Let's get that Crystal Ball out.

Well, maybe not that Crystal Ball, even though it is a classic tune.

How about these predictions, though -- after a year where I went (really generously speaking) 5 out of 10.

1. Castro is reelected in Cuba -- and still clings to both power and life at the end of 2008.

2. A drawdown of US troops continues in Iraq, with stability increasing even as Democrats like Reid and Pelosi continue to claim that we have lost the war.

3. Democrat ticket in 2008 -- Hillary-Obama

4. GOP ticket in 2008 -- Romney-Thompson (following a brokered convention that sees Rudy promised the position of AG and McCain the position of Secretary of Defense).

5. November 2008 -- Romney Wins! Cornyn beats Noriega in Texas Senate race -- and Shelley Sekula Gibbs returns to Congress after defeating Nick Lampson following a hard fought primary runoff against Dean Hrbacek. Ron Paul loses in his bid to be reelected to Congress as well as his quest for the White House.

6. Pakistani elections will be delayed until the end of February, and will make Pervez Musharraf a mere figurehead as the parties of the late Benazir Bhutto and former Nawaz Sharif win a majority of seats in Parliament, allowing them to ignore the former general.

7. No successful terrorist attacks in the US in 2008 -- but an airplane bombing abroad will make airport security a renewed priority.

8. Conservatives will be happy as the Roberts Court continues to hand down strict-constructionist decisions. Gun rights, voter ID, and capital punishment decisions will delight most Americans while sending the ACLU into a fit of apoplexy.

9. England is overjoyed with the announcement of the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton -- and shocked by a sudden, unexpected royal death.

10. And going out on a limb again this year -- Muslims riot yet again over a perceived slight to Muhammad.

BONUS PREDICTION: The Houston Texans end the 2008 season at 10-6, making the playoffs for the first time in team history.

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If ever there has been a case of reaching a conclusion first and then searching for evidence and a theory to back that conclusion, this is it.

A research paper that won a Hebrew University teachers' committee prize finds that the lack of IDF rapes of Palestinian women is designed to serve a political purpose.

The abstract of the paper, authored by doctoral candidate Tal Nitzan, notes that the paper shows that "the lack of organized military rape is an alternate way of realizing [particular] political goals."

The next sentence delineates the particular goals that are realized in this manner: "In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it can be seen that the lack of military rape merely strengthens the ethnic boundaries and clarifies the inter-ethnic differences - just as organized military rape would have done."

The paper further theorizes that Arab women in Judea and Samaria are not raped by IDF soldiers because the women are de-humanized in the soldiers' eyes.

So let's make this clear -- the act of rape occurs in time of war because the enemy has been "de-humanized" and the sexual assault of their women is therefore not seen as morally culpable. On the other hand, the failure to rape the women of the enemy is a sign that the enemy has been "de-humanized" and that sexual assault of their women does not happen as a result. In other words, every course of action that might be taken is a sign of the enemy having been "de-humanized", and a presumed racist attitude towards the enemy.

Am I the only one who sees the fundamentally absurd nature of this academic paper?

Posted by: Greg at 11:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Labor unions are up in arms over this one -- but ignore the fact that this is a restriction that can be easily circumvented.

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers have the right to prohibit workers from using the companyÂ’s e-mail system to send out union-related messages, a decision that could hamper communications between labor unions and their membership.

In a 3-to-2 ruling released on Friday, the board held that it was legal for employers to prohibit union-related e-mail so long as employers had a policy barring employees from sending e-mail for “non-job-related solicitations” for outside organizations.

The ruling is a significant setback to the nationÂ’s labor unions, which argued that e-mail systems have become a modern-day gathering place where employees should be able to communicate freely with co-workers to discuss work-related matters of mutual concern.

Imagine that -- the work email system should be used for work. You aren't allowed to use your work email for union activity -- which is akin to using company letterhead for union solicitations.

There is, of course, a way around this. With all the FREE email programs out there -- Gmail and the like -- you can establish an address that you are can use for union activity as much as you want. And you can still send your notices TO employees at their company email address under the decision. And employees could, presumably, use their work address to email back to that free email address.

Posted by: Greg at 03:09 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Proving that a certain GOP presidential candidate doesn't know jack about our nation's foreign policy.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stuck a toe in the presidential race Friday, taking strong issue after Republican Mike Huckabee accused the administration of having an "arrogant bunker mentality" on foreign policy.

"The idea that somehow this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous," she said, briefly weighing in on politics during a State Department news conference in Washington. "One would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy."

In response, Huckabee said he held Rice in high regard but questioned whether she had read the entire Foreign Affairs journal article in which he made the "bunker mentality" remark that has drawn fire from fellow Republican candidates.

"Certainly she has a right to speak out. She's still a citizen. I respect her very much," Huckabee told reporters as he campaigned in Iowa.

But he added: "Did she actually read the article or is she reacting as others have to the headlines and to the synopsis that has been printed?"

No, Governor, she read the whole thing -- and she is reacting to the comments of an amateur who is willing to lie about our foreign policy for his own political advantage. Fine, we expect that from Democrats. We expect that from Ron Paul. And now it seems we should expect such things from you. What do all of these individuals have in common -- THEY ARE NOT CONSERVATIVES.

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I've refrained from commenting on this matter for a couple of days -- I wasn't sure how to approach it -- but the story in today's Houston Chronicle merits some mention.

International space station astronaut Dan Tani offered a passionate tribute to his mother on Friday, two days before her funeral service in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, Ill.

Rose Tani, 90, died Wednesday of injuries suffered when her car was struck by a freight train in the community 20 miles west of Chicago.

"My mother was a complete joy," said Tani in a statement distributed by NASA, his first public comments on her death. "Those who knew her will know that words cannot describe her vitality, generosity and warmth. She was my hero. We will all miss her dearly."

The tragedy marked the first time an American astronaut has experienced the loss of an immediate family member while on a space mission.

* * *

Services for Rose Tani were scheduled for Sunday at 1:30 p.m., CST, at the First Church of Lombard United Church of Christ, where the family has worshipped for years.

Other survivors include sons Richard and Steven and daughter Christine.

Tani planned to record a tribute to his mother from the space station to be played at Sunday's service.

Also, Tani's family plans to record the service so that it can be transmitted to him later by NASA, said Evans.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the Tani family as they face this shocking tragedy. They are in my prayers at this time.

This is a reminder of something that NASA folks take for granted, but we outside of the space program never even think about.

"Living on the space station means that I experience all aspects of life — be they joyous or tragic — while circling the Earth without a convenient way to return," said Tani. "Of course, I was aware of this situation before my mission, and I fully accept that I will proudly complete my mission and join my family when I return."

Thursday night, the men from church had our annual Christmas party. I was part of the minority there who had no NASA connection, either current or former NASA employees or contractors. I asked about this situation, and was somewhat surprised to find that there actually was already a protocol for handling this sort of situation. And as Dan Tani points out, the reality of space travel is that there is really no option for coming home in such a situation.

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It may, according to some analysts, as the law's requirements of less safe, less popular cars with higher fuel efficiency kick in.

For automakers, tougher fuel economy laws signed by President Bush this week represent a big challenge. For Houston's petrochemical industry, they could mean big business.

To hit the targets, automakers not only will need to develop more efficient engine technologies, but reduce the weight of vehicles, a shift that could open the door for greater use of plastics.

Chemical plants in this region produce many of the raw plastics that already are being used to make auto components.

"Materials manufactured at our facilities in Texas and many other areas of the world will be instrumental in meeting customer needs and new industry standards," said Steve Henderson, president of the Americas for Dow Automotive in Auburn Hills, Mich. The company has manufacturing sites in Freeport, Seadrift and LaPorte that produce materials used in automotive components.

But while chemical companies see opportunity ahead, others see limits to how much plastic and other lightweight materials can be added to vehicles without compromising safety or increasing costs.

Of course the new law is going to compromise safety. Of course it is going to raise costs of vehicles even further. But damn it, it is going to get us to 35 MPG like the greenie-weenies insist we must in order to be in compliance with the dogma of the religion of global warming as proclaimed by the Prophet Al Gore.

But on the bright side, it will boost the local economy, even as more Americans die on the roads and highways of America.

Posted by: Greg at 03:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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UPDATE: Dear God, I recognized that this was a horrible tragedy. I didn't think the story could get any more gut-wrenching. It has.

Authorities now know the remains found Thursday morning by a commuter on the Gulf Freeway are those of a 12-year-old boy. They know he was a fifth-grader at Schneider Middle School, and that his mom reported him missing later that day.

But they don't know how Traveon Jamel Jordan LeBlanc ended up crossing the busy interstate, where it's theorized he was struck by several vehicles.

And that this boy's classmates spent much of the day on Friday, the last school day before Christmas, speculating that it might be their friend who had been killed and then having their fears confirmed, tears at my heart even more. may God send his healing mercy down upon his friends, his teachers, and his family .

Read this story of what appears to be a horrible accident here in Houston, and tell me what is missing from it.

Investigators are trying to determine the identity of a person they theorize may have been struck several times while trying to walk across the Gulf Freeway.

A motorist called police early Thursday morning to report seeing what appeared to be human remains in the main lanes of the freeway.

Investigators with the Houston Police Department and Harris County Medical Examiner's Office, while combing the freeway, would later find various pieces of a body.

The macabre scene, which police believe was the result of a pedestrian struck by several vehicles, slowed southbound traffic to a crawl for five hours.

Police could not determine the individual's gender or approximate age and investigators are calling on the public to help identify the person. Officials say the person could have been black. Little else is known.

"We're asking for anyone who was driving by that area before 6:40 (a.m. Thursday) to call us if they saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinary," said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

Police do not know when or if the person was killed after being struck by vehicles on the Gulf Freeway.

The article continues on in a similar vein to the end.

The more I read, the more I was struck by the missing detain. Where, exactly, on the Gulf Freeway did this incident occur. Surely we could have been given an exit or two in order to provide a frame of reference for readers. After all, the Gulf Freeway runs from downtown Houston to Galveston Island -- all of which is part of the Houston metropolitan area. And if you were not caught in the traffic jam, would you necessarily know where the incident took place. You know, especially if you were a teacher driving that stretch of road at 6:30 on the way to school and who didn't get out of school until 3:00 (I lived just off Gulf Freeway for four years and took it to work daily), you might never have been aware of the closed highway and the search for body parts.

Come on, Chronicle "professionals" -- why couldn't you offer your readers these salient details?

By the way, thanks to alert commenters on the website for noting that the incident took place between Airport Blvd and Edgebrook.Authorities now know the remains found Thursday morning by a commuter on the Gulf Freeway are those of a 12-year-old boy. They know he was a fifth-grader at Schneider Middle School, and that his mom reported him missing later that day.

But they don't know how Traveon Jamel Jordan LeBlanc ended up crossing the busy interstate, where it's theorized he was struck by several vehicles.

Posted by: Greg at 01:52 AM | Comments (101) | Add Comment
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Imagine that -- work done with public funds needs to be accessible to the public. What a novel concept.

It is barely a drop of ink in the gargantuan omnibus spending bill that Congress just passed. But a provision that would give the public free access to the results of federally funded biomedical research represents a sweet victory for a coalition of researchers and activists who lobbied for the language for years.

Under the bill's terms, scientists getting grant money from the National Institutes of Health would now have to submit to the NIH a final copy of their research papers when those papers are accepted for publication in a journal. An NIH database would then post those papers, free to the public, within 12 months after publication.

The idea is that taxpayers, who have already paid for the research, should not have to subscribe to expensive scientific journals to read about the results.

That populist line -- spearheaded by patient advocacy groups seeking easier access to the latest medical findings and supported by libraries whose budgets have had trouble keeping up with rising journal subscription costs -- ultimately overwhelmed objections from journal publishers. Those firms had complained bitterly that proponents bypassed the congressional committees that could have carefully compared the new approach to less disruptive systems for making information available to the public, some of which are already being used by other science-funding agencies.

I love the response from one of the lobbyists for the journal publishers -- "It's not over yet."

Yes, it is. It is called FEDERAL LAW. Comply or die when the lawsuits fly.

Posted by: Greg at 02:56 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Some headlines just seem too obvious for words. Take this one from todayÂ’s Houston Chronicle.

Gunfire leads to the discovery of body

Shots fired. Dead body. Not a surprise. After all, when you are inside the city limits, it is unlikely that you are going to hear shots fired by someone hunting for game.

Posted by: Greg at 01:18 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Could an undetectable mini-asteroid be the end of the world as we know it?

AN ASTEROID too small to be picked up by telescopes could wipe out a city, killing up to a million people, a leading scientist has warned.
Objects less than 460ft across are not currently detected, but research suggests they pack a far mightier punch than previously feared.

A computer simulation carried out in the United States shows asteroids as small as 100ft wide could cause "airbursts" similar to one that flattened 1,250 square miles of Siberian forest almost a century ago.

Dr Mark Boslough, in a report published in New Scientist, said: "It is becoming clear previous models are not right. If one of these events hit an area of high population density, it could kill a million people."

I’ve always wondered about the possibility of another “Tunguska event” occurring – and the effect of such an event over a city. Imagine the possibility of something like this happening over, for example, San Francisco or Paris or Tokyo. There would be mass devastation. Similarly, a modern blast of this sort in Russia or China might trigger a nuclear response before there was even time to investigate what happened.

Posted by: Greg at 01:06 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The cell phone has become ubiquitous in America. Most of us have (at least) one. And they cost a pretty penny, too -- more than our land lines do. So why is anyone surprised by this report.

With Americans cutting the cord to their land lines, 2007 is likely to be the first calendar year in which U.S. households spend more on cell phone services, industry and government officials say.

The most recent government data show that households spent $524, on average, on cell phone bills in 2006, compared with $542 for residential and pay-phone services. By now, though, consumers almost certainly spend more on their cell phone bills, several telecom industry analysts and officials said.

"What we're finding is there's a huge move of people giving up their land line service altogether and using cell phones exclusively," said Allyn Hall, consumer research director for market research firm In-Stat.

As recently as 2001, U.S. households spent three times as much on residential phone services as they did on cell phones. But the expansion of wireless networks has made cell phones more convenient, and a wider menu of services, including text messaging, video and music, has made it easier for consumers to spend money via their cell phone.

"Frankly, I'd be shocked if (households) don't spend more on cell phones at this point," said Andrew Arthur, vice president of market solutions at Mediamark Research & Intelligence.

When taxes, fees, and everything else is taken into account, I spend something like $15 more a month for two cell phone lines on a family plan than I do on our home phone (until you throw in my internet service which comes on the same bill -- but that would be cheating). And when you look at families of four and five with everyone carrying a cellular phone, it must cost significantly more.

And, of course, there are the folks with no land line, just a cell phone.

My question is when prices will drop as demand increases.

Posted by: Greg at 11:09 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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What do you do when you know your unborn child WILL die shortly after birth?

When Rob and Gina Harris found out they were expecting their first child they say were overwhelmed with gratitude and filled with thoughts and plans for their future family.

"We had all these visions and dreams for what our baby would grow up to be," said Gina.

Rob Harris said, "At our 20 week ultrasound we found out that he was a boy so I went out to the Nike store and had to buy a little sports outfit."

An ultrasound also revealed a problem about their unborn son, David.

"I didn't have amniotic fluid because David most likely did not have kidneys," said Gina.

Doctors explained that amniotic fluid is critical for lungs to develop. The condition that the Harris' son had is called Potter's Syndrome. It is extremely rare and extremely serious.

"The doctor told us that the babies usually die of respiratory failure after they are born," said Gina.

The doctor explained that as long as the baby was inside Gina's womb he'd be able to grow and thrive. Gina could provide everything her son needed. The question was: Could their son live on his own?

Gina Harris said her mind filled with thoughts and fears.

"I thought about how it would be to give birth to a baby that might not survive," she said. "I thought about being pregnant and people excitedly asking me about the baby and the future and me always knowing the future was so uncertain. I was scared."

"The doctor said that the majority of women with the diagnosis like this would terminate the pregnancy," said Rob. "And as he started to say that Gina said, 'No.' She just stopped him."

Gina says that in her heart she was certain of one thing. She was already a mom. She says God had given her a child and she already felt a deep connection with her son.

And so the couple affirmatively chose in favor of life for their son – knowing, as we all do, that this birth would lead to a death decades earlier than most of their child's peers.

And so they loved David, holding him and adoring him, for the six hours of life that their child was granted.

Some folks will criticize this decision – but like the Harrises, I see this as the only choice. Every new life is precious, and to snuff it out is simply wrong, even knowing that the child is doomed.

And with my wife and I having lost several babies to miscarriages, I know that I would give just about anything to have been granted even those few hours – and while I have not discussed the matter with her, I suspect that my wife would agree.

Bill Jempty of WizBang agrees, and shares the sad and painful experience of his wife with a similar choice. I offer my sincerest thanks to him for doing so. I encourage you to read his beautiful and touching story of the loss he and his wife experienced.

H/T Michelle Malkin, CatHouse Chat

Posted by: Greg at 10:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Claiming there is too much unfettered speech by “citizen journalists”, one journalism professor and former MSM reporter insists that the time has come to impose some fetters.

Having just anyone produce widely distributed stories without control can have the reverse effect from what advocates intend. It's just a matter of time before something like a faked Rodney King beating video appears on the air somewhere.

Journalism organizations should head that off. Citizen reports can be a valuable addition to news and information flow with some protections:

• Major news organizations must create standards to substantiate citizen-contributed information and video, and ensure its accuracy and authenticity.

• They should clarify and reinforce their own standards and work through trade organizations to enforce national standards so they have real meaning.

• Journalism schools such as mine at the University of Georgia should create mini-courses to certify citizen journalists in proper ethics and procedures, much as volunteer teachers, paramedics and sheriff's auxiliaries are trained and certified.

And who, may I ask, are YOU to determine how and whether I am permitted to fully and freely exercise freedom of speech and press under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Indeed, what possible penalty would or could you enforce against those of us who metaphorically flip you and your “journalism organizations” the bird when we continue to publish our material online or operate an unregistered Xerox machine? Or do you ultimately wish to establish a system whereby “registered journalists” and “journalism professors” grant nihil obstat and imprimatur to newsletters and blog posts before publication and distribution are permitted? After all, your so-called “professional standards” are nothing less than a call for restrictions – possibly enforced by the jackboot of government authority – upon a liberty that is not only ours by nature, but also which is enshrined in our Constitution. Your column is nothing less than a call for a grant of monopoly status to traditional media and to us the theory of a “living constitution” to make that document’s guarantees of freedom a dead letter.

H/T CaptainÂ’s Quarters, Hot Air, Daily Pundit, Stop the ACLU, The Glittering Eye

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Posted by: Greg at 11:56 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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You folks know that I support the death penalty – indeed, my major criticisms are that it is not imposed fast enough or frequently enough. But upon reading of New Jersey’s decision to do away with the death penalty, my response is one of support.

New Jersey lawmakers have voted to abolish the death penalty in the state, sending the governor a bill he has already said he will sign. The measure will make New Jersey the first state in more than 40 years to outlaw capital punishment.

New Jersey lawmakers have voted to abolish the death penalty in the state, sending the governor a bill he has already said he will sign. The measure will make New Jersey the first state in more than 40 years to outlaw capital punishment.

Let me be clear, however, that I don’t agree with the decision – and especially not like this paid lobbyist for stone-cold killers.

"This vote marks a new chapter in our nation's 30-year experiment with capital punishment," said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes executions.

"New Jersey lawmakers are demonstrating sound judgment in abandoning capital punishment after learning of its costs, the pain it causes victims' families, and the risks the death penalty poses to innocent lives."

Actually, my experience is that VICTIMSÂ’ families are generally pretty supportive of the death penalty. On the other hand, KILLERSÂ’ families are generally opposed to just retribution against their kin. But Dieter seems to believe that the KILLERS are the real VICTIMS in death penalty cases, so it is understandable that he would make such a mistake.

Why, then, do I take such a laid-back position regarding the decision of New Jersey to end the death penalty? Because I believe in states rights under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. If the people of New Jersey want to end the death penalty, that is their right – and precisely the way our federal system is supposed to work. That decision in no way impacts me or my state – until and unless SCOTUS does its “evolving standards” dance and attempts to impose New Jersey’s will on the rest of the country. In that case, however, the appropriate course of action would be impeachment of every member of the majority.

No, it will be quite interesting to watch what happens in coming months and years in New Jersey. What will happen to its murder rate? Will it rise or fall? I have my suspicions.

Michelle Malkin offers a different perspective.

Posted by: Greg at 11:44 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Our allies sure think so.

British spy chiefs have grave doubts that Iran has mothballed its nuclear weapons programme, as a US intelligence report claimed last week, and believe the CIA has been hoodwinked by Teheran.

The timing of the CIA report has also provoked fury in the British Government, where officials believe it has undermined efforts to impose tough new sanctions on Iran and made an Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities more likely.

The security services in London want concrete evidence to allay concerns that the Islamic state has fed disinformation to the CIA.

The report used new evidence - including human sources, wireless intercepts and evidence from an Iranian defector - to conclude that Teheran suspended the bomb-making side of its nuclear programme in 2003. But British intelligence is concerned that US spy chiefs were so determined to avoid giving President Bush a reason to go to war - as their reports on Saddam Hussein's weapons programmes did in Iraq - that they got it wrong this time.

A senior British official delivered a withering assessment of US intelligence-gathering abilities in the Middle East and revealed that British spies shared the concerns of Israeli defence chiefs that Iran was still pursuing nuclear weapons.

There are questions of a fake defector and a compromised wiretap that would allow disinformation to be fed to American intelligence services. So are we certain that we want to trust a guy who continually makes apocalyptic threats against his enemies to suddenly start playing nice?

Posted by: Greg at 10:35 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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We will likely be seeking disability for my wife in the near future. This story isn't encouraging.

Steadily lengthening delays in the resolution of Social Security disability claims have left hundreds of thousands of people in a kind of purgatory, now waiting as long as three years for a decision.

Two-thirds of those who appeal an initial rejection eventually win their cases.

We are fortunate. my job is secure, my health insurance is marginally acceptable, and we're not overextended like some folks who spent the last decade piling up debt.

But three years? To confirm what should be patently obvious from teh medical records.

That is discouraging.

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Because, of course, there is legally no such thing as gay marriage in Rhode Island. Duh!

A lesbian couple that married in Massachusetts cannot get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The court, in a 3-2 decision, said the state's family court lacks the authority to grant the divorce of a same-sex couple because Rhode Island lawmakers have not defined marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

"The role of the judicial branch is not to make policy, but simply to determine the legislative intent," the court wrote.

Set aside what the particular issue is in this case. That quote is one that should be inscribed inside the eyelids of every judge in America. Courts are not supposed to make policy, but rather to apply the policies adopted by the political branches of government.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The teen pregnancy rate is up? I've noticed that in my classroom for the last several years.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by: Greg at 11:16 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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These cases happen from time to time. More often than we want to admit, to be honest.

The two tiny Indonesian women know just a handful of English words. They know Windex. Fantastik (the cleanser, not the adjective). They know the words Master and Missus, which they were taught to use in addressing the Long Island couple they served as live-in help for five years in the sylvan North Shore hamlet of Muttontown.

Their employers, Varsha Sabhnani, 35, and her husband, Mahender, 51, naturalized citizens from India, have been on trial in U.S. District Court here for the past month. They are charged with what the federal criminal statutes refer to as involuntary servitude and peonage, or, in the common national parlance since 1865, the crime of keeping slaves.

The two women, the government charged in its indictment, were victims of “modern-day slavery.”

It is a rarely prosecuted crime. But since passage of the 2000 federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act, prosecutions have increased from less than a handful nationwide per year to about a dozen. The law is probably best known for its focus on prostitution and child-sex traffickers; yet in the last few years, in a few highly publicized cases like the SabhnanisÂ’, federal and state task forces set up to deal with sex trafficking have also begun to focus on the exploitation of domestic workers.

Last year, the wife of a Saudi prince was convicted in Boston for keeping two house servants for three years in virtual slavery. In 2005, two doctors in Wisconsin were convicted of holding a Philippine woman as an indentured servant for 20 years. Federal prosecutors won convictions in 2003 against a Maryland couple who kept a Brazilian woman in their home as a servant for 15 years, paying her nothing.

What is particularly frightening is that a number of incidents have involved foreign diplomats -- people who can hide behind their diplomatic immunity for protection. We need to clarify that slavery cases are exempt from the usual diplomatic immunity cases as a crime against humanity. And we need to prosecute all cases of slavery -- whether those of individuals forced into prostitution or those held hostage as domestic servants -- to the fullest extent of the law.

Posted by: Greg at 11:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It will be the coldest winter in the last 15 years in the Great White North.

After years of warmer-than-normal winters that spurred constant talk of global warming, winter this year is expected to be the coldest in almost 15 years and should remind everyone of what real Canadian cold feels like, Environment Canada said Friday.

With the exception of only small pockets of northern Canada and southwestern Ontario, this December through February is forecast to be one of the harshest winters in recent memory across the country, said senior climatologist David Phillips.

"It is somewhat remarkable that we're seeing the same situation from coast to coast to almost coast - from Vancouver Island to Bonavista, Nfld., we're showing the country as being colder than normal," Phillips said.

"The last time Canada had a significantly cold winter was back in 1994, more than a decade ago, and this may very well rival that one in terms of coldness."

1994 started with a bang of winter weather and Canadians across the country shivered through temperatures as cold as -42C - and that was before factoring in the wind chill.

Once again proving, folks, that the claims of the adherents of the religion of global warming don't match up with the reality on the ground. Whatever warming is going on is part of a cyclical trend -- and recent fluctuations have been a part of the natural cycle.

My suggestion for the Canucks? More beer fridges.

Posted by: Greg at 05:21 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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