I know some of you are going to think I've lost my mind, especially considering how hard I've been on you liberals of late.
As I watched President's address to the nation last evening, I had an idea that I believe would help Mr. President's sagging credibility, and could help
to unite the country, and the irony is the idea came from a liberal...a president of the US, but a liberal nonetheless. Here's my idea:
Any of you old enough will remember FDR's old fireside chats.
For those of you too young to remember, or those old enough to want to warp back in time, here's an explanation of what the fireside chats were:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireside_Chats
The thing I find interesting, and this is where I get back to riding hard the liberals of today (yes, you
www.moveon.org
types, I'm talking to you). While FDR was a liberal, he wasn't afraid to take on Hitler and the Nazis and our other enemies in WWII. You liberals of
today could learn something from FDR. I think that it's the current democratic party's shift so far left that now FDR may be too far right for them that
caused me to leave the democrats.
For some history on FDR:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt
Why do I think these "fireside chats" would help Bush? Because, as with FDR, he could rally the country behind him and help them understand better the
war we find ourselves in. He could talk plainly and calmly to the nation about the things he is doing. Now I believe this would have to be different
from his weekly saturday address (the ones presidents have done for I don't know how long now) in the tone and message (at least to a degree). The fireside
chat was just that...a "chat" with the nation. It would be done as if Bush were talking one on one with each and every American.
I know that FDR had some advantages that Bush doesn't have (as in radio being the only medium, and as the article linked to above points out, people could
hear the address from a neighbor's open window), but Bush has several things FDR never had...IPod's, Cable TV, the Internet, cell phones, etc. I really
think in this technological age a genuine "fireside chat" in the FDR tradition could gover over well today. That, however, is just my opinion
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Ah, dem arrogant types...and their most arrogant leader...
...Hmmm, so Howard Dean knows so much more about how things are in Afghanistan than anyone else that, on
Fox News Sunday he has the balls to claim that Secretary Of State Rice is *WRONG* about how things are going there?! I didn't know, Mr. Dean, that you knew more about her job than she does.
I think, Mr. Dean, the truth is you have the same grasp on the subtleties of the war on terror that a 1 year old has on the laws of physics! So, to hide your lack of knowledge and ineptitude, you act like a blowhard and open your mouth when you ought to, in reality, take a cue from the 80's band the Go Go's and say "my lips are sealed."
Just be quiet and let Bush, and Secretary Rice and all the others do their job.
Frankly? Your attitude on FNS was a disgrace.
...Hmmm, so Howard Dean knows so much more about how things are in Afghanistan than anyone else that, on
Fox News Sunday he has the balls to claim that Secretary Of State Rice is *WRONG* about how things are going there?! I didn't know, Mr. Dean, that you knew more about her job than she does.
I think, Mr. Dean, the truth is you have the same grasp on the subtleties of the war on terror that a 1 year old has on the laws of physics! So, to hide your lack of knowledge and ineptitude, you act like a blowhard and open your mouth when you ought to, in reality, take a cue from the 80's band the Go Go's and say "my lips are sealed."
Just be quiet and let Bush, and Secretary Rice and all the others do their job.
Frankly? Your attitude on FNS was a disgrace.
Friday, September 08, 2006
The 9/11 Problem
Okay, don’t let the title wrankle your nose…don’t bombard me with nasty notes and comments saying that I’m trying to stir trouble. This is not a forum in which I am going to politicize 9/11 in any way, shape, or form.
What I do want to do is try to explain an understanding I reached the other night. It’s an understanding of why some people (you know who you are, liberal democrats) don’t understand the connections between 9/11, the war in Iraq, and the war on terror. It’s also an understanding that not only liberal democrats have this problem, but so do conservative republicans (at least some of them) and any person, for that matter, in their right (correct) mind.
The problem as I see it is this: no one wants to begin to think that we could have ever been attacked on our own soil. All the suicide bombers, car bombs, etc. happened on “that” side of the world (meaning the Middle East) and certainly couldn’t ever (and wouldn’t ever) happen on our own shores, or so we all thought before 9/11.
So, 9/11 happens; the towers fall, the Pentagon is severely damaged, and we lose civilians in flight 93 in a field in Pennsylvania. It is so appalling so heinous that we can’t wrap our brains around it. Yet, in light of the worst, most violent event on American soil, we still cannot fathom it. “How did this happen?” we ask God, ourselves, and others. “Who is so vile, despicable, so thoroughly and completely evil that they would want to do this?” We know, intellectually, that it is the Islamic terrorists, the neo-fascists who are out to destroy our way of life, and yet, what we don’t know is just why, just what it is that makes them so evil that they would want to do this.
Part of the problem is we don’t want to know. Our culture, which ironically can watch horrific images in movies they simply call “scary”, don’t want to see the horrific realities of the world…a world torn apart by people evil to the core, people bent on our destruction, and the annihilation of Israel.
I admit that even I, nearly five years later, have trouble believing what happened that horrible day in September. It took me a long time, too long frankly, to understand that the people who did this, right on up to Osama bin Laden himself, aren’t going to give up, back down, and change their minds about the objective of obliterating America and the American way of life. It took me nearly five years to comprehend that these people need to be stopped. Not with diplomacy, not with negotiations and sanctions, but strong, bold, courageous military might. No, it isn’t a pleasant thought, especially to someone (such as myself) who fancied himself a hippie born way too late, to think that war is so drastically necessary, but it is drastically necessary.
We need to, as a nation, wake up and realize that:
*We have enemies on our own soil as well as middle eastern soil. Enemies whose sole objective is our collective death. These people would gladly strap a bomb to themselves just as their brothers in the cause in the middle east do, and they live in states like California, Washington state, and not places like Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. They are on OUR soil.
*They will never give up, back down, be negotiated with or whatever. We must step up to the plate and be ready to fight, even if it means going on the offensive. *Remember, to them, our deaths at their hands means glory in heaven for them. Fools have died for much less.
*Because they won’t stop, we can never lull ourselves into thinking that another 9/11 type of attack is not in the works, because it is. The foiled London terrorist plot is proof of that.
*While very valid analogies have been made to Lenin and Hitler, we face a foe much worse in ways. It isn’t just Jews they want to utterly destroy, but we “infidel” Americans as well.
As I write this, my heart breaks. In so many ways, 9/11 was the loss of American innocence, and for me, it was the slow shattering of my rose colored glasses. As long as the Islamic Fascists, the Al Qaeda’s and Bin Laden’s of the world, the Ahmadinejad’s who want nothing more than to destroy us completely, to wipe us out of existence are allowed to walk freely, we will never be safe…ever.
Okay, don’t let the title wrankle your nose…don’t bombard me with nasty notes and comments saying that I’m trying to stir trouble. This is not a forum in which I am going to politicize 9/11 in any way, shape, or form.
What I do want to do is try to explain an understanding I reached the other night. It’s an understanding of why some people (you know who you are, liberal democrats) don’t understand the connections between 9/11, the war in Iraq, and the war on terror. It’s also an understanding that not only liberal democrats have this problem, but so do conservative republicans (at least some of them) and any person, for that matter, in their right (correct) mind.
The problem as I see it is this: no one wants to begin to think that we could have ever been attacked on our own soil. All the suicide bombers, car bombs, etc. happened on “that” side of the world (meaning the Middle East) and certainly couldn’t ever (and wouldn’t ever) happen on our own shores, or so we all thought before 9/11.
So, 9/11 happens; the towers fall, the Pentagon is severely damaged, and we lose civilians in flight 93 in a field in Pennsylvania. It is so appalling so heinous that we can’t wrap our brains around it. Yet, in light of the worst, most violent event on American soil, we still cannot fathom it. “How did this happen?” we ask God, ourselves, and others. “Who is so vile, despicable, so thoroughly and completely evil that they would want to do this?” We know, intellectually, that it is the Islamic terrorists, the neo-fascists who are out to destroy our way of life, and yet, what we don’t know is just why, just what it is that makes them so evil that they would want to do this.
Part of the problem is we don’t want to know. Our culture, which ironically can watch horrific images in movies they simply call “scary”, don’t want to see the horrific realities of the world…a world torn apart by people evil to the core, people bent on our destruction, and the annihilation of Israel.
I admit that even I, nearly five years later, have trouble believing what happened that horrible day in September. It took me a long time, too long frankly, to understand that the people who did this, right on up to Osama bin Laden himself, aren’t going to give up, back down, and change their minds about the objective of obliterating America and the American way of life. It took me nearly five years to comprehend that these people need to be stopped. Not with diplomacy, not with negotiations and sanctions, but strong, bold, courageous military might. No, it isn’t a pleasant thought, especially to someone (such as myself) who fancied himself a hippie born way too late, to think that war is so drastically necessary, but it is drastically necessary.
We need to, as a nation, wake up and realize that:
*We have enemies on our own soil as well as middle eastern soil. Enemies whose sole objective is our collective death. These people would gladly strap a bomb to themselves just as their brothers in the cause in the middle east do, and they live in states like California, Washington state, and not places like Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. They are on OUR soil.
*They will never give up, back down, be negotiated with or whatever. We must step up to the plate and be ready to fight, even if it means going on the offensive. *Remember, to them, our deaths at their hands means glory in heaven for them. Fools have died for much less.
*Because they won’t stop, we can never lull ourselves into thinking that another 9/11 type of attack is not in the works, because it is. The foiled London terrorist plot is proof of that.
*While very valid analogies have been made to Lenin and Hitler, we face a foe much worse in ways. It isn’t just Jews they want to utterly destroy, but we “infidel” Americans as well.
As I write this, my heart breaks. In so many ways, 9/11 was the loss of American innocence, and for me, it was the slow shattering of my rose colored glasses. As long as the Islamic Fascists, the Al Qaeda’s and Bin Laden’s of the world, the Ahmadinejad’s who want nothing more than to destroy us completely, to wipe us out of existence are allowed to walk freely, we will never be safe…ever.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
What are the clinton people/liberals afraid of?
When you were a kid, did you ever do something wrong, you knew you'd be in trouble, and you did whatever you could/whatever it took to get rid of any evidence (no matter how weak and tenuous) against you?
Well, it would seem that President Clinton, some of his administration, and his liberal cronies are trying (yet again) to cover something up. What? Of all things...a TV miniseries.
http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-wk-channel7sep07,0,6155461.story?coll=cl-tv-features
Why? Who knows? What is Clinton, Berger, et al so afraid of? Is Clinton's legacy as president so shaky, vulnerable, and at risk with this film that they have to block it? Or is it that he screwed up that badly in not going after Osama and he knows it, is ashamed of it, and doesn't want to be humiliated on the world stage?
The other big question is this: is ABC going to actually bow to their pressure and change the film so the truth is inaccurately portrayed to an even lesser degree?
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/g/9367b3cd-be2a-40a3-b927-1854a0115108
Rush Limbaugh validly points out that President Bush (the current) doesn't raise this kind of stink with negative portrayals of him in the media. He doesn't deem it worth his time.
Clinton, by contrast, is so worried about his image (with or without the cigar and the intern in the cocktail dress) that he is moving to block this miniseries....a *TV SHOW* from airing! I think it speaks volumes about the stark differences between the two men in terms of the level of integrity.
If Clinton really thought he was a good president, and wouldn't be in trouble (somehow) over what this film depicts, he wouldn't be trying to bury it. What he is doing has the same effect as what I tried to do as a kid to hide the fact that I didn't clean my room...I just shoved everything either under the bed or into my closet. Maybe Rush is right, maybe Sandy Berger ought to go steal it for Clinton, and maybe Clinton could take a cue from me and find a bed to hide it under, or a closet to hide it in.
When you were a kid, did you ever do something wrong, you knew you'd be in trouble, and you did whatever you could/whatever it took to get rid of any evidence (no matter how weak and tenuous) against you?
Well, it would seem that President Clinton, some of his administration, and his liberal cronies are trying (yet again) to cover something up. What? Of all things...a TV miniseries.
http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-wk-channel7sep07,0,6155461.story?coll=cl-tv-features
Why? Who knows? What is Clinton, Berger, et al so afraid of? Is Clinton's legacy as president so shaky, vulnerable, and at risk with this film that they have to block it? Or is it that he screwed up that badly in not going after Osama and he knows it, is ashamed of it, and doesn't want to be humiliated on the world stage?
The other big question is this: is ABC going to actually bow to their pressure and change the film so the truth is inaccurately portrayed to an even lesser degree?
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/g/9367b3cd-be2a-40a3-b927-1854a0115108
Rush Limbaugh validly points out that President Bush (the current) doesn't raise this kind of stink with negative portrayals of him in the media. He doesn't deem it worth his time.
Clinton, by contrast, is so worried about his image (with or without the cigar and the intern in the cocktail dress) that he is moving to block this miniseries....a *TV SHOW* from airing! I think it speaks volumes about the stark differences between the two men in terms of the level of integrity.
If Clinton really thought he was a good president, and wouldn't be in trouble (somehow) over what this film depicts, he wouldn't be trying to bury it. What he is doing has the same effect as what I tried to do as a kid to hide the fact that I didn't clean my room...I just shoved everything either under the bed or into my closet. Maybe Rush is right, maybe Sandy Berger ought to go steal it for Clinton, and maybe Clinton could take a cue from me and find a bed to hide it under, or a closet to hide it in.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Okay, I am really really steamed! I know it's been a while since I posted, and I apologize for coming back in full rant, but this is unbelievable!
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Iran_s_Ahmadinejad_to_attend_UN_ass_09022006.html
Why are we even allowing Ahmadinejad on to our soil?? Isn't enough that
we let
Ex-Iranian president Mohammad Khatami speak in Illinois? What are we thinking?
We never invited Hitler or Moussolini to speak at the UN, so why the former and present Iranian presidents? Have we as a nation truly lost our collective mind?
Farmers don't encourage visits by foxes into the hen house...the crips don't invite the bloods to their "hood" to sit and talk...bankers don't take known armed robbers to lunch. Isn't that exactly what the UN/US is doing with Ahmadinejad and Khatami?
I suppose it will take our country being run roughshod by our enemies before we wake up and go "Oh, yeah, these guys? In our country? Ah, er, uh, not a good idea!"
Come on! Don't let it take another 9/11 before you wake up and realize that having the enemy in your back yard is not the better part of wisdom! Wake up and smell the coffee! These people don't want debate...these people don't want negotiations...these people want our annihilation, and the complete destruction of Israel. Can we please keep the Khatamis and Ahmadinejads of the world off of our shores? Please?
http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Iran_s_Ahmadinejad_to_attend_UN_ass_09022006.html
Why are we even allowing Ahmadinejad on to our soil?? Isn't enough that
we let
Ex-Iranian president Mohammad Khatami speak in Illinois? What are we thinking?
We never invited Hitler or Moussolini to speak at the UN, so why the former and present Iranian presidents? Have we as a nation truly lost our collective mind?
Farmers don't encourage visits by foxes into the hen house...the crips don't invite the bloods to their "hood" to sit and talk...bankers don't take known armed robbers to lunch. Isn't that exactly what the UN/US is doing with Ahmadinejad and Khatami?
I suppose it will take our country being run roughshod by our enemies before we wake up and go "Oh, yeah, these guys? In our country? Ah, er, uh, not a good idea!"
Come on! Don't let it take another 9/11 before you wake up and realize that having the enemy in your back yard is not the better part of wisdom! Wake up and smell the coffee! These people don't want debate...these people don't want negotiations...these people want our annihilation, and the complete destruction of Israel. Can we please keep the Khatamis and Ahmadinejads of the world off of our shores? Please?
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Let me clarify something for you liberal readers out there.
When I talk about positively supporting the president, I am not saying I support every single thing he does to the letter.
That said, however, I do believe that the war on terror is one thing that we Americans (liberal or conservative, democrat or republican) ought to get firmly behind him on. Why?
Because we need to show the radical, islamic fascists that we, as a country are united against them, and that we won't back down.
I won't rehash my comments about how we cannot negotiate with these terrorists. I brought this up because of a comment I received that implied I am blindly following Bush without seeing the wrong or bad side of him.
I get the impression that a lot of liberals (notice I didn't say "all liberals") try to paint us conservatives with broad strokes and want to think we're blind little sheep, just following our leaders into some kind of oblivion.
This is ironic coming from the same faction that back stabs anyone who doesn't buy off on every jot and tittle of their rhetoric...need I say Joe Lieberman? He supports Bush on the war on terror and the liberals all of a sudden treat him like he has the plague. Just some food for thought. Granted, I get the impression that the poster of the comment was from Europe, and may not understand the Joe Lieberman comment, but I think if he's reading enough American papers, he will.
When I talk about positively supporting the president, I am not saying I support every single thing he does to the letter.
That said, however, I do believe that the war on terror is one thing that we Americans (liberal or conservative, democrat or republican) ought to get firmly behind him on. Why?
Because we need to show the radical, islamic fascists that we, as a country are united against them, and that we won't back down.
I won't rehash my comments about how we cannot negotiate with these terrorists. I brought this up because of a comment I received that implied I am blindly following Bush without seeing the wrong or bad side of him.
I get the impression that a lot of liberals (notice I didn't say "all liberals") try to paint us conservatives with broad strokes and want to think we're blind little sheep, just following our leaders into some kind of oblivion.
This is ironic coming from the same faction that back stabs anyone who doesn't buy off on every jot and tittle of their rhetoric...need I say Joe Lieberman? He supports Bush on the war on terror and the liberals all of a sudden treat him like he has the plague. Just some food for thought. Granted, I get the impression that the poster of the comment was from Europe, and may not understand the Joe Lieberman comment, but I think if he's reading enough American papers, he will.
We interrupt my political rants...
...to bring you some news about me, personally. LOL!
Part of the purpose of this blog is keeping my typing and writing skills up to snuff. In case I haven't said it, or if you just now started reading this blog, I've had aspirations, off and on throughout my life, to be a writer, and now (as mentioned in previous entries) I am pursuing something exciting...a bachelors degree to become a journalist. Yeah, some of you think that I'm crazy for doing this at my age, but why not now? That's my thought.
So, starting in the spring, Lord willing, I'll be starting at UNL and winding up at their college of journalism. As time goes on I'll update y'all, and believe me, when I'm actually in the thick of it, I'll most likely have quite a bit to say.
If you want to check out the place I'll be attending school (specifically my journalism courses) here's a link.
http://journalism.unl.edu/
...to bring you some news about me, personally. LOL!
Part of the purpose of this blog is keeping my typing and writing skills up to snuff. In case I haven't said it, or if you just now started reading this blog, I've had aspirations, off and on throughout my life, to be a writer, and now (as mentioned in previous entries) I am pursuing something exciting...a bachelors degree to become a journalist. Yeah, some of you think that I'm crazy for doing this at my age, but why not now? That's my thought.
So, starting in the spring, Lord willing, I'll be starting at UNL and winding up at their college of journalism. As time goes on I'll update y'all, and believe me, when I'm actually in the thick of it, I'll most likely have quite a bit to say.
If you want to check out the place I'll be attending school (specifically my journalism courses) here's a link.
http://journalism.unl.edu/
Friday, August 25, 2006
Open Letter to the ACLU
Dear ACLU:
Give it up! The president signed a bill protecting the cross in San Diego. Leave it be. I know you folks in the ACLU can’t stand us Christians, and we really get under your liberal skins, but please, leave that cross alone. Go find some other liberal, whiny cause to fight.
I apologize, I know I don’t sound very Christian, but I get so tired of the ACLU and its agenda against people merely wanting to publicly express their faith. The thing that gets me is that they’re like rabid pit bulls who won’t let go of your pant leg. It’s as if they don’t know how to not be sore losers or something.
Take, for example, this quote from an article at www.signonsandiego.com:
“The issue is still the same,” said David Blair-Loy, legal director for the ACLU in San Diego. “We believe it is equally unconstitutional under state law,
or federal law, for the government to subsidize, promote or endorse the Latin cross.”
Hello? We were formed as a Christian nation…and our founders came here so their faith could be expressed without fear of oppression. So, now, over 200 years later we have people within our borders trying to do the same thing, more or less, that the royals did over two centuries ago…keep people from freely expressing their faith.
No, the feds aren’t trying to fly in the face of Judaism or any other religion. They aren’t trying to force all US citizens to believe in Jesus Christ. That isn’t the point. The point is honoring our heritage as a nation, our *Christian* heritage.
I often jokingly say that the first two letters in ACLU stand for “anti Christian”, but as time goes on, I am convinced that, philosophically speaking, it is true.
Dear ACLU:
Give it up! The president signed a bill protecting the cross in San Diego. Leave it be. I know you folks in the ACLU can’t stand us Christians, and we really get under your liberal skins, but please, leave that cross alone. Go find some other liberal, whiny cause to fight.
I apologize, I know I don’t sound very Christian, but I get so tired of the ACLU and its agenda against people merely wanting to publicly express their faith. The thing that gets me is that they’re like rabid pit bulls who won’t let go of your pant leg. It’s as if they don’t know how to not be sore losers or something.
Take, for example, this quote from an article at www.signonsandiego.com:
“The issue is still the same,” said David Blair-Loy, legal director for the ACLU in San Diego. “We believe it is equally unconstitutional under state law,
or federal law, for the government to subsidize, promote or endorse the Latin cross.”
Hello? We were formed as a Christian nation…and our founders came here so their faith could be expressed without fear of oppression. So, now, over 200 years later we have people within our borders trying to do the same thing, more or less, that the royals did over two centuries ago…keep people from freely expressing their faith.
No, the feds aren’t trying to fly in the face of Judaism or any other religion. They aren’t trying to force all US citizens to believe in Jesus Christ. That isn’t the point. The point is honoring our heritage as a nation, our *Christian* heritage.
I often jokingly say that the first two letters in ACLU stand for “anti Christian”, but as time goes on, I am convinced that, philosophically speaking, it is true.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
One Step Closer...
...Oh, and before I forget, I am getting the ball rolling towards my going to school. Got set up with the students with disabilities services office, and so, to them, I am now a student. Next step? Applying after the 1st of the month, and in the meantime getting my informational interviews done for the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired's rehab counselor I work with.
So, gradually, the ball is starting to roll...hang on, the ride will get wild!
...Oh, and before I forget, I am getting the ball rolling towards my going to school. Got set up with the students with disabilities services office, and so, to them, I am now a student. Next step? Applying after the 1st of the month, and in the meantime getting my informational interviews done for the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired's rehab counselor I work with.
So, gradually, the ball is starting to roll...hang on, the ride will get wild!
Okay, so you know I'm switching sides/changing parties when I can listen to the Rush Limbaugh show and besides not throwing things at the radio, I actually agree with the man on most, if not all, of the things he says.
Well, I tuned in today, only to have a substitute, and a fascinating one at that. Columnist/writer Mark Steyn was filling in and he made some good points about immigration and Iraq/Iran.
Rather than post a column here, I'll post his site's address and let you discover your own favorites:
http://www.marksteyn.com/index.cfm
Well, I tuned in today, only to have a substitute, and a fascinating one at that. Columnist/writer Mark Steyn was filling in and he made some good points about immigration and Iraq/Iran.
Rather than post a column here, I'll post his site's address and let you discover your own favorites:
http://www.marksteyn.com/index.cfm
Monday, August 21, 2006
Observations after today's press conference.
Hmmm, not sure how President Bush is holding up. By that I mean stamina, etc...not politically speaking.
I got the feeling that this is not how he expected his presidency to run...he didn't expect this much upheaval in the world...and trying to manage his presidency with the weight of it all seems to be taking its toll...or is it just me?
He's doing his utmost, I will give him that, but is it enough? Is he being wary enough towards Iran and N. Korea? Is he doing enough for Israel in addition to and in comparison with what he is doing for Lebanon?
Don't be fooled, I'm not pretending to have answers, just throwing out here the questions that are on my mind. Just publicly ruminating on President Bush and how he, personally, emotionally, and spiritually is holding up under all the stuff going on in the world. All I know is this: I feel called to pray for him more than I ever have before. I think he needs all of our prayers right now.
Well, on to some less political stuff. I bowled for the first time in nearly 20 years on Saturday night, and while I "cheated" and used the bumpers that keep the ball in the lane (not 100% effective for me as I overshot them a few times and my ball had to be retrieved from that walkway bowling alley staff use), I did shoot three fairly good games with a 105, 120, and 84 respectively.
Oh, and one other personal note. I've decided I am going back to school for a bachelor's in Journalism. Long time coming, I think.
Hmmm, not sure how President Bush is holding up. By that I mean stamina, etc...not politically speaking.
I got the feeling that this is not how he expected his presidency to run...he didn't expect this much upheaval in the world...and trying to manage his presidency with the weight of it all seems to be taking its toll...or is it just me?
He's doing his utmost, I will give him that, but is it enough? Is he being wary enough towards Iran and N. Korea? Is he doing enough for Israel in addition to and in comparison with what he is doing for Lebanon?
Don't be fooled, I'm not pretending to have answers, just throwing out here the questions that are on my mind. Just publicly ruminating on President Bush and how he, personally, emotionally, and spiritually is holding up under all the stuff going on in the world. All I know is this: I feel called to pray for him more than I ever have before. I think he needs all of our prayers right now.
Well, on to some less political stuff. I bowled for the first time in nearly 20 years on Saturday night, and while I "cheated" and used the bumpers that keep the ball in the lane (not 100% effective for me as I overshot them a few times and my ball had to be retrieved from that walkway bowling alley staff use), I did shoot three fairly good games with a 105, 120, and 84 respectively.
Oh, and one other personal note. I've decided I am going back to school for a bachelor's in Journalism. Long time coming, I think.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Good grief! I don't know whether to roar with rage or cry and cry! A federal judge tells the NSA to stop their anti-terrorist wiretap activities?
What other strategic tactics will the ACLU try to deprive our government of? What other tools in the war on terrorism will the US be deprived of? How long will it be before something so cataclismic that it makes 9/11 look small by comparison happens because of all this left-wing, liberal, cut and run nonsense.
If I sound angry...I am. If I sound upset...I am. The ACLU ought to be sued for misrepresentation...they strip away more liberties than they protect. It sickens me.
I just can't comprehend what it is that people don't understand about the war on terror and why they feel the need to undermine it at every turn. It just steams me up!
Let me put it this way, if we could have the technology we have today, and could use it to stop, for example, Hitler from exterminating millions of Jewws, would you really oppose this? I wouldn't.
Well, we have the technology, and what's scary is that we have an enemy that on so many levels is *WORSE* than Hitler, and yet we want to appease this enemy. We want to stop the Bush administration from knowing what our enemies are up to...who they are talking to, what they are saying and (thanks to the N.Y. Times) where there money is coming from and going to. It's simply unbelievable. I know, I've said all of this before, but I am *MAD* as hell that there are people who would rather risk having our enemies attempt to wipe us off the map as opposed to keeping said enemies in check. Well, we'll see how those people opposed to Bush, his administration, and the work they've tried to do feel when they lose family, friends and other loved ones in an attack that is 9/11 magnified 10 (or possibly 100) times. Maybe then it won't be so important to be able to carry hair gel on an airplane...maybe it will finally be acceptable to monitor communications traffic from outside the US and watch for potential terrorist activity...maybe the government will be allowed to keep its methods of tracking terrorists confidential. It's sad it may well take such an attack to wake people up, but it looks like that is the likely wake up call a lot of people will need.
What other strategic tactics will the ACLU try to deprive our government of? What other tools in the war on terrorism will the US be deprived of? How long will it be before something so cataclismic that it makes 9/11 look small by comparison happens because of all this left-wing, liberal, cut and run nonsense.
If I sound angry...I am. If I sound upset...I am. The ACLU ought to be sued for misrepresentation...they strip away more liberties than they protect. It sickens me.
I just can't comprehend what it is that people don't understand about the war on terror and why they feel the need to undermine it at every turn. It just steams me up!
Let me put it this way, if we could have the technology we have today, and could use it to stop, for example, Hitler from exterminating millions of Jewws, would you really oppose this? I wouldn't.
Well, we have the technology, and what's scary is that we have an enemy that on so many levels is *WORSE* than Hitler, and yet we want to appease this enemy. We want to stop the Bush administration from knowing what our enemies are up to...who they are talking to, what they are saying and (thanks to the N.Y. Times) where there money is coming from and going to. It's simply unbelievable. I know, I've said all of this before, but I am *MAD* as hell that there are people who would rather risk having our enemies attempt to wipe us off the map as opposed to keeping said enemies in check. Well, we'll see how those people opposed to Bush, his administration, and the work they've tried to do feel when they lose family, friends and other loved ones in an attack that is 9/11 magnified 10 (or possibly 100) times. Maybe then it won't be so important to be able to carry hair gel on an airplane...maybe it will finally be acceptable to monitor communications traffic from outside the US and watch for potential terrorist activity...maybe the government will be allowed to keep its methods of tracking terrorists confidential. It's sad it may well take such an attack to wake people up, but it looks like that is the likely wake up call a lot of people will need.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Let him who has ears hear.
Are you still having trouble believing that God opposes Hezbollah and anyone else who would come against Israel?
Well, let's think about the situation with Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah as it stands now. If Hezbollah's leader thinks he can speak against Israel...if he thinks he can threaten Israel and survive...he is kidding himself and any and all of his supporters.
God has made it clear that those in that part of the world will regret coming against Israel. It's in the Old Testament, see for your self:
Joel 3:4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, And all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.
Is it possible the global community (along with the UN) interrupted such a "repayment"? Just some food for thought.
Even if we have, if Hezbollah tries to obliterate Israel, they will live to regret it. Again, reread the passage from Joel:
Joel 3:4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, And all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.
If we think God will remain patient with Hezbollah and its supporters, we are more blind...much more blind...than I originally thought.
Are you still having trouble believing that God opposes Hezbollah and anyone else who would come against Israel?
Well, let's think about the situation with Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah as it stands now. If Hezbollah's leader thinks he can speak against Israel...if he thinks he can threaten Israel and survive...he is kidding himself and any and all of his supporters.
God has made it clear that those in that part of the world will regret coming against Israel. It's in the Old Testament, see for your self:
Joel 3:4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, And all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.
Is it possible the global community (along with the UN) interrupted such a "repayment"? Just some food for thought.
Even if we have, if Hezbollah tries to obliterate Israel, they will live to regret it. Again, reread the passage from Joel:
Joel 3:4 “Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, And all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.
If we think God will remain patient with Hezbollah and its supporters, we are more blind...much more blind...than I originally thought.
Ignorance and stupidity in the news.
I shouldn't read stuff like this before coffee...it just doesn't pay.
What are they teaching in schools nowadays? How did we get to a point where people know the three stooges better than the three branches of government, and can recognize Harry Potter (and who he is) faster than they do British PM Tony Blair. It's just sad, really sad.
Then, in the same news section (a report by Brit Hume at the fox news web site) Cynthia McKinney tries to blame her election loss on electronic voting machines. Open letter to Cynthia McKinney. If electronic voting machines go away, so does independent voting ability for the blind and visually impaired. You lost, so just get over it, and stop trying to (inadvertently, I admit) rid the blind of access to something as important as the tools to vote independently. As things stood for many, many years, the blind had to ask people to read the ballots and/or punch the holes in the ballots, thus robbing the blind voter of precious privacy. Oh, and BTW Miss (or Mrs.) McKinney? Sad to say, even if I had access to a voting machine, and I were in Georgia, you wouldn't have gotten my vote...especially not after such a paranoid-sounding comment about voting machines.
Oh, and one last mini-rant to the people protesting against Israel over the weekend. How dare you insult the people of Israel by comparing them to the very regime that wanted them exterminated in the 30's and 40's. What an insult! It amazes me because black people would scream about being compared to the KKK, and certain groups of women would pitch a fit if you said they behaved too much like men (I know, weak example...but you get the point), so why should Jews have to put up with being compared to the people who tortured them, drove them from their homes, and killed them by the millions?
This just shows me what the anti-war/anti-Bush/liberal democrat/Hezbollah supporting crowd doesn't understand, and probably never will. Israel is God's chosen people. He is going to protect them from any and all harm, and those who oppose Israel (militarily or otherwise) ought to be very, very careful.
Okay, enough ranting. I'd better stop before the word "liberal" makes me want to spit nails, you know?
I shouldn't read stuff like this before coffee...it just doesn't pay.
What are they teaching in schools nowadays? How did we get to a point where people know the three stooges better than the three branches of government, and can recognize Harry Potter (and who he is) faster than they do British PM Tony Blair. It's just sad, really sad.
Then, in the same news section (a report by Brit Hume at the fox news web site) Cynthia McKinney tries to blame her election loss on electronic voting machines. Open letter to Cynthia McKinney. If electronic voting machines go away, so does independent voting ability for the blind and visually impaired. You lost, so just get over it, and stop trying to (inadvertently, I admit) rid the blind of access to something as important as the tools to vote independently. As things stood for many, many years, the blind had to ask people to read the ballots and/or punch the holes in the ballots, thus robbing the blind voter of precious privacy. Oh, and BTW Miss (or Mrs.) McKinney? Sad to say, even if I had access to a voting machine, and I were in Georgia, you wouldn't have gotten my vote...especially not after such a paranoid-sounding comment about voting machines.
Oh, and one last mini-rant to the people protesting against Israel over the weekend. How dare you insult the people of Israel by comparing them to the very regime that wanted them exterminated in the 30's and 40's. What an insult! It amazes me because black people would scream about being compared to the KKK, and certain groups of women would pitch a fit if you said they behaved too much like men (I know, weak example...but you get the point), so why should Jews have to put up with being compared to the people who tortured them, drove them from their homes, and killed them by the millions?
This just shows me what the anti-war/anti-Bush/liberal democrat/Hezbollah supporting crowd doesn't understand, and probably never will. Israel is God's chosen people. He is going to protect them from any and all harm, and those who oppose Israel (militarily or otherwise) ought to be very, very careful.
Okay, enough ranting. I'd better stop before the word "liberal" makes me want to spit nails, you know?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I'm scared, and I'm willing to admit it!
First we get this interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and now come to find out that he recently stated that he would answer the world about the whole nuclear disarmorment issue on August 22nd, some Muslim holy day, and a day on which the radical muslim world would be primed for a catastrophic action against Israel.
Hmmm, and we're supposed to believe what Ahmadinejad tells Mike Wallace about the time for weapons being passed, etc? Why am I not buying it? Why do I fear what could happen to America, Israel or both on the 22nd? My gut feeling is that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not to be trusted...at all.
Actually, to put a lighthearted spin on it, it's kind of like the joking impression of Hitler my mom's father used to do. He had a moustache similar to Hitler's and would brush his hair to the side, and in a mock German accent say, "I want peace...piece of Italy, piece of spain..." You get the idea.
Anyway, I think that all of Ahmadinejad's talk is just that...talk. If he lives up to his word, good...but I'm skeptical for the moment. Until then, on the 22nd, watch the skies...or at least the news.
First we get this interview with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and now come to find out that he recently stated that he would answer the world about the whole nuclear disarmorment issue on August 22nd, some Muslim holy day, and a day on which the radical muslim world would be primed for a catastrophic action against Israel.
Hmmm, and we're supposed to believe what Ahmadinejad tells Mike Wallace about the time for weapons being passed, etc? Why am I not buying it? Why do I fear what could happen to America, Israel or both on the 22nd? My gut feeling is that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not to be trusted...at all.
Actually, to put a lighthearted spin on it, it's kind of like the joking impression of Hitler my mom's father used to do. He had a moustache similar to Hitler's and would brush his hair to the side, and in a mock German accent say, "I want peace...piece of Italy, piece of spain..." You get the idea.
Anyway, I think that all of Ahmadinejad's talk is just that...talk. If he lives up to his word, good...but I'm skeptical for the moment. Until then, on the 22nd, watch the skies...or at least the news.
Thoughts on the president of the US.
I first want to say that I respectfully disagree with President Bush. This cease fire/UN resolution is not a victory against Hezbollah. How? It seems to me that now they can re-group, re-arm, and make it even harder for Israel to combat them next time around, and trust me, there will be a next time.
Now, that said, I don't envy Mr. Bush because his job is one that no one human being should have to face. He sounded so tired yesterday. I really did (and still do) feel bad for him. The world is, almost literally, on his shoulders, and not because I think he's trying to control the world, either.
I say that because right now, in the world, things are a foreign policy nightmare. By that I mean I wouldn't want to be the one trying to decide how to handle the war on terror, the situation in Iraq, Iran, Israel, and how to handle the "president" of North Korea, among other things. That, and having domestic issues to deal with to boot? No offense to him, but better him than me. I would crack under the pressure, I'm sure.
I first want to say that I respectfully disagree with President Bush. This cease fire/UN resolution is not a victory against Hezbollah. How? It seems to me that now they can re-group, re-arm, and make it even harder for Israel to combat them next time around, and trust me, there will be a next time.
Now, that said, I don't envy Mr. Bush because his job is one that no one human being should have to face. He sounded so tired yesterday. I really did (and still do) feel bad for him. The world is, almost literally, on his shoulders, and not because I think he's trying to control the world, either.
I say that because right now, in the world, things are a foreign policy nightmare. By that I mean I wouldn't want to be the one trying to decide how to handle the war on terror, the situation in Iraq, Iran, Israel, and how to handle the "president" of North Korea, among other things. That, and having domestic issues to deal with to boot? No offense to him, but better him than me. I would crack under the pressure, I'm sure.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Oh, boy, while I didn't see Mike Wallace's interview with the Iranian president, I did read the transcript thanks to Joel Rosenberg's blog. It's pathetic. Wallace not only played softball, but let the pres of Iran (to a degree) control the interview. Simply pathetic. This wasn't real journalism...it was what gruel is to oatmeal...thin with no real substance. If this is what CBS News has become, I'm taking my eye off the big eye and going elsewhere, thank you. Joel Rosenberg is a smarter man, and more experienced than I am, so I leave it to him to outline the things Mr. Wallace ought to have asked. Personally? If I were Mike Wallace, I would have pinned the man down like a bug on a cork board. That's just me, though. Here's what Joel had to say.
http://joelrosenberg.blogspot.com/2006/08/what-wallace-should-have-asked.html#comments
http://joelrosenberg.blogspot.com/2006/08/what-wallace-should-have-asked.html#comments
Sunday, August 13, 2006
All right, I'm writing this in part to keep me awake. Had a big brunch, and now I'm fighting sleepiness.
I also want to write this down here before I forget to.
I believe I said something in a previous entry about understanding our enemy so we don't get blindsided. I think, after reflecting on it, that this also has spiritual implications. If we don't understand evil (the devil), we'll be blindsided by it/him. If we don't know how to stand up for our values, we'll fall...every time.
One of my favorite adages is "those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.", and it's true.
I think that is a huge part of why our society (in this country) is in the shape it is in (emotionally and spiritually speaking, that is) because we don't understand how the devil is plotting against us, and what this will cost us in the long run. Just a random thought for this Lord's day. :)
I also want to write this down here before I forget to.
I believe I said something in a previous entry about understanding our enemy so we don't get blindsided. I think, after reflecting on it, that this also has spiritual implications. If we don't understand evil (the devil), we'll be blindsided by it/him. If we don't know how to stand up for our values, we'll fall...every time.
One of my favorite adages is "those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.", and it's true.
I think that is a huge part of why our society (in this country) is in the shape it is in (emotionally and spiritually speaking, that is) because we don't understand how the devil is plotting against us, and what this will cost us in the long run. Just a random thought for this Lord's day. :)
Okay, I couldn't get it to work, but that's typical of trying to do things with a screen reading software...not everything likes to cooperate. But, web accessibility isn't the point of this post, that's for another one.
I wanted to share this because I read the transcript and I think it's worth thinking about. It is a video clip of Joel Rosenberg.
http://www.terrorfreeoil.org/videos/JR081106.php
I wanted to share this because I read the transcript and I think it's worth thinking about. It is a video clip of Joel Rosenberg.
http://www.terrorfreeoil.org/videos/JR081106.php
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Well now, so we have a cease fire in Israel/Lebanon. What will this accomplish? This isn't skepticism, but a rhetorical question. I mean, Lebanon has asserted it's right, verbally, to fight, and well...as for Israel...they've stepped up the troops, etc. to do as much as they can before the cease fire begins. I understand their reasoning, but do they understand how it makes them look in the public eye?
Just my thoughts for tonight. I'm tired, and I've had a busy day. So, TTFN, as Tigger would say.
Just my thoughts for tonight. I'm tired, and I've had a busy day. So, TTFN, as Tigger would say.
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