CatHouse Chat

Newsflash! Inside scoop on Michael Moore's newest film!

Breaking news from the bowels of the blogosphere! You heard it first... second... um, OK, LAST! right here! Direct from basil's blog, we get the inside scoop on Michael Moore's Next Documentary!

basil (no, not Basil - the other one) received a mysterious late night phone call recently, which led to a strange conversation filled with nuance and pathos. Even though weary, brave basil (NO! not Basil, I told you! The other one!) adroitly teased out the nefarious plans for the next movie, and posted them on his blog.

Several other bloggers were also on duty, and have offered their findings at the Alliance. Which plot will triumph? Is this a scheme of Michael Moore to pre-promote his next flick? Is this a conspiracy of titanic proportions, brewed up by the depths of the Democratic Underground, in cooperation with the Barking Moonbats of the Looney Left?

Enquiring minds want to know!

(queue sinister, yet thrilling, music and fade to black....)

(Oh, and thanks to Confederate Yankee for pointing this out.)

Dr. Dobson "vs." Sponge Bob - the real story

HobbsOnline has printed, verbatim, Dr. Dobson's response to the Sponge Bob kerfuffle. One of the paragraphs which struck me:

Let me say it again for emphasis: Every individual is entitled to respect and human dignity, including those with whom we disagree strongly. The problem is not with acceptance or kindness, certainly. But kids should not be taught that homosexuality is just another "lifestyle," or that it is morally equivalent to heterosexuality. Scripture teaches that all overt sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage is sinful and harmful. Children should not be taught otherwise by their teachers, and certainly not if their parents are unaware of the instruction.

Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Dobson is not a crank, and he's not an idiot. He is human, and he does make mistakes - but this is not one of them. He is only pointing out a terribly disturbing trend in our society.

One of the commenters at Hobbs said, "I also hope everyone understands the hypocrisy Dobson presents in his protest of discimination while at the same time he promotes discrimination against homosexuals." I am sorry that, in the context of more postive remarks about the post, the commenter missed part of the point.

As Dr. Dobson's quote, above, states, true Christianity is not about promoting discrimination against homosexuals.... Or drug addicts, or thieves, or Muslims, or people who have different mannerisms and customs than you. No. True Christianity, like the God Who founded it (waaaaay back in Genesis, folks), is against sin. And true followers of Christ know that they're not perfect, know that they struggle with sin in their own lives, and know Who to turn to to take care of it.

When you know about the freedom this Man can bring into your life, and the forgiveness He's willing to extend to anyone, predjudice has no place in your life, and neither does sin.

Hate the sin as a corruption of God's plan for everyone, but love the sinner who is created in the very image of the living God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who sent His Son to wash away the corruption of sin.

Watch this video NOW!

(HT to Michelle Malkin)

Dean Esmay, on Iraq

Excellent post! Dean's World - Victory. And, check out the Macromedia Flash banner at the bottom; it sums things up beautifully.

GOD BLESS THEM!!! (Updating all day)

From FOXNews.com - U.S. & World. Amid less violence than expected, a nation rises from the ashes:

An Iraqi election official said that 72 percent of eligible Iraqi voters had turned out so far nationwide. The official, Adel al-Lami of the Independent Electoral Commission, offered no overall figures of the actual number of Iraqis who have voted to back up the claim.

This is a very preliminary figure for the percentage of participants, but nevertheless, LOOK at it! Even with al-Zarqawi's threat to make the streets run with blood, the courage of the Iraqi people came forward, and they voted!

I am in tears with excitement and joy for them! What an awesome example for Americans, who are so indifferent in our elections.

Thank God for this brave country!

Update - Reactions from Iraqi bloggers:

the Mesopotamian " People are turning up not only under the present threat to polling stations but also under future threats to themselves and their families; yet they are coming, and keep coming. Behold the Iraqi people; now you know their true metal."

Iraq the Model "The first thing we saw this morning on our way to the voting center was a convoy of the Iraqi army vehicles patrolling the street, the soldiers were cheering the people marching towards their voting centers then one of the soldiers chanted "vote for Allawi" less than a hundred meters, the convoy stopped and the captain in charge yelled at the soldier who did that and said:
"You're a member of the military institution and you have absolutely no right to support any political entity or interfere with the people's choice. This is Iraq's army, not Allawi's".
This was a good sign indeed and the young officer's statement was met by applause from the people on the street."

Democracy in Iraq (is coming) "It will be a day forever remembered. My voting was only a simple act, I went, I identified myself, got my finger stained, filled out a ballot, and dropped it in a box. It is not a complex or grand process to the eye, but it is one that I will forever remember and will recount to my children, and their children. And God willing it will be remembered through the ages. "

Free Iraqi "It was my way to scream in the face of all tyrants, not just Saddam and his Ba'athists and tell them, "I don't want to be your, or anyone's slave. You have kept me in your jail all my life but you never owned my soul". It was my way of finally facing my fears and finding my courage and my humanity again."

Hammorabi "Let them bomb and kill us. It will not deter us!
Let them send their dogs to suck our bones. We care not!
Let them bark. It will not frighten us.
Let them see how civilised to be free and democratic!
Let them die by our vote tomorrow! It is the magic bullet which will kill them!"

Update 2 (on-going throughout the day) - More from FoxNews, and a must see post at Polipundit.

My friend, Kilo, asks, "Can you hear Iraq now?"

Reuters gets it right: "Some came on crutches, others walked for miles then struggled to read the ballot, but across Iraq, millions turned out to vote Sunday, defying insurgents who threatened a bloodbath. " Go read.

Friends of Democracy has lots of good coverage, too.

Today's Day By Day, by Chris Muir (I love him; he's so good!):

And Chris has another one! (thanks to Michelle Malkin - and I've never seen that picture before LOL)

Jeff, at Beautiful Atrocities, has some excellent quotes.

Superhawk, over at Rightwingnuthouse, has a nice little roundup of the non-reaction of the left. C'mon, liberals! Can't you be happy for Iraq just for a day?

The Anchoress posts this: "Such immense joy! No amount of cynical msm coverage will be able to cast shadows over it. Oh, I pray for these people and their first genuine, free election! God bless them and keep them safe as they go forward to take advantage of the right too many Americans take for granted, or worse, pervert."

She also points to this photo, at Mystery Achievement:

Captain's Quarters has a HUGE set of entries; just go read anything from 29/30 January, and you'll get a lot - including some fisking of Sen. Kerry's sour grapes.

Costal Companion, over at What I'd Liked to Have Said, also has some excellent posts.

Betsy's Page compares this election to St. Crispen's Day:

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. (Shakespeare's Henry V)

Scrappleface, at his best (as the BlogFather says, "Heh."):

News reports of terrorist bombings in Iraq were marred Sunday by shocking graphic images of Iraqi "insurgents" voting by the millions in their first free democratic election.

Despite reporters' hopes that a well-orchestrated barrage of mortar attacks and suicide bombings would put down the so-called 'freedom insurgency', hastily-formed battalions of rebels swarmed polling places to cast their ballots -- shattering the status quo and striking fear into the hearts of the leaders of the existing terror regime.

Hopes for a return to the stability of tyranny waned as rank upon rank of Iraqi men and women filed out of precinct stations, each armed with the distinctive mark of the new freedom guerrillas -- an ink-stained index finger, which one former Ba'athist called "the evidence of their betrayal of 50 years of Iraqi tradition."

Journalists struggled to put a positive spin on the day's events, but the video images of tyranny's traitors choosing a future of freedom overwhelmed the official story of bloodshed and mayhem.

Last update here tonight - Cox and Forkum get it right:

Q and O blog has some great commentary (thank you, Kilo, for pointing it out).

Egypt has the class to wish Iraq well, as does Kuwait (same link).

Interim Prime Minister Allawi, interviewed by Brian Williams (MSNBC) closed with this: "All the blood which has been spilled, really was spilled, not in vain, but it was all for a very good cause. Without the help of the United States we would not have been able to achieve what we have achieved."

Our President had this to say today:

In great numbers, and under great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy. By participating in free elections, the Iraqi people have firmly rejected the anti-democratic ideology of the terrorists. They have refused to be intimidated by thugs and assassins. And they have demonstrated the kind of courage that is always the foundation of self-government.

Some Iraqis were killed while exercising their rights as citizens. We also mourn the American and British military personnel who lost their lives today. Their sacrifices were made in a vital cause of freedom, peace in a troubled region, and a more secure future for us all.

The Iraqi people, themselves, made this election a resounding success. Brave patriots stepped forward as candidates. Many citizens volunteered as poll workers. More than 100,000 Iraqi security force personnel guarded polling places and conducted operations against terrorist groups. One news account told of a voter who had lost a leg in a terror attack last year, and went to the polls today, despite threats of violence. He said, "I would have crawled here if I had to. I don't want terrorists to kill other Iraqis like they tried to kill me. Today I am voting for peace."

Newspapers around the world: Bahrain Gulf Daily News, the Jamaica Observer, CBC Canada, Arab News (Saudi Arabia), Daily Times (Pakistan), Daily Star (Lebanon), Guardian Unlimited (UK).... Google News has a fair roundup.

Well, that's all for me today. Check out the  posts below for some excellent pictures, and one or to other links to commentaries. Good night, and again, God bless Iraq and her brave citizens!

Amen.

Amen.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self the country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success
Be nobleness
And every gain divine!

Moonbats on parade

Via Powerline, I have a link to the Democratic Underground Forums. This particular thread - The Iraq vote is making me sick this morning - has me totally confused.

I don't get it. These people pride themselves on fighting for equality and freedom, and yet all I saw (with what I could stand to read - it's that bad) on this forum were speculations of conspiracy, concerns about the "freedom fighters" ("terrorists" and "murderers," in laymen's language) and statements like

I can't believe the Iraqis are buying into this "democracy" bullshit. They have to know that the Americans don't want them to have power, because they know that Bush is in this for the oil, and now that he finally has it he's not going to let it go. This election is a charade. The fact is that the Iraqis have suffered during the past two years more than any people on earth at the hands of the American gestapo. Maybe they're afraid and felt they had to vote. That's the only way I can explain it to myself.

I'm sorry. These people are so far out of touch with reality, that they cannot even conceive of rejoicing with the Iraqi people, who have taken the first - HUGE! - step toward democracy.

I would like to talk with people from the "loyal opposition" (so to speak), to expand my understanding, but people like this are so far out there that they may as well be from Planet *DMR1pc093&#!! for all that I have in common with them.

I don't even envy their drugs: they obviously rot the brain beyond recovery.

Iraq asks the World and terrorists: "Can you hear us NOW??"

(Thanks to Bill at INDCJournal for this particular image.)

(none of these are mine - they came from the Web, and they ALL show the spirit and courage of the Iraqi people)

Freedom of speech? Or lunacy? (Updated)

OpinionJournal - Taste has a post about Hamilton College in upstate New York hosting "Indian activist" Ward Churchill. I will not quote this... person's... discussion of 9/11 and the status of the victims killed by terrorists that day, but Opinion Journal has links.

Suffice it to say that Mr. Churchill's views are hardly aligned with reality, and that I'm shocked that my sister's college would support this sort of insanity and poor reasoning. I'm very glad she's long since graduated, but I think I might drop her a line and see what she, as an alumna, thinks of this.

(Update: Cold Fury has a good post on this subject that I hadn't seen - yes, I'm behind in my reading - which would be a good thing to read and digest. And I'm bumping this post to the top of my blog for today.)

Amen - I wish I'd said that....

Unscrewing The Inscrutable: To Those About To Vote: We Salute You.

I'd like to ask a favor: Regardless of one's political inclination, irrespective of your confidence in the electoral process employed, or the decision to invade and occupy Iraq, no matter what the outcome, let us all stand united in our admiration for those courageous Iraqi's who will brave gunfire, RPGs, bombs, and reprisal, to determine their own fate? For they choose to do so in bold defiance of promised violence and certain intimidation.

Amen, and amen! I pray for the Iraqi people and their safety. I pray that the fire which burns in their hearts for freedom and sef-determination bursts out and takes that country in a democratic storm tomorrow.

May I ask any Christian readers - well, anyone of faith, really - to spend tomorrow in prayer for the safety of the Iraqi people, and to strengthen their courage to stand against the tyranny of the terrorists?

(HT to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Heh.)

(Ooops, I mean, "indeed.")

Iraqi elections, in context

Greyhawk posts over at the Mudville Gazette about the Iraqi elections tomorrow, but puts it in context of the War on Terror. Interestingly - and compellingly (is that a word?) - he uses Tolkein's Lord of the Rings to frame some of his discussion, and it's the most riveting part of he post (to me, anyway).

Still others might recall this quote from a recent movie:

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you *stand, Men of the West!"

Aragorn, of course, from The Return of the King. There have been numerous superficial comparisons made between current events and the Lord of the Rings, and the appearance of the movie at this point in history was certainly fortuitous. Successful films reflect the times, and though no one knew at the time these films were being made exactly what the world situation would be upon their release they've meshed amazingly well. Gandalf's response to Frodo's lament that "I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." seemed extraordinarily fit for 2001: "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work, Frodo, than the will of evil.

Or the next year, as the US prepared to go into Iraq, Grima dismissed Gandalf as a warmonger in the court of Theoden. Later, Theoden: I will not risk open war. Aragorn: Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not. Later still: Aragorn: You have some skill with a blade. Eowyn: The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them.

In spite of the chillingly accurate applicability, it's not the superficial and obvious comparisons that make the real connection to modern events; it's the underlying theme of the books that rings true. For Tolkien's story was much larger, much grander than the trilogy, after all. That tale was of but one battle in an ongoing war, and references to the larger theme gave the books a depth that most imitators lack. Tolkein had fleshed out that larger history before he began his sequel to The Hobbit, it was in fact his true life's work. And that grand story was of the eternal struggle between good and evil, and that's why the books sell today and why the movies have an appeal to a worldwide audience unmatched by anything else. Tolkein tapped into something fundamental that dwells within us all, the conflict of the positive and the negative, of darkness and light, good and evil that struggles in each soul, as it does in the world at large. And that is why the words of the characters have a resonance with us today. [emph mine, here]

I harbor no illusions about what we're doing, and I certainly don't imagine myself as a warrior at the gates of Mordor. But tomorrow is yet another skirmish in the real world war, the one I've personally been involved in for 20 years now. I'll predict a victory for the good guys.

After all, there are other forces at work, Frodo, than what you read in the papers.

Here is the American passion, the true American virtue - the love of liberty, and the desire that all men may live free. Our country was founded, and has been sustained, by men and women who refuse to call evil "good", and good, "evil."

Our country has been compared to a City on a Hill, and one of the most beloved images we have is that of the Statue of Liberty in New York's harbor, beckoning to all the world to come and live free.

I am glad - proud - of this country when she raises the banner of freedom and carries it into all the world. I am blessed to live in a country that openly tries to side with the "good guys," even though we're imperfect at it. When she does so with honor and humility (which, I admit, is difficult), with compassion and generosity, what else will this country be able to say than -

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7, 8 NKJV)

Out of context, I know - but what better finish for this country, its leaders and its citizens, in the Final Day?

Google ads

Well, so far, Google Ads have picked up on the "cat" meme, and now it's zeroing on the "spicy dip" thingy.

I guess I'm going to have to start posting about politics more so I can whine about why the heck am I getting all those ads for Hillary Clinton and Michael Moore (*ack!* pffft!).

Name that child!

Steve the Llambutcher is having trouble figuring out a name for his fourth child (a boy). The little one is due Monday, I think, so he's obviously in a big dilemma.

Allright, we're at crunch time and I'm offically stuck in the name front on the name for the little LLama due on Monday.

Folks, I need help. In a bad way.

I've been stuck on "Elvis Agamemnon (LLamabutcher)" and needless to say, this isn't going over well with the Dear One. She is quite tolerant with me, though, and quite amused over the concept of as she puts it of "you and your imaginary bloggo friends." Last night she suggested that I just solicit ideas from you guys, so from her lips to my MT, here goes nothing.......

I'd like to throw it open to you, our dear and loyal readers. What the heck should I put in the name list?

I kinda like "Theodophilus Jonathan."

Or, Kalani ("kah-lah-nee"),Hawaiian for "of the heavens." (I like Hawaiian names - I almost wanted to name my daughter "Noelani" - "beautiful gift from heaven.") Or, going to Gaelic, "Aidan" (little firey one), Alan/Allen (handsome), Devlin (fierce bravery), Iain (God's gracious gift)....

How about Kalani Iain - "God's gracious gift from heaven?"

On Campaign Trail, a Single Shot (washingtonpost.com)

Bill at INDCJournal sent me over to On Campaign Trail, a Single Shot (washingtonpost.com). You MUST go read the whole thing! (Wow, WaPo got something exactly right!)

God bless 1LT Hoe's family for this talented young man. I grieve with them, deeply. I pray that this man's sacrifice is not in vain, and that the Iraqis face down the terrorists tomorrow by going to the polls.

And as for Carina Perelli, and others - 

Perelli said she and the top U.N. election official in Iraq, Carlos Valenzuela, have been "asking, begging military commanders" to stop the distribution of material promoting the elections. Officials from the U.N.-backed Iraqi Electoral Commission have also asked the United States to stop, she said.

"The U.S. military have been extremely, I would say, overenthusiastic in trying to help out with this election," she told reporters. "And we have been basically saying that they should try to minimize their participation, because this is an Iraqi process."

Informed by a reporter that U.S. soldiers have distributed voting material in recent weeks, Perelli said: "I'm glad that you reported it, because I'm going to be screaming on the phone in two minutes."

When our young men die doing an honorable job and encouraging Iraqis to take control and ownership of their country, and you say that it's wrong to give the Iraqis this encouragement, I know who's in the right. And it sure as hell ain't you!

Catblogging Friday

Oh my gosh! It's Friday and I haven't put up pictures of the Most Adorable Kitties^tm! Heavens, what was I thinking??? (OK, well, I wasn't.... ) While I'm rummaging around my photo files, please make sure you check out this week's Friday Ark over at the Modulator. And don't forget to visit this week's (link to come now active) Carnival of Cats, hosted at Watermark, and posted Sunday night.

Ah! Here are a couple - Smudgie and Pix-purr love their kitty tree!

Yes, Pix, Smudge is taunting you with her tail. Why don't you pounce?!

Silly purr - I don't know why she didn't - I guess it was a mellow day.

Thanks, Hollywood!

From lgf: An Oscar Night Thank You

Oh. Yessssssss!

Bwahahahahaha! Hehehehehe! LOLololololol! *snicker* *snerk* Heh.

Yes, indeedy, Hollywood - thanks sooooo much for your "support!" Now go away, we have work to do, and a real life to live.

Celebrating answered prayer

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

Brian at Memento Moron post that his lady wife, the Feared Redhead (TFR) gave birth last night to their first child, Chay Baron (the Wee Bairn - TWB). Although the young lad is a bit early, he arrived weighing 6 pounds 9.5 ounces and 18.5 inches long.

I thank God that He took care of this situation, and I'm sure that Brian and TFR will be able to use it for His glory and to comfort others as in 2 Corinthians:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. (2 Cor.1:3-7, NKJV)

Hallelujah, for a new child to bless his parents and family!

Putting the squeeze on Al-Zarqawi

Via Powerline, this story in The Washington Times: AP:

Authorities in Iraq have arrested three close associates of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, officials said Friday, claiming to be close to capturing the al-Qaida-linked terror mastermind himself two days ahead of historic elections that extremists have vowed to subvert.

All I can say is, woohoo! Go get those murdering blankety-blanks and put them out of your misery.

Asked by reporters if authorities were close to arresting al-Zarqawi himself, [Deputy Prime Minister] Saleh replied: "We are getting close to finishing off al-Zarqawi and we will get rid of him."

That kind of determination to eradicate those scum-sucking rats deserves our admiration and support. I hope the Iraqi people get that job done with only minor help from Coalition forces (although, any way that it's done would be better than letting those murderers run loose), since that will really show those terrorists that democracy is truely the peoples' choice.

And may I take this opportunity to offer my prayers for the safety of the Iraqi people as they go to vote on Sunday? I pray that they are able to show up en masse and that Iraq shows the world that, no matter what creed they hold or culture they're from, people want to live free and direct their own lives.

So, my prayers are with Iraq, for safety, courage, and freedom. God bless you, as you take control of your destiny!

Carnival of Recipes - Mulled wine and dip

UPDATE: Welcome to Carnival of the Recipes, held this week at Kin's Kouch. Please feel free to poke around and leave a comment so I can come over to your blog and say "Hi!" too!

Well, seasonally, this is a little late, since I tend to think of this as a Christmas beverage. However, we're getting some cold weather here in Virginia, and I guess I'm just in the mood for this. I love sipping a mug of this in the livingroom while I snuggle with my family, enjoy a crackling fire, and do some surfing on the 'net.

Mulled Wine

1 jug (1 gallon) of red wine. Cabernet sauvignon or burgundy seems to work best.
4 cups of sugar - I don't know if Splenda^tm will work, but you might give it a try.
10 whole cloves
6 sticks of cinnamon
4 large oranges, sliced
2 large lemons, sliced

Put the sugar in a large stockpot along with the spices, the fruit and 2 cups of boiling water. Mix and bring it all up to a boil. Keep it at a medium boil for about 10 minutes while stirring fairly frequently. Add the wine, and lower the temparature to medium. After the wine has heated up, lower the heat to simmer so it will keep warm, and ladle it into mugs for serving.

You can strain the leftover wine back into the jug (if you have a funnel), and serve it later: just microwave a mug for 30-60 seconds, depending on your preference and your microwave's power. This has kept in the jug for me for a week without refrigeration, but I suggest you refrigerate it anyway, to be on the safe side. You can also mess with the proportions of spices: some like it more wine-like, some prefer it less sweet. Experiment to see how it works for you.

This is a HUGE hit when Darling Husband and I have given holiday parties!

Oh! And another easy recipe for a dip that was a stupendous hit:

Velveeta-Rotel-Burger Dip

1 pound lean hamburger
1 pound (16 oz.) block Velveeta cheese
1 can (12 oz) Ro-tel tomatoes - I like the "Spicy Hot," but if you're a wimp, you can use the "mild"

Brown the hamburger in a pan, crumbling it up as you go. Drain off excess fat (no need to be obsessive about it, just get the extra liquid out), and add the Velveeta and the Ro-tel. Cook on medium, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Serve with taco chips - I like the Tostitos Scoops - and enjoy. This recipe doubles and triples easily, and it serves well from a CrockPot. It's also low carb, if you omit the chips and use cauiflower florets.

For those who haven't heard about Ro-tel, they're usually found on the top shelf with the canned tomato products. This dip also - oddly enough - goes well on top of eggs over easy, or so Darling Husband tells me. But then, he is a little.... odd. ;-)

Welcome to ODBA

The Old Dominion Blog Alliance would like to welcome two new blogs to the blogrill: the REPORTERETTE, written by Yvette Stafford, out of Afton, VA, and Brandon Meyer.

We are growing quickly, and it is fantastic to add such talented bloggers to the roll!

Sooooo....?

What do you think of my new look? Didn't E.Webscapes do a stupendous job???

The CatHouse looks grrrrreat!

Maybe.... Maybe not.

This has been on several blogs for the past several hours. The Jerusalem Post reports:

Iraq's interior minister on Saturday refused to comment on rumors that the top terror leader in the country had been taken into custody.

"I wouldn't like to comment for the time being," Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib said when asked about rumors that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been arrested. "Let's see. Maybe in the next few days we will make a comment about it."

Pressing him, a reporter asked, "Does that mean he is in custody?"

"No comment," the minister repeated.

The AP is reporting the same story.

We've seen this before, so let's not get our hopes up too high.

EtherHouse: Feminism, or a return to Victorian stereotypes?

The EtherPundit posted a little article, Feminism, or a return to Victorian stereotypes?, about the little hissy-fit by feminist Nancy Hopkins threw the other day.

Remember it?

The Washington Post reported on an economic conference where "Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers prompted criticism for suggesting that innate differences between the sexes could help explain why fewer women succeed in science and math careers."

Apparently, Ms. Hopkins, according to BBC News, "...was one of the academics who walked out of the conference. She said that, had she not done so, she 'would have either blacked out or thrown up'."

Oh, what tripe. Get over it, honey! As the EtherPundit so rightly puts it:

Dear lord in heaven, this woman expresses herself in prose torn from the pages of a drugstore romance novel. "At last, my dear lady," the pirate king spat, "I'm going to show you a woman's place on my ship!" As he approached like a prowling leopard, his torn shirt revealing his rippling, dusky chest, I felt I was going to be sick... My heart was pounding and my breath was shallow as he roughly tore my bodice, enfolding me in the strong arms I had struggled so not to desire..."

I don't think that anyone has commented so astutely!

Prayers coveted!

Memento Moron asked for your prayers: Sitrep. His wife was just hospitalized 34 weeks into her pregnancy because her water broke. It appears she will be there for at least two more weeks. Please pray for  her health and the child's safety, as well as wisom and skill for the doctors.

We all want to celebrate a beautiful child's birth soon - but not quite this soon!

Please drop by and give him encouragement.

Too funny! (UPDATED)

Via Rightwingsparkle, here's a link to a little video that's Just. Too. Funny!

She got it through Blackfive.

*snerk* Hehehehehehehe. Bwuhahahahahaha!

As Sparkle says, "If only it could always happen that way!"

UPDATE: Wizbang wonders if it's "tasteless or a hoax" (hey, lighten up, guys! Read your comments!), and Ace enjoyed it immensely. It isn't a real commercial, though. It was apparently made by a couple of guys named Lee and Dan. That's fine: I still loved it!

The mind of terrorism

From FrontPage magazine (via the Anchoress): Terrorists in the Spotlight by Alyssa A. Lappen opens with this:

Six months ago, Pierre Rehov sat in an Israeli jail, interviewing a 16-year-old boy for his newest, forthcoming documentary, Suicide Killers. He wanted to be a martyr, he told Rehov, because “the Jews killed the prophet Mohammed.” Told that this is not in the Koran, the illiterate boy insisted that it is. He wants nothing but to die killing others.

Why? Why is this extremist culture so wrapped up in death? I confess that I simply cannot get my mind around a worldview which delights in martyrdom, and relishes innocent lives down into death along with the suicide.

The filmmaker pinpoints one of the major influences:

So it is that Rehov has interviewed psychologists, political analysts, sociologists, religious scholars and others to discuss the psychopathology of the bombers, what mechanism functions in a kamikaze. Surprisingly, he found that sexuality has a great deal to do with it. “In their society, young men are forbidden to have a real relationship with a woman. So when you ask them what they are going to become, they are not trying to become engineers, doctors or professionals. Their entire society believes that a man becomes a hero by blowing himself up. They believe that the next second, they are in heaven, surrounded by huries. It is pure sexual fantasy.”

Mr. Pierre Rehov has filmed several documentaries about Arab-Israli relations to combat anti-Israli propaganda. A brief biography on his website outlines his experience with the Arab culture, and is also quite an interesting read. His documentaries are also available for sale, with his newest, "Suicide Killers," scheduled to be released Feb./Mar., 2005.

Mr. Rehov looks to be a very interesting man, with a fascinating purpose. I think I'm going to try to get one or two of his documentaries.

Happy Birthday!

I have a friend whose name is Kilo; he's a great guy, and also a member of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance. His site is called "Spark It Up!!" and I like his style a lot.

So, I ask you to please go over to his blog, and wish him

Happy Birthday!!!!!

(With love and hugzzz to my buddy
- R'cat)

Our Marines: True Americans!

Meet the Mad Ghosts, another missive from LtCol Mark Smith, presents brief biographies from his administration staff which show the diversity and professionalism of our United Stated Marines.  Each of these men shows his desire to serve and give something back to the country he loves so much.

Although the letter is long, as Blackfive says, "It is worthy of your time."

Worthy, indeed. I am humbled by the quality of the men and women who choose to serve in our armed forces. There is no military in the world that is better - and it is because of them.

Look at what Lcpl Murcio says:

And it wasn't till one day when someone asked me, "If the U.S. would go to war with Mexico, who would you fight for?" that I knew where I stood. I realized that I am an American, born in this country; I go to American schools, speak the language and follow current American trends. I also realized that I knew a second language. That I celebrate more than the average American Holidays and still practice Hispanic customs. I was not "Just" American and I was not "just" Mexican. I was both. But my loyalty lied in the country where I was raised at and currently lived in and where I planned to raise my family. I knew at that point that I was truly blessed to have been born in the U.S. I knew then more than ever that I would join the military.

How about Lcpl Sokol Iluri?

Graduating high school with good grades and raised by two parents who emphasized education, I decided I would pursue a college degree. Upon arriving in the United States I worked at different jobs for almost 2 years before I enrolled at DuPage Community College. After completing the second year of college with good grades and being part of the College Tennis Team, I decided to join the United States Marine Corps. Being the 1st in my family to ever serve in the Military, I was asked many times about my decision. And the only answer that really explained how I felt was;I wanted to serve; I wanted to give something back to a great country which became my home, I wanted to be proud and I wanted to deserve all the great opportunities that were given to me, and most of all I wanted the honor of being a United States Marine; men who I idolized since I was a little kid.

Yes, Lcpl Iluri is a naturalized citizen. He and his family emmigrated from Albania.

That's simply a small slice from the letter, and obviously a tiny sample of the Marine Corps, but doesn't that make you proud of these incredible men and women?

God bless the U.S. Marines, and all our armed forces!

A tragedy

Megan Leann Holden, a young lady of 19, was abducted from a WalMart parking lot late Wednesday night as she was leaving work. Her abduction was caught on the security tape, and a massive manhunt was begun.

Tragically, this story ended in her death (ABC News: Abducted Wal-Mart Clerk's Truck Found).

I listened to reports of this terrible story for the four hours I drove out to our house in Southside Virginia on FoxNews (yay XM satellite radio!), and my heart broke for this family.

If any of the Holden family perchance drops by this blog (unlikely, I know), I offer my sincere condolances for the loss of their daughter. Megan showed awareness and courage in the parking lot. She knew she was in danger, and did her utmost to escape. I'm sure she will be missed terribly. I also pray for the healing of her mother, who was in an accident driving to the police station in Taylor. I'm glad her injuries were apparently not serious.

I thank God for the man at the RV park who was armed. If he had not defended his property, the suspect might still have been roaming free. If Johnny Lee Williams does prove to be the murderer (likely), I believe that he will face the death penalty. This will not bring Megan back, but will assure he doesn't commit this crime again.

Sovreignty issues...

Sidney Goldberg, writing at Tech Central Station writes about Overcoming the Constraints of Sovereignty. The concluding paragraph is:

President Bush understands that "sovereignty" can be the greatest cover for evil and that respect for sovereignty is a minor if sometimes necessary virtue compared to ignoring it in the interest of doing what is right and easing human suffering. We do this in our personal life and we should do it as a nation. What the President has chosen to do is accept the challenge of doing the right thing. Sometimes you can get away with it. If he achieves only 25% of his immensely difficult goals during his tenure, he should be enshrined on Mt. Rushmore.

It is a short article, and worth a read.

Sovreignty issues... Ooops!

Sidney Goldberg, writing at Tech Central Station writes about Overcoming the Constraints of Sovereignty. The concluding paragraph is:

Now, how the heck did I get dupe posts????? Sorry about that....

Soldiers for the Truth

An excellent post that the Diplomad pointed to is a wonderful entry at Soldiers for the Truth - go read it immediately!

What really irritated me was a scene I witnessed in the Lincoln’s wardroom a few days ago. I went in for breakfast as I usually do, expecting to see the usual crowd of ship’s company officers in khakis and air wing aviators in flight suits, drinking coffee and exchanging rumors about when our ongoing humanitarian mission in Sumatra is going to end.

What I saw instead was a mob of civilians sitting around like they owned the place. They wore various colored vests with logos on the back including Save The Children, World Health Organization and the dreaded baby blue vest of the United Nations. Mixed in with this crowd were a bunch of reporters, cameramen and Indonesian military officers in uniform. They all carried cameras, sunglasses and fanny packs like tourists on their way to Disneyland.

My warship had been transformed into a floating hotel for a bunch of trifling do-gooders overnight.

As I went through the breakfast line, I overheard one of the U.N. strap-hangers, a longhaired guy with a beard, make a sarcastic comment to one of our food servers. He said something along the lines of “Nice china, really makes me feel special,” in reference to the fact that we were eating off of paper plates that day. It was all I could do to keep from jerking him off his him off his feet and choking him, because I knew that the reason we were eating off paper plates was to save dishwashing water so that we would have more water to send ashore and save lives. That plus the fact that he had no business being there in the first place.

Why the heck are these maroons even in the area? Our military is going above and beyond the call of duty to help people who have barely survived a horriffic tragedy, and these a**hats whine about paper plates?!

And then the writer goes on to say:

As a result of having to host these people, our severely over-tasked SH-60 Seahawk helos, which were carrying tons of food and water every day to the most inaccessible places in and around Banda Aceh, are now used in great part to ferry these “relief workers” from place to place every day and bring them back to their guest bedrooms on theLincoln at night. Despite their avowed dedication to helping the victims, these relief workers will not spend the night in-country, and have made us their guardians by default.

In addition to the relief workers, we routinely get tasked with hauling around reporters and various low-level “VIPs,” which further wastes valuable helo lift that could be used to carry supplies. We had to dedicate two helos and a C-2 cargo plane for America-hater Dan Rather and his entourage of door holders and briefcase carriers from CBS News. Another camera crew was from MTV. I doubt if we’ll get any good PR from them, since the cable channel is banned in Muslim countries. We also had to dedicate a helo and crew to fly around the vice mayor of Phoeni, Ariz., one day. Everyone wants in on the action.

If I may suggest to the Captain of the Lincoln, perhaps you might give these pompous deadbeats a not-too-subtle "invitation to the world?"

[For those who haven't heard that phrase, it is a polite way of suggesting that the Captain say something along the lines of, "Get off my ship, you lily-livered, yellow-bellied, ungrateful, good-for-nothing, whining scum. If you aren't off within 10 minutes, I'm having you keel-hauled until you gain an inkling of common sense!"]

Kittens quilting

I'm a quilter. Almost all my quilts are made with my machines, but the last part - stitching the bindings to the back of the quilt - are always done by my hand.

Currently, I'm stiching the binding to the backs of 9 baby quilts (if I get my rear in gear, it will be a total of 14 quilts, once all the tops are quilted...) that I've quilted. So far I've completed four, but I must confess that I've had some help.

Smudge is very interested in making sure I'm doing everything properly:

Pixel, of course, prefers to sprawl and demand Skritchies^tm when it can be squeezed into her schedule. However, she did bestir herself to confirm Smudge's assessment of my stitching:

However, there was a certain element of frustration, and so she decided to sulk - as only a cat can really sulk (but she did make sure she could snuggle-test the quilt while she was sulking):

Then, both kitties decided that the quilt on my lap was theirs, and theirs alone, so they quickly moved to lay claim....

Soooooo, I didn't get as much done with the bindings as I wanted, but now I know I have deputy Snuggle Testers^tm if Darling Munchkin is incredibly busy....

As I said last week, I think I'll put some quilts up on e-Bay and see how they do.... What do you think? If I put them up, will they sell?

Please don't forget that the Carnival of Cats is hosted this week at Music and Cats, so be sure to stop by. The Carnival is posted on Sunday night, and you can send your entries to cats -at- isfullofcrap -dot- com by Sunday noon to be included.

Don't forget, the Modulator posts the Friday Ark every Friday, so let him know you're posting too!

I never thought I'd say this, but...

Don Imus had a pretty good interview with Vice President Cheney on inauguration day. Mrs. Cheney also participated, and there was quite a bit of humor, and the Cheney's got off a few lovely quips. Mr. Imus was - according to the tone of the transcript - respectful and thoughtful, and could take a joke very well.

Here's a brief lead in article which I linked to via the Commonwealth Conservative.

Dear Mr. President

On this day, for your second inauguration, I ask God's rich blessing upon your second term. I pray that He holds you close to Him, and that you continue to rely on the power of humble prayer. I pray that as you seek to do His will, that He will guide you, and therefore our country, to do what is right and good.

I pray that God will protect your marriage and family from the stresses that come form the Presidency. I ask that He continues to mould you and Mrs. Bush into an ever stronger and godly couple. I ask that He nurtures the hearts of your daughters to follow Him in faithfulness and grace. I also petition Him to protect your health and your mind, that you may follow through on the decisions He has led you to make.

Mr. President, the best blessing I know to give you is

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.  (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, NKJV)

Welcome to Old Dominion!

For those of you who are following, please welcome Rick Sincere, of Rick Sincere News and Thoughts, to the Old Dominion Blog Alliance!

Hilarious anagrams!

EtherHouse loves anagrams! She has Rathergate story, told in anagrams of "Instapundit." as well as Rathergate story, told in anagrams of "Little Green Footballs" She is apparently working on the third of the trilogy for Powerline.

Well I have a new addition to my "Cat's Fun" bloglist....

Oh, yes - our "melting pot" really exists

Roya Hakakian in OpinionJournal - Dr King and I

Today, in the distant corners where terror is raging, many teenagers hold views on America similar to those I once held. The enemy has an arsenal, but also a narrative. According to that narrative, the world's superpower represents only one race, and its history is a single tale of intolerance, arrogance, and dominat ion. The war against this enemy is impossible to win without defeating that narrative. To tell American history in its entirety is to disprove the fabrications about who an American is. To tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement is to tell the story of how arrogance was made to give way to justice by none other than a man who advocated peace. Against the grim and infallible image that is painted of America, this will be a truer portrait: colorful and human.

This is a true tribute to the legacy of Dr. King.

God bless him. I am thankful that Dr. King is enjoying the blessings of his Lord in Heaven.

'Self-Defense' Bill Introduced in House of Representatives -- 01/12/2005

'Self-Defense' Bill Introduced in House of Representatives -- 01/12/2005.

"For far too long, the decent, law-abiding gun owners of America have been on the receiving end of political assaults and restrictive legislative proposals emanating from the ranks of an elitist gun-grabbing establishment. Now, though, the tide is turning,"

Thank you, Kim du Toit, for pointing this out!

The purpose of the bill? Take a look:

The proposed Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2005, introduced last week by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, would specifically protect the right of law-abiding citizens to use handguns, rifles and shotguns in defending themselves, their families or their homes.

The bill also would allow people whose self-defense rights have been violated by any government entity to bring legal action in federal court.

The bill is H. R. 47. Tell your congressmen to support it!

Tom Blair blog hacked!

From Instapundit:

TIM BLAIR EMAILS:

Apparently my site has been hacked -- all posts and archives removed, etc. Not sure yet if anything can be recovered.

Worse, I'm currently unable to post (password details have been corrupted) so would appreciate if any or all of you could alert readers.

Nuts, that is just so.... infantile! (Besides being illegal...)

[UPDATE - Oddly enough, I can see his blog just fine. Perhaps it didn't take his site down, it just corrupted it.... At any rate, when was the last time you backed up your blog?]

MindMedia Life Enhancement Network

This was kinda cool: MindMedia Life Enhancement Network

Your Brain Usage Profile:

Auditory : 53%
Visual : 46%
Left : 70%
Right : 29%

Romeocat, you are mildly left-hemisphere dominant while showing a slight preference for auditory processing. This overall combination seems to indicate a well-working blend of logic and judgment and organization, with sufficient intuition, perception and creativity to balance that dominance. You will at times experience conflict between how you feel and what you think which will generally be resolved in favor of what you think. You will find yourself interested in the practical applications of whatever material you have learned or whatever situation you face and will retain the ability to refine whatever knowledge you possess or aspects of whatever position you are in. By and large, you will orient yourself toward intellectual activities and structure. Though not rigid, you will schedule yourself, plan, and focus on routine and continuity of operations, rather than on changes and disruptions When changes or disruptions occur, you are likely to consider first how to ensure that such disruptions do The same balance is reflected in your sensory preference. You will tend to be reflective and measured in your interaction style. For the most part, you will be considered objective without being cold and goal-oriented while retaining the capacity to listen to others. Preferentially you learn by listening and maintaining significant internal dialogues with yourself. Nevertheless, you have sufficient visualization capabilities to benefit from using graphs, charts, doodles, or even body movement to enhance your comprehension and memory.

To the extent that you are even implicitly aware of your hemispheric dominance and sensory style, you will feel most comfortable in those arenas which emphasize verbal skills and logic. Teaching, law, and science are those that stand out among the professions, along with technical sales and management.

Interesting. But "law and science... technical sales and management"??

MSNBC - ‘Truly Today Is a Better Day’

HT to the Dawn Patrol for linking to MSNBC - ‘Truly Today Is a Better Day’, an interview with Alveda King (Martin Luther King's neice). It is excellent: go read it!

The whole "torture" issue

This morning, Emperor Misha I over at the Rott posts And Will Everybody in the MSM Kindly Shut Their Yaps About the "Torture", Please?, which is probably the most blunt and intelligent commentary I've seen about the whole torture issue that the MSM weenies (along with their Looney Liberal Lefty friends) are whining about. [Update - one of the Loyal Citizens posted in comments a link to Q and O which has another excellent discussion of the topic, and is a member of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance, too!Hi guys!]

Warning: for those of you who have never been over to the Rott ("the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler" to give its full name), the language is very blunt. His Lordship does not mince words at all. Don't come crying to me if fragile feelings and sensibilities get a bit bruised. This is commentary for grown-ups.

A small sample:

Now, with regards to actual torture, as opposed to what the MSM defines as such which is nothing of the sort, His Majesty is against its use.

Not because he feels in the least bit sorry for the potential targets of such. One thing that we as a nation seem to forget time and time again is that these aren't Viennese choir boys we're fighting. These are subhuman, murderous vermin who won't hesitate one second to blow up a busload of innocent women and children to make a point. Personally, His Majesty wouldn't bat an eye if those Assholes for Allah were slapped on meathooks and slowly submerged in vats of sulphuric acid. You're mileage may vary, but being "better than them" is only a Good Thing as long as it doesn't immediately translate into being "deader than them".

But, like we said, we're against.

The reason, of course, being that it's a pisspoor way of interrogating somebody. You start pulling out somebody's fingernails and putting out cigarettes on his testicles and pretty soon he'll be singing like a canary, alright. Problem is, what he'll be singing about is likely to be utterly worthless, since he'll say anything at all to escape the torture, at least for a while while your boots on the ground are busy chasing red herrings. Then lather, rinse, repeat.

And that's why we haven't been using torture, because our intel people out there know this too.

As a humble and Loyal Citizen of His Majesty's Empire (of which the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is a part), I thank Him for cutting through the BS.

The Red Sea

Yesterday, I followed a link from the Instapundit to this commentary,The Red Sea, by David Von Drehle. Instapundit linked to Tim Blair's discussion of it, as well as Patrick Ruffini's (the Instapundit also has an e-mail from a reader that's good to read). Mr. Blair doesn't appear to care for the article at all, while Mr. Ruffini seems to appreciate it a bit more.

I wasn't too sure of what to say, initially. I actually like the piece, even though I believe Mr. Von Drehle still doesn't "get" the Red State people. He is, however, fairly frank at the beginning of his piece:

We met dozens of people along the way. We asked them about themselves, about their communities, about their votes. Some were leery of us. Several asked politely: "What are you trying to accomplish?" Others were more blunt: "What's your angle?" Another version: "What are you hoping to find?"

We met Bruce Owen outside Abilene, Kan. He invited us into his home, introduced us to his wife, Donna -- and then seemed to wish he hadn't. He told us he rarely saw people like himself portrayed in "the media," except as objects of derision.

He had a point there.

But it's right near the end of the article that I thinks he makes his best point - even though I' m not really sure he understands it himself. I hope so, but like many in "Red America" (and I hate that color - it reminds me too much of communism), I am a wee tad suspicious of the MSM and its, um, minions....

After a campaign in which the Democrat made very little effort to seek their votes, the Red Sea folks decided to cast their ballots in large numbers for George W. Bush. Something he said or did struck a chord with some note of their own political music. Maybe it was the feeling that bureaucrats just don't get it. Or the idea that elitists hold the heartland in contempt. Maybe it was the worry that traditions are under attack. Maybe it was the view that coastal culture is an enemy, not a friend, in the effort to raise children. For some, it was the feeling of authenticity and apparent horse sense. The attitude toward land and resources that comes from living amid an abundance of both. The significance of personal faith.

In short, I found ordinary people with various motivations, sundry stories, personal beliefs, custom-made decisions.

I suppose there are no great surprises there -- these views represent many of the strands that have been collected over the past generation into the political camp we call "conservative." But the focus on this common label may obscure the individual nature of these voting decisions. I met regular churchgoers and people who attend church seldom if ever. I met young libertarians and elderly prims. I met a wealthy man and a man unemployed and deeply in debt. I met people who admire Bush and people who have little regard for him.

I imagine this might disappoint those people who seek a large and unified explanation of something as important as a presidential election. How much more satisfying it is -- especially for those who make a living from explaining elections in catchy sound bites -- to conjure up overarching themes, towering trends, looming like alps over an election. Nothing sells like a big trend story, whether the trend is "right-wing backlash" or "values revival."

At any rate, I think the piece is at least fairly thoughtful and worth reading the whole way through.

An Alternative Inaugural Address

P.J. O'Rourke has An Alternative Inaugural Address over at the Weekly Standard.

A few highlights:

MY FELLOW AMERICANS, I had intended to reach out to all of you and bring a divided nation together. But I changed my mind. America isn't divided by political ethos or ethnic origin. America isn't divided by region or religion. America is divided by jerks. Who wants to bring a bunch of jerks together with the rest of us? Let them stew in Berkeley, Boston, and Ann Arbor.

The media say that I won the election on the strength of moral values. If the other fellow had become president, would the media have said that he won the election on the strength of immoral values? For once the media would have been right. [...]

"Thou shalt not kill." Why, in the opinion of jerks, is it wrong to kill a baby but all right to kill a baby that's so little he hasn't been born yet? And why do the same jerks who favor abortion oppose the death penalty? We can imagine people so full of loving kindness that they can accept neither the abortionist nor the executioner. We can even imagine people so cold-hearted that they embrace them both. But it takes a real jerk to argue in favor of killing perfect innocents and letting Terry Nichols live.[...]

And then there is the Tenth Commandment. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." The Ten Commandments are God's basic rules about how we should live--a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. The first nine Commandments concern theological principles and social law. But then, right at the end, is "Don't envy your buddy's cow." How did that make the top ten? What's it doing there? Why would God, with just ten things to tell Moses, choose as one of those things jealousy about the starter mansion with in-ground pool next door?

Yet think how important the Tenth Commandment is to a community, to a nation, indeed to a presidential election. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't be a jerk and whine about what the people

across the street have--go get your own.

The Tenth Commandment sends a message to all the jerks who want redistribution of wealth, higher taxes, more government programs, more government regulation, more government, less free enterprise, and less freedom. And the message is clear and concise: Go to hell.

I really have to rummage around and dig up some more of Mr. O'Rourke - he has a real talent for writing a scathing article....

Going Nuclear

Over at Polipundit, DJ Drummond's article, Going Nuclear, has quite a bit to say. My favorite quote:

That determination to blame America first, especially on all things nuclear, continued into the debate on the decision to invade Iraq, where the Left put the whole question solely in WMD terms, ignoring a brutal regime willing to torture children (when Marines freed the children, for some reason this was not a big story for Rather, Brokaw, or Jennings), and rape women [the link in the original story no longer exists, apparently, so I found some others - as well as an interesting .pdf] as a manner of policy expression, to say nothing of the mass graves we have found. Here’s a point: The number of bodies in the mass graves in Iraq far outnumbers the total loss of life in the Tsunami disaster, yet the MSM has never yet made a major story of it, nor has any nation not in the Coalition done a single thing to help the victims.

If stockpiles of nuclear weapons are not found, we must have been wrong to replace a dictator with a democratic republic. Of course, using that logic, we were wrong to take out Hitler and the Nazis, whose goals and tactics smell a lot like Saddam’s thinking.

Go and read the whole thing, and check out the links throughout the whole story.

Doncha just love France?

The Blog Father pointed me to the Last of the Famous International Playboys. who have posted France 2 Humiliates French Government.

For days now, the US military has been getting favorable coverage on the French nightly news due to its response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. But tonight's broadcast was simply astounding. At 8 minutes into the broadcast, anchor David Pujadas begins a discussion of the disaster response and introduced a report on the American deployment [...]

At nine minutes and 30 seconds into the broadcast, Pujadas says that "the scale of need must not hide the failure to provide it." He introduces the next report: "... the failure of a French civilian rescue mission in one of the most heavily affected areas."

We learn that 100 French firefighters as well as rescue and response workers have been sent to Meulaboh to establish a field hospital but that 8 days after their deployment and 15 days after the disaster, only 25% of their supplies have been delivered "because France has no helicopters [to deliver them]." (NB: during the Afghanistan war, France had to rent ALL of its helicopters from the Russian army.) [...]

It's a very interesting article, with a link to the French news story. I did watch the video, and with my limited skills in French, what I picked up certainly agrees with Famous Playboy's translation. This would make sense, as it appears that - if they're not French - the bloggers are very conversant in the language, and are therefore far more qualified than I.

Thank you, Cox and Forkum!

They're soooooo funny!

Look what I'm doing this weekend...

Well, I have 10 out of 14 of these baby tops quilted. Nine of those have the bindings sewed on to the front, and I've already completed one of them. Yay!

I found out yesterday, while driving 4 1/2 hours to our house in Southside Virginia, that sewing the binding to the back of the quilt does NOT make me carsick! That's a real blessing, because I'm one of those Poor People^tm who can't read or sleep in a car. Therefore, I usually drive about 90% of our long trips. Now I can switch off with Darling Husband and not worry about being cranky and bored out of my skull. This is a Good Thing^tm.

Anyway, this is what I was working on:

Yes, that is the Beloved Munchkin holding the quilt up for me. It measures about 50 x 54 inches, which seems to be the size I like for baby quilts. All of my baby quilts are bright. My motto is, "If it doesn't give an adult a headache, it's not bright enough!"

Each of these quilts is unique. The centers are scrappy, so they cannot possibly be the same from one quilt to another. While I prefer the first, narrow border to be yellow (I don't know why, it just works out that way), I rarely use the same yellow on more than two quilts. The fabric for the outer borders also usually goes on only two quilts, but again, I mix it up so that no two quilts are the same.

This is a close-up of the bindings:

At the top, with the blue/multi-color binding, you see how it looks when finished. Then you see the binding stitched to the front, and last is showing how I fold it to the back of the quilt and hand stitch it on.  I think you'll be able to see - if you look closely - my needle there in the binding (click the photo for the larger size and you'll see it).

Anyway, 5 of the 14 (total) tops are for friends' babies, but I was thinking of seeing how some of the others would go on e-Bay. The problem is, I need to sell them for at least $150.00 each for me to begin to recoup the price of fabric and batting, much less the investment of my time. Well, I can try, I guess, and see what happens.

Mourning

My prayers and heart go out to the Anchoress this morning as she mourns the loss of her dear brother. Her brother died after a long illness, and the Anchoress' sorrow, I hope, is tempered by the knowledge that he is no longer in pain. I pray that while she mourns her brother she is comforted that he is with his Saviour, and that she will see him again one day.

The faith and strength shown by this family in a time of terrible hardship has been an encouragement and a godly example to many in the blogosphere.

Please join with us all in expressing your sympathies and love.

I pray the strength of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, all powerful and gracious, comforts them. May the rich blessings of God rest on this family, and may they know that He cherishes them. I ask the Spirit of the Living God encourage their weary hearts, and that they know He groans with them in their suffering.

John 11:25 ""I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "