Baby Got Book (OFFICIAL)

Just when I thought I couldn't take any more!

Once again, Westboro Baptist doesn't know when to stop!  Again, they are crossing the line from compassionate to hateful, from loving to bigoted, and from Christian to overtly evil!

As if showing up at the funerals of soldiers who made the choice to sacrifice themselves in war, the Fred Phelps cult (I don't call it a real church) is now going to show up at the funerals and memorial service of the victims of the Westroads Mall shooting. I am sick of Westboro and what they stand for. Their teachings and "doctrine" is so unbiblical. They certainly don't believe in a God of love, just one of hatred, vengeance, and wrath.  Not only is that not the God I believe in, it is not the God of the Bible.

            I am particularly furious as I am a friend, albeit recent and not terribly well-acquainted as of yet, but a friend nonetheless with the son of one of the victims. It enrages me that my friend Steve will have to deal with these people spewing hate in the name of God while he tries to lay his father to rest as peacefully as possible. Steve doesn't deserve this, and his deceased father certainly doesn't deserve it.

I know for me I already had enough rage and heartache built up as a result of first, the shootings, then finding out that I knew someone related to one of the victims and I care about this person as a good friend and brother. Now my emotions are on high boil because the WBC crowd simply cannot stay away and leave well enough alone.

I wish they'd take their vicious gospel and confine it to the walls of their cult headquarters (church building) and leave grieving, hurting people alone and not throw acid in their wounds. I'm sure if the WBC crowd reads this they'll come after me as some sort of idol-worshipping, fornicating, homosexual-loving heathen who needs to die. But, I'll stand up for the real truth of the Gospel and say "Bring it on!" if they do because now it's personal to me. Goodness knows I don't want to stoop to their level, but have they ever considered that God might smite them for the hatred they spew? Have they ever considered that when they die, they might hear the words of Christ, ringing in their ears, "I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." (Luke 13:27 NKJV)

The saddest part is this is not how I wanted to first talk about my new friend Steve and the impact of this shooting on me. Unfortunately, before I could find words to describe my true feelings, the problem of the WBC arose. Yes, they may be people but they are a problem, and a huge one. As long as there are grieving people in the world, and as long as Fred Phelps and the WBC cult wishes to go on harassing these pain-stricken individuals, the WBC will be nothing more than a problem.  If I sound harsh, good.  At least I'm not half as harsh as Fred and his cult. This is the last straw for me!  I needed to vent, and have done so! Now, I will try to resume grieving for a man I have never met, and strive to do so in as much peace as possible.

 

 

 

Why Chuck Endorsed Mike - Episode One 1

I really like what Mike has to say here, and I love Chuck's honesty about endorsing him.

Something I simply don't understand.

Conservatives talk a lot, and rightly so, about media bias...especially from the "liberal" media.  For a long time, I didn't understand or even perceive this bias.  Now I do.

 

What troubles me now is I am seeing a bias I don't quite understand, and it is coming from conservative publications.  It is a seeming bias against Mike Huckabee.  I say this because he seems to get passed over when the pundits and talking heads on a channel like Fox News are talking about the GOP race.  It's as if Rudy, Romni and Thompson are the only ones who exist.  Huckabee only started getting more mention when his poll numbers went up and he was endorsed by Chuck Norris.  Yet, this bias seems to hang in there.  A prime example comes from the Washington Times in an article by Stephen Dinan and Ralph Z. Hallow that is titled "Giuliani foes in GOP panicky."  The article is dated December 1, 2007.  Before I quote the article, let me say that this is what I am reading into it, and I freely admit I could be wrong.  Mr. Huckabee is my chosen candidate, and so I may be seeing things in the story that aren't there.  I may be inferring something that is not accurate or even remotely the intent of the authors/editors at the Times.  The line that stuck out for me is this: "Mr. Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor and ordained Southern Baptist minister."

 

This gets mentioned almost as an aside...almost.  What it implies to me is because Mr. Huckabee is an ordained Southern Baptist minister he might be, somehow, too extreme for the GOP.

 

Personally, I am seeing ways in which the GOP needs to get back to their core values.  It is my assessment at this point that Huckabee is the one to help the GOP do that.

 

Giuliana is too much of a compromise when it comes to our core values.  Romni, if I've gathered correctly has also done too much flipping and flopping on core values and issues, so he is not only a compromise, but his being a Mormon could hurt him more than help.

If the GOP really wants to go back to Reagan conservatism, then they need only look to Mike Huckabee.  I say this because his whole demeanor and his stands on the issues of the day all seem to evoke President Reagan.

    To pass Huckabee over because he is a minister, or God forbid had the audacity to be governor of Arkansas, the Clinton state, is plain stupidity.  The fact Huckabee is rising in the polls tells me that people are finding the one person that matches their values and is consistent and shows it.  More and more people are waking up to who Mike Huckabee is and to me that is a good thing.  So, please, don't dismiss him, you pundits and talking heads, but instead get to know him, and you might find yourself stepping away from the Giuliani, Romni and Thompson trio towards the candidate you've been seeking all along: Mike Huckabee.

Mike has the answers.

No, I am not claiming that Mike Huckabee has all the solutions to all our problems.  I am, however, saying that Mike can answer the tough questions.  Let's see Hilary Clinton do that!  In the past week, I have seen Mr. Huckabee on Hannity & Colmes and Fox News Sunday.  Both times, Mike was asked some very tough questions.  In both cases, he had answers that made sense, were direct, and didn't dance around the question. The questions didn't make him flinch, they didn't make him the least bit nervous.  I respect that.  Way to go, Mike!  Keep up the good work!

 

My 2008 Decision.

Well, I have finally made my decision for the presidential candidate I support in 2008. I've read about him, and he is the one consistent candidate who has stood firmly on issues without wavering, flip-flopping or anything like that. He recently surged to second place behind Governor Romni in a poll related to the upcoming Iowa primary.

That candidate is Mike Huckabee. I will let him speak for himself. This is borrowed from his site. It is his stands on various issues combined into one document.
mike_on_the_issues_highres.pdf
SANCTITY OF LIFE
I support and have always supported passage of a
constitutional amendment to protect the right to
life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life
have always been clear and consistent, without
equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v.
Wade should be over-turned.
MARRIAGE
I support and have always supported passage of a
federal constitutional amendment that denes
marriage as a union between one man and one
woman. As President, I will ght for passage of
this amendment. My personal belief is that
marriage is between one man and one woman,
for life.
HEALTH CARE
Our health care system is making our businesses
non-competitive in the global economy. It is time
to recognize that jobs don't need health care,
people do, and move from employer-based to
consumer-based health care.
TAXES
I support the Fair Tax.
EDUCATION
I have been a strong, consistent supporter of the
rights of parents to home school their children, of
creating more charter schools, and of public
school choice.
EDUCATION
We need a clear distinction between federal and
state roles in education. While there is value in the
"No Child Left Behind" law's eort to set high
standards, states must be allowed to develop
their own benchmarks.
IMMIGRATION
We have to know who is coming into our country,
where they are going, and why they are here. We
need a fence along our border with Mexico,
electronic in some places, and more
highly-trained border agents.
WAR ON TERROR
I believe that we are currently engaged in a world
war. Radical Islamic fascists have declared war on
our country and our way of life. They have sworn
to annihilate each of us who believe in a free
society, all in the name of a perversion of religion
and an impersonal god. We go to great extremes
to save lives, they go to great extremes to take
them. This war is not a conventional war, and
these terrorists are not a conventional enemy. I
will ght the war on terror with the intensity and
single-mindedness that it deserves.
2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
The Second Amendment is primarily about
tyranny and self-defense, not hunting. The
Founding Fathers wanted us to be able to defend
ourselves from our own government, if need be,
and from all threats to our lives and property.
Paid for by Huckabee for President, Inc.
www.mikehuckabee.com
To Learn More About Mike Huckabee Visit www.MikeHuckabee.com

Unbelieveable stupidity!

Read the article at this link and tell me if it angers you as much as it does me:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308858,00.html

 

To the superintendant I say "Hey, let's worry more about actual explicit sexual behavior and leave innocent hugs alone."

 

This morning on Fox and Friends, Mr. McGowen said that hugging in the halls could create "dangerous situations."  Situations like what? 

delayed exits during fire drills?  Perhaps Mr. McGowen is Baptist and fears that hugging will lead to dancing? I'm sorry, I don't mean to appear to be mocking Mr. McGowen, but let's be honest, he kind of brought it on himself. Innocent hugs will not cause overcrowding and "dangerous situations."  The only dangerous situations hugging can create are poorly written and implemented policies like the one in Mascoutah, Illinois where kids are punished for showing innocent signs of caring for their friends.  What's next, banning affectionate pats on the shoulder because it might cause damage to the rotator cuff?  Hmm, or maybe winking at classmates because it can cause eye damage?  I realize my joking hypotheticals use medical problems to make the point, and it wasn't for medical reasons that hugs aren't allowed in Mascoutah, but look at the utter ridiculousness of my examples.  We all know winking can't cause eye damage...right?  So, how can hugging be so bad as to be a bannable offense>?  It is illogical, stupid, and it makes me really angry because it is an infringement on personal rights that has about as much merit as trying to ban the wind from blowing.  So, all you kids in Mascoutah, I dare you, hug someone today.  Make it so the entire school has to get detention.  Maybe then the school board will see the silliness of punishing hugging.  I know, I'm encouraging rebellion, but it isn't sexual rebellion...just a very huggable rebellion.

Let me repeat myself...just stop!

I am really really frustrated with a certain church in Kansas right now and I need to vent.

I know I have said it before, but to the members of the Westboro Baptist Church I again say...just stop!

  None of you are prophets, and no one I know who believes in God wants anything to do with your vile, reprehensible concept of a hate-filled, vengeful God.  If you want to believe this melarkey, keep it confined to your little building there in Kansas, but stop pushing it at military funerals and stop using ridiculous lawsuits like the one filed by Ernie Chambers.  Mr. Chambers is slightly more intelligent than you folks from Westboro, but not much.  His lawsuit is ridiculous, I grant you that, and has no merit.  Your brief you filed to get the suit dismissed doesn't either, unfortunately.  You may be prophets in your own mind, but you don't fit the biblical definition of a prophet.

 

What you truly are, oh Westboro Baptist, is angry, hateful, bigoted, self-appointed moral dictators.  I don't know it for sure, but I suspect that people the likes of Hitler would be welcome at your so-called church.  Just give Fred Phelps a hitleresque moustache and get it over with.  If I seem to be speaking exceedingly tongue in cheek it is because that Mr. Phelps, his wife and family and their self-proclaimed church make me so angry that if I don't inject some kind of humor into what I write here I will positively explode from sinking to their level and claiming that God will smite them for their misrepresentation of who He is.  I make no such claim, but by the same token, if God did decide to strike them all down, I can't say I blame Him.  I know how I, a mere human being, feel when people speak poorly of me or make claims about me that are untrue, unfair and unjust.  I imagine God must feel the same about the Phelps' and Westboro Baptist.  It's ironic that Westboro would tell us we're too tolerant of homosexuals. If the God they claim to believe in is the God of the bible, He was (and is), in the form of Jesus Christ, vastly more tolerant than any member of Westboro baptist could presently hope to be.  Jesus treated people that His contemporary society condemned with a respect and compassion that most people can only hope to aspire to. The adulterous woman and the woman at the well (the Samaritan woman) come most readily to mind.  The Pharisees were within moments of stoning the adulterous woman and Christ (rightly so) pointed out that they had no right, no real room to stand in condemnation of her when they, themselves, were just as sinful.

 

Let me pause here and say this: I, personally, do not think homosexuality is right. It is not what God created us for.  That said, I do not hate the homosexual person, but I do hate the sin they commit.  Having said that, however, let me say that I don't tell anyone I know who is a homosexual how to live their lives.  It isn't my place to do so.  I have my own vast number of sins I have committed (and confessed to God every day) that don't allow me the right or privelege to dictate to others how to live their lives.  I do not have an in-your-face style of expressing my beliefs.  In fact I find myself balking when I hear people who do.  A prime example are these people I have seen (during good weather) preaching at the top of their lungs outside the student union at UNL's city campus.  I don't claim these people have no right to their beliefs, but it bothers me that they feel a need to shout it as loud as they do.  It's as if they feel a need to be a voice crying in the wilderness.  I feel no such need, and honestly wonder what such preaching actually accomplishes.  I've heard people mock them in passing, and I get the general sense that no one is attracted to that preaching style.  I sure haven't seen anyone saying "Hey, I think I need to talk to that shouting preacher about God.  I really need to hear his views."

 

Now, I bring this up to make a point.  It is my firm belief that as long as they protest at military funerals and respond to childish lawsuits like Mr. Chambers filed against the Almighty, people will want nothing to do with the message of Westboro.  Even more importantly, though, as long as Westboro preaches hatred, intolerance, and a God who is vengeful and not loving, who bestows punishment and not grace and mercy, no one will want anything to do with their message either.  The old saying goes you attract more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.  Well, in much the same way, you attract more converts with love and compassion than you do with condemnation and being judgemental.

 

Okay, I got all that off my chest.  I feel better now.

Not my god!

Well, thankfully, there is some sanity in the world.  Fred Phelps and his wacko, wacked out brand of Christians now have to pay for one of their insidious misdeeds. According to an article by ALEX DOMINGUEZ, Associated Press Writer Wed Oct 31, 6:23 PM ET: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071031/ap_on_re_us/funeral_protests_7

The jury awarded a total sum of $11 million to Albert Snyder because Fred Phelps' church protested at the funeral of his son, Matthew.

 

Rather than parrot the article, let me quote one passage I want to comment on:

"Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse. Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while

Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers." Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to

the tune of "God Bless America.""

 

If God hates America, why are these people living here?  They certainly don't speak for the God I believe in.  These delusional nut jobs lead by Mr. Phelps preach a god who, apparently, doesn't hate the sin and love the sinner, but rather hates both.  Come to think of it, that not only isn't the God I believe in and profess, but it isn't the God of the Bible.  Jesus never preached hate.  The apostles Paul, Peter and John never preached hate in their ministries.  In fact, the church of Fred Phelps must have St. Paul's words about grace torn out of their bibles.

Yes, the things they spew are protected by the first amendment, but that said, their actions went beyond cruel and disrespectful.  I hope they now understand that actions have consequences, and those actions and the subsequent consequences aren't confined to homosexuals but also apply to heterosexuals with a warped, hate-mongering view of God.

 

Mr. Phelps and his family (and his church) need prayer.  They need the mercy of the one true God.  If, however, they choose to not repent of their hate-filled preaching, one can only pray that God deals with them justly. I won't speculate on the state of their souls, I leave them to God.

 

If I could ask one thing of them, though, it is to stop doing what they do in the name of God, especially since it isn't my God.  The Westboro Baptist Churches of the world give Christians a very bad name.  It's tough enough for the world to see us in a positive light without Westboro Baptist Church and others like it casting huge, ugly and ominous shadows in the light of God.

Do we have a voice.

Today I am frustrated! I gave my voice to a cause, only to be ignored! The powers that be in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska decided that the bus system's routes needed to be changed. This despite plenty of feedback from the community that these changes were unwanted! It wasn't just people like myself who are blind, either. Today I join a group of people in this city and in places all over the world who feel that using their voice gets them nowhere. We start to wonder if we really even have voices...voices that count for more than a token gesture of looking as if we matter when, in reality, we don't. Plans we oppose will go ahead despite us. Don't be mistaken, my thinking here isn't confined to bus issues.
It could refer to people fighting for a school-related cause. It could refer to anyone who stood up at a city council meeting or some other meeting and expressed with passion their feelings on a given issue only to be ignored, passed over for whatever idea, plan, or scheme they opposed.
Are these voices really getting a fair shake, or short shrift? Do they matter in the scheme of things, or are they token voices empty of any real value?
These are questions I have regarding people all over the world today, myself and my friends and neighbors who opposed some really illogical changes in local bus routes. Personally, I have my doubts my voice mattered in the end. Thank you for nothing, StarTran.

I can't wait!

A book review, of sorts.

I just finished reading Neal Postman's "amusing ourselves to death" and I have to say, it makes for an interesting read.

Postman draws some frightening parallels between the visions of Huxley and the reality of TV in the 80's. In short his insightful book describes how we turn off our thinking and turn on TV. Not even the most serious
documentary or news show round table discussion can be taken seriously because TV filters it through the lens of entertainment, right down to music that
dictates the mood. The viewer cannot refute an argument, make any kind of rebuttal, and TV likes it that way. Postman talks about TV co-opting everything:
politics, religion, serious thought and philosophy. It is a very bleak picture indeed, but very real and very accurate.

When I say "interesting read," this is not an implicit hint that the book is boring. It isn't. I just have some trouble swallowing the entire premise, or more accurately concerns raised by the premise. Why I say this is that while I believe television can be detrimental, I don't know how much it can truly "kill" our culture. I say this because as long as people like Mr. Postman feel the way they do, our culture is not dead...merely on life support. That said, things have come down the pike that I suspect Mr. Postman would not have found surprising, but didn't live to see happen. Here I am refering to the iPod and cell phones both of which allow us to view TV programming on them. As it is, I think iPods, cell phone features such as games and the ability to play mp3's, and other mp3 players are doing more to isolate us from each other than TV ever could. At least TV gives us something to talk about over the water cooler, or around the coffee machine. iPods, mp3 players and cell phones do not. They do the opposite; cut us off from each other and isolate us from the world around us.

I am not, by any means trying to invalidate Postman's point, but I think we've gone beyond TV into other realms that would make him shudder. In fact, I am inclined to agree with a lot of what Postman said. I also tend to agree with a vastly more famous reader of the book, Roger Waters. Waters was inspired by the book and wrote a concept album called "amused to death" in which (if I understand the overall premise) advanced aliens from outer space find our world as nothing more than burned out shells (emotionally and intellectually speaking) gathered around TV's and "amused to death."

There was a time when I believed that TV would possibly the culprit of such a death, but now I tend to lean towards the idea of becoming isolated by iPods and other forms of portable entertainment. It only gets worse, however, if TV programming (or the idea of TV itself) becomes integrated into that portable technology. I already see it happening.

Maybe Waters is right, and some "alien anthropologists" will declare, very sadly, "This species has amused itself to death!" Only time will tell.

Fascinating quiz.

I took this quiz and it labeled me as a "centrist." I don't claim to disagree, but want to check and see how accurate it really is. Meanwhile, what do you, my readers, think?
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

Ever hear of letting go?

Democrats and their seeming inability to let go of the past puzzles me.  No, I don't refer here to another in the endless stream of attacks on our current president.  I am talking about something further back in our history (the world's history) that the dems feel is desperately worth condemning...decades after it happened.

 

Naturally, I am humane and therefore opposed to genocide.  That said, however, I don't understand the desperate need in congress to create a resolution condeming Turkey, and risking losing an ally in the war in Iraq, because of mass murder committed between 1915 and 1923.  If the genocide were happening right now, I could see condemning it.  I cannot fathom condemning something so far in the past that the current Turkish government had nothing to do with. 

 

Personally, I am inclined to think this is just another way for congress to avoid doing true work.  So much of what the democratically -controlled congress seems to be doing at present rings of mostly symbolic work.  Nothing tangible and concrete.

Tell me, Speaker Pelosi, what will this resolution accomplish?  Will it do anything beyond symbolic closure?  Somehow, I doubt it.  The negative consequence is already beginning to show...angering the Turkish government.  Not a wise move since we are receiving significant help from them over in Iraq at the moment.  An individual  more paranoidand conspiracy-minded than I am would be prone to suggest that this was a conspiracy on the part of the left to make things look worse in Iraq.  Sadly, worse in Iraq is what things will become if this resolution passes.

 

So, dear dems and left-leaners, please, let the past stay in the past.  Forget condemning old misdeeds.  It's just wasting the valuable time and resources of a lot of people.

Excuse me?

Sometimes, a political decision doesn't make sense to me.  It doesn't matter that the person making the decision is in the party opposite the one I belong to.  It's just that, for whatever reasons, their decision defies logic and sense.Take Hilary Clinton's decision to not pull out of the Michigan primary, despite the fact her most worrysome opponent, Berack Obama, and most others decided to pull out, and for fairly good reasons.  Not Clinton.  To quote her spokesman from an article in today's Washington Times, "We're honoring the pledge, and we won't campaign or spend money in states that aren't in compliance with the DNC calendar," said Clinton spokesman Jay Carson. "We don't think it's necessary to remove ourselves from the ballot."

 

That strikes me as being like someone saying "I won't allow this magazine to interview me, or publish advertisements with my likeness, because they violated one of my personal beliefs, but I don't think it is necessary to remove myself from the cover of the magazine."

 

Perhaps this is a weak analogy.  I'm not sure, but it is the best I can do.  My point is this.  You either show compliance all the way or not at all.  This also applies to Christopher Dodd, who doesn't wish to deprive the voters of Michigan by removing his name from the ballot.  Instead, apparently, he wishes to deprive himself of a little bit of integrity.  Don't misread that statement, I am not saying he has no integrity whatsoever.  I am saying that he is choosing not to have that one bit of integrity that would provoke him to remove his name from the ballot.

 

Michigan violated DNC rules by changing the date of their primary.  Obama and others felt that they should respect their party.  Not Mrs. Clinton Or Mr. Dodd.  To tell the truth, I am not surprised by Hilary's choice.  She strikes me as just arrogant enough, just egotistical enough to think herself above the wisdom of her own party.  If the DNC feels that Michigan violated the rules by making the primary date too early, that is a decision I can respect, all partisan politics aside. Hilary Clinton and Chris Dodd might as well be thumbing their noses at their very own party.

 

Here's the Washington Times article:

www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070517-014838-8942r.htm -
 

So, here I am!

I know somewhere out there, even if it's just some alien out in outer space, someone has to have been wondering where I've been hiding myself.  I'd say that you ought to blame my going to school, but who would I be kidding?  I haven't written all summer or anything like that.

 

Anyway, so here I am.  I'm in the middle of my second semester at UNL, and excited and nervous about the future.  After a meeting I attended today with my advisor, two faculty members from the journalism college, and the director of Services for Students with Disabilities, I decided to get back into this to strengthen my writing.

 

My goal is to keep up more on the news and to write my own personal commentaries on what I read.  It may be political, it may be social, it may be demented and sad, too.  Sorry, couldn't resist the "Breakfast Club" reference there.

 

It could even be, god forbid, about Britanny spears.  You just never know with me.  It could be as simple as numbering the hairs I pulled out just prior to an exam.

 

So, keep your eyes open.  I have some ideas in the back of my head, so there is more to come in the very very near future.

Where's ol' blue eyes when you need him?

In my book, to my way of thinking, I think the Democrats/liberals have a new theme song..."My way" by Frank Sinatra.  Why?  Because I just got a news alert from Fox News that says the house and senate vow to defy Bush's veto and agreed on a bill that would include a time table for withdrawal!

 

So, now, the Dems are resorting to acting like spoiled children?  "If you tell us 'no!', we'll do it anyway!"

 

Well, let me tell you, better what Bush is doing than their lack of any plan for finishing the job in Iraq.  I wish he could veto the left wing, liberal democrats (and their weak-kneed republican counterparts) right out of the house and senate!  This is insulting to our troops, it's insulting to our country, and that they can claim to be patriotic and do so with a straight face makes me want to gag.  Hey, here's an idea, if they want the troops withdrawn s badly, and if Nancy Palosi is so power-hungry, let's send *CONGRESS* over to fight the war in Iraq and we'll make Palosi a general!  Let's see how she likes getting sand in her hair and clothes and other places that would traumatize her vanity!

 

I'm sorry, but this power trip by the left and this ballsy, in-your-face defiance of the president really ticks me off!

 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled reality already in progress.

 

 

Scarred for life?

Okay, I just heard that the women team members from Rutgers described themselves as "scarred for life."

 

How?  Why?  I know words hurt...I'll be the first to say it because I've been hurt by them...but scarred for life?  Are you telling me that when one of these ladies is in her 60's, she's still going to be saying to herself, "Curse that Don Imus, I can still feel the sting of his words!"

 

I don't buy that.  I've had some hateful/hurtful things said about me because of being blind/legally blind.  Was I scarred for life?  No!!  In fact, I look back and see things for what they are.  The persons who said those things to me were either immature or ignorant.  If I'm still hurt by them, it is my choice.

 

That said, if those women are "scarred for life" that's there choice, and not Imus' fault.  They choose to be hurt or scarred and Imus cannot control that. 

 

If we let others dictate our feelings or emotions that gives them the power.  If these women want to stay empowered after their NCAA success, they could try not letting Imus have the impact on them that they claim he did.

 

 

Imus in the hot seat.

Okay, first of all, I am not a racist person.  I don't hate any minority, and in a very real sense (being blind) I am part of a minority.

 

That said, I want it understood that what I am about to say may offend some people, and maybe even surprise them, but can we shut up about Don Imus and the rather stupid remarks he made?!  He apologized, got suspended, can we please not run this into the ground, especially since, in their ever-hypocritical fashion, the media that is so viciously lambasting Imus barely blinks when Rosie O'BigMouth spouts her anti-America rhetoric. 

 

I'll be honest, there are far worse things Imus could have (and has) said.  At the same time, though, the women have the right to be offended, and I understand their reasons for being thusly offended.  I just don't want Imus raked over the coals for this remark when he's said far worse, and the media knows it.  Imus is an equal opportunity offender, and he admits it.  Everyone is fair game.  Heck, my blindness would probably get me poked fun at by the I-man, not to mention my blindingly pale skin. LOL!

 

If we're going to act as if Imus should be run out of town on a rail, could we have (at least) the courtesy to be consistent enough to want the same thing for Rosie?  That's all I'm asking.

 

 

The truth grows more inconvenient...

...for Al Gore.  Hmmm, heard about the NY Times piece on Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."

 

Seems like the most inconvenient truth of all is how Al Gore is exaggerating his claims to the point of hysteria.  See for yourself.  The article is titled: "From a Rapt Audience, a Call to Cool the Hype."

 

Personally?  I think God is in control, and no one, especially Al Gore can predict how the world will end or anything like that.   If I were to venture a guess, I would bet that God is snickering at Al and the fact that the *REAL* fate of the world would (ultimately) surprise Mr. Gore.

 

 

The Big What?

Okay, putting aside my severe disagreement with Chuck Hagel over his stance on the war in Iraq, I have to comment on his press conference today.  I say
I am putting aside the disagreement for now because it doesn't even color my opinion.  His stance on Iraq has little (if anything at all) to do with the
fact that this so-called announcement was the biggest waste of logistics and time I've seen in a long while.  I wouldn't blame the press, UNO alumni (University
of Nebraska at Omaha), and numerous others for being a bit miffed at Mr. Hagel for wasting their time. 
Wouldn't an e-mail or press release have sufficed?  I know it's spring break, but couldn't the space used on the UNO campus have been used for something
more productive than a gathering in which Mr. Hagel basically says "I'm here to announce that the real announcement will come some time next year."  
It wasn't even the whole "non-announcement" aspect of this event that has me asking this.  For the most part, Mr. Hagel had the charisma of Gerald Ford
covered in a huge wet blanket.  I began to wonder if he wouldn't go stumbling away from the microphone. 
Even if he runs for president and wins, I couldn't imagine watching him deliver a state of the union address without falling asleep.  I'd have to watch
it with two triple shot espresso mochas from Starbucks. 
I'm sorry to have to say it, Mr. Hagel, but you're not presidential material.  Again, not because of your stance on the war, but because having to watch
any press briefing, speech, or whatever given by you would inevitably put me to sleep.  I'm just glad, regarding today's press conference/non-announcement,
that you weren't the Apostle Paul and that there was no one napping in a window.  

How does this kind of thing happen?

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/cops-say-paraplegic-man-dumped-in-street/20070209163009990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001 
This is awful, unjust, and something needs to be done to hold somebody accountable!

 

Just passing this along as a concerned UNL student. The opinion part? That's up to you. I'm just posting it for the info. Methinks, however, my use of the word "concerned" a moment ago ought to be a clue to my feelings on the matter.
Proposed budget lower than expected for UNL - News

Something to ponder about the war in Iraq.

I just got this in an e-mail.  I think the point it makes is extremely valid.

 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlotte Thornsberry" <
goldengirlsvc@sbcglobal.net>
To: "lIST SERVE MBC" <
missouri-l@acb.org>
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 4:07 AM
Subject: [missouri-l] A Point To Consider

 

A point to consider:
The other day, my nine year old son wanted to
know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at
me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be
honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband
would give him a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and
then told my son to go stand in our front living room window.

 

He said "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"

 

"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.

 

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the
United States of America and you are President Bush."

 

Our son giggled and said "OK."

 

"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every
house and yard on this bl ock is a different country" my husband said.

 

"OK Dad, I'm pretending."

 

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you
see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and
is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face,
he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death.. Their
children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying,
they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they
are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son....what do you do?"

 

"Dad?"

 

"What do you do son?"

 

"I'd call the police, Dad."

 

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call.
They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do
you do then son?"

 

"Dad.......... but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

 

"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place
or you r place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my
husband
says.

 

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

 

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want
you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're
pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his
children."

 

"Daddy...he kills them?"

 

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

 

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next
door neighbor to help me stop him," our son says.

 

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get
involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him,"
my husband says.

 

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

 

"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.

 

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask
for help and saw that no one would help yo u stop him. He stands taller and
puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

 

"What Daddy?"

 

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her
door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and
then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the
window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

 

"Daddy..."

 

"WHAT DO YOU DO?"

 

Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the
blinds, Daddy."

 

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him.
"Why?"

 

"Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help people who needs
them...and they won't help.... You always say that neighbors are
supposed to
HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop
him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself Daddy.....I can't look out
my window and just watch him do all these terrible things
an d...and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the blinds...
so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it
is not happening."

 

I start to cry. My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in
the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband's
questions and he says...

 

"Son"

 

"Yes, Daddy."

 

"Open the blinds because that man.... he's at your front door... "WHAT
DO YOU DO?"

 

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his
tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he
says: " I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR
MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"

 

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his
chest and hugs him tight, and says... " It's too late to fight him, he's too
strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have stopped
him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the
way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before
its too late." my husband whispers. THAT scenario I just gave you is
WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen son,
THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world.

 

"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO
IT
ALONE!" BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT
THEM!!!
SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO
CLOSE THEIR BLINDS..."

 

This should be printed in every newspaper and posted in every school in
America. Of course that won't happen so we'll use the internet. If your
blinds are closed do nothing with this email. If they are open I do
not need to tell you what to do.

 

GOD BLESS!

 

 

 

Alan Wheeler
awheeler@neb.rr.com or alan_wheeler@neb.rr.com
redwheel1 on skype
http://alan-wheeler.blogspot.com/
“Tell the people the truth and the country will be free”
  --Abraham Lincoln