Sex Talk in Church

From the Akron Beacon Journal:

``The more culture becomes frank and crude about sexuality, it becomes more and more appropriate for the church to address the issue of sexuality,'' Paris said. ``The church can address the issue in a healthy, dignifying and respectful way and we need to be proactive rather than reactive to what secular sources are teaching about sex. I applaud pastors who are meeting the challenge.''

As the student of history knows, the Roman Empire was pretty open and vulgar about sex, so this is nothing new that Christianity has had to deal with.

As our culture falls away from its Christian heritage (and as many in Christianity fail to engage the culture and make the case for relevancy), it's no wonder our civilization is becoming more crude; it's simply reverting back to the most basic human elements--after all, it's secular humanism that we're trading Christianity in for.

We have to tell the truth about human sexuality because too many people don't know:

``God invented sex for our pleasure. But sex is not just a physical act, it is a mingling of souls that happens between husband and wife,'' said Herron, whose church meets at 10:30 a.m. Sundays at the Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St. ``Sex is a very spiritual thing. That is why it is sacred and why God reserves it for a husband and wife. The church should be very transparent about it.''

It is unfortunate that ministries have to deal with these issues (they should be dealt with at home), but given the state of our culture, I think there is no alternative. Other than to allow the "anything goes" pagan approach to reign unchallenged, that is.

New Sale Price on Global Warming Snake Oil

From The Independent:

The core of the report is the calculation of how much CO2 can be cost-effectively reduced at a given level for the price. If the price were at $20 a tonne by 2030, the report says, emissions could be cost-effectively cut back by up to 17 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases per year. If it were to rise to nearly $100 a tonne by the same date, the cut could be as much as 31 billion tonnes, which would be the 50 per cent reduction the world needs to avoid disaster.

The price of doing all this varies with the rate of the world's economic growth, but it reckons it could be done for less than 1 per cent of global GDP, a figure similar to that given by the British economist Sir Nicholas Stern in his report last year.

Leftist are doing what they always do: if they can't get the revolution in one blow, they'll go for the incremental approach (it works well, I hate to admit). That's how the frog is compliantly boiled.

They've apparently reached the conclusion that people aren't buying the "we have to scuttle our economies today to save tomorrow" approach in sufficient numbers (in fact, skepticism is rising), so they're doing what the car salesman does when he wants to sell you a car. He does some "cypherin'" and, darn it his boss is not gonna be happy about this, but he'll let this beautiful car go at the low, low price of $X. So now, they've lowered the price of "fixing" global warming.

The theory of global warming is the same old lemon it always was. I'm still not buying. Are you?

Gays for Giuliani

From the Boston Globe:

DENVER --Rudy Giuliani emerged as a favorite among many members of the GOP's largest gay organization, who cited his record on social issues, taxes and defense.

However, delegates to the Log Cabin Republicans annual convention said Friday they also fear that the former New York mayor, in his bid to capture the Republican presidential nomination, might be waffling as he reaches out to the more conservative GOP voters who hold sway in the primaries.

Interesting...

Day of Silence Not So Peaceful

Some folks didn't like it when parents protested the pro-homosexual "Day of Silence."

From LifeSite.net:

Described as “screaming, swearing and throwing food,” the students surrounded the half-dozen parents while several school faculty members and administrators stood by.

One parent, identified as Bruce C., told Mass Resistance, “At least one hundred kids were surrounding me like buzzing bees debating these arguments, some yelling degrading comments like "moron", "idiot", cursing, occasionally throwing food and wads of paper at me, burning my flyer, doing simulated homosexual sex acts, telling me they were going to sodomize me, boys were kissing and making out with other boys and girls were making out and fondling other girls to loud ecstatic cheering.”

Doesn't sound like these pro-homosexual students were very "silent" on the Day of Silence.

Doesn't sound very "tolerant" either.

Doesn't look like the opposing view was very welcome in several California schools, either.

You can look for much more of this type of treatment if the Senate doesn't reject the "hate crimes" bill or the president doesn't veto it. Remember, it isn't a "hate crime" if the victim isn't a protected class (e.g. heterosexual).

Regrets of the Founding of America?

Last week the Oxford Union debated the proposition: “This House regrets the founding of The United States of America.”

If that gets your ire up (it does mine, a little), remember that if nothing else, it provides a platform to spell out to those who have forgotten why the founding of the United States is so worthy of celebration, not just for Americans but for the whole world.

From National Review Online and Jonah Goldberg, one of the debaters:

The United States is not flawless, to be sure, but we are the fruit of freedom, the flawed champions of liberty and defenders of decency.

And some of the more everyday contributions of America:

From penicillin to the iPod, the artificial heart to rising crust pizza, jazz and the Simpsons to the Marshall Plan, America — through its ingenuity, openness, generosity, and adherence to the liberal principles it inherited from this great land — has championed the relief of man’s estate (in the words of Francis Bacon) and the liberty to let your freak flag fly (in the words of David Crosby).

Note: he refers to classic "liberal" principles, not the divisive, class-envy, self-loathing, America-hating, appeasing, morally-adrift liberalism of the modern era.

Goldberg's description of the event makes me smile in appreciation; no mamby-pamby milquetoast pretense of civility here, just good ole' debate:

The Union audience respects aggression, humor, and more aggression. In fact, the design and energy of the room is such that when I concluded my remarks, I felt like I should throw my sword at the upper decks like Maximus in Gladiator, shouting “Are you not entertained?!”

(That was a great scene from one of my favorite movies, by the way).

A BBC report about the event details one of the things that makes America so unique and so wonderful:

The US is a nation built not on ethnicity, not on religion, not even on history but on an idea.

The British, especially, should in the end be the most thankful for America. If it weren't for us, they'd be eating sour kraut and speaking German right now.

But then, it was just a hypothetical question, wasn't it?

Presidential Candidates and Evolution

Which GOP candidates believe in evolution? Answers In Genesis has the answer here.

Dems to Divert Money from Intelligence to Global Warming

Democrats aren't consistent on much, but you can always count on them to neglect national defense in favor of the politically correct flavor of the day.

From the Washington Times:

Senior House Republicans are complaining about Democrats' plans to divert "scarce" intelligence funds to study global warming.

The House next week will consider the Democrat-crafted Intelligence Authorization bill, which includes a provision directing an assessment of the effects that climate change has on national security.

Presidential Candidates: What Do You Hate About America?

The Media Research Center points out a stupid question asked during the GOP debate last night:

"Daniel Dekovnick [sp phonetic] from Walnut Creek, California wants to know, 'What do you dislike most about America?'"

Somebody must have gotten confused and thought this was a Democrat debate.

Herseth Votes for Pro-Homosexual Bill

Kudos to Sibby for following up on the vote on yesterday's "hate crimes" bill; I meant to check once the votes were posted but got busy.

Sadly, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted in support of the bill to give special rights to homosexuals and silence people who tell the truth about what they do.

MPEACHW License Plates: Free Speech

The Rapid City Journal features a story about a woman who has MPEACHW license plates and how the state of South Dakota wants to recall them after issuing them to her:

But somebody doesn’t agree. And that somebody complained to the state. Now, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles is trying to recall the plates -- which read MPEACHW. And if Moriah doesn’t turn them in voluntarily, the state might send law-enforcement officers to pick them up.

For the record, I'm with this gal (not her license plates). If she wants to broadcast her ignorance to the world and advocate impeaching President Bush for not being an appeaser, then that's her right of free speech. It would be different if the plates were obscene or profane, but they just express her opinion.

So what if they offend somebody? As I said last night, there is no right not to be offended. Obscenity is one thing, being offended at an opposing political message is another. If I saw them, I'd be offended, too.

But she has the right to be wrong.

Problems with "Debunking" Abortion-Breast Cancer Report

WorldNetDaily features a piece on numerous problems with the recent "debunking" abortion/breast cancer report. It quotes Andrew Schlafly, general counsel for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

"The average age of diagnoses of breast cancer in America is 61 years old," concluded Andrew Schlafly, general counsel for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. "But the average age of participants in this study was only 42 years old, too young for the average person to develop breast cancer.

"This study is as meaningless as drawing conclusions about heart disease by looking at teenagers," he said.

Thirdly, he said, "the research study deliberately excluded women who had had abortions and then died from breast cancer!"

Those who developed breast cancer early in the follow-up also were excluded, he said. "So those who were hurt most by their abortions were excluded, and this skewed the results towards a claim that abortion is safe," he said.

Researchers also made huge assumptions that would have left the results not reflective of the truth, he said. "The research study treated women who left the specific question about past induced abortions blank, perhaps due to embarrassment, as though they did not have an abortion," he said. "Many would draw the opposite conclusion.

"By switching women from 'had an abortion' to 'did not have an abortion,' this would inflate the numbers of breast cancers by women who ostensibly did not have an abortion. It would then falsely appear that abortion did not cause breast cancer," he said.

Schlafly also suggested the research may be questioned because "none of the researchers hold positions in oncology, the specialty devoted to cancer, and one of the researchers is a nutritionist."

He also noted that the study concealed that 92 percent of the study group were "non-Hispanic white" subjects, and that African Americans, a population group reporting among the highest percentages of abortion, and Hispanics were virtually absent.

Read the whole article here.

46,000 National Day of Prayer Events Yesterday

Accoring to the Baptist Press, there were about 46,000 NDP events yesterday:

The National Day of Prayer Task Force estimated that 46,000 events across the nation would occur as part of the observance, which this year was marked with the theme "America, Unite in Prayer," based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

"We pray for the strength to follow God's will in our lives and for forgiveness when we fail to do so," Bush said. "Through prayer, each of us is reminded that we are fallen creatures in need of mercy, and in seeking the mercy and compassion of a loving God, we grow in mercy and compassion ourselves."

Prayer also is meant to acknowledge God's sovereignty and the need for complete dependence on Him, the president said.

There were 17 registered in South Dakota (many small community events don't register) when I last checked about a week ago, which is more than ever for the state.

But holding an event, while good, isn't the most important part: a humble, prayerful spirit before God.

No Health Care Crisis in Maine

Zaniya Project enthusiasts, as you ponder health care in South Dakota, take note.

From IBD Editorials (HT to NCPA):

The New York Times has reported that Maine officials wanted to provide by 2009 universal health care to its estimated 130,000 uninsured residents.

They figured that by the end of 2005, the first year the program was in effect, 31,000 would be on the rolls.

But now, here we are nearly in the middle of 2007 and a mere 18,800 people have signed up — and some of those were already insured.

GOP Debate Last Night

The Rapid City Journal has a fairly extensive piece on the GOP debate last night. I didn't get a chance to watch it, but I have a pretty good grasp on where they all stand.

One by one, the candidates invoked Ronald Reagan _ he was mentioned 19 times.

Invoking Reagan isn't some magic word like abra-cadabra. If they want the support of real conservatives, they need the record to stand on (none of the front-runners have one) and walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Dusty Johnson Pondering House Run

Not a lot of new information, but here's the lastest in the media on Dusty Johnson. From the Rapid City Journal today:

Dusty Johnson, the chairman of the state Public Utilities Commission, said some of his fellow Republicans are encouraging him to run for the U.S. House in 2008.

Illegal Immigration Promotes Lawlessness

Upholding existing immigration laws is not only practical, it's Biblical.

From OneNewsNow:

Mexico and other foreign government are wrong to use the United States as a "stopgap for their poverty" by encouraging their citizens to enter the U.S. illegally, the Biblical Family Advocates spokesman asserts. In addition, he says proponents of illegal immigration are wrong to teach children to disregard American laws.

"In Romans 13, it says we're to subject ourselves to the governing authorities," Magnan points out. "If I did not subject myself to the governing authorities, I would expect to be punished," he says. "And, if I am punished, am I supposed to tell people, 'Wow ... that wasn't very loving. That wasn't very kind'? Well, it's obviously not a fun thing to have to go through, being prosecuted for crimes; but the fact is, I have broken the law."

That's what it comes down to: promoting a culture of lawlessness...which we have too much of already.

If Americans believe we should allow aliens to move to the United States without any sort of restrictions or controls, then they can demand this of their elected representatives, or elect new representatives that will carry out their will.

Existing laws, however, wisely regulate immigration (for economic, legal, and defense reasons) and should be upheld.

"Hate Crimes" Legislation Passes U.S. House

Provides "unequal" protection under the law

New Holland, SD – Concerned Women for America (CWA) of South Dakota regards the passage of “The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act” (H.R. 1592) as troubling for all citizens and for the integrity of the United States Constitution.

“Hate crimes” legislation would officially give homosexuals and cross dressers special elevated status in society based upon their sexual behaviors and/or wardrobe. “We find it disturbing that the U.S. House and Representative Herseth-Sandlin voted to elevate special classes of victims based solely upon their sexual preference and gender identity. With this legislation a perpetrator could receive harsher penalties for assaulting a homosexual man than for the same crime committed against a child,” stated Linda Schauer, State Director of CWA of South Dakota. (Full Story)

Teen Sexual Activity Down

Teen sex is on the decline, says a new CDC report. Sexual activity is down significantly across teh board, with a dramitic drop from 81.4% in the black community to 67.6% from 1991 to 2005. Teen pregnacy rates are down, too.

From LifeSite.net:

Crouse says the increase in abstinence programs over the past decade parallels the decrease in sexual activity. While the media routinely condemn abstinence programs as ineffective, the legacy of “safe sex” education is an explosion in teen pregnancy rates and STIs.

“During the 30-year reign of condom-based sex education, teen sexual activity increased, teen births dramatically increased and teen abortions were going up,” Crouse pointed out. “What’s different now? Have teens suddenly learned how to use condoms more effectively and consistently than adult women who are using contraception but are frequently surprised nonetheless to find themselves pregnant? Somehow, I doubt it!”

From National Day of Prayer at Mt. Rushmore

Just got back a little bit ago from the National Day of Prayer observance at Mt. Rushmore tonight.

The weather was uncooperative but we managed to get through. About an hour before it began at 6:30 pm, dark clouds started to roll in and it was pretty windy up there. The clouds occasionally broke, but it ended up raining off and on throughout the event, a couple of times fairly heavily. The weather hurt attendance, but there were still several hundred hearty Christians who came, and if any left during the rain, I didn't see them (most people had umbrellas and ponchos).

Among the speakers were author and historian William Federer (I received his "America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" as a gift tonight) and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. Music was provided by several local musicians and recording artist Luke Garrett. Chris Hupke, the new Executive Director of the South Dakota Family Policy Council spoke, as did several area pastors. Many of the pastors led in praying for our governmental leaders, educators, the military and media.

Here are a few pics I took tonight.


















Not sure what this was about; you didn't used to see this sort of thing, but I noticed during the rally we had in October 2006 at Mt. Rushmore in support of the abortion ban, marriage protection amendment and video lottery ban that the park rangers suddenly hung a cloth over the National Park emblem on the front of the ampetheater bandstand. I suppose our country, as a whole, is so profoundly ignorant of our Christian heritage and what the First Amendment means that they feel they have to do this to (a) keep some idiot from thinking the park service is establishing a religion by allowing Christians to assemble and exercise their right of free speech and worship, and (b) keep said idiot from suing the park service for violating his right not to be offended (still not sure what amendment covers that right, though).

I plan to look into this more when I get time.



















This one didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but it was striking in person, seeing the sun peeking out from behind the clouds momentarily as the event was about to begin.



















Here is William Federer speaking.



















And here is Dale Bartscher, former pastor of First Christian Church in Rapid City, and ever the servant of God, holding an umbrella over Tony Perkins as the rain was coming down pretty good.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Remarks From President Bush on the National Day of Prayer

President acknowledges God's sovereignty, power of prayer

WASHINGTON, May 3 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following text is of remarks by President Bush on the National Day of Prayer:

East Room

9:23 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. And welcome to the White House. I'm honored to join you for this National Day of Prayer. I'm sorry Laura is not here. She is camping in one of our national parks. (Laughter.) I appreciate the chairman -- Chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, Shirley Dobson. Thank you for your leadership on this important day. And I see you brought your husband, Jim. (Applause.)

The 2007 Honorary Chairman is with us, and that's Chuck Swindoll. Thank you, Chuck, for being here, and I'm glad you brought Cynthia, as well. Welcome. I appreciate the members of the Cabinet who have joined. I appreciate the members of the Congress. Thank you all for being here. (Full Story)

New NASA Data Shows Mars, Earth Have Had Similar Climate Cycles

Examination of ice shows water transfer with climate change

PASADENA, Calif., May 3 /Standard Newswire/ -- Using observations by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, scientists have discovered that water ice lies at variable depths over small-scale patches on Mars.

The findings draw a much more detailed picture of underground ice on Mars than was previously available. They suggest that when NASA's next Mars mission, the Phoenix Mars Lander, starts digging to icy soil on an arctic plain in 2008, it might find the depth to the ice differs in trenches just a few feet apart. The new results appear in the May 3, 2007, issue of the journal Nature. (Full Story)

Bush Will Veto "Hate Crimes" Bill if Passed

LifeSite.net reports the president will veto the "hate crimes" bill if it's passed today:

The Executive Office of the President has issued a statement promising to veto "hate crimes" bill H.R. 1592 should it be approved in Congress today. Concerned Women for America, one of the leading groups fighting the legislation praised the President's move. "We thank President Bush for honoring our nation's constitutional tradition of equal protection under the law," said Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues at Concerned Women for America.

This bill is nothing but a muzzle for people who know homosexuality, etc. is immoral and unhealthy, and aren't afraid to say so.

Assault is assault, murder is murder, and so on, regardless of whether the perpetrator loved, hated or felt indifference toward the victim. Perpetrators can and will continue to be charged under applicable statutes without regard to "motive."

It's good to see that President Bush is willing to veto terrible legislation such as this, especially after having let pass so many bad bills (like campaign finance reform, aka the Incumbent Protection Act).

Thanks, President Bush!

CA "Hate Crimes" Have Caused Serious Problems

Transsexual kindergarten teachers and threats of huge fines for pro-family groups

SACRAMENTO, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on H.R. 1592, a leading California pro-family leader is warning that "hate crimes" laws that include transsexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality harm schoolchildren, religious freedom, business owners and homeowners. (Full Story)

Special Prayer Asked for American Soldiers

Prayer available online

WASHINGTON, May 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Baghdad Prayer Patrol, an internet-based nationwide prayer group for American troops stationed abroad, has released a special plea for participants in today's National Day of Prayer. (Full Story)

The Conspiracy to Conspire

THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD

By Carrie K. Hutchens

It doesn't make sense! Little of it does! Yet, some continue in the quest to blame, even if the focus is on the results or the surface events and appearances only. Few seem to be seeking the "core" of it all -- the source -- the answers as to why and who and how, though that is where the solution rests, or at least begins.

Now that I have explained in political jargon, I'll speak English. (Full Story)

Governor Mike Rounds' Day of Prayer Proclamation

On the National Day of Prayer

Executive Proclamation
State of South Dakota
Office of the Governor


Whereas, Civic and national days of prayer have a long and venerable history in our constitutional republic, dating back to the First Continental Congress in 1775; and, (Full Story)

President Bush's National Day of Prayer Proclamation

National Day of Prayer, 2007
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

A prayerful spirit has always been an important part of our national character, and it is a force that has guided the American people, given us strength, and sustained us in moments of joy and in times of challenge. On this National Day of Prayer, we acknowledge God's grace and ask for His continued guidance in the life of our Nation. (Full Story)

White House Message to House of Representatives on Iraq Bill

President notifies House of veto of unacceptable appropriations bill

WASHINGTON, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is a message to the House of Representatives, released by the White House


TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:


I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 1591, the "U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007." (Full Story)

Pro-Family Group Rebukes Christians for Sexual Hypocrisy

Says Christians are hypocrites for condemning homosexuality but not cohabitation, adultery

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Statistics show that 25% of unmarried "born again" Christians are living together. This reveals an apparent hypocrisy in condemning homosexuality, while not condemning heterosexual immorality. Sad to say, co-habitation is on the increase and its participants also include the Catholic and Christian community. (Full Story)

Stay-At-Home Mother's Worth Big Bucks

From Reuters:

If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released on Wednesday.

Hats off to stay-at-home mothers!!! It's obviously a tremendous sacrifice, but the investment in the lives of the children are worth it (even if the payoff isn't in cash).

US Mint Nixes Bible on Oklahoma Quarter

From the Christian Post:

The governor of Oklahoma, Brad Henry, had received a number of complaints from state residents, but noted that the decision was not made locally. It was only after the design ideas had been shipped to the U.S. mint that the historic book was removed.

According to the mint guidelines, the manufacturer cannot place “inappropriate” designs onto the backside of its currency. These include logos or depictions of things whose membership is not universal such as education, sports, commercial, and religious.

Guess they didn't have the guts to take off that "In God We Trust" part...yet.

Global Warming: "A Few Farts in a Hurricane"

Rush Limbaugh just read this on his radio show. It's a piece by Alexander Cockburn, and it's on several liberal websites. More information about how the global warming hysteria is a lot of hot air:

As Hertzberg says, water in the form of oceans, clouds, snow, ice cover and vapor "is overwhelming in the radiative and energy balance between the earth and the sun. Carbon dioxide and the greenhouse gases are, by comparison, the equivalent of a few farts in a hurricane." And water is exactly that component of the earth's heat balance that the global warming computer models fail to account for.

the human carbon footprint is of zero consequence amid these huge forces and volumes, and that's not even to mention the role of the giant reactor beneath our feet: the earth's increasingly hot molten core.

Go read the whole thing here.

Earth Worship: The New Religion

From Bloomberg.com:

Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' former Vice President Al Gore's book about global warming.

They'll also find the Gaia equipped with waterless urinals, solar lighting and recycled paper as it marches toward becoming California's first hotel certified as ``green,'' or benevolent to the environment. Similar features are found 35 miles south at San Francisco's Orchard Garden Hotel, which competes for customers with neighboring luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont.

Global Warming Balance on CNN

Here's something you won't see too often on CNN: a balanced look at the global warming controversy.

CNN Headline News's Glenn Beck features "Exposed: The Climate of Fear — the Other Side of the Global Warming Debate".

From NewsMax:

Glenn Beck’s one hour special report airs Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and again at midnight ET.

Recently, Beck asked rhetorically on his program: "Now, I personally believe in global climate change. Not disputing even that pollution and giant Escalades like mine certainly aren’t helping, but are they causing this?”

I think the jury's still out on whether global warming is even happening (many areas show declining temperatures), but if it is, I think it's ludicrous to believe little ole humans are causing it, when the world's oceans are so vast, our biosphere is so complex, and the sun is so powerful. There's also too much evidence of natural climate change over the course of earth's history.

And when you consider that the ones pushing the global warming hysteria are the usual anti-business, anti-West Marxists, that pretty much settles it for me.

I haven't watched CNN in years, but this should be worth tuning in for.

An Apostate Global Warming Apostle

David Evans of Science Speak has written a guest piece for the blog "Backseat driving" (HT to WesternStandard.ca).

According to the post, Evans worked six years in "carbon accounting," which he says involved "building models for the Australian government to estimate carbon emissions from land use change and forestry." I take that to mean he would be considered an "insider" in the global warming gang.

Yet he's betting that temperatures will go down in coming years. Why? He explains why he got on the man-made global warming bandwagon...then got off. He explains that all four of the evidences that got him on the bandwagon "fell away or reversed."

A very interesting read from a former global warming apostle.

President Bush Speaks on War on Terror, Iraq

Text of the president's speech to the CENTCOM Coalition Conference

Our main enemy is al Qaeda and its affiliates. Their allies choose their victims indiscriminately. They murder the innocent to advance a focused and clear ideology. They seek to establish a radical Islamic caliphate, so they can impose a brutal new order on unwilling people, much as Nazis and communists sought to do in the last century. This enemy will accept no compromise with the civilized world. Here is what the al Qaeda charter says about those who oppose their plans: "We will not meet them halfway, and there will be no room for dialogue with them." These enemies have embraced a cult of death. They are determined to bring days of even greater destruction on our people. They seek the world's most dangerous weapons. Against this kind of enemy, there is only one effective response: We must go on the offense, stay on the offense, and take the fight to them. (Full Story)

New CD Features Message of Sexual Purity for Young Men

Songs deal with the problem of sexual sin

EDMONTON, AB, May 1 /Christian Newswire/ -- A growing tide of sensuality represents an increasingly urgent threat to families and churches, according to best-selling author Fred Stoeker (Every Man's Battle, Tactics). In greater numbers and at younger ages, men and boys are being flooded with sexual images; the astonishing prevalence makes them difficult to avoid, even for those who are committed to purity. (Full Story)

CDC: Tooth Decay Increasing Among Children

Finds dental problems among toddlers, preschoolers

WASHINGTON, May 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday reported that tooth decay in baby teeth has increased 15 percent among U.S. toddlers and preschoolers ages 2 to 5 years old. During the period 1999-2004, 28 percent of young children had experienced cavities. (Full Story)

Women's Group Calls Amnesty International on Abortion Stance

Considers AI position an endorsement of forced abortion

May 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- Women for Life International, Inc. (WFLI) challenges Amnesty International (AI) to remain true to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In a press release dated April 25, 2007, WFLI stated that AI's policy would be seen "as an endorsement of the inhumane treatment of pregnant women who are forced to abort their children." AI responded with a rebuttal and asked for a correction on this statement based on AI's long history of opposition to forced abortion. While WFLI does acknowledge and appreciate AI's opposition to forced abortion, WFLI calls upon AI to be more consistent and persistent in ending this violation against humanity and women. (Full Story)

Rosie O'Donnell: Classic anti-American American

From HotAir.com:

Rosie said “we [have] killed way more Americans than terrorists have”

Rosie used the stereotypical liberal line: we went into Iraq for the oil and then called Bush a “oil baron,” adding the Bush’s are “oil people.”

Yes, I'm reveling in that 89 cent/gallon gasoline, Rosie!

She says Americans have been programmed into robotic zombies to hate terrorists. After all, terrorists are “mothers” and fathers” too!

Go read the whole thing and watch the video of this silly woman here.

Pot Smoking Redux

After a lengthy comment left by kmprophet regarding my previous post on this today, it seemed worthwhile to revisit the subject.

I guess I've seen it all now (no, there are plenty of liberals left, so I'd better not say that). But quoting Jesus' admonition to love our fellow man to justify drug use...that's a good one.

This study was done at Yale University, neither a bastion of moral uprightness nor a government agency. Similar results were obtained by British researchers. So while you might disagree with it, kmprophet, I don't think it's fair to call it "government propaganda."

I agree with you that government's concern for our safety is questionable at times, but why add to the dangers by legalizing a drug which carries health hazards and is primarily used for recreational intoxication.

Another important observation that I failed to bring out in the previous post is that apparently what pot smokers tell you is suspect (surprise) as well:

While the doctors expected to see marijuana improve the conditions of their schizophrenic subjects — since their patients reported that the drug calmed them — they found that the reverse was true.

Finally, to the best of my knowledge, marijuana isn't purported to cure cancer, just ease the pain of cancer and some cancer treatments. And the active ingredient--THC--can be obtained in pill form already, with more variations of THC pills currently undergoing testing. As with the HPV vaccine and calling it a "cancer vaccine," it's becoming a pattern to mask something that's less than reputable in terms which will illicit a sympathetic emotional response.

It's just that with these pills, they don't carry the same satisfaction for recreational drug use, and don't serve to muddy the waters of enforcment for those who are clearly smoking pot for recreational intoxication.

They're having problems with armed robberies, burglaries, vagrancy and resale to nonqualified persons out in California where it's legal by state law (still illegal under federal law). Many want to shut it down there because some folks are realizing it's a big smoke screen (excuse the pun) and more trouble than it's worth.

Even a liberal British newspaper recently apologized for pushing legalized marijuana because they've faced the fact that it's doing more societal harm than they understood.

If smoking pot was the only way for pain sufferers to get relief, I might support it's use...but it isn't. If the "medial" marijuana movement wasn't being pushed by (among others) a lot of pot-heads who clearly just want a smokescreen to make it difficult to stop recreational use, I might be more open to it.

But neither of these are the case.

The Stunning Lengths of Global Warming Fanatics

All I need to get my daily dose of laughter is to watch global warming apostles twist themselves into logical pretzels, trying to explain why something that is only happening in their head is actually going on in the real world. (Well, that and talk of toilet paper and fart reductions).

Seems the global warming wackos don't like it when science pokes a huge hole in their climate fantasies.

Now the Phil Plait at the ultra-liberal Huffington Post is trying to say that just because there are no SUVs on Mars, that doesn't mean SUVs aren't causing global warming here on earth.

See if you notice a pattern here:

What I found is that first of all, the evidence that Mars is warming up is tentative...However, the change may very well be local, confined to the southern region. Plus, we already know that other factors, like the shape of the orbit of Mars, contribute to climate change there.

This is only a local problem--if it's even happening. Can't be the same as what we know without a shadow of a doubt to be man-made on earth.

The claim about Jupiter warming is simply wrong. There are localized places where gas from deep in the atmosphere (where it's warmer) is bubbling up, but this is again a localized effect, and not an indication of global change. Jupiter's atmosphere is a very weird, turbulent place, and honestly we don't understand it all that well.

Like we've got it all figured out on earth! In other words: this is only a local problem--if it's even happening. Can't be the same as what we know without a shadow of a doubt to be man-made on earth.

Triton...If it's warming there, it's a seasonal change

This is only a local problem--if it's even happening. Can't be the same as what we know without a shadow of a doubt to be man-made on earth.

Since the effects of GW here on Earth are subtle, it's safe to ignore Pluto.

This is only a local problem--if it's even happening. Can't be the same as what we know without a shadow of a doubt to be man-made on earth.

How convenient! There's no similarity here because I don't want there to be.

All the rest of the warming going on around the solar system has nothing to do with solar activity--and the only connection is this huge 11,000 degrees F star in the middle of our solar system--and is all easily dismissed as natural. Yet here on earth, by golly, we know that we know that we know it's caused by man.

Uh huh.

Christopher Hitchens on George Tenet: A Loser's History

I'd have to agree.

From Christopher Hitchens at Slate.com:

George Tenet's sniveling, self-justifying new book is a disgrace.

High Temperatures=Global Warming: Insufficient Evidence

CO2 Science reports on an article in the Physical Review E publication that finds insufficient evidence to link current temperatures to global warming:

The findings of this study would seem to suggest that it is not yet statistically justifiable to attribute any individual heat wave or "proliferation of record-breaking temperature events" to historical global warming, be it CO2-induced or otherwise, as so many climate alarmists are typically so quick to do.

Read the whole article here.

Texas: Brief Update on Baby Emilio Gonzales

It is my understanding that Baby Emilio was being considered for transfer to another facility. A doctor came to evaluate and found the little boy to be too ill to be transferred at this time. And all the while, the Texas hospital is still refusing to provide a trach and g-tube. Why? Is this a means to set Emilio and his family up for failure? A means to keep the little boy too fragile to travel and therefore untransferable, even if a willing facility is found? That's certainly the way it looks.

The Texas Futile Care Law was not intended to obligate a patient to die nor to strip away the patient's rights and the rights of the patient's family to make decisions.

The Texas Futile Care Law was not intended to be utilized as a means to rid ourselves of the helpless and vulnerable of our society, as was done in Nazi Germany.

Previous Blog Posts:

Further Reprieve: Emilio Gonzales' Case Postponed Until May 8th

Texas: Miracles Do Happen!

On Theistic Evolution

The Christian Post features an article on Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health.

Collins believes in God, which is good, but believes in theistic evolution, which basically means he believes that God used evolution as a mechanism for biological change to bring organisms from simple, primordial organisms to what we see today.

And he doesn't believe the earth is relatively young, as young-earth creationists do.

“There is simply no way to come up with an explanation of the earth being two thousand years old without basically throwing out all the basic principles of cosmology, theology, chemistry, physics and biology,” commented Collins excitedly.

Actually, young-earth creationists believe the earth is 6,000-10,000 years old (Jesus lived and died just 2,000 years ago).

God certainly could have used evolution as theistic evolutionists believe; it's well within His power and His creative genius to have done it this way. However, the theory of theistic evolution--like atheistic evolution--presents some insurmountable problems, scientifically.

In order to believe in the materialistic formation of stars and planets as atheistic evolutionists do (I don't know of Collins ascribes to this or not), you have to throw out the basic principles of cosmology and thermodynamics (in other words, disorganized matter has never been observed to come together to form an organized system--such as a planet or star--without a little help from an intelligent designer). Gas clouds don't start spinning faster, compress, and fire into stars. It's never been observed, and it defies the laws of physics.

In order to believe in naturalistic processes and evolution you also have to throw out the basic principles of chemistry and biology, because we have never observed new genetic information being formed, and there is no evidence that this has ever happened, outside of the theory that it happened (i.e. evolution). When changes in organisms occur (mutations, or say the division in canine breeds), we see the loss of genetic information in favor of other dominant genetic traits, but never new genetic information. Spontaneous generation (life from lifeless elements) has also never been observed, and is scientifically unsupported.

For the believer in God (i.e. the Christian), there are also theological problems with theistic evolution.

The evolution model posits that death has always been a part of the universe as God designed it. Conflict, disease and death are part of the natural order.

This is in direct conflict with what the Bible teaches, no matter how you slice and dice it. The Bible teaches that God created the universe perfect, and it "was good." Can you really believe that a perfect, all-powerful and loving God could create a system where death, disease and suffering are central? To me, not only does that conflict with what the Bible says about our origins, it conflicts with what we know of God's character. In a sense, that would be like building a car that already had rust spots and other broken or ailing parts, one where the steering or brakes were about to fail, and calling that a "good car." Just doesn't make sense.

But not only does the theistic evolution scenario go against the Old Testament account of creation, it flies in the face of foundational New Testament Christianity.

Both Old and New Testaments say that the reason our world is filled with conflict, disease, suffering and death are because of man's sin. There was no sin in creation, and no death and suffering, until humanity committed the first sin. Adam and Eve chose their own way over God's way; consequently, they and creation which was under their dominion were cursed to operate in this fallen, corrupted condition.

Now, if sin, death, conflict, and suffering were part of the natural order, why would Christ have to come and die to save us from what was natural, from the way things were supposed to be? And if God didn't want things to be this way (remember, theistic evolution posits that God intentionally created the world where conflict and death were part of the natural order), why did he create them that way and then send His Son to suffer and die to rectify the problem? Do you see the paradox?

The whole reason Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth in the first place was to redeem humanity, to save us from our sins and conquer death. The Bible teaches that one day (hopefully soon), God will judge the earth for its sins, and those who have accepted the redemption of Jesus will be saved out of that judgment. God will then destroy this corrupted earth and create a new one where there will be no sin, no suffering, no death.

The Bible teaches that the earth is in this terrible condition because man exercised his free will to sin and bring all this bad upon us. Theistic evolution teaches that God meant all this bad stuff to be this way.

I once believed in theistic evolution. But at that time, I neither understood the scientific conflicts nor the theological conflicts. If you believe the Bible, once you understand what both the Bible is saying and what theistic evolution posits, you can believe one or the other, but not both.

They say two completely different things about our past, our present and our future.

Cannabis Makes You Crazy

Pot isn't the innocuous recreational drug some make it out to be.

From Fox News:

Doctors at Yale University in the U.S. tested the impact of THC on 150 healthy volunteers and 13 people with stable schizophrenia. Nearly half of the healthy subjects experienced psychotic symptoms when given the drug.

Good thing we didn't pass that "medical" marijuana bill last year.

Daycare Regulation Poll

The Aberdeen News has an online poll today, asking whether even more regulation should be put upon daycare providers.

While I believe daycare should be of the best quality possible, these additional regulations may make it much more difficult for folks on a limited budget to have someone close to home help with their childcare needs.

South Dakota Bloggers in the Spotlight

The Black Hills Pioneer has a feature on South Dakota blogger Denise Ross and her Hog House Blog.

I did a piece in the Rapid City Journal last week on the South Dakota blogosphere, featuring a brief summary on several SD blogs on both sides of the ideological aisle. Thanks to Todd Epp, Pat Powers, and Steve Sibson for giving me e-interviews (I wish I'd had more room to tell about your efforts).

Climate Researchers: Climate Seesawing for 10,000 Years

From Science Daily:

Our records reflect details of the climatic evolution in the Atlantic region since the end of the last Ice Age to the present day. We would have liked to compare our results to similar data sets from other parts of the South Atlantic, but no other records provide the same degree of resolution, says Professor Björck. After the end of the last Glacial both Hemispheres became warmer as a result of melting ice sheets, but during the last 9000 years we can identify a persistent "seesaw" pattern. When the South Atlantic was warm it was cold in the North Atlantic and vice versa.

This is most certainly related to large-scale ocean circulation in the Atlantic Ocean. The main current system - "the Great Ocean Conveyor" - is driven by sinking of dense, relatively cold and salty water in the northern North Atlantic. This results in southward-flowing deep-water that is replaced by warm surface water brought to high northern latitudes from the tropics and ultimately from the South Atlantic

Spin Homosexual Benefits

From The Australian:

LESBIANS are twice as likely as heterosexual women to be overweight or obese, which puts them at greater risk for obesity-related health problems and death, US researchers said.

Most people consider obesity a problem because of its increased health risks. Not so, if you're a lesbian, though!

“The results of these studies indicate that lesbian women have a better body image than do heterosexual women,” they wrote.

Lesbians have a better body image. Uh huh. The greater likelihood of obesity couldn't possibly be because of the greater incidence of depression among homosexuals.

There are many causes of obesity, but one is depression and trying to "medicate" that depression through eating. It seems there's no end to the areas in which homosexuals will not only try to cover up the health hazards of their behavior, but will actually spin them as positive things.

Because of political correctness we have lost a lot of Americana

By Gordon Garnos

AT ISSUE: Our nation's young people will never have the opportunity to know a significant part of our nation's folklore because of the push for political correctness. Political correctness may be important, but is it more important than loosing sight of the folklore and the many old songs engendered by the black people down through the history of our nation? A recent trip down south brought much of this folklore, with its music, to mind. Is exchanging this for political correctness what most of us really want? (Full Story)

Correction on Deaver/Fred Thompson Story

Seems that UK Telegraph story stating Mike Deaver and other Reagan men were endorsing Fred Thompson for president was not correct.

My post on that received a comment this afternoon stating the British newspaper had "stretched things a bit."

And now RedState has posted a response from Deaver stating that while he thinks Thompson is a "great guy," he hasn't endorsed anyone for president and doesn't intend to.

How to Get New Rights

Judge Antonin Scalia tells how to get new rights and privileges (hint: it isn't through judicial activism or otherwise rewriting the Constitution).
From UDaily (University of Deleware):

“The way out is the way out we've had for most of our history: The Constitution means what it says. You figure out what it was understood to mean when it was adopted and that's the end of it,” Scalia said. “If you want more rights, create them by statute, if you want more constitutional rights, create them by amending the Constitution.”

Global Warming So Bad it Strikes Mars

From the UK Times Online:

Mars is being hit by rapid climate change and it is happening so fast that the red planet could lose its southern ice cap, writes Jonathan Leake.

Scientists from Nasa say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. This is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period.

Don't the Martians know they could stop this and save their planet by: getting rid of their SUVs; abandoning their coal power plants for windmills; using one square of toilet paper; ridding the Red Planet of cat, dog and cow farts, and selling carbon offsets to one another? Dumb Martians!

Well, maybe the Martians aren't to blame. After all, it appears there are no Martians to cause global warming like Earthlings are causing global warming here:

Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.

Now before you global warming "flat-earther" skeptics get carried away, it's different on Mars, you see.

The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth. One of the researchers, Lori Fenton, believes variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms, trapping heat and raising the planet’s temperature.

See, it's natural on Mars, but man-made here on Earth. So rein in those flatulent cats, people!

Reagan Men Behind Fred Thompson

From the UK Telegraph:

Ronald Reagan's closest allies are throwing their weight behind the White House bid by the late president's fellow actor, Fred Thompson.

The film star and former Republican senator from Tennessee will this week use a speech in the heart of Reagan country, in southern California, to woo party bigwigs in what insiders say is the next step in his coming out as a candidate.

Global Warming Salvation Fleet

From the Washington Times:

Flogging the British release of his film "Wild Hogs" recently, John Travolta urged everyone to "do their bit" to combat global warming, reported London's Daily Mail, which quickly calculated that Travolta -- who it says owns at least five aircraft of various sizes, which he parks at his private home/airport in Florida -- leaves an annual "carbon footprint" of pollution nearly 100 times greater than that of the average British citizen.

Well, you can't expect someone like John Travolta to rub elbows with the little people in a commercial airliner, can you? You can only go so far to save the planet.

Planetary Warming is Natural

Someone else who didn't get the memo that global warming is "settled science."

This is from Dennis T. Avery at enterstageright.com. Avery is a former senior policy analyst with the U.S. State Department and co-author of Unstoppable Global Warming -- Every 1500 Years.

The historic evidence of a moderate, natural 1,500-year climate cycle includes Roman writings, Egypt's early Nile flood records, and ancient Chinese court documents. The scientific evidence confirming the cycle has been literally "dug up" in the past 25 years, primarily from the oxygen isotopes in long, layered ice cores, and the one-celled fossils in the bottom sediments of lakes and oceans.

My favorite temperature proxy is North America's fossil pollen, which shows our continent has had nine complete shifts in its trees and plants over the past 14,000 years -- or one every 1650 years. In my native Michigan, the pollen says the forests during the warmings have been dominated by warmth-loving beech trees, with more oak trees intruding as the climate cools, followed by more pine trees. Today, 150 years into a warming, the pine trees are giving way again to the oaks, and the beech trees are waiting their turn.

Help for Stepfamilies

The dead-tree edition of the Rapid City Journal had an article yesterday on an upcoming seminar to help stepfamilies.

No serious Christian would sanction divorce, but the reality is the divorce rate in our culture is high, and it is also very high within the church. While there is a very small number of reasons where divorce is biblically permissible, most reasons are not. Sometimes, too, that decision is taken out of the hands of one spouse by the actions of the other.

Still, none of us are without sin, so no matter what the reason for divorce and remarriage, this seminar is intended to give support, resources and real help to families that are struggling with the challenges of being "blended."

From the article:

“Too often there is a huge barrier of spiritual shame that people feel about failure at a marriage, or they feel judged by a church for choices they or somebody else made that has affected their life,” he said.

“I tell churches that we can be pro-hospital without being pro-illness,” Deal explained, noting that many churches conduct divorce-recovery and post-abortion ministries while opposing divorce and abortion. “We can have a stepfamily ministry and not feel like we're lowering God's standard for marriage.”

Or, as Deal likes to say, “God loves and forgives imperfect people in stepfamilies, just like he loves and forgives imperfect people in biological families.”

The seminar is for stepfamily members, and also for single parents, extended family members, and those who minister to stepfamilies.

The seminar is on May 18 and 19, and you can get more information here.

Impeachment Hysteria Fizzles

According to Sweetness and Light, the "Impeach Cheney" hysteria yesterday was a big bust.

It's sad when you can't draw much of a crowd, even with the "mainstream" media helping you.

Hating Hillary

InTheseTimes.com features an insightful piece by author and professor Susan J. Douglas. It seeks to answer the question, "Why Women Hate Hillary." If you've watched the polls, Hillary's negative numbers--even among Democrats--are pretty darn high.

The author is a feminist, and so you'd expect her to support a fellow Leftist. But this is far from the case. In addition to a refresher-course on the bizarre world of feminism, the piece explains why so many people don't like Hillary Clinton.

For people like my friends and me, her hawkish position on Iraq and her insistence that the U.S. maintain a military presence there even after the troops are withdrawn have been very disappointing.

So apparently anything short of complete surrender and humiliation of the U.S. military is too "hawkish." Okay, anyway...

The article also seems to point to Hillary's inconsistencies:

Hillary, by contrast, seems to want to be more like a man in her demeanor and politics, makes few concessions to the social demands of femininity, and yet seems to be only a partial feminist.

I'm not sure if they're referring to the way her personality can be utterly devoid of any feminine grace one minute, and then pretending to love baking cookies the next, but that's my guess anyway.

The piece then digresses for a while into male-envy and male-bashing:

When Geraldine Ferraro ran for vice president in 1984, the recurring question was whether she had the cojones to push the red button, as if that is the ultimate criterion for leading the country.

It seems this feminist who decries Hillary's inconsistency on one hand then expresses disdain for the decisiveness, strength and resolve that are typically regarded as male characteristics ("macho" as Douglas calls it).

So what is Douglas and her fellow feminists looking for?

We want a break with the past, optimism, and a recommitment to the government caring about and serving the needs of everyday people.

In other words, emotionalism and socialism.

Where are feminists most likely to get it? Not from Hillary, according to Douglas.

We want what feminism began to fight for 40 years ago—humanizing deeply patriarchal institutions. And, ironically, we see candidates like John Edwards or Barack Obama—men—offering just that.

Some sensitive, crying men. Men like the "Breck Girl" John Edwards.

I don't think a woman has to give up her femininity in order to be a leader, such as president.

I served in the U.S. military while stationed in England when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister. There's a woman I'd vote for in a heartbeat! In fact, I'd take her over most of the Republican 2008 candidates.

Margaret Thatcher was every bit the lady, yet she displayed the toughness that is absolutely essential in our dangerous world. She was under no illusions that if we all "just gave peace a chance" that evil people were going to play nice.

I think it's entirely possible for a woman to become president in the United States (my daughter will be, one day :-)). After all, there was Lady Thatcher in England, Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and many others around the world.

But for that to happen, it will take a female candidate who isn't trying to pretend to be a man--one who is comfortable in her femininity--and one who isn't wearing rose-colored glasses in a world of evil, dangerous men.

Poll Results: Why did the Virginia Tech massacre happen?

Poll results for the weekly poll I've been running in the upper right corner of the blog are in:

• Easy access to guns 53.01%
• Not enough people legally armed on campus 1.20%
• Poor campus security 0.80%
• Slow police response 0.40%
• A hedonistic society 0.40%
• Seung-Hui Cho was mentally il 39.36%
• Seung-Hui Cho committed an evil act 4.82%

I suspect someone got past the poll's setting which should have allowed only one vote per person (something like 129 votes suddenly showed up on the top answer overnight). Or someone with a particular opinion on the matter may have emailed others with that same opinion and asked them to vote. It's hard to tell, as the polling website doesn't provide a whole lot of feedback regarding information that could help me determine that.

I'll be watching this closely in the future. If other poll results appear to end up slanted, I might try another polling outfit or build my own.

Regardless, thanks to those of you who participated! The new one on global warming is up.

What's in a Headline -- Propaganda & Deceit?

Topix carried a story, "Father charged in whipping" (April 27, 2007) noting the original article appeared in the Kansas City Star.

The same story was covered by KMBC.com Channel 9. Their report is entitled, "Father Accused Of Beating Boy With Belt" (April 27, 2007).

To suggest this father was charged with "whipping" is an injustice within itself. This incident, if as reported, was a beating and there is a big difference between the two. However, by calling it a whipping, then causes some to picture such an incident anytime someone utilizes the terms "whipping" or "swatting", and so goes the fight to make it illegal for a parent to use a swat as disciplinary action when other means are not effective.

Beatings are illegal. Whippings are not.

President Bush "Ain't" Alone

According to the Editor & Publisher's article, "President Bush's Approval Rating at an All-Time Low", by E&P Staff (April 27, 2007), the President's rating may be the lowest recorded for him, but he certainly isn't alone. Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker that has been taking trips and involved in other actions that may well have put us literally at risk, is right down there in the lower percentile with him. And with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid even lower than President Bush, I think the Democrats might want to get off their power trip and start acting like responsible adults that were elected to serve "the people" -- not their personal beliefs and agendas.

We are in the middle of a war situation. This is not the time to play games and try to undermine the President of the United States in front of the world. This is not the time to make us look as though our government is divided and therefore weakened. To do so puts not only our troops in added danger, but us -- here at home -- in added danger as well. What part of this doesn't the Senate and House comprehend?

It is one thing to disagree and vote against a measure. It is quite another to "disrespect and put on a show for the world" of how the Democrats are now in charge and will stop the President from following through. I'm quite sure there are many that are cheering for the Democrats to succeed that aren't voters. People like terrorists! Terrorists -- like in those who like to blow up people! People that include us in our own country!

Democrats could have walked into the majority in the Senate and House as responsible adults, rather than like a gang trying to take over a turf.

(And if the Republicans ever did likewise before -- I don't care! I would have then said the same thing about them!)

What should have happened was some serious discussion and researching and more discussion and fact finding, instead of the challenges that were disrespectful of our government -- not just a particular president & his peoples & policies & plans -- especially when the disrespect took place in front of the cameras for all to see!

The power of the Democrats could very well be short lived and they will have no one to blame except for themselves, though I'm sure some might try to blame President Bush for that as well! Gotta be his fault -- certainly couldn't be theirs! That's what the playground gossip seems to be anyways!!!

Global Warming: Taking the Bull by the Horns

According to The Sun, European Union officials are working on stopping cow farts and other by-products (recall efforts to stop dog farts and cat farts).

The official EU declaration demands changes to animals’ diets, to capture gas emissions and recycle manure.

This is what I'd call "Taking the bull by the horns"...in more ways than one. :-)

Different Choices Lead to Different Outcomes

In Steve Chapman's TownHall.com column today, some interesting observations about the "pay gap" between men and women in the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation report:

As the report acknowledges, women with college degrees tend to go into fields like education, psychology and the humanities, which typically pay less than the sectors preferred by men, such as engineering, math and business. They are also more likely than men to work for nonprofit groups and local governments, which do not offer salaries that Alex Rodriguez would envy.

As they get older, many women elect to work less so they can spend time with their children. A decade after graduation, 39 percent of women are out of the work force or working part time -- compared with only 3 percent of men. When these mothers return to full-time jobs, they naturally earn less than they would have if they had never left.

Even before they have kids, men and women often do different things that may affect earnings. A year out of college, notes AAUW, women in full-time jobs work an average of 42 hours a week, compared to 45 for men. Men are also far more likely to work more than 50 hours a week.

While the column acknowledges that some sex discrimination may occur, another interesting tidbit as Chapman quotes Baruch College economist and former director of the CBO June O'Neill:

"For men and women who never marry and never have children, there is no earnings gap,"