one pornographic, and one accusing a respected educator of pedophilia. The sites have all been wiped out, but it got me to thinking in a new way about how my students can be bullied on-line.

It is therefore somewhat fortuitous that this evening I was asked to take a look at material on cyber-bullying from the Kamaron Institute. I had not realized how widespread the problem really is -- 18-49% of students in grades 4-12 may have been the victims of online contact designed to deliberately and repeatedly hurt, taunt, ridicule, threaten or intimidate them.

The Kamaron Institute has created a webpage designed to help parents, educators, and others deal with cyber-bullying. In it, there are links to all sorts of good resources, including lesson plans for teachers like me. There is also a glossary of terms related to cyber-bullying, so that responsible adults have the vocabulary to begin talking about the problem.

And in what I consider to be the most important feature, and one that I wish they played-up a little bit more, they also offer ways of tracing the cyber-bullying to its source, which will greatly enable victims and their families to put a stop to the victimization of the innocent.

Overall, I'm pleased by what I see -- I just wish there was more of it, given the problem that bullying of all sorts creates for young people.

Posted by: Greg at 01:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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How Owns Whom -- Dogs Or People?

Around here, I'm reasonably sure that neither my wife nor I are top dog.

carmie.jpg

As the demographics of America have changed, so too has the nature of pet ownership. It used to be that most pets were bought by families. Now, the majority of pet owners, 61 percent, are childless—singles, unmarried couples waiting to have kids, gay couples, empty-nesters. Invariably, these owners tend to treat their pets like surrogate babies, and they spoil them accordingly. To help these childless pet-parents spend their disposable income, the pet products industry has mushroomed in the past decade. This year we’ll shell out more than $40 billion to keep our furry friends fed, adorned, amused and healthy—the latter a huge growth category, with more and more owners paying top dollar for elaborate medical treatments to forestall that inevitable last visit to the vet. By the end of the decade, we’ll be spending $50 billion on pet products, according to the APPMA. Walk the aisles of Petco or PetSmart, past the Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses for your dog and the $140 Catnip Chaise Lounge for your cat, and you’ll discover just how well-trained we Americans have become. “I don’t know who’s been domesticated: the animals, or the humans?” says Jeff Corwin, Animal Planet’s globetrotting wildlife biologist.

Let's be honest here -- the adorable ball of fur pictured above is our child -- to the point that folks are surprised to find that my wife and I don't really have any kids (unfortunately). And my students are amused by the (small) framed picture of our pampered pooch on my desk. However, we are nto quite this goofy.

Some 56 percent of dog owners and 42 percent of cat owners buy their pets Christmas presents. Pets can listen to their own Internet radio station (Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” is one of the more popular songs on DogCatRadio.com), post their pictures and make play dates on dogster.com and catster.com, and earn frequent flier miles on United. They even have cell phones now: PetsCell is a bone-shaped telephone that attaches to your dog’s collar and allows you to ring him up (sorry, incoming calls only). And there’s a new beer for dogs (from Amsterdam, no less), called Kwispelbier, which is Dutch for “waggy tail” brew. The recent scare over tainted pet food has made feeding your animal a pricey proposition: I’ve switched Samantha to “holistic” kibble and wet food, hormone-free chicken strips and handmade cookies from a local dog bakery, along with the occasional whole-roasted chicken that we share for dinner. She also gets dried pig hearts, which cost $5 apiece (those, we don’t share).

Still, we do get Carmie the best of vet care, and ensure that she has good food and plenty of treats. And if she is getting a bit chubby, what can I say -- she is 11 years old, which would put her somewhere in her mid-70s if she were a person. It's OK that she has lost her girlish figure.

And the adoration of the canine is certainly preferable to this sort of disgusting display.


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Posted by: Greg at 01:11 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Filtering And Firewalls

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For all I complain about blocked websites at school, I can't argue that some sort of internet filter and/or firewall is necessary when you are dealing with kids. Let's be honest -- even the most innocent end up places they shouldn't, so parental control of what is accessible is a must.

That is where FilterGuide.com comes into the picture. The provide parental control software reviews for you, so that you can learn which of the many services out there is the right one for you and your family. There are so many choices out there – some with definite “point-of-view” biases – so you need to make sure you get the right one.

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ACLU Absurdity

Can't sue the government for legal actions? Well, then, let's just sue anyone who did business with them and performed any services connected with that legal action.

The American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday it is suing Jeppesen Dataplan Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing Co., claiming it secretly flew three of the CIA's terrorism suspects overseas, where they were tortured.

The cases involve allegations of mistreatment of Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian citizen, in July 2002 and January 2004; Elkassim Britel, an Italian citizen, in May 2002; and Ahmed Agiza, an Egyptian citizen, in December 2001.

Mohamed is being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Britel in Morocco; and Agiza in Egypt, the ACLU said in a news release.

Mike Pound, a spokesman for Englewood, Colo.-based Jeppesen, said company officials had not seen the lawsuit and had no immediate comment. He said Jeppesen, a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, provides support services, rather than the flights themselves.

"We don't know the purpose of the trip for which we do a flight plan," Pound said. "We don't need to know specific details. It's the customer's business, and we do the business that we are contracted for. It's not our practice to ever inquire about the purpose of a trip."

What next -- lawsuits against the companies that fueled the planes? How about against any company that manufactured a part for the plane? Or better yet -- lawsuits imposing individual personal liability against each and every employee of the companies in question?

Dismiss the suit, disbar the lawyers -- and by the way, lock their terrorists clients away forever if not longer.

Posted by: Greg at 12:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Perfume

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I love my wife's perfume, almost as much as I love her. It is called Crush, and I have to tell you -- in the couple of years she has used it I have come to understand how a cat responds to catnip. Meeeee-oooowwwww!

You can get it and more over at SendMeScent.com. Their selection is unbelievable -- and they have something to bring out the feline in everyone.

Posted by: Greg at 12:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Teresa -- Get Out The Checkbook For John

Looks like your boy-toy is going to need a bit of cash to pay back the American people for some lawbreaking by his campaign.

John Kerry spent $1.4 million more than federal rules allowed during his 2004 presidential bid, primarily on customizing two campaign planes, according to a draft audit by the Federal Election Commission.

If the commissioners approve the staff findings at a meeting Thursday, KerryÂ’s campaign could have to repay the overspending to the U.S. Treasury, since his unsuccessful general election campaign was funded by tax dollars.

In order to receive the public funds, Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, and his running mate, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, agreed to spend $74.6 million or less on their general election campaign against President Bush.

Of course, Kerry aides object.

Marc Elias, a lawyer for Kerry-Edwards, says the campaign stayed within the limits and accused the commission’s auditors of taking “an unsupportably aggressive view of the law.”

Yeah -- we wouldn't want to aggressively enforce teh law against a Democrat, would we.

By the way, when it comes right down to it, he either over-spent or he didn't. What do the numbers say? Exactly what the auditors claim. Maybe Kerry just wants them to use fuzzy math.

But then again, he's just a gigolo, everybody knows...

Posted by: Greg at 12:52 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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May 30, 2007

IDrive-E Online Backup

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Looking for online backup? The check out IDrive-E. They have a phenomenal deal there on Online Backup services -- 2 Gigabytes free, $4.95 a month for unlimited online storage. Good grief, if only I had known and availed myself of the service before my hard drive crash last spring! I wouldn't have lost all of my materials for my college course, or my wife's extensive collection of graphics that she uses for her crafting projects. Indeed, I still regularly get asked if I've backed up her stuff -- because she has a fear of losing so many graphics that she had spent years collecting.

Imagine if you were running a business, and lost everything. Say goodbye to your accounts receivable spreadsheets, your other financial records, and your crucial correspondence that you've been keeping an eye on. Imagine the lost good will with customers as orders went unfilled and leads went unanswered. It would be enough to put the small businessman out of business -- or worse. So seriously, you have got to take a look at getting some Online Backup now. And now, you can even create and manage multiple accounts for small business -- making IDrive-E an even better service for you.

Posted by: Greg at 06:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Proper Ruling By Supreme Court

I hate the outcome, but the majority made the right call on this one.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for many workers to sue their employers for discrimination in pay, insisting in a 5-to-4 decision on a tight time frame to file such cases. The dissenters said the ruling ignored workplace realities.

The decision came in a case involving a supervisor at a Goodyear Tire plant in Gadsden, Ala., the only woman among 16 men at the same management level, who was paid less than any of her colleagues, including those with less seniority. She learned that fact late in a career of nearly 20 years — too late, according to the Supreme Court’s majority.

The court held on Tuesday that employees may not bring suit under the principal federal anti-discrimination law unless they have filed a formal complaint with a federal agency within 180 days after their pay was set. The timeline applies, according to the decision, even if the effects of the initial discriminatory act were not immediately apparent to the worker and even if they continue to the present day.

And you know what -- the dissenters were correct -- the ruling ignores workplace realities. however, so does the statute in question, and judges are supposed to be bound by the statutes they examine. They are not a super-legislature which corrects the bad judgement and faulty craftsmanship of the lawmakers.

Captain Ed puts it very well -- and I wish i had written these words.

And the response to that for the Court should be: Write better laws. It is not the job of the Supreme Court to rewrite poorly-constructed legislation. Congress obviously intended for a short window of opportunity for these complaints, for whatever reason they had. The Supreme Court follows the law, unless the law is expressly unconstitutional. Fine-tuning dumb laws and badly-written legislation isn't the purview of the Court, but rather the responsibility of Congress.

Obviously, Congress needs to revisit this piece of legislation. Thankfully, we now have a Court which forces America's elected representatives to do their job, primarily by refusing to legislate from the bench. This gives hope that the last fifty years of judicial legislation have come to an end.

I hope Congress revisits this statute quickly and corrects the flaw in it. That will allow justice in the future, though it cannot undo the injustice caused by their previous sloppy work.

UPDATE: Why am I not surprised that the New York Times wants the court to serve as a super-legislature?

Posted by: Greg at 02:39 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Malaysian Court Rules Islam Trumps Internationally Recognized Human Rights Norms

Well, that is the easiest way to view this case -- either that, or the court has ruled that Muslims are not human beings and therefore do not have human rights that must be respected.

Malaysia's top civil court Wednesday rejected a woman's appeal to be recognized as a Christian, in a landmark case that tested the limits of religious freedom in this moderate Islamic country.

Lina Joy, who was born Azlina Jailani, had applied for a name change on her government identity card. The National Registration Department obliged but refused to drop Muslim from the religion column.

She appealed the decision to a civil court but was told she must take it to Islamic Shariah courts. Joy, 43, argued that she should not be bound by Shariah law because she is a Christian.

A three-judge Federal Court panel ruled by a 2-1 majority that only the Islamic Shariah Court has the power to allow her to remove the word "Islam" from the religion category on her government identity card.

In other words, in order to exercise her human rights, Lina Joy must get permission from religious authorities whose own religious legal code forbids leaving the faith -- and imposes the death penalty on those who try. Incredible!

And here is what Lina Joy faces when she approaches that religious court.

In practice, Mr. Teoh said, Ms. Joy, who was born Azlina Jailani, will have a very difficult time getting the Islamic authorities to allow her to leave Islam. No one in recent years has done it in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, where Ms. Joy is registered, he said. Those who have tried have been “threatened and cajoled,” Mr. Teoh said.

Indeed, part of what has happened to those who try is that they are imprisoned in religious prisons where they are subjected to great pressure to renounce their new faith as a condition of release. But maybe -- after several years of imprisonment for her faith -- the court will let her go. But we know what the public demands of apostates in the Muslim world -- we've sen it too many times.

Perhaps most distressing is this quote from the judge who wrote this abominable decision.

"You can't at whim and fancy convert from one religion to another," Federal Court Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim said in delivering judgment in the case, which has stirred religious tensions in the mainly Muslim nation.

A pity that this pathetic excuse for a jurist is not familiar with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

This principle is a fundamental, essential human right. Will the international community speak out against this atrocity against religious freedom? Will the American government act in defense of this fundamental human right? Or will the world, once again, kow-tow to the barbarism that is Islam?

H/T Jawa Report, Michelle Malkin, Sundries Shack, 7.62mm Justice, Absinthe & Cookies

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Miami Beach/South Beach Real Estate

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Jordin Had Voice Coach

May I offer a hearty "who cares?"

Jordin Sparks says that she can’t take credit for her fabulous voice because it’s a gift from God. Apparently, the “American Idol” winner also had a little more earthly help: she reportedly had a vocal coach. That may come as a surprise to Sparks’ fans because on her official bio on the “Idol” Web site, when asked if she ever had formal training, Sparks answered, “No.”

I guess it is all in how you define "formal training" -- and whether you think it matters, given that Melinda was a professional back-up singer and others have been working in the music field for years.

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Speed Reading

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I teach. I don't make any secret of that. But would you like to know what my biggest frustration is as a teacher? It isn't discipline or lack of respect from students. No, it is that too many kids have weak reading skills -- and read at a pace that is slow as molasses.

What can be done for these kids. Well, there are a number of solutions to deal with the comprehension and vocabulary issues that such students have, but one thing that would help many of them now and in the future would be speed reading. What's more, it has been demonstrated that speed reading helps increase comprehension, because it relies on seeking out the key words for meaning.

Want to learn more? There is a great site over at SpeedReadingSecret.com that can give you more information and help you -- and your student -- improve reading skills today!

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Thompson Takes The Next Step

Not that this comes as a surprise to anyone at all -- Fred Thompson is going to be forming an exploratory committee to explore the possibility of running for the White House. When? Monday.

"Law and Order" star Fred Thompson will make his flirtation with a White House bid official this week, forming a presidential committee and launching a fundraising effort that could culminate in a formal announcement over the July 4th weekend, advisers to the former senator said.

Thompson, who has been fueling speculation that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination with a spate of appearances and speeches around the country, urged a group of donors in a conference call yesterday to each attempt to raise a total of $46,000 from 10 couples starting on June 4, according to two participants in the call. Once the money begins flowing, Thompson will begin to hire a campaign staff and set up headquarters in Washington and Nashville, his advisers said.

The question is, of course, which staffers are not committed to someone else -- and which "names" will be jumping to Thompson from the other declared candidates in the GOP.

And the launch date for the "real" campaign? The Fourth of July weekend -- giving Fred one month to raise a substantial kitty. Expect him to make his announcement in Nashville.

The big question is -- who among the GOP leaders does this development hurt? Could it be Romney? Or is it McCain, whose political record is similar to Thompson's?

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Loans

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Debt is a two-edged sword. It can allow you to acquire things you want or need, but it can also strangle you economically if you are not careful.

I look at the situation some friends found themselves in a few years ago. They were a nice couple -- he in his 50s and her in her 40s, with two wonderful kids. The problem was that they had allowed themselves to live a lifestyle that was well beyond their means. I mean they were in serious trouble. The had lots of unsecured and secured loans -- everything from student loans to car loans to credit cards to a mortgage. And then he lost his job, and they nearly lost it all. Fortunately, a new job for my friend and refinancing of their home to lower monthly payments and tap into their equity in their house allowed them to recover and live a more scaled-back life by use of this Secured Loan.

If you are facing financial need and you are looking for personal loans, might I suggest Loanwize.co.uk??

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May 29, 2007

Pelosi On Climate Change -- Right On Reality, Wrong On Cause

Nancy Pelosi just does not get it.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) said Monday she led a congressional delegation to Greenland, where lawmakers saw "firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality," and she hoped the Bush administration would consider a new path on the issue.

Actually, Nancy, I know of very few folks who doubt climate change outright. What we question is the cause, the mechanism, behind it.

The California Democrat pointed to her delegation's weekend stop in Greenland, "where we saw firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality; there is just no denying it."

"It wasn't caused by the people of Greenland — it was caused by the behavior of the rest of the world," she said.

Scientists have noticed that Greenland's output of ice into the North Atlantic had increased dramatically, doubling over the decade that ended in 2005.

Yes, it has -- but has it been caused by human beings? Or has it been part of a cyclical change in climate that occurs over a 1000-1500 year period -- after all, have you never thought of why it was called GREENland by those who discovered it? The climate was much more temperate a millenia ago, while we are now coming out of a period which is often referred to by historians and climatologists as the Little Ice Age.

Oh, and by the way -- who rejected Kyoto? Try Bill Clinton, who never submitted it to the Senate -- and the unanimous Senate that expressed its opposition to the treaty in 1998.


Posted by: Greg at 05:20 AM | Comments (49) | Add Comment
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Don't Go Away Mad -- Just Go Away

When the going gets tough -- the Loony Left posts over at Kos and then abandons the field.

Cindy Sheehan, the "peace mom" who made headlines in 2005 by staging a marathon protest outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, said Monday that she no longer wants to be seen as a leader of the anti-war movement.

In a 1,245-word missive entitled "Goodbye Attention Whore" posted on the liberal DailyKos blog, Sheehan said her campaign to end the war in Iraq had strained her relationship with her children, cost her a marriage and left her nearly penniless.

"This is my resignation letter as the 'face' of the American anti-war movement," Sheehan wrote. "I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost."

Her sanity and dignity are probably two of the things Sheehan will not recover, having clearly been driven around the bend by her son's death. I don't hate her -- I pity her, both for the loss she has suffered and her inability to channel her grief in a way that didn't destroy her family and disgrace the sacrifice of her son.

But I will point this out to you -- the Democrats embraced her in an opportunistic fashion only, as a weapon agains the GOP, so the conservative suggestion that she was a Democrat tool was, in fact, an accurate one. Once she ceased serving their purpose, she was discarded. It just sort of goes to show you how committed to the cause of ending the war in Iraq they really are -- and how much concern they really ahve for the troops and their families.

Posted by: Greg at 05:13 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Cyber-War In Estonia -- The Shape Of Things To Come

This development in recent weeks has been interesting.

When Estonian authorities began removing a bronze statue of a World War II-era Soviet soldier from a park in this bustling Baltic seaport last month, they expected violent street protests by Estonians of Russian descent.

Expected, yes -- but the decision to remove the statue would be no different than one to remove a statue of the conquering Japanese from the streets of Manila.

They also knew from experience that “if there are fights on the street, there are going to be fights on the Internet,” said Hillar Aarelaid, the director of Estonia’s Computer Emergency Response Team. After all, for people here the Internet is almost as vital as running water; it is used routinely to vote, file their taxes, and, with their cellphones, to shop or pay for parking.

What followed was what some here describe as the first war in cyberspace, a monthlong campaign that has forced Estonian authorities to defend their pint-size Baltic nation from a data flood that they say was set off by orders from Russia or ethnic Russian sources in retaliation for the removal of the statue.

The Estonians assert that an Internet address involved in the attacks belonged to an official who works in the administration of RussiaÂ’s president, Vladimir V. Putin.

The Russian government has denied any involvement in the attacks, which came close to shutting down the countryÂ’s digital infrastructure, clogging the Web sites of the president, the prime minister, Parliament and other government agencies, staggering EstoniaÂ’s biggest bank and overwhelming the sites of several daily newspapers.

“It turned out to be a national security situation,” Estonia’s defense minister, Jaak Aaviksoo, said in an interview. “It can effectively be compared to when your ports are shut to the sea.”

Computer security experts from NATO, the European Union, the United States and Israel have since converged on Tallinn to offer help and to learn what they can about cyberwar in the digital age.

“This may well turn out to be a watershed in terms of widespread awareness of the vulnerability of modern society,” said Linton Wells II, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration at the Pentagon. “It has gotten the attention of a lot of people.”

The denial of a Putin connection is the most clear sign that there is one, given the byzantine workings of Russian government.

But more importantly, it raises the question of whether or not the US is ready for such an attack by our enemies -- and if we are ready to perpetrate one against our enemies. Given the freedom with which al-Qaeda and other Islamists prowl the internet, I fear that the answer may be no.

Posted by: Greg at 05:06 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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An Army Of Bloggers Against Cancer

You may notice that I've added a new blogroll on my site -- one devoted to fighting cancer. That issue is a very important one to me right now, given that my uncle will undergo cancer surgery beginning at 7:30 this morning, the time I've set for this post to appear on my site.

The originator of the blogroll, G.M. Roper (a fellow Munuvian) explains the goal this way.

Cancer is no respecter of race, religion, social status, income or profession. It is an insidious disease that robs people of a quality of life and too often, of life itself. This blog has one purpose, and one purpose only, to enroll as many bloggers in An Army Of Bloggers as possible and to encourage them to make an annual contribution to fighting cancer. The Rules for membership are simple, put the logo and blogroll on your blog, send a donation to a cancer program of any kind and post about it. It would be helpful if you write in the "memo field" of your check the following "Donated By The Army Of Bloggers." Help spread the word, help beat this s.o.b. into the ground. If you are a blogger, join the blogroll and make a donation. Leave a comment too if you would be so kind as to whom you donated to. Please leave the address and name of the charity in your comment (you don't need to name the amount). Please, if everyone helps this disease can eventually be whipped.

This Blog and accompanying Blogroll is dedicated Pamela Roper Clark, my beloved sister who passed away in 1990 from ovarian cancer. By putting the power of the blogosphere to work, we hope to make a citizens push to conquer this dread disease.

Who do I plan on supporting? The Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis, which is a research partnership between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. It is where my uncle is being treated, and where, with the help of the dedicated medical team and the grace of God, he will beat this disease.

To join, please information, please visit this link. Also contact G.M. Roper for inclusion.

Posted by: Greg at 01:30 AM | Comments (25) | Add Comment
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Writing Screenplays

Movies fascinate me. They always have. Even those films that are not well-made have to them a certain magical quality, combining elements of sight and sound with a narrative structure that is found in the written screenplay that gives the basic structure to the film. While my film art class in college was concerned with the technique of the final product, I have always been fascinated by the screenplay itself (just as I am with the theatrical play as a literary form). Indeed, you can't have a good film without a good screenplay.

Well, now you have the chance to learn to write a screenplay in under a month. No, I don't mean the lessons will take under a month -- I mean that the idea is that you can write a screenplay in 28 days -- that is merely four weeks! I know, that sounds crazy, but that is the promise over at MovieInAMonth.com -- you can learn to write good screenplays in only four weeks -- screenplays that sell.

MovieInAMonth.com is the brainchild of James Lamberg, who has written or ghost-written over 50 screenplays. His basic principle is that writing quickly means writing successfully Now that makes sense in a rather intuitive fashion. after all, the more you write, the more you can sell, write? And if writing quickly forces you to keep things real, so much the better.

Am i ready to buy the course -- I don't know, because I don't know that I want to be a screenwriter. However, this is definitely a program to consider if that is your goal in life.

Posted by: Greg at 12:43 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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May 28, 2007

Fitzgerald Seeks To Punish Crimes Not Charged, Proven

Outrageous -- especially because he knew the guilty party from the first day of his investigation and chose not to charge that individual. How can he therefore seek to sentence a non-leaker like he did the leak?

During the perjury and obstruction trial of Lewis Libby, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald never charged, and never presented evidence, that Libby illegally disclosed the name of a covert CIA agent. But now, Fitzgerald wants Libby to be sentenced as if he had been guilty of that crime.

Libby is scheduled to face sentencing on June 5. In court papers filed last week, Fitzgerald argues that Libby should be sentenced to 30 to 37 months in jail — a relatively stiff sentence that is appropriate, Fitzgerald says, because of the seriousness of the investigation which Libby was convicted of obstructing.

During the CIA-leak probe, Fitzgerald looked into possible violations of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and the Espionage Act. He did not charge anyone with breaking either law. But in his court filing, Fitzgerald writes that the grand jury “obtained substantial evidence indicating that one or both of the…statutes may have been violated.” Therefore, Fitzgerald is asking Judge Reggie Walton to treat Libby as if it had been proven that such crimes occurred. “Because the investigation defendant was convicted of endeavoring to obstruct focused on violations of the IIPA and the Espionage Act,” Fitzgerald continues, “the court much calculate defendant’s offense level by reference to the guidelines applicable to such violations.”

As a basis for his argument, Fitzgerald is using a common legal distinction: It’s more serious to obstruct a murder investigation than a shoplifting investigation. The problem, for Fitzgerald, is that he never proved that a crime, as defined by either the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, actually occurred. Now, he’s arguing not only that he proved a crime occurred but that Libby knowingly took part in it. The formula for calculating the sentence recommendation, Fitzgerald writes, “is designed to match the offense level to the conduct and result intended by the defendant.”

Absolutely outrageous. Fitzgerald didn't charge Libby with leaking, fought to keep him from presenting evidence that any disclosures were legitimate under the law, and hid the identity of the real leaker throughout the investigation -- ultimately choosing not to charge that individual, who was in no way influenced by or connected to Libby, and who in fact was an opponent of Libby and his boss, Dick Cheney. But now Fitzgerald wants to treat Libby like a leaker?

There is only one word taht fits here -- scapegoat.

Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Pressuring Sudan

Maybe this will get the situation to improve.

President Bush has decided to implement a plan to pressure Sudan's government into cooperating with international efforts to halt the violence in its troubled Darfur region, where his administration said almost three years ago that genocide was taking place.

Administration officials said yesterday that the Treasury Department will step up efforts to squeeze the Sudanese economy by targeting government-run ventures involved with its booming oil business, which does many of its transactions in U.S. dollars. Bush will sanction two senior Sudanese officials and a rebel leader, who are suspected of being involved in the violence in Darfur.

The United States will also seek new U.N. Security Council sanctions against Khartoum, as well as a provision preventing the Sudanese government from conducting military flights in Darfur. The United Nations has accused Sudan's government of bombing Darfur villages.

Bush has been considering such steps for months and was set to announce the plan last month at the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum. But he held off at the behest of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who pleaded for more time to conduct diplomacy with Sudan's president, Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, toward allowing international peacekeepers into the country.

International organizations have been silent too long in the face of this crisis. The time has come for that to end.

Posted by: Greg at 10:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Art Auction

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I love artwork. I really do -- a beautiful piece of art can lift one to new heights.

Park West Gallery is a fine art gallery that conducts art auctions throughout the United States and Canada. Indeed, they are the world's largest art gallery, dealing in the works of such diverse individuals as Chen Alexander, Friz Freleng, and Pierre-Aguste Renoir. I'm particularly struck by their work with animation art, something I have been interested in since I was a college kid and bought my first animation cell from them.

What is also interesting is that the company has expanded its horizons to include taking art and auctions onto the high seas. One affiliate, Park West at Sea, holds auctions on cruise ships -- let's hope that there are no pirate crews out there looking for a little bit of artistic booty!

But in all seriousness, Park West Gallery is a well-respected player in the field of art. If you are an art lover, a stop by their site would be well-worth your time.

Posted by: Greg at 10:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Dishonoring The Vets

I'm stunned by this one.

Vandals burned dozens of small American flags that decorated veterans' graves for Memorial Day and replaced many of them with hand-drawn swastikas, authorities said Monday.

Forty-six flag standards were found empty and another 33 flags were in charred tatters Sunday in the cemetery, authorities said. Swastikas drawn on paper appeared where 14 of the flags had been.

Members of the American Legion on this island off Washington's northwest coast replaced the burned flags with new ones Sunday afternoon.

The vandals struck again on Memorial Day after a guard left at dawn, the San Juan County sheriff's office said. This time, the vandals left 33 of the hand-drawn swastikas.

"This is not an act of free speech. This is a crime," Sheriff Bill Cumming said in a statement released Monday afternoon

Burn your flag -- free speech. Burn someone else's flag, especially one from a soldier's grave -- criminal vandalism.

Catch these scumbags and throw the book at them.

H/T Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 10:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Furniture

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Now here is what I'd like to do for my darling wife. For her, I'd love to get that king sleigh bed that we have wanted since we got married, as well as a nice two tone sectional -- preferably with the chaise that she has always wanted.

And for me? How about home office furniture so that when I work on the blog I am nice and comfortable?

Posted by: Greg at 06:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Memorial Day 2007

Lest we forget the many men and women who have given their lives in the service of our country.

arlington.jpg

May God bless each and every man and woman who faithfully serves beneath the flag of the United States of America.

Posted by: Greg at 05:59 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Barry Bonds -- The Epitome Of No-Class

Some quotes reveal everything about someone's character.

As Barry Bonds nears his record 756th home run, he's stockpiling quite a collection of souvenirs -- bats, balls, helmets and spikes, pieces of baseball history perfectly suited for the Hall of Fame.

Whether he'll donate any of them to Cooperstown, however, is in doubt.

"I'm not worried about the Hall," the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought. "I take care of me."

It still isn't too late do ban this steroid-enhanced cheater from the game. No one will miss him.

Posted by: Greg at 10:46 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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CD22 -- Revenge Of The GOP

I'm so looking forward to seeing Nick Lampson crushed in November, 2008. After all, he showed himself unwilling to face a Republican in 2006, and this time there will definitely be an opponent on the ballot to put the seat firmly in the GOP column where it belongs.

HereÂ’s a sign that full-bore preparations for the 2008 elections start when the legislative session ends later today: U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson of Stafford, near Houston, is letting it be known heÂ’s not running next year for the U.S. Senate seat held by John Cornyn, LampsonÂ’s political strategist says.

Mustafa Tameez of Houston, a political consultant to Lampson, said this morning that Lampson, the Democrat who last year captured the U.S. House seat vacated by Tom DeLay of Sugar Land, intends to seek re-election instead—fully knowing that his district historically leans Republican.

A Senate bid is “not going to happen,” Tameez said. “It sounds goofy, but he feels like he made a commitment to the people of Congressional District 22.” Tameez said Lampson feels a Senate try would be “disingenuous.”

Tameez aired Lampson’s decision to stamp out speculation regarding a Senate bid. “We just want it to stop,” he said (unwittingly the desire of some observers of this legislative session).

So Nick is willing to actually stand and face a GOP opponent this time around? Should be fun to watch him go down in defeat to a Republican -- again. After all, constituents keep rejecting him when he has to face an opponent who is actually on the ballot!

And let there be no mistake -- there are several credible candidates out there, ready, willing, and able to write the final line of Lampson's political obituary.

Deluded Democrat reactions at Musings and BayAreaHouston (OMG-- have I actually linked to John twice today?)

Posted by: Greg at 08:07 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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Frightening Injury In Cincinnati

The initial reports give signs of hope that Ryan Freel will be OK.

Reds center fielder Ryan Freel had feeling in all of his extremities and was coherent after colliding with right fielder Norris Hopper on Monday.

Freel, known for his all-out play, was down for 13 minutes while being examined and was taken off the field on stretcher.

The frightening scene took place in the third inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Freel and Hopper chased a ball hit by Humberto Cota leading off the inning. Freel caught the ball on the warning track and his left arm was run into by Hopper. Freel was twirled around to his left and fell at the base of the wall.

After being examined by Reds trainers and physicians, Freel was turned over on his back, strapped to a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital.

The Reds announced Freel's condition in the fourth inning. He was scheduled for further exams.

Hopper remained in the game.

Freel, hitting .253 entering the game, was replaced by Ken Griffey Jr.

The initial fears of a catastrophic injury involving paralysis seem to have been unfounded. Still, everybody keep Ryan Freel in prayer during his recovery from what still appears to be a serious injury.

Posted by: Greg at 07:25 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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FlashScore.com

I don't know about you, but I want to know the score of the game right now. What game? Well, whatever game happens to catch my fancy. With Flash Score, I can get that information in a flash!

Do I want to know how my Astros are doing? The score is there.

How about the Chicago Bulls, the basketball team of my youth? I can find out in a flash.

And if the Texans are on the road, just one click will get me the score I need.

And for my colleagues at school who have a strange fascination with British soccer, all those scores are there as well, as well as scores from around the world.

So, sports fans, check out FlashScore.com!

Posted by: Greg at 07:20 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Patriot Player Missing Drowns Following Jetski Accident

Let's be honest, folks -- this story about Marquise Hill does not look good.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews continued searching Lake Pontchartrain on Monday for New England Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill, who was reported missing following a jetski accident.

"We searched throughout the night," said Petty Officer Tom Atkeson.

According to WDSU-TV, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said they are no longer on a search and rescue mission. Now their mission is one of search and recovery and Hill is presumed drowned.

Hill's agent, Albert Elias, said he had been told Hill and a young woman were jetskiing Sunday in the lake when both of them went into the water, which had a strong current. Elias said the woman was able to make it to a pylon and hang on until she was rescued, while Hill was last scene floating away from the scene.

"I'm an optimistic guy," Elias told WWL television in New Orleans. "He's a strong kid and a fighter."

By all accounts, Hill is a decent guy, who has regularly returned home to help family members recover from the devastation left by hurricane Katrina.

Unfortunately, at least one media outlet has begun using the words "presumed dead" in their coverage -- let's hope and pray that this is a case of leaping to an unwarranted conclusion, and that Marquise Hill is found alive.

UPDATE -- 5/28/07 15:18 Central Time: The body of Marquise Hill has been found.

Officials told New Orleans television station WDSU on Monday that they recovered the body of Marquise Hill of the NFL's New England Patriots.

The news report came about 17 hours after the Coast Guard received word that Hill was missing following an apparent water scooter accident on Lake Ponchartrain.

The former Louisiana State University, a defensive tackle in the NFL since 2004, was reported missing Sunday night. the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said at about 10:45 a.m. Monday that they were no longer on a search and rescue mission.

Tragic.

May his family and teammates be comforted in the face of the loss of this gentleman at much too young an age.

Posted by: Greg at 07:18 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Texas Teachers Screwed Again

I just love the budget priorities this year when it comes to pay raises.

This year, it includes money for a teacher pay raise of up to $450 and a $35,000 raise for Gov. Rick Perry.

Fortunately, though, they decided to go back to fully funding the pension system this year.

And according to the wrong-wing BayAreaHouston blog, those are not the only two pay raise obsecenities.

Pay raise for our Texas school teachers: $430.

Pay raise for Governor Rick Perry: $32,000.

Pay raise for Attorney General Abbott: $25,000

Pay raise for the Commissioner of the Teacher Retirement System: $151,000.

Here's hoping the governor line-item vetoes the last three -- or better yet, vetoes the whole bill and brings them back to try again.

I'm curious, though, about whether or not the legislature gave itself a huge increase in pay this year. I wonder if John's leaving that out is because there isn't one -- or because it might make his Democrat cronies look bad for voting in favor of a budget that lines their own pockets, like they did last time around.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious -- if we average the two figures mentioned above, it works out to a raise of $2.35 per contract day for each teacher in the state. It's great to know how I am valued by my state legislature -- less than the cost of my lunch in the school cafeteria.

Posted by: Greg at 05:15 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Al-Qaeda Worldwide --Where Do We Fight?

And how do we stop them in this country without being accused of ethnic profiling and religious discrimination? Because they are expanding their reach beyond the battlefields of Iraq and into the rest of the Middle East -- and into the West.

“There are some operational parallels between the urban terrorist activity in Iraq and the urban environments in Europe and the United States,” Mr. Pluchinsky wrote. “More relevant terrorist skills are transferable from Iraq to Europe than from Afghanistan to Europe,” he went on, citing the use of safe houses, surveillance, bomb making and mortars.

A top American military official who tracks terrorism in Iraq and the surrounding region, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic, said: “Do I think in the future the jihad will be fueled from the battlefield of Iraq? Yes. More so than the battlefield of Afghanistan.”

Which is, of course, a good reason for decisively ending the terrorist threat in Iraq by wiping out every last vestige of al-Qaeda there, and by ruthlessly uprooting al-Qaeda where ever it rears its ugly jihadi head -- preferably with the help of our allies, but going it alone if necessary.

Provided, of course, that the American people are wise enough not to elect a president from a party that doesn't see terrorism as real threat to America.

Posted by: Greg at 03:39 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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