Presidential Sweet

I already mentioned the amazing video of Giuliani's response during the lightning round of questions, now I will try to bring out more detail of the other candidates from the New Hampshire debate.

Once again, Ron Paul's internet presence is being felt as he is sweeping the debate scorecard (the meaningful ones anyway) winning the votes by 58%. I wasn't as impressed by Dr. Paul's performance this debate. His knowledge of actual issues is unmatched, and is one of the few believable candidates. But he turned in what looked to be a one-trick pony for this show. His answers were good, but when he said the undeclared war was the greatest moral issue of our time, that seemed a bit over the top.

However his answer on gays openly serving in the military was dead on. It isn't about orientation, but about disruptive behavior. See my post on military conduct for more details. The military has the right to ensure the safety and readiness of their soldiers. Immoral and disruptive behavior work against that readiness.

Romney was very disappointing even for someone who already dislikes him. He should have been part of the Democrats debate (yes we watched that too, at least the half of it we could stomach.) He blathered on and on turning most every question into a black hole about how the Republicans were the party of the future. Don't ask what I mean because I couldn't figure out what he meant, other than he had little to say and took too long saying it.

Giuliani continually went over the time limit and ignored the moderator with more of his politico-speak. Not much substance and everything seemed related to him being the most capable of protecting our nation. McCain was on the defensive most of the night because of the amnesty bill he co-sponsored with Ted Kennedy. Someone pointed out that he had more in common with Kennedy than with the Republicans. So he stumped and he whined about that every chance he got.

Jim Gilmore finally got something of substance right when he was asked about global warming. He pointed out that the Kyoto treaty was more about financing Russia and China than protecting the environment. Tancredo has some wonderful points, but I pity him when he has to speak. He stammers and pauses and winds his way around some great ideas, but by the time he is done, the concept is mostly lost. Tommy Thompson got an infusion of charisma and actually looked comfortable on stage.

Excluding the rest of the candidates giving Rudy "sparky" Giuliani a wide berth, the best lines of the debate were between Huckabee (or Hucklebee as my kids say) and Hunter. Huckabee was asked whether he believed in evolution or in a 6 day creation as the Bible says. The former minister proved his credentials by giving a 60 second sermon on what most Christians believe. Namely that we don't know the "how" of creation, but we know the "Who" and the "why". Did God make it in six literal days, or 6 millennial days? Huckabee said he didn't know. But he did know that there is a God that loves us and that created us for his purpose. Amen to that pastor!

Hunter is still the king of the hawks, but I would say maybe more of a mother hawk. He is genuinely concerned for the security of OUR nation. He would be a great Secretary of Defense. But his line came when asked if he would pardon Scooter Libby. He responded that he had not read Libby's transcripts, but that he had read some others, those of border agents Ramos and Campion. He said he would immediately pardon these two who have been jailed for doing their duty and protecting our border.

Brownback also had a worthwhile comment. When asked about evolution, he showed his well researched Catholic roots by mentioning that the college hosting the debates was named after St. Anselm and one of the things he was known for was seeking faith through reason. Brownback stated that faith and reason are not opposed to one another. If we find that they are, we need to check either our faith or our reason.

Too sum it up, the big three were unimpressive to downright worthless. Ron Paul was good if somewhat limited and many of the others continued to bring out great points. Hopefully this will resonate well and help shape the platform for whomever is nominated.

Divine intervention

A very humorous "intervention" in tonights debate as Giuliani answered a question about the bishop who took him to task over his stance on abortion.

Wonder if he will have a conversion on the road to Des Moines now too? Doubt it. His reasoning that he "consulted his religion and the constitution" caused my wife to ask, which religion and which constitution? The ones he is inferring to have some very pointed stances on the sanctity of life.

Giuliani didn't seem to get the message, but his colleagues on stage did. They all suddenly gave him plenty of space while he finished the comment.

Who says God doesn't still speak in our time?

Speaks for itself

With the lyrics here

When is now?

When the Democrats took power in the House and Senate last fall, all I can remember hearing is how, "Now everything will be different." Now there would be an end to corruption. Now gas prices would come under control...

So when is the "now" gonna happen?
Rep. Jefferson indicted in bribery probe - Yahoo! News

"But the essence of the charges are really very simple: Mr. Jefferson corruptly traded on his good office and on the Congress," said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. attorney in Alexandria.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) is expected to push this week for Jefferson to be stripped of his seat on the Small Business Committee, according to a leadership aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been announced.

"If these charges are proven true, they constitute an egregious and unacceptable abuse of public trust and power," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "Democrats are committed to upholding a high ethical standard and eliminating corruption and unethical behavior from the Congress."

Pelosi is expected to push for Jefferson to be stripped of his seat? What is wrong with this picture? Is Congress about the only place that marking the Felony box on the job application doesn't matter?

And how appropriate that he is on the Small Business Committee. I wonder how many small businesses have died in committee under his watch. Racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy, all good qualities for someone supposing to help small businesses flourish.

But I am sure this too can be spun by the politicians. The Republicans will claim the moral highground, but not too loudly so anyone will remember Abernoff and all their fiscal misdealings. The Democrats will merely point out that this happened while the Republicans were in charge.

Wiki-wisdom

Dom is commenting on the anti-Catholic cartoon in the Brisbane Times when he points out a disturbing cultural trend in today's public discourse. Its the all-knowing, all-wise, read-it-on-the-Internet, Wiki-itis.

Of course, it’s not just Catholicism that is subject to this phenomenon. The trend in public discourse these days is to shoot from the hip and to attack that which you have knowledge of based on what you’ve read at Wikipedia.

And from some of the issues Wikipedia has encountered with administrators embellishing their resumes, this seems to be the peak of self-centered delusional thinking. Perhaps we should help these "Thinking" folks come up with a motto for their bumper stickers.

- I Wiki, therefore I am.

- Whaddaya mean Wiki isn't 100% accurate?

- Of course I am who my profile says I am, just read the Wiki-article about me that I wrote?

- I wasn't wrong, my mind just had a buffer overflow.

- How could I know it was false, I just spew what I read on the Internet.

My dad had a couple of sayings that seem to fit also.

- Forgot to engage the brain before engaging the mouth.

- And quoting someone [could be Mark Twain or Winston Churchill, I am could not locate the exact quote], Believe only a fourth of what you read, a third of what you see and half of what you know.

Over and Under

Well it isn't exactly Hell freezing over, more like freezing under, but definitely worth noting.














From the Humor Archives via Signs and Blunders

Meehan amendment defeated

It is amazing the elitism that pervades our nation's capital. From the common man not understanding $400 haircuts, to our, OUR, representatives not thinking we should freely have a say in the legislative process.

Pro-Life Groups Celebrate Defeat of Amendment Hurting Free Speech

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Pro-life groups are celebrating the defeat of an amendment to a lobbying reform bill that would limit their free speech rights and those of their members. They said the amendment targeted would have hurt their efforts to tell private citizens about what is occurring in Congress.

Rep. Marty Meehan, a Massachusetts Democrat, says his amendment targets grassroots lobbying and its supporters asserted that the measure would require merely “disclosure” of “huge undisclosed amounts” spent to get members of the public to “lobby Congress.”

Yet, a coalition of pro-life groups, said the reality is that the Meehan Amendment would force countless individual Americans and groups to register and report as “lobbying firms."
...

“The defeat of the Meehan Amendment, and its predecessor in the Senate, is an important victory for grassroots-based movements like the pro-life movement," he said. "This victory is due to an outpouring of opposition to the idea of officeholders regulating the right of private groups to communicate with the public about what is going on in Congress.”

Johnson said that he was pleased with the victory but worried about another bill that would cause headaches for pro-life groups.

He cited H.R. 984, sponsored by pro-abortion Rep. Henry Waxman of California, that would require Executive Branch officials to disclose every letter, email or contact they receive from any "private party" such as pro-life groups or pro-life people.

“Under the Waxman ‘Big Brother Act,’ it would no longer be possible for any private citizen to express an opinion about a federal government policy, without that communication becoming an entry in a public database,” Johnson explained.

Bottom line is these groups are a pain in the rear to wayward congressmen. The phone, fax, and email surges when the public becomes aware of actions they would rather hide in the darkness of bureaucracy. Like a cockroach, support for these bills scatter when the light is shone upon them.

"if America is to have government by the people, then the right of the people to be informed must be protected."

Nah, couldn't be

Couldn't be that Ron Paul may have a point about our Middle East policies creating more terrorist.

NETWORK OF TERROR SPREADS IN SHATTERED MIDEAST SOCIETIES

In northern Lebanon, in the long-established Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, out of the blue arose a new al-Qaida-related insurgent group,
Fatah al-Islam. Within days and even hours, the recurring hell of the Middle East was loosed and refugees poured out of the camp in terror.

Now think about the symbolism. There had been none of this kind of terror networking in these northern camps. Indeed, since this camp was established in 1949 to accommodate refugees from northern Palestine after the creation of
Israel, it has housed one of the more formal and conservative of peoples.

But it was soon established that these new "insurgents" or "terrorists" -- or whatever they really are -- had arrived at the camp only recently, that they marched in one day with brand-new weapons, ready to fight. As of this writing, they remain there.
...
Iraq, where we were supposed to be "containing terrorism," is now clearly EXPORTING insurgents to other regions -- to Lebanon, to
Syria, to Gaza, to Bangladesh, to Kurdistan.

And so, on the one hand, you have weakened societies -- "only spaces" -- that have become vulnerable to the "new answers" of "new insurgencies," and on the other hand, you have Iraq set up as a school for terrorists with American troops and policy providing the constant inspiration for their fight.

This, of course, is not the way the Bush administration -- despite everything that has gone so terribly wrong -- sees it.

They see terrorists as born, not created by history, bearing the mark of Cain, not the mark of circumstance. There is a scarlet "T" written on their foreheads at birth and the only answer is to destroy them. This kind of thinking, of course, relieves the thinker of any responsibility for the presence of the insurgent-terrorist-whatever in our innocent midst.

via Mark Shea

OxyClinton

I am gonna finally try embedding a YouTube video. But caution, results of Oxy-Clinton may vary.

In geek speak, "Aaack!"

Never been a fan of Google desktop, it just seemed wrong to merge my personal files with anything resembling the internet. Guess my instinct was right on this. Beware of that man between you and your Google Desktop

Hansen, a Web application security specialist,... has figured out a way to launch man-in-the-middle attacks against a computer with a fully patched Google Desktop installed.
...
“This should drive home the point that deep integration between the desktop and the web is not a good idea, without tremendous thought put into the security model. As Google’s site is unencrypted, and they place their content that can run executibles [sic] on their site, it can be subverted by an attacker,” Hansen warns.

Ignoring the need for spell check and proof reading, he points out that my fears were well founded. With all security issues Google is having, I might hold off trying that Google Personal Finance program.

Disturbing trend

And I am not talking about the rising crime rate.

Anti-crime teams sent to 4 more cities - Yahoo! News

The influx of agents brings the number of ATF Violent Crime Impact Teams, which first deployed three years ago, to 29 cities. The FBI is also adding to its more than 180 Safe Streets Task Forces by sending one to Orlando, which Gonzales said has been plagued by gang violence.

Orlando police spokeswoman Barbara Jones said the department "welcomes any additional federal support in our efforts to combat violent crime."
...

The report, released Friday by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine, warned of problems with federal crime-fighting task forces. It concluded the teams duplicate efforts and compete for help from local authorities while failing to communicate among themselves. The poor communication, in particular, resulted in three so-called "blue-on-blue" cases where federal agents mistook each other for criminals.

The increasing federalization of the police does not leave me with a warm, fuzzy, secure feeling. On the local level, compare the different temperament of of the Highway Patrol versus the local cops. To the local cops, this is home and they are concerned about safety. If you follow their emphasis patrols, they are looking to reduce speeds in neighborhoods, reduce accidents and in general, the good of the community.

Compare that to the HP who will seemingly follow someone, allowing them to continue violating the law as they wait for a better ROI.

It is like bringing in a stranger to discipline the kids because they have gotten out of control. The stranger is likely to look at the discipline as a task to be accomplished at all costs, rather than the loving reproof of a father.

As we export our local jobs to the federal nanny state, don't expect the results to improve. I would much rather chastised by a father than subjugated by a dictator.

Oh beauty, such profound beauty

Were that is was not spent on such a wasteland. Peggy Noonan is eloquent as always, subtly ripping the mask off the pretenders.

Too Bad

...The beginning of my own sense of separation from the Bush administration came in January 2005, when the president declared that it is now the policy of the United States to eradicate tyranny in the world, and that the survival of American liberty is dependent on the liberty of every other nation. This was at once so utopian and so aggressive that it shocked me. For others the beginning of distance might have been Katrina and the incompetence it revealed, or the depth of the mishandling and misjudgments of Iraq.
...
Bush the younger came forward, presented himself as a conservative, garnered all the frustrated hopes of his party, turned them into victory, and not nine months later was handed a historical trauma that left his country rallied around him, lifting him, and his party bonded to him. He was disciplined and often daring, but in time he sundered the party that rallied to him, and broke his coalition into pieces. He threw away his inheritance. I do not understand such squandering.
Now conservatives and Republicans are going to have to win back their party. They are going to have to break from those who have already broken from them. This will require courage, serious thinking and an ability to do what psychologists used to call letting go. This will be painful, but it's time. It's more than time.

I won't say "I told you so." but I bet my beloved wife would. We know his political leanings were not conservative, but towards big government. But I still held hope that the man who spoke so openly about faith would rely on it to guide him. Too bad it was his faith in power and politics that soon took over.

Ms. Noonan is dead on with the country rallying around his leadership and a strong bond was formed after 9/11. Between that and the mentally ill fermentation of the extreme left that spewed bile and hatred at him from every shadow; many good people stuck with Bush for way too long.

Seeing how unhinged was the opposition, how could he be wrong? But just as in the Church, as if the scale of Left and Right isn't linear, but rather a broken ring, the two extremes are so far from the truth that they are almost touching.

Let us hope that the good people of this nation are ready to cut bait. The Grand Old Party has become that of drunken raucous teenagers breaking the law. Are we still sober enough to recognize it and get ourselves out before the roof caves in?

Typist wanted. Spell-check not needed

The worst part? All the technology logos right above the error. I guarantee some heads are gonna roll.

The blogosphere will have a feast with this one. Giving Hillary a pass

If George W. Bush had stood in front of a misspelled sign for a campaign speech, it would be on every news broadcast and mentioned in every article written about it, as if he was personally responsible for the creation and installation of every sign on his campaign stops.

Yet when it’s Hillary Clinton, there’s not a word in the Associated Press coverage.

But there’s no liberal bias or double standard in the media.

But you say POtato, I say poTATo. I like the excerpt from the article

The New York senator and Democratic presidential hopeful said she's trying to increase the number of so-called H1B visas aimed at highly educated workers

English as a first language? Well we can murder the rest of the languages later.

Bible rides

In response to the actual Bible Park USA, the Curt Jester has a list of Biblical rides he would like to see. For the sake of poking fun, I will poke some holes in his list.

-Elijah Flaming Chariot Roller Coaster Ride. When would it come down?

-A water ride where the Red Sea splits seconds before you think you are gong to get drenched. And the every other car could be the Egyptian army?

-Jonah's Whale Ride. Might be a few days too long and the stench unbearable.

-Water fountains would all be disguised as rocks. Only if you strike them with a staff and then you get kicked out of the park for good.

-Manna concession stand where any food sold would only have a shelf life of one day. Who would buy any of that healthy stuff?

-Goliath Slingshot Gallery. To borrow from one of the kids' Bible tapes, "Oh my head!"

My own ideas?

-The Ananias and Sapphira donation machine. Wait, that didn't turn out so well.
-Apples from Eden concession stands.
-The Lot Lottery.
-Walls of Jericho jumping thingy for the kids.

I'll have to remember these

I love #5 and #2

10 Things Not To Say when asked, 'What? No school today?'

10 'Well normally yes, but this time of year I need help with the planting and ploughing'

9 'Goodness, no!!! I graduated 18 years ago, but thanks for the compliment!'

8 'No, we homeschool. We're just out to pick up a bag of pork rinds and some Mountain Dew, then we gotta hurry home to catch our soaps.'

7 'What?! Where did you guys come from?! Oh my gosh! I thought I told you kids to stay at school! I'm sorry. This happens all the time.' (sigh)

6 'There isn't? Why, you'd think we would have seen more kids out then, don't you?'

5 'We're on a field trip studying human nature's intrusive and assumptive tactics of displaying ignorance and implied superiority. Thanks for the peek!'

4 'On our planet we have different methods of education.' '(Shhh! No, I didn't give it away... keep your antennae down!)'

3 'Oh my goodness! I thought that today was Saturday...come on kids, hurry!'

2 'Noooooope. Me 'n Bubba jes' learns 'em at home. Werks reel good!'
And the number one answer we should NEVER give to the question: "What? No school today?"

1 'What? No Bingo today?'

via Alive and Young

I haven't made the top 10

Well it may be a good sign, but I haven't made his top 10. But some come dangerously close. Perhaps if I flossed more...

Signs You Are Spending Too Much Time Blogging

4. You find yourself thinking, “I can’t wait to blog about this,” and you’re flossing.
...
8. While skimming a particularly long post you find yourself thinking, “Man, will this guy ever shut up about his family?” and then you remember you’re reading Deuteronomy.

I will maintain the illusion that I am in control of my blogdom by refraining from adding my own to his list.

Via Ironic Catholic who has her own list about taking some time off. I would think about a break too, but my ego couldn't stand losing any of my loyal readers. I mean, think about it. If I lose 1 reader, it probably cuts my readership by 25%.

Anyway, one of my readers/friends said I should write more and link less. It is good to know that friends value my opinions (and that my opinions still allow me to have friends). But it is a time and inspiration factor. Inspiration must come first, then I have to find the time and then I have to remember what my inspiration was. So it is a delicate balance. Especially with work, a large family and some occasional fishing.

Burn em

From the Roving Medievalist comes The Insignia of the Militant and Just Bloody Rotten Order of the Torch

The details of the Order can be found HERE. Plenty of space left, if you want to join.

And just what is the order about? Well the motto sums it completely. "The 70's are over, burn the felt Banners!"

Count me in. I am a sucker for any noble cause that invokes knighthood. Plus I have been distracted by those ugly banners way too long. I'll have to capture a picture of the banner with a sail boat on a lake that will likely show up again this summer.

via the Curt Jester.

From the Sin makes you stupid file

To borrow the phrase from Mark Shea,

From the Sin makes you stupid file, this just in.

I am stupid.

Just noting how I feel. I hate when pettiness and egos cloud my judgment. I hate sin. Gotta find a confessional.

Plan B

Megan Basham takes to task the feminist notion of scaring women into working. Although I am not a fan of using statistics to prove one's point, she uses them well to refute the baseless claims that women need to work in case their husbands

a.) run out on them
b.) die
c.) lose their job.

Now I am not against women working. But I don't agree with the notions that the feminist perpetuate, namely that the women is an insurance policy and that most men are scum and will eventually leave their faithful spouse high and dry.

But mostly I disagree with the idea that individuals should enter the marriage hedging their bets. The "I gotta have MY time, MY money, MY interests..." is self-fulfilling. Starting with that selfish attitude, it is likely that "MINE" is all you will end up with.

It reminds me of a retreat master that asked us if we trusted Jesus. Then he asked if we had a "plan B" in case that first option didn't work. That isn't trust. Neither is it a marriage if we enter marriage as a contract rather than a covenant. Contracts have language to protect the parties in the event it is broken. A covenant has language that says, "I will die before turning my back on you."

via Bettnet

Are you a "single-issues" terrorist?

From the "But we meant well" file, comes this gem. Alabama's Homeland Security Department seems to have gone just a bit overboard in trying to defend their state.

Alabama Revises State Terrorism Web Site After Including Pro-Lifers

Montgomery, AL (LifeNews.com) -- If you're a member of a pro-life organization, there's a chance you could be among those who are involving in plotting terrorist attacks against the United States. That was the view of the Alabama state terrorism web site until recently, when state officials took it down to revise its content in the face of a huge outcry.

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security put together a web site that was partially intended to help state residents spot possible terrorists and report them to officials.

The only problem was that the site included several various political groups on the site, including gay and lesbian groups, anti-war organizations, and pro-life advocates. They fell under the heading "single-issue" terrorists.

Now I have heard the "single-issue" label applied to the pro-life cause, but not to this extreme.

"Single-issue extremists often focus on issues that are important to all of us. However, they have no problem crossing the line between legal protest and ... illegal acts, to include even murder, to succeed in their goals," the web site said.

Wow! Not quite the pro-life people I tend to hang around with. Who knew all those Rosary wielding, quiet, humble praying people were so dangerous? (I am not excluding those non-Catholic prolifers, it just seems someone took the "using the Rosary as our weapon" comment a bit too serious.)

And yes, I am sure they were thinking of the thousands (rounded way up) of clinic bomber and abortionist murdering folks out there. But I didn't see Postal Union members on the site. And we know THOSE people are the true threat.

Ask a teenager

Not sure why this is news, or who came up with the brilliant idea of polling people (sorry, polling adults) about this issue.; But it is so irrelevant it is almost brilliant. Glad they polled adults though, a child or even a teenager would have given the correct answer of "Huh?".

Majority Disagree With Denying Catholic Pols Communion Over Abortion

A new national poll of adults shows that a majority of people disagree that Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied communion at church. The poll comes after comments from Pope Benedict XVI saying they should and that pro-abortion politicians automatically excommunicated themselves.
irrelevant
Reacting to those comments, Rasmussen Reports conducted a telephone poll with 1,000 American adults on May 16 and 17.

In other news, the majority of adults will agree with a pollster on an issue that has no relevance to them. And in other irrelevant news, the majority of atheists think the Unitarian church is too orthodox in their views.

GOP Straw poll

Suggested use? Never

From a new-to-me blog, Apologetics From Scratch: via the Curt Jester comes this.

Warning Label for New Birth Control Pill

Warning, divine revelation and the Christ-given teaching authority of the Church have determined that contraception is indisputably linked to the following:

• a chronic weakening of morality within our culture (e.g. pornography and abuse)
  
• frequent exercise of dominion over the human body (e.g. embryonic stem cells and euthanasia)
• general increase in number of abortions performed annually
  
• excessive perception of women as mere objects of pleasure
• absence of temperance within marriage (e.g. adultery)
• abnormally high levels of divorce (up to twenty times higher in some studies)
• artificial notions of superiority to God and his plan for marriage and the human body
• perpetual burning sensation from rejection of grace and of God's law

It should be noted that church doctors have discovered a remedy that provides an instantaneous reversal of many of the above symptoms. If you have recently used contraception in your relationship, please see your nearest spiritual pharmacist for a prescription of absolution and penance (note: prescribed dosage of penance must be taken completely, even if symptoms appear to have diminished).

Bravo. And if I may humbly add, some secondary side-effects

• Spinal column density loss in Shepherds
• Decrease in libido (oh, wait. That is an actual side effect)
• Societal crumbling
• Falsely enhanced perception of freedom
  
  

A champion and vindicator only of her own.

Another nice bit dug up by Mark Shea

The classic Republican position is summed up nicely by John Quincy Adams:

Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.

But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.

She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example.

She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.

The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force....

She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit....[emphasis added]

All hail Caesar

Caesar never had it this good. Perhaps some good may come of the Democrat Congress yet. Of course that is if they don't get all starry eyed about the possibilities when they take office in 08.
WorldNetDaily: Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers via Mark Shea

President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.
...

The directive also makes no reference to Congress and its language appears to negate any requirement that the president submit to Congress a determination that a national emergency exists.

It suggests instead that the powers of the directive can be implemented without any congressional approval or oversight.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke affirmed to Corsi the Homeland Security Department would implement the requirements of the order under Townsend's direction.

The White House declined to comment on the directive.

Of course it declined to comment. Caesar answers to no one. NO ONE!

This just blows my mind.

Building blocks

Eric over at Square Zero takes a look at gender roles and how his 5 daughters and 1 son are different in their play. Now I have been blessed with 1 girl and 5 boys, so it is quite the opposite for me. Their isn't much "quiet" time in our house until the lights are out and I am well into my glass of Pinot Noir.

Square Zero: Boys and Girls at Play

That, it seems to me, is the way a father ought to relate to his daughters play—not to attempt to re-engineer it (by the way, a distinctly masculine notion to begin with), but simply to appreciate and enjoy it for what it naturally is.
And that is, come to think of it, the proper orientation to everything.

With boys, the gist is the same. I am often frustrated with my boys being boys. They are loud, one can't play any game with others without screaming and there is always seems to be an eventual injury. Mostly it is frustrating when I try to hold a conversation with my wife when I get home.

However, I let them know that if they want to play that way, they have to take it outside or downstairs. And as most veteran parents can attest, I don't jump at the first sound of crying or the bellow of an injured participant. They play rough, they take the punishment, that is how I see it.

It always amazes me how the boys will be attracted to whatever task I am doing. Something as simple as mowing the lawn will attract one or two on different occasions. One wants to pull start the mower each time, another just studies how it all works as I trudge back and forth. And just let me start building something, they come in force.

This Saturday, I was working on some props for my daughters Lord of the Rings birthday party. Nothing too fancy, but the playset became Helm's Deep with banners, swords and other weapons they had built; even Gimli's axe. A simple siege engine and a catapult adorned one corner of the yard and the trampoline became Mt. Doom. I think building it was more fun than the actual party and acting it out for my boys. They pitched right in hauling logs and bringing rocks for the catapult.

USCCB steps up

It won't make much difference to the almost-Catholic Politicians, but it is nice to see the USCCB taking their role as shepherds seriously. It isn't the smack-down some want, but it is a response and it includes Catholic teaching.

USCCB Responds To 18 Democrats Critical Of Pope

In an unfortunate May 10 statement, 18 of the 88 Catholic Democrats in
the U.S. House of Representatives criticized Pope Benedict XVI’s
remarks concerning Mexican lawmakers legalizing abortion. The
Representatives’ statement misrepresents the Holy Father’s
remarks and implies that the Church does not have a right to voice its
teaching in the public square.

The Holy See has made clear that neither the Mexican bishops nor the
Holy Father have excommunicated any legislator. Rather, the Holy See
reiterated longstanding Church teaching that anyone who freely and
knowingly commits a serious wrong, that is, a mortal sin, should not
approach the Eucharist until going to confession.

“The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that
the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision of
society.” (United States Catechism for Adults, p. 442)
Consequently, every Catholic is obliged to respect human life, from
conception until natural death.

To suggest that the Church should not clearly voice its teaching and
apply it in a pluralistic society is to attack freedom of speech and
freedom of religion. The Catholic Church always will and must speak out
against the destruction of innocent unborn children. The right to do so
is guaranteed by the Constitution that all legislators are elected to
uphold. Speaking and acting against abortion is not a matter of
partisan politics. It is a matter of life and death.

The bishops urge all Catholics, especially those who hold positions of
public responsibility, to educate themselves about the teaching of the
Church, and to seek pastoral advice so that they can make informed
decisions with consistency and integrity.[emphasis added]

Paul adding support

Key California Republican Group Endorses Ron Paul

Ron Paul 2008: Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2007

ARLINGTON, VA – The United Republicans of California (UROC) have unanimously endorsed Congressman Ron Paul for president of the United States. UROC, formed in 1963 to support Barry Goldwater, represents the traditional conservative wing of the California Republican Party.

“The unanimous endorsement from the United Republicans of California proves what the campaign has been saying all along,” said campaign chairman Kent Snyder. “Ron Paul is the only true conservative and real Republican in the race.”

In their official statement endorsing Dr. Paul, UROC called him “the leading advocate for freedom in our nation’s capital” and recognized that:

Ron Paul’s voting record demonstrates that he has voted against:
· raising taxes;
· unbalanced budgets;
· a federal restriction on gun ownership;
· raising congressional pay; or
· increasing the power of the executive branch.

His voting record demonstrates further that he voted against:
· the USA Patriot Act;
· regulating the Internet; and
· the war in Iraq.

Dr. Paul is the only candidate with a record that matches the UROC’s platform.

“Whether the issue is life, the Second Amendment, foreign policy, spending or taxes, Ron Paul is the only traditional conservative candidate,” continued Snyder. “Traditional conservatives across the country should support Ron Paul for president.”

Helpful hints

Less than Helpful Hints for Being More Like Jesus, From Allen's Brain via the Ironic Catholic.

• Learn to walk on water (This is especially helpful when you’re golfing and the ball lands in the water hazard.)
• Feed 5,000+ people with a Happy Meal. Then, prepare to either be sued by McDonald's or be asked to be in their next TV ad.
• Pay a bill entirely with money taken from the mouths of fish you've caught.
• When asked a question, respond by telling a cryptic story.
• Wreck a church/synagogue bazaar by showing up and trashing the place.
• Spend more time with your fishing buddies.
• Gain the secret of turning water into wine. This will make you very popular at parties. If that fails, you can always fall back on “Time to go turn some wine into water,” after an evening of drinking.
• Cure a variety of diseases in a variety of ways, none of which involve the sentence “Take two of these and call me in the morning.”
• Offend members of the Religious Right. Repeatedly. (Some of you are enjoying this one a bit too much.)
• Start your own religion.
• Get people to swear using your name.

Well I am going to try the fishing buddies one this weekend.

I think too many have tried the "start your own religion". Not so sure the last one would be a good idea either, but hey, these are less than helpful hints.

Here are a few I can add

• When pulled over for speeding and the officer asks if you know how fast you were going, respond by misquoting the Bible to show you aren't guilty.
• Call your mother "Woman" without understanding the context.
• Rename your best friend "Rock" or perhaps something less significant such as "Straw".
• Chase a bunch of pigs into the nearest lake and look around for approval.
• Find a friend that betrayed you and get them to feed your sheep for the weekend.
• Volunteer to lector as Mass and after reading about the Messiah, claim it has been fulfilled in their presence.
  
  

Finding ME in my faith

Chris looks back on some of his past writing and found he has changed a bit. I must admit I have said similar things back when I was 18 or 19 and didn't have the foggiest idea what my faith meant.

Calling Rome Home: What I said 5 years ago and how I understand it today.

I read those words from 5 years ago now and realize that my thoughts were very "me-centered". "As long as it's somewhere that you feel comfortable and you are able to worship and have fellowship with God", how much more self-centered can you get? Even though I used words like worship and fellowship the "you feel comfortable" is obviously the operative phrase. At the time I didn't feel comfortable at the Southern Baptist church I had been to in town but did feel comfortable at the Catholic Church. At the same time I felt pretty comfortable at the Southern Baptist church that I had spent my teenage years in whenever I went home from college. I remember thinking that whenever I moved again I would just have to shop around for a church that I felt comfortable in.

Sorta reaffirms what I said about if you find a church that agrees with you on most things, perhaps that is the worst place for you to be...