Now here's a Ron Paul proposal I can back -- commissioning privateers to deal with the Somali pirates.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a growing number of national security experts are calling on Congress to consider using letters of marque and reprisal, a power written into the Constitution that allows the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe.

Used heavily during the Revolution and the War of 1812, letters of marque serve as official warrants from the government, allowing privateers to seize or destroy enemies, their loot and their vessels in exchange for bounty money.
The letters also require would-be thrill seekers to post a bond promising to abide by international rules of war.

In a YouTube video earlier this week, Paul suggested lawmakers consider issuing letters, which could relieve American naval ships from being the nation’s primary pirate responders — a free-market solution to make the high seas safer for cargo ships.

Frankly, it sounds like a great idea to me. And best of all, it would give incentive to shipping lines to arm their crews – after all, they would get a piece of the action after having been officially authorized to act in their own defense.

There was a time, my friends, when Americans would defend themselves when confronted by evil. This is an opportunity to do so again, in the best tradition of the United States.

Posted by: Greg at 10:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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TheyÂ’ve captured a mess of pirates!

French forces detained 11 suspected pirates during an assault on what they described as a pirate “mother ship” in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Somalia Wednesday, less than 24 hours after an American cargo ship was attacked by pirates in the same region.

LetÂ’s see Barack Obama follow the French lead on this one. After all, piracy on the high seas is an offense against all nations, and cannot be tolerated.

And especially now that there has been this development.

Somali pirates who attacked an American freighter with rocket-propelled grenades were not trying to capture it but to destroy it as an act of revenge, one of their commanders claimed today.

The LIberty Sun, carrying a cargo of food aid for Africa's starving millions, was attacked yesterday afternoon by two speedboats some 285 nautical miles off the Somali coast.

* * *

“This attack was the first against our prime target,” Abdi Garad, a pirate commander, said today. “We intended to destroy this American-flagged ship and the crew on board but unfortunately they narrowly escaped us.

“The aim of this attack was totally different. We were not after a ransom. We also assigned a team with special equipment to chase and destroy any ship flying the American flag in retaliation for the brutal killing of our friends."

Forget capture – blow them out of the water so that the weenies from the ACLU don’t get them into federal court. The only process these mutts are due is death – either from the barrel of Navy guns or hanging from the modern-day equivalent of a yardarm.

Posted by: Greg at 10:26 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Obama Regime certainly couldnÂ’t have leaked that report to discredit its domestic critics, could it?

DHS spokeswoman Sara Kuban said on Tuesday the report was one of an ongoing series of threat assessments aimed at "a greater understanding of violent radicalization in the U.S."

A similar assessment of left-wing radicals completed in January was distributed to federal, state and local police agencies at that time.

"These assessments are done all the time, this is nothing unusual," Kuban said.

The problem, though, according to NewsBusters’ analyst Noel Sheppard is that these reports don’t end up in the press within days of their completion – especially when their appearance is closely timed with planned peaceful political activities by folks who share the very characteristics described in the report. And given some of the shoddy data and weak connections in the report, that makes it even more suspicious. So how did this report make its way into the press, and was it a set-up. Seems to me that there is need for some serious investigation.

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When the New York Times does an article on it!

Egypt released new details on Monday of what it said was a Hezbollah plot to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip, to attack Israeli tourist sites in the Sinai Peninsula and to fire on ships in the Suez Canal. Officials said the police were hunting for 10 Lebanese suspects believed to be hiding in the mountainous terrain of central Sinai.

The case gained wide attention after Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, acknowledged on Friday that he had sent an agent to Egypt to organize assistance for the Palestinians in their fight with Israel, and it quickly took on broader regional implications.

Hezbollah is a military, political and social organization in Lebanon with strong ties to Iran, a bloc in Lebanon's Parliament and ministers in the cabinet.

So got that, friends – Hezbollah is sort of a combination of the Elks, the Rotarians, and the National Guard. Never mind that they keep attacking innocent civilians and stirring up other attacks against the people of Israel. They certainly aren’t terrorists. The New York Times tells you so, and they certainly wouldn’t lie.

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Yep, that big old ball of superheated gas around which we orbit might just be the cause of temperature variations, not the actions of humanity.

Sunspot activity may be a primary factor in climate fluctuations, according to Willie Soon, a researcher affiliated with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Harvard College Observatory, who offered the hypothesis in an interview with TG Daily, an online news source.

* * *

“The sun is a great driving force to climate change,” Soon said in an interview with The Crimson yesterday, adding that most observed climate data could be explained by fluctuations in solar radiation.

Sunspots—pockets of magnetism on the sun’s surface—generate high levels of energy, which then heat the Earth’s atmosphere.

Soon told TG Daily that the lack of additional energy resulting from a decrease in sunspots is directly responsible for colder temperatures experienced in recent years.

Decreased solar energy connected to cool temperatures and increased solar energy connected to warm temperatures. What a novel concept!

Posted by: Greg at 06:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yep, that big old ball of superheated gas around which we orbit might just be the cause of temperature variations, not the actions of humanity.

Sunspot activity may be a primary factor in climate fluctuations, according to Willie Soon, a researcher affiliated with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Harvard College Observatory, who offered the hypothesis in an interview with TG Daily, an online news source.

* * *

“The sun is a great driving force to climate change,” Soon said in an interview with The Crimson yesterday, adding that most observed climate data could be explained by fluctuations in solar radiation.

Sunspots—pockets of magnetism on the sun’s surface—generate high levels of energy, which then heat the Earth’s atmosphere.

Soon told TG Daily that the lack of additional energy resulting from a decrease in sunspots is directly responsible for colder temperatures experienced in recent years.

Decreased solar energy connected to cool temperatures and increased solar energy connected to warm temperatures. What a novel concept!

Posted by: Greg at 06:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius.

First the venal.

President Barack Obama's health secretary nominee got nearly three times as much political money from a controversial abortion doctor as she told senators.

The Health and Human Services Department said Monday that the omission was an oversight that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius would correct.
In a response to questions from the Senate Finance Committee made public last week, Sebelius wrote that she received $12,450 between 1994-2001 from Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers.

But in addition to those campaign donations, records reviewed by The Associated Press show that Tiller gave at least $23,000 more from 2000-2002 to a political action committee Sebelius established while insurance commissioner to raise money for fellow Democrats.

Sebelius did not tell senators about that additional money, although Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., asked specifically about any Tiller donations to her PAC.

Now I realize that financial irregularities are nothing new to the Obama Regime. But in this case Sebelius directly lied to Senators during her confirmation hearings about her connection to a man who will perform abortions up to any point before the umbilical cord is snipped. How can she be trusted – especially after her efforts to spare her donor from criminal investigations? Obama must withdraw her nomination, or the Senate must reject her.

On the other hand, there is Janet Napolitano whose department has now released a report declaring folks with mainstream conservative positions to be potential terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.

A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.

"It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says.

Got that? Oppose abortion? Napolitano’s agency has just declared you to be a potential terrorist. Support increased border security and oppose amnesty for illegals? You need to be watched as a potential violent extremist. Believe in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution? You are a potential danger to the United States. Think that the Second Amendment gives you the right to own guns? You could be about to engage in domestic terrorism. Oh, yeah – and you are especially a concern if you are a veteran. And what is the evidence for this assessment? Well, by the admission of the reports author in the text of the report itself, NONE WHATSOEVER.

Now there is an attempt to claim that past reports have looked at left-wing groups, but there is a difference – those reports had to do with groups that had actually engaged in domestic terrorism here in the United States, and were limited to those groups. That isn’t what happened here.

That this report was produced and disseminated is, my friends, an utter disgrace. It tars a great many patriotic Americans as potential extremist terrorists simply for supporting things that are part of the platform of the Republican Party. Not only is does it unreasonably question the patriotism and loyalty of a good 40-50% of the American public, it also is precisely the sort of thing that will stoke the fears not just of the small fringe of extremists, but of a great many mainstream conservatives. As head of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano is responsible for the production and dissemination of this garbage. If she does not have the decency to resign in disgrace, Obama needs to fire her to retain any credibility whatsoever with conservatives in America.

Posted by: Greg at 12:00 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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AllahPundit shares the following at HotAir.

“A Catholic German bishop has come under fire for his remarks condemning atheists. In a sermon given on Easter Sunday, the bishop of Augsburg, Walter Mixa, warned of rising atheism in Germany. ‘Wherever God is denied or fought against, there people and their dignity will soon be denied and held in disregard,’ he said in the sermon. He also said that ‘a society without God is hell on earth’ and quoted the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky: ‘If God does not exist, everything is permitted.’

Most controversially, he linked the Nazi and Communist crimes to atheism. ‘In the last century, the godless regimes of Nazism and Communism, with their penal camps, their secret police and their mass murder, proved in a terrible way the inhumanity of atheism in practice.’ Christians and the Church were always the subject of ’special persecution’ under these systems, he said.”

This strikes me as pretty non-controversial. A bishop objecting to non-belief? And daring to note that there really is no objective morality absent the recognition of the existence of God? And as for daring to point out that it was the atheistic regimes of left-wing ideologies like Communism and Nazism that proved the essential bankruptcy of state-sponsored rejection of Godly values – the truth is in the numbers. I suppose the controversy is not over whether or not Bishop Mixa is right or wrong, but rather over his having had the audacity to speak the truth to a world that does not wish to hear it.

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Like father, like son – it now appears that Rep Jesse Jackson, Jr. will be shown to be every bit as lacking in ethics as his father. After all, he was prepared to shake folks down to the tune of between $1.5 and $5 million in contributions to Rod Blagojevich in order to get Obama’s Senate seat.

Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. went to see the Illinois governor in December to press for an appointment to the United States Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama. Mr. Jackson took along a black binder filled with letters of support, poll numbers and lists of his accomplishments over 13 years in Congress.

* * *

The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that the United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who is known for the energy and sweep of his investigations, had subpoenaed several people who had helped Mr. Nayak set up the fund-raiser to benefit Mr. Blagojevich. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Monday that Mr. BlagojevichÂ’s people had been told that Mr. Jackson would raise up to $5 million in campaign cash for Mr. Blagojevich.

Interestingly enough, he was hitting up his daddyÂ’s donors to get the cash. I wonder if they will contribute to JuniorÂ’s legal defense fund instead.

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IÂ’ve argued this point for some time now, and IÂ’m glad to see a prominent voice speak in agreement with my point.

There was never a good reason for any members of Congress to create a group whose sole criterion for membership was race (or ethnicity in the case of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus). The CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) is so color-based that even congressmen representing majority-black districts who are not themselves black (such as Rep. Stephen Cohen, D-Tenn.), who applied for membership) are not allowed to be members. Such a group, if it existed anywhere else in America, would properly be declared racist and would be either legally or morally forced to shut down.

Imagine the likely hubbub over the creation of a Congressional White Caucus if you have any doubt as to how wrong the existence of such groups really is.

It is just too bad that it took the CBCÂ’s kowtowing to Castro to get people to look at the essential wrongness of the groupÂ’s existence.

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Boy meets girl.

Boy and girl fall in love.

Boy and girl elope when her family objects.

Boy and girl kidnapped by mob sent by girlÂ’s family.

Boy and girl executed by firing squad.

Gotta love those Taliban family values.

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First, let me express my pride in the Navy SEALs who rescued Captain Richard Phillips from pirates off Somalia. I’ll even salute Barack Obama for ensuring that the rules of engagement allowed for taking out the pirates as needed – though I believe a better course of action would have been to order the use of force sooner. And as Somali pirates threaten to use deadly force against Americans in response, I think it would be proper for Obama to state that it is US policy to kill any pirate involved in attacks on American vessels or crewmen – and to act now to cripple or destroy the various pirate bands in the region.

There are, however, some folks who are simply not happy with this American success – other than the pirates, of course. They inhabit that dark realm known as Daily Kos, where this was posted.

Captain Phillips of the Maersk Alabama recklessly put himself, the crew, and the Navy Seals at unnecessary risk.

The pirates' modus operandi is that they hold the crew, ship, and cargo harmlessly until a lot of money is paid to them. Phillips "heroic" actions put his crew and himself at risk. If he'd done nothing except acquiesce to the pirates' demands, there would have been no risk, just possible discomfort until the extortion money was paid. Instead he put himself and the Seals at grave risk.

I applaud the crew, the Seals, and the military chain of command for their actions. I think Phillips was in error--if not a grandstander, then greatly misguided. Does anyone know what Maersk's orders to Phillips and the other Maersk masters are in a piracy matter? Probably to do nothing to incite trouble and to notify the shipowner and the U.S. Navy. The captain works for the shipowner and must follow those orders. The master who fails to follow the shipowner's orders is guilty of the crime of barratry if a financial injury to the shipowner results.

The actual result is that Maersk, the shipowner, saved a lot of money that would have been lost with the ship inactive and off charter while it sat idle in a pirate port. Is this worth the deadly risk to the crew and the Seals? Not to me.

Sort of like complaining that a rape victim didnÂ’t just lie back and enjoy it, donÂ’t you think?

Now to their credit, some folks did condemn this diarist. But some did so on the basis that the words above make Daily Kos look bad, not because they are wrong. And still others agreed with the diarist whole-heartedly.

And lest you think that I am attacking that site unnecessarily, please remember that its founder once responded to the murder and mutilation of Americans by terrorists in Iraq with the words “Fuck ‘em.” As such, it is hard to argue that support for those who terrorize or kill Americans is an isolated thing on the site.

Posted by: Greg at 03:53 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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How many European nations does it take before the Supreme Court declares it an international trend and finds such conduct protected by the US Constitution?

Three European Union nations — France, Spain and Portugal — do not prosecute consenting adults for incest, and Romania is considering following suit.

* * *

Laws exempting parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters from prosecution for incestuous acts if they are not forced upon adult family members are decades old in France, Spain and Portugal.

In Romania, decriminalizing incest among consenting adults is being considered as part of a wide range of reforms to the countryÂ’s criminal code. No date has been set yet for a parliament vote on the bill, and opposition to the proposal is fervent even among some lawmakers in the ruling coalition.

The reliance upon foreign courts and foreign law by the justices of the Supreme Court has become more common in recent years. And after Lawrence v. Texas and its expansive interpretation of the right to privacy to forbid consensual sexual relations between consenting adults, it would be quite easy to argue that there is a substantive basis for such a ban. After all, Justice Kennedy wrote the following in the majority opinion.

"When sexuality finds overt expression in intimate conduct with another person, the conduct can be but one element in a personal bond that is more enduring. The liberty protected by the Constitution allows homosexual persons the right to make this choice."

The logic would be equally as compelling in the case of an adult couple engaged in an incestuous relationship – and given that mere societal disapproval has been held to be insufficient to allow for laws against homosexual sodomy to be upheld, how can similar laws regarding adult incest stand up to constitutional scrutiny? And lest some argue that there is the increased chance of genetic problems in the offspring of such relationships, given that the increase is relatively small is that really a sufficient basis for such a prohibition?

Now please realize that I am not making an argument for incest – I’m not. Rather, I am arguing that the current case law relating to adult sexual expression is such that I don’t see how a law against it can stand – and that this is but one potential unforeseen consequence of an expansive decision that invalidated on constitutional grounds a law that justices saw as unwise, and the tendency to use foreign law as a matrix for interpreting our own constitution.

H/T Secular Right

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I certainly hope not – but that report is out there. I wonder if it will be looked at by the press?

We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?”, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.

Questions that need to be asked by our nationÂ’s media:

1) Did this happen as reported by this senior enlisted man on site?
2) Who ordered that this be done if it did actually happen?
3) What action will be taken to stop the politicization of our military in the future?

One would hope that our nationÂ’s military would always receive the commander-in-chief politely and respectfully. But if the White House (or DoD) is engaging in this sort of screening to make it appear that the president (and his Iraq policy) is more popular among the troops than he actually is, IÂ’m deeply disturbed.

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I find this bit of analysis to be rather intriguing – and a sign that current justices have learned from the over-reaching of an earlier era.

In other contexts, this sort of turmoil might amount to an invitation for the United States Supreme Court to step in. But there are all sorts of reasons the court is likely to keep its distance, and a central one is the endlessly debated 1973 decision that identified a constitutional right to abortion.
“The concern about creating another Roe v. Wade looms large,” said Nathaniel Persily, who teaches law and political science at Columbia. “At least five members of this court, if not more, would probably be reluctant to weigh in on this controversy, especially given the progress that is being made in state legislatures, state courts and public opinion.”

Let’s be really honest here – in 1973, there was already movement towards legalizing abortion in many states. Indeed, Ronald Reagan had signed legislation allowing it, though he later came to regret his decision. But the issue was being handled as the Framers would have hoped – on the state level, by the people and their elected representatives.

Unfortunately, I suspect that there will be a need to settle this question on the national level. Once an abortion is performed, it is done. A marriage, on the other hand, might well be described as a movable feast. Indeed, I was an Illinoisan who was married in Pennsylvania and later moved to Texas – and every state in the union would most certainly recognize my marriage as valid. The same is not true of marriages between individuals of the same sex, and that does ultimately raise a question under Article IV. Does the federal Defense of Marriage Act shield states from recognizing these marriages? Or does the requirement of “full faith and credit” mean that states must recognize marriages that would be forbidden under their own laws? The federalism issue here is one that must ultimately be resolved in the federal courts – or by a constitutional amendment.

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Imagine for a moment that one of the brothers of George W. Bush were accused of the attempted sexual assault of a teenager. Wouldn’t that have been the basis for some embarrassing headlines and close scrutiny of the family? Good grief – the Bush girls drinking while underage (a pretty minor offense, common among college students) was the source of a major brouhaha early in their father’s presidency.

So why was the underlying story missed by the press last year at the time of the election? And why is the US media not giving it major coverage?

BARACK OBAMAÂ’s half-brother has been refused entry to Britain after reportedly being accused of an attempted sex attack on a 13-year-old girl on his last visit.
Samson Obama, who runs a mobile phone shop in Nairobi in Kenya, was on his way to the presidentÂ’s inauguration in January when he tried to stop over in Britain to visit relatives. But he was turned away by immigration officers who declined to issue a visa on the grounds of deception.

Is this a case of sloppy reporting? Or is it a case of double standards at work – of trying not to embarrass Obama or not caring about incidents involving Democrats? And especially given other issues involving this particular Obama, will the press dig a little bit deeper into his life, his ideology, and his relationship with his half-brother?

And then there is the fact that he was traveling on forged travel documents. Why didnÂ’t OUR border security people pick that up? Or is there a special policy waiving normal border checks for members of the Obama family?

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Some argue that it the sign of an impending hit piece. I see this as potentially something less.

Earwigs report that New York Times reporter Bill Yardley was in Juneau this past week. He's said to be working on a story about how Sarah's governance has changed since the VP race.

Seems to me that we will all find out in the end, and that it could be a reasonable article about how the experience of running for VP has changed the formerly obscure governor. But it does strike me as a good thing that while the media is keeping an eye on government officials, there are those who are keeping an eye on the media.

Posted by: Greg at 10:43 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yes, NY Governor David Paterson is black. So what? Does that mean he ought to have the automatic support of African-Americans in New York?

In a sign of just how far Mr. PatersonÂ’s fortunes have fallen, the governor now faces growing doubts from a group that has been among his most loyal: black elected officials, clergy members and voters.

It is a remarkable turnaround for a man whose ascension to the governorÂ’s office just over a year ago set off a swell of pride and joy in black communities. Mr. Paterson became New YorkÂ’s first black governor and, along with Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, is one of only two in the country.

Now set aside the question of the tendency of blacks to support Democrats, and issues of racial pride. Why does Paterson deserve the support of black elected officials, clergy, and voters? What has he done to earn that support other than take office after the fall of his predecessor in a sex scandal? Has he done anything to significantly improve the lives of African-Americans in the state – or of New Yorkers in general, which should be the more important criteria? Shouldn’t competence and accomplishment be the basis for support rather than skin color and heritage?

Posted by: Greg at 09:41 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Some years ago, I began teaching adult students in a college degree program. My students were seeking credentials in a particular specialty field that required at least an associate's degree. But the reality is that many of them had families and jobs that made completing the program difficult, though most were successful. And then, a couple of years back, we decided to change our model so that students need not ravel to our location multiple evenings a week. We adopted a distance learning approach to education.

Distance learning offers coursework through internet communication rather than in a classroom setting. Frankly, I've been pleased with the results of the new format, as my students have done better work. Distance learning also has a lot of advantages in terms of time and scheduling for students.

If you are interested in distance learning, you will enroll in an online school and do your work over the internet. And while there is not personal interaction between the teacher and the student, there is feedback and a peer group in most programs. You essentially enroll in one of many online colleges to earn your degree.

Does this sound interesting to you? Do you want to learn about onlineschools now? Well then take the opportunity to learn more -- it may open up whole new horizons for you.

Posted by: Greg at 09:25 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Global warming – and global cooling – that is. And even a cursory look at the historical record shows it.

Make no mistake -- the earth has warmed. Unfortunately for the climate-change catastrophists, warming periods have occurred throughout recorded history, long before the Industrial Revolution and SUVs began spitting man-made carbon into the atmosphere. And as might be expected, these warm periods have invariably proven a blessing for humanity. Consider:

Around the 3rd century B.C., the planet emerged from a long cold spell. The warm period which followed lasted about 700 years, and since it coincided with the rise of Pax Romana, it is known as the Roman Warming.

In the 5th century A.D., the earth's climate became cooler. Cold and drought pushed the tribes of northern Europe south against the Roman frontier. Rome was sacked, and the Dark Ages commenced. And it was a dark age, both metaphorically and literally -- the sun's light dimmed and gave little warmth; harvest seasons grew shorter and yielded less. Life expectancy and literacy plummeted. The plague appeared and decimated whole populations.

Then, inexplicably, about 900 A.D. things began to warm. This warming trend would last almost 400 years, a well documented era known as the Medieval Warm Period. Once again, as temperatures rose harvests and populations grew. Vineyards made their way into Northern Europe, including Britain. Art and science flourished in what we now know as the Renaissance.

Then around 1300 A.D. things cooled drastically. This cold spell would last almost 500 years, a severe climate event known as the Little Ice Age. Millions died in famine as glaciers advanced all over the world. The plague returned. In Greenland, the Norse colony that had been established during the Medieval Warming froze and starved. Arctic pack ice descended south, pushing Inuit peoples to the shores of Scotland. People ice skated on the Thames; they walked from Staten Island to Manhattan over a frozen New York Harbor. The year 1816 was remembered as the year without a summer, with some portions of the Northern Hemisphere seeing snowfall in June.

But around 1850 the planet began to warm up yet again. Glaciers retreated. Temperatures rose. This is the warming period which we are still enjoying today. And once again, the warmth brought bounty: The last 150 years have seen an explosion in life expectancy, population, and scientific progress like never before.

Of course, even before the appearance of humans, the earth alternated throughout its history between extremes of heat and cold: 700 million years ago the planet was covered entirely in ice; 55 million years ago, a swampy greenhouse.

Is this to argue that we should ignore the environment and continue to pollute the earth? Hardly – there are plenty of good reasons to cut back on pollution and otherwise protect the environment. Burning oil and coal have detrimental effects on the environment and should be reduced. But to argue that humanity is responsible for any recent warming trend (and there is plenty of evidence that there isn’t such a trend or that it has ended) is absurd and alarmist – and frankly discredits the notion that we should make an effort to keep the earth clean for the health of the planet.

Posted by: Greg at 08:39 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Global warming – and global cooling – that is. And even a cursory look at the historical record shows it.

Make no mistake -- the earth has warmed. Unfortunately for the climate-change catastrophists, warming periods have occurred throughout recorded history, long before the Industrial Revolution and SUVs began spitting man-made carbon into the atmosphere. And as might be expected, these warm periods have invariably proven a blessing for humanity. Consider:

Around the 3rd century B.C., the planet emerged from a long cold spell. The warm period which followed lasted about 700 years, and since it coincided with the rise of Pax Romana, it is known as the Roman Warming.

In the 5th century A.D., the earth's climate became cooler. Cold and drought pushed the tribes of northern Europe south against the Roman frontier. Rome was sacked, and the Dark Ages commenced. And it was a dark age, both metaphorically and literally -- the sun's light dimmed and gave little warmth; harvest seasons grew shorter and yielded less. Life expectancy and literacy plummeted. The plague appeared and decimated whole populations.

Then, inexplicably, about 900 A.D. things began to warm. This warming trend would last almost 400 years, a well documented era known as the Medieval Warm Period. Once again, as temperatures rose harvests and populations grew. Vineyards made their way into Northern Europe, including Britain. Art and science flourished in what we now know as the Renaissance.

Then around 1300 A.D. things cooled drastically. This cold spell would last almost 500 years, a severe climate event known as the Little Ice Age. Millions died in famine as glaciers advanced all over the world. The plague returned. In Greenland, the Norse colony that had been established during the Medieval Warming froze and starved. Arctic pack ice descended south, pushing Inuit peoples to the shores of Scotland. People ice skated on the Thames; they walked from Staten Island to Manhattan over a frozen New York Harbor. The year 1816 was remembered as the year without a summer, with some portions of the Northern Hemisphere seeing snowfall in June.

But around 1850 the planet began to warm up yet again. Glaciers retreated. Temperatures rose. This is the warming period which we are still enjoying today. And once again, the warmth brought bounty: The last 150 years have seen an explosion in life expectancy, population, and scientific progress like never before.

Of course, even before the appearance of humans, the earth alternated throughout its history between extremes of heat and cold: 700 million years ago the planet was covered entirely in ice; 55 million years ago, a swampy greenhouse.

Is this to argue that we should ignore the environment and continue to pollute the earth? Hardly – there are plenty of good reasons to cut back on pollution and otherwise protect the environment. Burning oil and coal have detrimental effects on the environment and should be reduced. But to argue that humanity is responsible for any recent warming trend (and there is plenty of evidence that there isn’t such a trend or that it has ended) is absurd and alarmist – and frankly discredits the notion that we should make an effort to keep the earth clean for the health of the planet.

Posted by: Greg at 08:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Today there are too many people carrying around too much debt. Indeed, that is one aspect of the current credit crunch. For some folks it has come to pass that making all those separate payments can really become a hassle. They need help to get out of their debt mess.

That is why various debt consolidation and relief programs are worth considering. Getting a loan is one thing, but it is also beneficial to work with professionals who can provide you with various strategies for paying off that debt. Such programs to
consolidate debt can help you preserve your credit rating while getting out of debt much more quickly.

Of course not every person is in exactly the same place financially when they need to deal with this issue. What is right for one may not be right for another. That is why it is important that you find the best debt consolidation for you before deciding on a solution. You might therefore consider looking at the information available to you at mydebtconsolidationadvice.com in order to seek some guidance on what the best option is for you. After all, what do you have to lose except for that mountain of debt?

Posted by: Greg at 08:12 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So says Michael Barone, in regard to the tens of millions of dollars in union dues spent by union leaders to push for what amounts to coerced unionization.

The unions are blaming this on selfish big business. The real problem is that it's hard to defend a law that effectively abolishes the secret ballot. When nobody's looking and it's not for real, politicians may vote that way. But not when it's for keeps. Moreover, as General Motors and Chrysler spiral toward bankruptcy, it's not apparent that adversarial unionism is healthy for the economy. It's not clear that imposing federal arbitration on the private sector is a recipe for economic growth. Certainly it's not a recipe for innovation or flexibility at a time when businesses need them more than ever.

Union sympathizers are now talking about fallback positions. But it's not clear that a bill with minor changes that does not effectively abolish the secret ballot and impose federal arbitration will produce the vast increase in unionization that union leaders seek. There's not much polling showing that vast numbers of private sector workers yearn for union representation.

Let’s boil it down to its essence – the card check process, when brought to the attention of the American public, was pretty hard to defend. After all, when your fall-back argument is that the secret ballot isn’t really necessary in a free society, you are not going to get much sympathy in this country. And with the massive expenditure of dues as a part of the union effort to eliminate the secret ballot being available as an example of how unions spend the dues of their members, I can’t imagine that there will be a change in interest in unionization any time soon.

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One of the many ways that the advent of the computer age has brought about is the ability to learn online. One of the fastest growing ways of increasing one's knowledge and skills is through the use of computer based training videos by workers and students. In particular, there are great enterprise cbt training programs available for those seeking to learn new computer skills. And one place to find them is at self studysource.com. There you will find a range computer training videos that will help you to get and stay ahead in todayÂ’s competitive job market. The available cbt videos include all major IT certification tracks. What are some of the possibilities available to you? Well consider these options:

Linux+: This self-study CBT program contains interactive components, demonstrations, labs, and practice exam simulators to improve your skills and success.

Network+: An excellent package for those seeking Network certification that follows the exam objectives to enhance your success.

And these are only two of the programs available to you. There is also a range of network security training videos, Microsoft Office training videos and Cisco CBT Training Videos available, too.

In the ever-changing world of technology, you have to keep up to stay ahead. So here's your chance -- take it.

Posted by: Greg at 07:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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But I canÂ’t help but think we should see more of this in the United States.

The clicking of dozens of news cameras drowned out the sobs of the 13-year-old girl, but her face explained what was happening in the departure hall of Japan's Narita International Airport.

Noriko Calderon, wearing her school uniform, was being forced to make one of the most wrenching choices of her young life: To stay in the country of her birth rather than join her parents being deported to the Philippines.

The scene was the emotional climax to a story a decade and a half in the making -- one that has tugged at heartstrings in Japan, but ultimately failed to sway unyielding bureaucracy.

The problem, of course, is one that we face on a much grander scale in this country – illegal alien parents with a child (or children) who are citizens. How does a country deal with such situations, when enforcing the law means splitting children and parents – or when keeping a family together requires rewarding the illegal conduct of parents?

We don’t, of course, have any problem splitting up parents and kids when mom or dad (or even mom and dad) gets shipped off to jail for an extended period of time. We acknowledge that it is but one more sad consequence of a parent’s decision to violate the law. I frankly see no reason to treat immigration law any differently – exactly the decision that the Japanese government has made in this case. Rather than blame the government, why can’t we put the blame on the shoulders of the ones whose initial decision to violate the law is truly the cause of the problem? And if we are going to reward with legal status every set of parents who manage to get an anchor baby, then how can we be said to really have control of our nation’s borders?

Does my heart break for young Noriko Calderon? Yes it does – just as it would break for every youngster faced with the same decision if we truly enforced our nation’s immigration laws. But while I sympathize with the child, my anger is directed against the adults who created the situation rather than the government that is merely enforcing reasonable laws.

Posted by: Greg at 06:35 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I won't beat around the bush -- I'm nearsighted. And I'm not talking about "let me just squint and I'll be fine" near-sighted. I mean really near-sighted. Nearsighted enough that I've with students that without my glasses that I not only could not tell them apart, but I would probably be unable to divide the girls from boys at a distance of more than ten feet. And if I got much beyond that, I would be unable to distinguish the ethnicity of the individuals in question -- they would just be a big blur. Yeah, that near-sighted.

This past year I needed to get bifocal. And since I choose eyeglasses over contact lenses (and have since my brief flirtation with them during high school and college), I need a pretty thick lens unless I get some that use special materials to make them thinner. But those cost more down at your local optical shop or mass-market eyeglass retailer, so it is important to find yourself a bargain if you can. And if you shop online, it is now possible to find a Wide Selection of Eyeglasses and those special lenses at bargain prices. That can mean spectacular savings on that new pair of glasses.

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Ther eis just something about political commentary from the British press. They don't hold back the way our commentators do. That is how you get a gem like this.

President Barack Obama has recently completed the most successful foreign policy tour since Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.

The rest of Gerald Warner's column is equally as withering. I won't excerpt more because I'd have to leave out too much of his brilliant writing.

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Imagine this situation.

Your wife has brutally tortured a two-year-old family member to death.

You respond in outrage to the press.

Not because your wife is a psycho killer.

Because the cops dared take her mug shot without her hijab and then released it to the press.

The police booking photo of alleged child killer Nour Hadid released Tuesday is an "insult against our religion," says Hadid's husband, Alaeddin.

The Hadids are Muslims and Nour "never leaves the home without covering up," said Alaeddin, who's vowed to sue.

By custom, some practicing Muslim women wear the hijab, or headscarf, and cover their arms and legs when in public.

In the mug shot, a bare-headed and obviously emotional Nour appears to be protecting her modesty with her hands.

"It is against our religion; we do not do this in our culture," Alaeddin said.

Dude, get your priorities in order and direct your outrage where it belongs. You know, towards your wife -- or is it not against your religion and culture to torture toddlers to death?

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It seems really obvious to me -- if the state allows someone a license to carry a concealed handgun, no state agency should be permitted to turn around and declare that concealed carry is not permitted unless there is an overriding public safety/order basis for it. Courthouses are a legitimate exception, but college campuses are not. The Texas legislature is considering precisely that issue.

Legislation allowing state university students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus appears to have enough pledged support from lawmakers to pass the full Texas House.

The bill would prohibit public universities across Texas from creating rules that forbid concealed handgun license holders from carrying their pistols into a classroom, but it would allow private institutions to exempt themselves.

Chances for passage in the House — if it gets there — look strong, as 76 members have signed on to support the bill, authored by Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland.

The House Public Safety Committee already has signed off on the measure. Now, it needs to get scheduled for debate in the full House.

Of course we know from empirical evidence that those with a CCL are the least likely to misuse a handgun, so the argument for banning guns on campus is a crock. Besides, we've already seen how well those bans have performed in preventing mass murder on campus, haven't we?

The Houston Chronicle, though, offers its usual anti-gun take on the matter.

But the most troubling, irresponsible one of all is a bill to allow concealed weapons on college campuses. Authored by Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, it seems to have enough support to pass the House. In the Senate, 13 of the 31 members have promised their support for an identical bill authored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio.

ItÂ’s a horrifying thought. It is our fervent hope that cooler heads in the Senate will prevail and block its passage. Students have enough on their plates without having to worry that horsing around, drinking or otherwise acting like a college student could result in an unintended tragedy.

Of course, that this has not happened away from campus is simply discounted -- but the paper offers the following as compelling evidence that college students should not be permitted to possess the means to defend themselves from crime while on campus.

There are excellent reasons why all major car rental agencies require that a driver be at least 25, or pay a hefty premium if younger. Psychologists are well aware that the ability to foresee the consequences of oneÂ’s behavior is still developing long past adolescence.

Which, of course, explains why younger voters supported Obama in record numbers. So maybe there is a good argument there for restricting the right to vote, like the right to keep and bear arms, to those over 25. Heck, we can do away with all the protections of the Bill of Rights until the kids are 25 -- along with the right to marry, drive, own real property...

Unless, of course, one believes that adults should have the full rights of adulthood, even if they are college students. And that includes the right to keep and bear arms that is protected by both the US and Texas constitutions.

Posted by: Greg at 01:37 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Interestingly enough, I was discussing this issue with my ninth graders just this week as part of our unit on China.

A bias in favor of male offspring has left China with 32 million more boys under the age of 20 than girls, creating “an imminent generation of excess men,” a study released Friday said.

For the next 20 years, China will have increasingly more men than women of reproductive age, according to the paper, which was published online by the British Medical Journal. “Nothing can be done now to prevent this,” the researchers said.

Chinese government planners have long known that the urge of couples to have sons was skewing the gender balance of the population. But the study, by two Chinese university professors and a London researcher, provides some of the first hard data on the extent of the disparity and the factors contributing to it.

In 2005 , they found, births of boys in China exceeded births of girls by more than 1.1 million. There were 120 boys born for every 100 girls.

I tried to get my students to consider the demographic implications of this development. Being fifteen, their immediate question was "does that mean a bunch of guys are going to have to turn gay?" But after giving the matter some more serious consideration, they actually drew some of the same conclusions that are noted in the study that prompted this article -- that the nation's one child policy and the traditional Chinese preference for boys were the cause. They also raised the issue of possible increases in crime and the availability of "excess young men" for military service as possible ramifications of the trend. Smart kids -- but scary numbers.

Posted by: Greg at 01:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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One local blogger offers up the following indictment of the GOP.

So Karl Rove keeps files of his enemies' off-party-line talking points and Rep. Spencer Bachus as a list of Socialist members of Congress (there are apparently 17).

Seems to me that he is grasping at straws.

Let's see -- Rove keeps files of quotes as a part of his opposition research. Horrors! At least he doesn't have the contents of 900 illegally obtained FBI files like the Clintons did.

And as for 17 socialists in Congress -- we have one, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is one openly. We have others associated with openly socialist groups. Their activity isn't illegal, nor does Bachus seek to treat it as such. So what is the problem?

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Yeah, once again raising the specter of voter disenfranchisement, the NY Times has run an editorial urging the that the federal government more strictly enforce the "Motor Voter" law.

States started out with some enthusiasm, but in recent years compliance has fallen sharply. Project Vote and Demos, public-interest groups that work for voting rights, studied the implementation of the motor voter law nationally from 1995 to 2007. In a 2005 study of 103 people leaving a Department of Jobs and Family Services office in Ohio, only three reported being given voter registration forms. Surveys conducted outside of public assistance offices in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland and other states found similar problems.

Not surprisingly, the motor voter law is proving to be far less effective in registering voters than it should be. According to the report by Project Vote and Demos, the number of people registering from public assistance agencies fell 79 percent between 1995 and 1996 — the first years for which data were collected — and 2005 and 2006, the most recent reporting period.

You see, for the liberal editors of the Gray Lady (it would be more accurate to call it the Pink Lady, given the paper's socialist tilt), the real purpose of the law is to push voter registration forms into the hands of public aid recipients -- the most likely to vote Democrat -- rather than the general public. Merely having the forms available at the office -- sitting on the counter -- isn't enough. the paper wants them actively given to each applicant.

Now here's the problem with the law, one I've mentioned before and which explains why I prefer to call it the "Auto Fraud-o" Law. The legislation makes it virtually impossible to reject a registration form, and difficult to detect voter fraud. For example, when I lived in Illinois when I got married, but the wedding was in my wife's home town in Pennsylvania. I had just presented my Illinois driver's license and given my Illinois address to the clerk in the office that issued our wedding license when she turned to me and asked, pursuant to the law in question, whether I would like to register to vote. Flabbergasted, I pointed out that I was not a Pennsylvania resident. In response, she told me that I could use my mother-in-law's address and there would be no problem with me voting absentee -- that the law made it illegal for her to refuse my registration if I gave that other address. Given that I believe in the principle of "one person, one vote", I chose not to engage in election fraud. But the thing is, the law would have facilitated, not prevented, my doing so if I wanted to. So rather than supporting more enforcement of the law, I'd urge its repeal.

Posted by: Greg at 01:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I'm up on the tightrope , one sides hate and one is hope
It's a circus game with you and me.
I'm up on the tightwire , linked by life and the funeral pyre
But the top hat on my head is all you see.

I always loved that song when I was a kid, but was really too young to realize that Leon Russell wasn't really singing about the circus. And I was fascinated by all things circus when I was a kid -- not just the clowns or the animals, but especially the "death defying acrobatics" of the folks on the tightrope and trapeze. To be honest, I wanted to become one of those performers -- but as a pudgy, uncoordinated kid, it soon became obvious that I just lacked the physical skills and body type that would make me a success in that sort of endeavor.

But as an adult, I still have a fascination with the circus, and an appreciation of the real art that goes into the circus performance. Age and maturity have made me realize that there is something more to what is going on than just the "death defying feats" that the ring master used to tell us about.

I'm not alone in this -- in recent years the entire phenomenon of Cirque du Soleil has taken off in this country and around the world, with an entirely different spin on the acrobatic wonders that thrilled us as children. And maybe that is why Cirque Las Vegas shows are so incredibly popular, with their tickets always in demand.
What makes Cirque performances so intriguing? Well, these performances are beautifully choreographed stories set to music, and they are told through the movement of the performers. It is the taking of the art of storytelling to a whole new level through the physical agility of the performers.

Of course, you do have a problem when in Vegas -- you have to decide which of the amazing Cirque shows you want to see. Personally, I would like to see Love, which is built around the music of the Fab Four's Magical Mystery Tour. But that isn't your only choice -- there are also KA, Mystere, LOVE, O, and Zumanity to choose from, each with their own special appeal. Pick one and enjoy the experience.

Posted by: Greg at 12:29 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, the results are in on this week's Watcher's Council vote. There were some fine pieces submitted, and a couple of fine winners chosen.

Council Submissions

• First place with 2 points! - Bookworm Room - Can it happen here?
• Second place with 1 1/3 points - Rhymes With Right - The Problem Of Sexting


• Third place with 1 point - The Provocateur - Some Thoughts on Low Rates, the Credit Freeze, and Politics
• Fourth place with 2/3 point - Mere Rhetoric - New J-Street Poll Is Rigged In Particularly Stupid, Obnoxious Ways


• Fifth place with 1/3 points - (T*) - The Glittering Eye - Risking It
• Fifth place with 1/3 points - (T*) - The Colossus of Rhodey - Just Â… crazy


• Fifth place with 1/3 points - (T*) - Right Truth - This is America, quit trying to destroy her Obama.

Non-Council Submissions

• First place with 1 2/3 points! - Charles Krauthammer - ObamaÂ’s Ultimate Agenda


• Second place with 1 1/3 points - HistoryNet.com - Lashing Back - IsraelÂ’s 1947-1948 Civil War
• Third place with 1 point - GayPatriot - Vermont Shows How to go about Recognizing Gay Marriage


• Fourth place with 2/3 point - (T*) - Just One Minute - Jeffrey Sachs, Not Detail Oriented
• Fourth place with 2/3 point - (T*) - Robert Averech/Big Hollywood - “IÂ’m Against Guns and Violence, Unfortunately Reality Has Intruded on My Delusional Paradise.”


• Fifth place with 1/3 points - (T*) - Townhall/John Hawkins - Seven reasons while the GOP comeback will begin in 2010
• Fifth place with 1/3 points - (T*) - Big Hollywood - HollywoodÂ’s Nazi Comfort Zone

  Congratulations to all nominees -- I encourage my readers to take a few minutes to read them all.

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As a high school teacher, I am well aware that graduation is coming very soon for our school's seniors. That is always an exciting time around school, as kids I've had the chance to watch mature over the years become responsible (we all hope) adults who are going on to advanced education, a new job, the military, or some other new adventure. Over the years we have held ours in such venues as the Compaq Center, Toyota Center, and Reliant Stadium (where we will have ours this year).

Of course, when graduation rolls around it is important that you let everyone know that you are going to graduate. After all, it is a big event -- especially with my kids, many of whom come from immigrant families in which they are part of the first generation to graduate from high school. For many of my students, that means sending out invitations and announcements that are something more than the generic variety sold at school by the company our district does business with. Some want them personalized. Others want them in a different language. Still others want to reflect their cultural heritage more fully. And that is where personalized graduation invitations enter into the picture.

What sorts of things do I see on these invitations sent out by my students? Well, many of them like to include pictures of themselves on the invitations, along with their names and the date of their graduation. After all, this is the big day for them. Then they will include a much more flowery text -- sometimes including a verse from scripture -- to announce the date, time, and location of graduation. And yes, these announcements are often either bilingual, so that they can be read by friends and family both in this country and back in the land of their (or their parents) birth. The results are often guide beautiful and moving, because they represent who these students really are in a way that the generic invitations offered by the school do not.

Posted by: Greg at 10:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, it will if my pet has anything to say about it.

Dog-crazy Americans will soon be able to buy a pet-friendly car with a cushioned dog bed in the trunk, fitted with a built-in water bowl and fan and a ramp to help less agile dogs climb in.

With the help of a rescue dog named Sammy, Japanese car maker Honda Motor Co unveiled the pet friendly version of its Element utility vehicle at the New York Auto Show.

It features easy-wash seat covers, a fitted dog bed with restraints to keep Sammy safe in the event of a crash, and a paw logo on the side. Honda said the car would go on sale across the United States from the fall of this year.

Honda spokesman Sage Marie said it was designed with both safety and comfort in mind. "(It's) a car we think is of interest to many of today's dog-crazy consumers," he said.

Now here’s my question – will Honda consider adding these features to something other than an SUV? After all, many of us do seek smaller, more fuel efficient cars for a variety of reasons.

Posted by: Greg at 02:06 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Good grief – Ted Stevens will be 90-years-old in 2014. Returning him to office would make no sense, especially since he is ethically challenged even if he is not a criminal. Besides, the explanation for this filing shows precisely why we in the GOP need to reject him completely.

Former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska has filed a statement of candidacy for the 2014 election, but an aide cautions against reading too much into the move.

Campaign treasurer Tim McKeever says the filing does not mean Stevens has decided to seek re-election. He says it simply was done to accept donations that came into the campaign after the November election.

In other words, it is all about the money. And with that said, IÂ’d like to urge that every conservative and Republican direct their dollars and their votes to more worthy recipients.

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But misses the fact that the hosting company in question actually has a much longer history hosting cyberjihadi websites than even Rusty and the boys at Jawa Report noted.

On March 25, a Taliban Web site claiming to be the voice of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" boasted of a deadly new attack on coalition forces in that country. Four soldiers were killed in an ambush, the site claimed, and the "mujahideen took the weapons and ammunition as booty."

Most remarkable about the message was how it was delivered. The words were the Taliban's, but they were flashed around the globe by an American-owned firm located in a leafy corner of downtown Houston.

The Texas company, a Web-hosting outfit called ThePlanet, says it simply rented cyberspace to the group and had no clue about its Taliban connections. For more than a year, the militant group used the site to rally its followers and keep a running tally of suicide bombings, rocket attacks and raids against U.S. and allied troops. The cost of the service: roughly $70 a month, payable by credit card.

The Taliban's account was pulled last week when a blogger noticed the connection and called attention to it. But the odd pairing of violently anti-American extremists and U.S. technology companies continues elsewhere and appears to be growing. Intelligence officials and private experts cite dozens of instances in which Islamist militants sought out U.S. Internet firms -- known for their reliable service and easy terms that allow virtual anonymity -- and used them to incite attacks on Americans.

Uh, mind if I point something else out? This isn’t the first time that Rusty and the boys have tangled with this company (once my hosting company) – ThePlanet purchased Houston-based EV1 a couple of years ago, and that company had a little cyberjihadi problem, too. That leads me to question what is up over at ThePlanet that they seem to be a host of choice for the enemies of America and the rest of the civilized world.

Posted by: Greg at 11:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Now here is an idea whose time has come – a cake mould that actually makes pieces of cake in a variety of sizes. What a cool idea! After all, think of your last family gathering where you brought a dessert. Aunt Gertrude wanted just a little piece of cake. On the other hand, Cousin Charlie’s boy Michael wanted an extra-large piece to go with his extra-large teenage appetite. And you know the rest of the family, with their various graduated tastes and quantities. It would have been great to have them already made, frosted, and ready to eat – no need to play games with cutting the individual pieces to size. Instead of having a cake that looks like a victim of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you will instead have beautiful individual servings.

Where can you find such things? Well, you might want to consider this Charles & Marie cake mold that the folks at Stylehive.com have linked from their website. The mold is made of silicon, and helps you whip up 15 different pieces of various sizes. That should be a good start for almost any gathering, whether it is a family get-together or the womenÂ’s group at church. So if you like to make beautiful deserts that others love, this might b just right for your kitchen.

Posted by: Greg at 10:24 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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For those of us who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, the Beatles will always have a special place in our hearts. Even if there are other groups that may hold a higher place in our hearts, their music is undeniably a part of the soundtrack of our lives. That is why I find this to be a rather exciting development.

According to Apple Corps, the Beatles’ company, and EMI Music, it will be released, at last, on Sept. 9 — the whole catalogue, more or less, revitalized for the first time since 1987, when it was converted, disastrously, for the CD format. What we’re all hoping to hear is what George Martin and the band heard when the tracks were first mastered, before they were squeezed and contorted to fit the various formats in which they were eventually sold.

Fantastic news for all of us. We have the technology now for all of us to hear what the Beatles meant their music to sound like before it was released on monophonic and primitive stereo LPs – and later converted to eight-track, cassette, and CD. Properly remastered – hopefully with the involvement of the two surviving band members – there is a real possibility of gaining whole new insights into these beloved classics.

Posted by: Greg at 09:21 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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