CatHouse Chat

No, I'm not...

... watching the State of the Union Speech tonight. I have a sick munchkin - although she's being a real trooper - and I'm listening to XMRadio's "80's on 8" and enjoying myself.

Perhaps I ought to live blog the songs, since I'm hearing so MANY I loved... Hmmmm....

Besides, I'll see all I want to about the SOTU tomorrow. Life is too short to deal *only* with politics and current events!

Now working on...

GM's quilt... I've gotten the center medallion done

And here's a copy of the pattern's photo. Of course, all the burgundies in the photo are going to be blues in this quilt...

I hope GM and his Lady Wife like it when it's done!

OMG! The Carnivals!

I'm embarassed. I've been faily quiet lately - I do have a real life, y'know! - but I should never forget to link to my blog-families' carnivals!

The Ladies of the Cotillion are doing what they do best, of course, and Right Girl reminds us of How to be a Domestic Goddess.

And then, the Virginia Blog Carnival is also up at a prince william citizen.

Make sure you swing by and enjoy all the talent showcased in both Carnivals!

Congratulations!

To Supreme Court Justice Alito !! Job well done, especially considering the bombastic, egotistical and hypocritical attacks from Senators who shall remain nameless (*cough* Kennedy *cough* among others).

Interesting how the vote was split along party lines, innit? Nevermind that a highly qualified candidate like Alito, no matter his personal views, is supposed to be confirmed with little or no problem (like Ginsburg was, hmmm?).

Gah! These Dhimmocraps make me ill...

The Great Zucchini

Got this story about the Great Zucchini (WaPo - don't know how long the link will last) via Betsy Newmark. A very interesting read - well worth the full 5 screens of the story. The meat of the article is in the 4th and 5th pages, but the first three set things up beautifully.

What an interesting guy. Sad, yes, but in a funny and innocent sort of way. Go read!

UPDATE: For a follow-up chat with the author of the article, go here.

For my beloved blog-brother, GM

GM just found out this weekend that he's got lung cancer. When spoken by a doctor, "cancer" can be a terrifying word, but that's not stopping GM, thank God! He's decided that his key phrase is "Fight On!" and I have no doubt at all that he's going to whip this thing.

And so, for my blog-brother who is also a child of God, I offer this prayer:

Oh, Father, I thank you so much for GM! He's always been a source of thought and amusement to me, and I love the way he relishes the life you've given him. I love the way he adores his Lady Wife, I love the joy he takes in writing, and I love the way he encourages people and laughs with his blog-family.

Lord, You know about GM's cancer, and we don't know why You have permitted this in his life, but what we *DO* know is that all things will work together for good for Your children. We know that GM's faith will glorify You and be a testament to Your goodness and Your power in his life. We pray, of course, that You will choose to heal him, and that he will spend many more years on earth as a witness to Your love and faithfulness. Therefore, I ask that You give the doctors wisdom and skill as they treat GM for this cancer. I ask that You guide them and grant them Your healing power. I lift up the nurses and assistants who will join in GM's cure. Please give them loving and patient hearts, and grace them with Your compassion.

Father, I ask that You bless GM's wife and family with a strong sense of Your presence and Your plan. I ask that You give them Your peace and strength as they watch and support GM during this healing time. Gm's family is very precious to him, and I am sure they return that affection and love. Help them arrange their schedules as necessary to be with GM when he needs them, give them refreshment if they tire, and faith if they falter.

For GM, Lord, I pray that You will lift him up in Your arms and carry him through this trial. I pray that You will give him Your strength and Your healing. I pray that his determination to beat this illness does not waver, and that he turns to You for sustinance and renewal. Increase his faith, and show Yourself powerfully in his life so that his trial will be an effective witness to Your love and grace. Give Your child his daily bread and deliver him from evil.

Give us back our brother, whole and healed, as soon as possible!

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV)

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psalm 46, NKJV)

Raven, dear friend, this is how much I love you!

Because I hate pieced borders. But, this quilt needed one...

Anyway, here are the fabrics I pulled from my stash. Raven said she likes earth tones, particularly pink and brown. I've done a pink and brown quilt before, so I knew that, although it might sound odd, it's really a beautiful combination.

Of course, the fabrics are much more yummy than the picture makes them...

I decided to make sawtooth stars for the quilt center. For some odd reason, I use sawtooth stars a lot. I suppose I just like this simple little block. I had a total of thirty different fabrics, so I made thirty blocks, each six inches (finished) per side.

The medium brown star up at the top uses some fabric from Seth's quilt (the red background), which I thought would be fun, since they're both friends I haven't met face-to-face yet.

And, here are all the blocks, ready to be sewn together:

After adding the first border, I looked at the quilt and decided a) I wanted it to be a little bigger than it would be if I just slapped on the second border, and b) I was going to have to add a pieced border.

I hate pieced borders! Even though you measure and sew carefully, they never seem to come out quite right - they ripple and stretch, and... Well, they're a pain.

*sigh*

But, it needed to be done to make this quilt sing, so I bit the bullet.

Raven, this is how much I love you! I pieced a border for you. I expect lots of "oooooohs" and "aaaahhhhhhs"! LOL

Oh, and yeah, that's my Bernina 135 again. My 180 was making an odd clackety-clackety sound, so she got taken to the doctor. I'll pick her up on Friday, she's fine, but this is one time I'm glad that the Darling Munchkin hasn't been using "her" machine.

However, I'm going to have to see if I can change that!

Finally, here's what the finished quilt top looks like.

See? I knew it needed that extra border!

Wasms

(Romeocat is graciously allowing me to feed my blogging addiction here while Blogger is down for an extended "half hour" maintenance. *heh*)

---

Communism, socialism, liberalism, pragmatism, utilitarianism and yes, even conservatism all inevitably wreck themselves upon the rock of Unintended Consequences, and their brightest ideals become "wasms."

The reason why the highest ideals and practical decisions of human wisdom inevitably fail is because we can only guess at their outcomes. Pragmatism is perhaps the most glaring failure, because future events inevitably prove that our pragmatic choices depended upon making choices to create a future we cannot predict.

Better simply "...to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with [our] God."

Ah, but being just is hard when the world abhors justice. Being merciful is difficult even when we embrace justice (and impossible without justice). And humility is impossible for those who reject both justice and true mercy.

---

Crossposted here from the "other" third world county instead of the "original" third world county because Blogger's "half hour" of downtime has extended to three and a half hours and counting...

Four things... AGAIN???!!!

I think I'm going to have to add another category over on the left sidebar: Meme Maniacs! My soi-disant blog-brother David, of Third World County, has tagged me with another meme!

Perhaps I ought to open hunting season [sliding evilly narrowed cat-eyes over towards him in an annoyed and threatening manner]?

All right. Four things about these things...

1) Four Jobs I've had in my life

• travel agent
• bookseller
• painter of needlepoint canvases
• cafeteria worker

2) Four Movies I could watch over and over

• LOTR
• Undercover Blues
• Brigadoon
• The Adventures of Robin Hood (the original, with Errol Flynn, of course!)
• BONUS - Down Periscope

3) Four Places I've lived

• Greenwich, CT
• Mililani, HI
• Rota, Spain
• Oak Harbor, WA

4) Four TV Shows I love or can stand to watch

• Stargate SG-1
• Fox&Friends
• Good Eats
• Farscape - except they cancelled it, the... idiots!

5) Four Places I've been on vacation

• Hawaii
• Palau
• Oberammagau, Germany
• a nude beach on the southern coast of Spain (Ooo, yes, I do have a "wild side," LOL)

6) Four Blogs I visit daily

Oh, mercy - there are too many! OK, I'll go with a couple of the more off-beat ones, I suppose, as well as "typical" ones...

• Day By Day
• This Blog is Full of Crap (gotta enjoy the Piper, Frisky, and Nardo fix!)
• Instapundit
• the Anchoress

7) Four of my Favorite Foods

• chocolate (d'uh!)
• coffee (yes, it IS a food!)
• sushi (mmmm!)
• Thai

8) Four Places I'd rather be

Well, I kinda like here and now, but I also enjoy (in no particular order)

• curling up in bed with a good book and a glass of champagne
• sewing madly at my machine, making another quilt
• snuggling with my Beloved Husband, Darling Daughter, and my two purrs
• lounging on a beach in Hawaii, sitting in the shade while Husband and Daughter play in the pool or ocean, and *I* sip a Mai Tai

9) Four Albums I can't live without

Ah. Well, I like so many different genres, and all sorts of music, so I'm going to hedge here and say four SONGS I can't live without:

• Hallelujah Chorus
• Star Spangled Banner
• A Mighty Fortress
• Fanfare for the Common Man

10) Four Vehicles I've owned

• 1980 Toyota Supra - lovely car! I abused it terribly, and it treated me well (of course, it was supposed to be Mom's car...)
• 1987 Chevy S10 Blazer - our first all-new car, purchased through the Navy Exchange when we were stationed in Spain
• 1996 Chrysler Concorde Lxi - loved it! "Cab Forward" design made for LOTS of interior space, and it was a perfect car for me while the Darling Munchkin was small
• 2003 Ford Explorer, Eddie Bauer version, V8 engine - my current car. Yes, it eats gas (sort of), but it's big, it's lively, and I adore it!

11) Four people I'm gonna tag

• Kilo
• Red Queen
• Raven
• GM

All right, yes, this requires comment

Jacques Chirac attempts to take his testicular prostheses out for a spin.

France said on Thursday it would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack or used weapons of mass destruction against it.

Reaffirming the need for its costly nuclear deterrent, President Jacques Chirac said security came at a price and France must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state's centers of power and its "capacity to act."

Chirac's speech pointed to a change of emphasis to underline the growing threat France perceives from terrorism.

"The leaders of states who would use terrorist means against us, as well as those who would consider using, in one way or another, weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would lay themselves open to a firm and adapted response on our part," Chirac said at a northwestern nuclear submarine base.

"This response could be a conventional one. It could also be of a different kind," said Chirac, his most explicit linkage of a threat of a nuclear response to a terrorist attack.

I'm sure the terrorists are quaking in their boots. [/sarcasm]

Expressing "Solidarity" with "Chocolatetown": $20

Chapping the gizzards of your pseudo-liberal friends by wearing the t-shirt: priceless.

Via Worldnet Daily

(Laughing myself silly yeh, I know, I know: a superfluous redundancy. heh)

Crossposted from third world county, while I wonder where the heck R'Cat is...

Another fantastic Carnival of Recipes!

The Headmistress, Zookeeper at the Common Room has posted the latest Carnival of Recipes, and it's full of yummy goodness. Make sure you go visit and enjoy the delicious recipes!

My Beef and No-Barley Soup is there, and I've got my eye on the Glittering Eye's Pork with Curry, Squash, and Mushrooms and Dewey's Treehouse's recipe for Kasha. And, if I find some venison, I'm going to have to try my blog-brother's brother's recipe for False Alarm Venison Chili!

I confess Abramoff is the spark

... but the fire which has ignited is, nevertheless, a pure flame.

NZ Bear posts this call:

We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.

We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.

But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.

As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.(emphasis mine)

Congress and all areas of government need to remember that the Ghosts of our Fathers are watching them - and they are repulsed with the depravity and attitude of entitlement we ALL display. They would be mortified at how we have descended to a "me-me-me" entitlement culture, rather than following our heritage of stubborn, independent self-reliance and discipline.

God help us all to regain the rugged, thoughtful determination of the Founders!

I love Country music, 2.0

Just saw Books & Dunn's video, "Believe." Oh, yeah. Yeah, yes, absolutely!

I challenge anyone to post, with proof, any other music genre (except Contemporary Christian or similar lists, obviously - loaded dice) which is as unconcerned about having overtly religious hits in the top-40. Well, actually, "unconcerned" is the wrong word. Um, how about... "proactive"? "Unashamed"? "Joyful"?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brooks & Dunn: Believe , from their album, Hillbilly Deluxe.

Old man Wrigley lived in that white house
Down the street where i grew up
Momma used to send me over with things
We struck a freindship up
I spent a few long summers out on his old porch swing
Says he was in the war when in the navy
Lost his wife, lost his baby
Broke down and asked him one time
How ya keep from going crazy
He said I'll see my wife and son in just a little while
I asked him what he meant
He looked at me and smiled, said

(Chorus) I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what i can see
Oh i believe

Few years later i was off at college
Talkin' to mom on the phone one night
Getting all caught up on the gossip
The ins and outs of the small town life
She said oh by the way son, old man Wrigley's died.
Later on that night, i laid there thinkin' back
Thought 'bout a couple long-lost summers
I didn't know whether to cry or laugh
If there was ever anybody desevred a ticket to the other side
It'd be that sweet old man who looked me in the eye, said

(Chorus)

I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what i can see
I can't quote the book
The chapter or the verse
You can't tell me it all ends
In a slow ride in a hearse
You know I'm more and more convinced
The longer that i live
Yeah, this can't be
No, this can't be
No, this can't be all there is

(Chorus)

When I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what i can see
I believe
Oh, I
I believe
I believe
I believe
I believe
I believe

Quilting with friends

One of the things quilters like to participate in is something called a "Block of the Month" (or, BOM). Each month, you get fabric and make a block - sometimes more than one - from the pattern chosen for that month. Sometimes, you make the same block, but you have different fabrics to use - it all depends on how it's set up.

Well, while I was surfing around on the FabShopHop, I came across a wonderful store which had this gorgeous BOM! The store is called Charlotte's Sew Natural, and is full of terribly tempting things for quilters.

Charlotte has set up this BOM so that each month you'll make a wall hanging size quilt, and - if you choose Option 2 - enough fabric to make extra blocks so you can assemble another scrappy quilt (on the right) at the end of the year.

The Beloved Husband said "Go for it!" (he's very supportive - just another reason why he's also the Best Husband in the Universe™!), and so I signed up - under Option 2, of course.

That was last Friday - and the next day, while I was at the cattle auction, my dear blog-sister the Red Queen called me and said she was going to sign up, too. Hooray! Therefore, I expect we'll both be posting pictures of our monthly quilts, and doing some lovely quilt-gossipping back and fourth. I'm very excited about it, and I'm looking forward to all the fun RQ and I will have doing this together!

Oh, yeah! It's Friday, so that means...

Catblogging!!!!

The kittens at play - Pixel and Smudgie loooove ribbons!

Pixel pauses to pose with her captive ribbons.

Oooo, the glowing eyes! Smudgie's kitty-radar fixates on an escaping ribbon...

Don't forget to go visit the Friday Ark for more critter-ly goodness, and this week's Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by Niobium and posted on Sunday the 15th.

Send Valentines to our honorable and courageous troops!

Remember our military service members this Valentines and send cards! Go on over to ValentinesForTroops.com, and check out how you can help and contribute. Here are the guidelines:

• * All Valentines will be screened for security reasons, so DO NOT place your Valentine(s) in individual envelope(s) other than the mailing envelope to get the Valentine(s) to us!
• * We reserve the right to eliminate those Valentines that are political in nature and that do not reflect a positive message in the spirit of Valentines Day.
• * Handmade Valentines are preferred but please follow the guidelines below.
• * Final delivery will be made on February 14th. All Valentines received after that date will be distributed at our descretion.
• * If you are mailing us Valentines in bulk ( 100 or more from a school, company or organization), BUNDLE them in units of 100 using two rubber bands wrapped one lengthwise and the other widthwise. This aids us in sorting.
• * Sorry no store bought Valentines accepted in bulk

And the guidelines for the (preferred) handmade Valentines:

• * Any size Valentine will be accepted.
• * Please do not use glitter on Valentines
• * Unfortunately, candy or other food items cannot be accepted and should not be included or attached to cards.
• * Military personnel love to communicate with us! You can include your name, address or email address if you so desire.
• * Photos of the sender, sender's family, church, or classroom participants can add a personal touch to your card. Photos must be appropriate.
• * The more positive the message the better! Care should be taken not to refer to anything that may cause grief or uneasiness to the military reader. (i.e., "I hope you don't get killed" or "Do you miss your family?")

Let us always do whatever we can to show our love, respect, and appreciation for the best men and women in the world: the Armed Forces of the United States of America! God bless them and strengthen them, and may He shower them with honor and glory!

(Thanks, Raven, for letting me know about this)

From Russia with love: Condi is not "fulfilled"

Oh, please! Of all the chauvanistic, petty and juvenile things to publish! In Pravda (which means "Truth," don'tchaknow - yeh, RITE!):

"Condoleezza Rice released a coarse anti-Russian statement. This is because she is a single woman who has no children. She loses her reason because of her late single status. Nature takes it all.

"Such women are very rough. They are all workaholics, public workaholics. They can be happy only when they are talked and written about everywhere: "Oh, Condoleezza, what a remarkable woman, what a charming Afro-American lady! How well she can play the piano and speak Russian! What a courageous, tough and strong female she is!

"This is the only way to satisfy her needs of a female. She derives pleasure from it. If she has no man by her side at her age, he will never appear. Even if she had a whole selection of men to choose from she would stay single because her soul and heart have hardened. Like Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, or Alexander the Great of Macedon Ms. Rice needs to fight and release tough public statements in global scale. She needs to be on top of the world."

It gets better (or should I say, "worse"?), concluding with:

Condoleezza Rice needs a company of soldiers. She needs to be taken to barracks where she would be satisfied. On the other hand, she can hardly be satisfied because of her age. This is a complex. She needs to return to her university and teach students there. She could also deal with psychological analysis.

"The true reason of Ms. Rice's attack against Russia is very simple. Condoleezza Rice is a very cruel, offended woman who lacks men's attention. Releasing such stupid remarks gives her the feeling of being fulfilled. This is the only way for her to attract men's attention," Vladimir Zhirinovsky said.

(HT to Darleen)

Who the heck is "Vladimir Zhirinovsky"? I found this, this ("... likes to entertain his audience." Oooo, another quote from Pravda!), this, and this at BBC - heck, google his name, and you get a whole host of stuff. Anyone know what he's doing today?

I mean, besides saying Condi needs to get laid...

Pat Robertson's Foot-In-Mouth disease

Well, surprise, surprise! Thanks to Kathy, over at Cake Eater Chronicles, I hear that Israel refuses to do business with Pat Robertson.

Robertson is leading a group of evangelicals who have pledged to raise $50 million to build a large Christian tourism center in Israel's northern Galilee region, where tradition says Jesus lived and taught.

But Avi Hartuv, a spokesman for Tourism Minister Avraham Hirschson, said Israeli officials were furious with Robertson, a Christian broadcaster. A day after Sharon's Jan. 4 stroke, Robertson said the prime minister was being punished for "dividing God's land," -- a reference to last summer's pullout from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements.

"We can't accept this kind of statement," Hartuv said.

He said the Christian Heritage Center project was now in question, though he left the door open to develop it with others.

...

The project was a sign of strengthened ties in recent years between Israel and evangelical Christian groups that support the Jewish state.

Israel was considering leasing the land to the Christians for free. Hirschson predicted it would draw up to 1 million pilgrims annually who would spend $1.5 billion in Israel and support about 40,000 jobs.

See? I told you so. The Christian Heritage Center would be great for tourism, but Pat Robertson's big mouth and lack of tact have put a lovely monkey wrench into the works. CBN has many ministries: Operation Blessing, World Reach, and (*gasp*) Bless Israel among them. I wonder what impact Robertson's insensitive comment will have on them?

Sure, Robertson has apologized, but the damage has been done. I am still of the opinion that he should also apologize

• in person, or by a personal letter, to Mr. Sharon and his family
• to viewers of the 700 Club
• to supporters of his ministries
• to Christians in general

He should then step down as a leader at CBN, and be useful in quiet and inconspicuous acts of contrition and service.

Keeping Mom company

Mom-cat is feeling a little sick today, so I am making sure she rests and drinks her water. She thinks I'm just too cute to resist!

I really like the President

... even when I don't agree with some of his policies, I really like the guy. I saw his "speech" in Louisville, KY, yesterday, and was able to watch him answer three or four questions before FoxNews went back to Alito's hearings, and I had to go pick up the Munchkin.

I put the word "speech" in brackets because it really wasn't a speech, per se, it was more an off-the-cuff chat - or he was extremely well-rehearsed! At any rate, I think this style is really where Bush shines. In this type of setting, he always looks like the guy next door, striking up a conversation over the fence.

I bet, if I were ever honored to have him and Mrs. Bush over for dinner, they wouldn't allow me to be overawed ("Oh, my gosh! The President and his wife are coming here for dinner!" *swoon*) for very long. I bet they'd be amused by our two purrs, and enjoy paying attention to our co-dependant dog, and be very kind to our Beloved Munchkin.

Whatever disagreements I may have with Mr. Bush regarding illegal immigration, government spending, and so on, I have always been impressed with him as a person. He is a good man, which is far more than can be said of many in government (see my last post).

Here are some quotes:

And so we took action. We took action because the Taliban refused to expel al Qaeda. And we took action because when an American President says something, he better mean it. In order to be able to keep the peace, in order to be able to have credibility in this world, when we speak, we better mean what we say. And I meant what we said. And we sent some brave souls into Afghanistan to liberate that country from the Taliban. ...

I went to the United Nations -- some of you were probably concerned here in Kentucky that it seemed like the President was spending a little too much time in the United Nations. But I felt it was important to say to the world that this international body that we want to be effective, spoke loud and clear not once, but 15 odd times to Saddam Hussein -- said, disarm, get rid of your weapons, don't be the threat that you are, or face serious consequences. That's what the international body said. And my view is, is that in order for the world to be effective, when it says something, it must mean it.

We gave the opportunity to Saddam Hussein to open his country up. It was his choice. He chose war, and he got war. And he's not in power, and the world is better off for it. ...

...this enemy we face has got no conscience. They will kill innocent people in a heartbeat in order to achieve their objectives. And it's hard for Americans to deal with that. I understand that. It's hard for me to believe that there is such brutality in the world where people going to a funeral to mourn the dead, and a suicider shows up and kills people. It's hard for me to believe that we've got soldiers passing out candy to young kids, and a killer comes and kills the kids and the soldiers. It is beyond the imagination of most Americans, but it should say something about this enemy. They will go to no ends to defeat us. But they can't beat us on the battlefield. The only thing they can do is create these brutal scenes. ...

Isn't it amazing -- at least it is to me -- that some 60 years after an 18-year-old fighter pilot joined the Navy to fight the Japanese, his son is talking with the Prime Minister of the former enemy about keeping the peace. Something happened. And what happened was Japan adopted a Japanese-style democracy. Democracies yield the peace. And I firmly believe -- I firmly believe that years from now people are going to look back and say, thank goodness the new generation of Americans who rose to the challenge of a war against terror had faith in the capacity of freedom to help change the world. And someday an American President is going to be talking to a duly elected leader from Iraq, talking about how to keep the peace for a generation to come.

I like him. He understands right and wrong, he understands determination and perseverance, and he's willing to offer either the hand of friendship or the sword of justice, as appropriate. He is a good man.

Buffoonery?

Betsy Newmark calls Biden a buffoon. Hugh Hewitt calls Kennedy a buffoon.

I think they're both wrong:

1. A clown; a jester: a court buffoon.
2. A person given to clowning and joking.
3. A ludicrous or bumbling person; a fool.

There is nothing clownish, joking, or bumbling about either of them (although I will grant "foolish"). They have displayed their malice, hypocracy, and ignorance these past several days, without even a hint of eloquence to soften their egotistical screeds.

I would use words more like: barbarian, lout, philistine, cretin, boor, and perhaps even vulgarian.

Because there is nothing amusing about either of these... imbeciles.

Central America needs to take a dose of reality

Diplomats from Mexico and Central America on Monday demanded guest worker programs and the legalization of undocumented migrants in the United States, while criticizing a U.S. proposal for tougher border enforcement.

Meeting in Mexico's capital, the regional officials pledged to do more to fight migrant trafficking, but indirectly condemned a U.S. bill that would make illegal entry a felony and extend border walls.

Oh, sure. Right. They're demanding that the United States give up its sovereign right to protect her borders.

I. Don't. Think. So.

Especially since there are groups like Ms-13 may be targeting our border patrol agents:

A memo from the US Department of Homeland Security is warning that an international street gang is targeting border patrol agents for assassination as retaliation for tighter border security.

The gang is Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, and is said to have 30,000 members in 33 US states and throughout Mexico and Central America. It operates smuggling drugs, weapons and illegal immigrants across the US border.

The homeland security memo says that MS-13 is upset that increased border security aimed at stopping terrorists and illegal immigrants is hurting that gang's smuggling business.

Awwww. Too bad. You know what? I have a response to those MS-13 criminals: why don't we just let the border patrol shoot first and ask questions later?

And, yes, all illegal aliens are criminals, no matter what Central American diplomats may say

"Migrants, regardless of their migratory status, should not be treated like criminals," they said.

... Part of the definition of being illegal, wouldn't you say? So, why shouldn't we treat them like criminals?

I'm happy to welcome immigrants to this country; I have no bias against them... so long as they come in legally. I want good, solid, law-abiding people to come here, because they will help build and strengthen our country. I also rather like a guest-worker program, but anyone who has come here illegally ought to be barred from it for, oh, at least 20 years.

America is happy to welcome immigrants with open arms, but America is a country under the rule of law (at least, that's the ideal). If you break the law, you pay the consequences. Period.

Oh, great...

... now *I've* got the cruddy cough. Grrrrr! Ah, well - copious amounts of water, hot honey-lemon-tea, and relaxing in my snuggly home ought to do the trick!

Se-eth! Woo-ooo, SE-ETH!

Seth, my dear blog-bro... Your quilt top is done!

(Pics below the fold...)

This is why I love Country music!

I just heard this on CMT, and Brad Paisley happens to be one of my favorite country stars. This song (as I suspected) also features Dolly Parton. Say what you may about Dolly - she is truly an immortal voice in Country music.

Anyway, this is "When I Get Where I'm Going," off of Brad's album, Time Well Wasted.

When I get where I'm going
On the far side of the sky
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly
I'm gonna land beside a lion
And run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

(Chorus:) Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed the sins and struggles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here
I'm gonna walk with my grand daddy
And he'll match me step for step
And I'll tell him how I missed him
Every minute since he left
Then I'll hug his neck

(Chorus)

So much pain and so much darkness
In this world we stumble through
All these questions I can't answer
So much work to do
But when I get where I'm going
And I see my Maker's face
I'll stand forever in the light
Of His amazing grace
Yeah when I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
Hallelujah
I will love and have no fear
When I get where I'm going
Yeah when I get where I'm going

Beef and No-Barley Soup

Last week was fairly cold, here in Virgina (well, in my area, at least). And, when it's cold, I start thinking of soups and stews! I've done a Spicy Winter Squash Soup, and we actually had the last of it that was in the freezer (yes, it freezes beautifully), but I wanted something with meat in it. Then, I made a ham and bean soup. Very yummy, but still not quite what my taste buds were craving (and yes, I'll eventually post the recipe: it's ridiculously easy).

So, I looked for a Beef and Barley Soup recipe, and found this at AllRecipes.com. OK, yeah, I had onions and carrots and celery... Whups! No barley. Drat. Unfortunately, the local food stores didn't have barley, either (I even checked in Lynchburg when I went shopping yesterday). I was not happy... but I'm going to order some from Bob's Red Mill, along with some whole wheat berries (ooo! I can mill my own whole wheat flour!!!)

Therefore, after all this, I wound up with a Beef and No-Barley Soup, because I still wanted a hearty beef soup.

Romeocat's Beef and No-Barley Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 lb stir-fry beef (or something cheap), diced - cubes should be about the size of the tip of your pinky
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1 cup each diced celery and carrot
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (more if you like garlic - which I do)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
• 2 cups red wine, divided (OK, I confess, I used 3)
• 3 TB fresh thyme leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 2 lb boxes Swanson's Lower Sodium Beef Broth (You don't need all that salt, anyway. If the soup tastes bland, kick up the thyme, garlic, and freshly ground pepper!)
• salt and pepper to taste (add freshly ground pepper with the cooking, hold off on adding the salt until almost done; you may not need it)

In a 5 quart or larger pot, heat the oil over medium to med.-high heat. Add the diced beef and sauté until cooked through, about 8 minutes. There will probably be some juices from the beef left in the pot; leave them there! Remove beef from pan, and add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Season with some freshly ground pepper (I've spoken to you-all before about using freshly ground pepper!), and sauté until softened. Remove the veggies, and then add the mushrooms.

At this point, the pot ought to be fairly "dry". Good: I want the mushrooms to cook, but I want them sort of roasted, too. Make sure you keep them moving around the pot. After about 5 minutes or so, the mushrooms should have some toasty brown areas - now you can add part of the wine. If you're using 2 cups, I'd add about 1 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil (yes, the mushrooms are in there, too), and make sure you scrape up any yummy bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil for about 2 minutes, then add the beef and veggies back to the pot.

Stir well, and cook off most of the wine, which will take, oh, well, as long as it takes. Don't cook it bone dry; you want about a 1/2 cup of liquid left.

Add the thyme, bay leaves, and the broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. I left it uncovered, but if you want to cover it, that's fine. I assume that if you HAD barley, you would add it at this point, but check the original recipe. After about an hour, check the seasonings and add the last bit of wine. Simmer for another 15 minutes, and serve!

I'd estimate this makes about eight hearty servings, and you certainly should have a nice crusty loaf of whole-grain country bread (or, failing that, some bread and butter!), and maybe a salad. I used an Australian Shiraz for the wine - remember, if you won't drink it plain, don't use it for cooking! - and I bet that would go well with the soup. I saved my leftover wine to sip on the following evening while I was surfing the 'Net.

Hope you enjoy my Beef and Not-Barley Soup, and please feel free to check out my other food posts, or my Cat Purrs, or my quilts! Thanks for stopping by, and I would welcome any return visits and comments.

Life at the CatHouse, Part II

Thank you to my friends and readers who e-mailed me about the Darling Munchkin. Her doctor's appointment went fine, we got in quickly, and she does not have strep, just a wee little virus.

So, she's going to school tomorrow, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

No, seriously - she's just fine, and I think her cough is better, although it seems to crop up more in the morning. She hasn't been moping around with the pitiful "I'm sick" look, either. On the whole, she's a tad quieter, but generally still her sunny, loving self.

I am truly blessed by this delightful girl! I am so glad God chose me and her Daddy as her  earthly guardians, because she is a wonderful, snuggly, adorable beloved-baby-bunnybug! (Oh, Lord, she'll probably kill me for that one, LOL)

After her appointment, we went to Lynchburg, where I stopped by Quilted Expressions and got the border fabric for Seth's quilt. I was very good: I got the border fabric, and nothing else... and there were some yummy "sparklies," too! "Sparklies" are what I jokingly call fabrics which have some metallic threads or "paint" in or on them. Usually, they're oriental-inspired designs, and Hoffman Fabrics makes the most delicious ones! (They also make really luscious batiks... oh, hush, 'Cat! Stop drooling!)

Then, since I still had shopping to do, we went to WalMart.

One of the things I was looking for was pearl barley for beef and barley soup. Food Lion here doesn't have it, and neither did that WalMart. *sigh* And I thought it was a staple item. Perhaps I'll order it online... Ah, well, I got everything else (oh, drat! I forgot the kitty litter, 'cause I forgot to write it down *smacks head*).

Since the "real" shopping was done, I treated the Darling Munchkin and myself to a book each at Barnes & Noble. *I* got Michelle Malkin's newest, Unhinged, and am going to enjoy reading it very much!

The back cover is a hoot - all those "endorsements" from looney liberals, calling her all sorts of scandalous (and libellous!) names...

Oh, I'm going to relish this book!

Anyway, that was today's excitement at the CatHouse. Not world shattering, but a small slice of my life and my corner of the universe.

Y'all have a blessed evening, and don't do anything too crazy, OK?

Oh, this is choice!

Patterico proposes the "Chuckie S. Drinking Game" (hey, I don't think I have that kind of stamina!) after he took a look at Schumer's opening statement yesterday. Patterico proposes taking a drink every time Sen. Chuck Schumer says "extreme," which is why I don't think I would be able to make it to the end of the game before passing out.

Now, I only account for four "extreme"s in this statement, but from the length of the excerpt, I wouldn't think that it would take much more than about 5 minutes to read aloud. Almost an "extreme-a-minute." Yup, I'd be pretty buzzed in no time! So, I think I'll pass on the game.

Nevertheless, I noticed one interesting little quote from Sen. Schumer:

In case after case after case, you give the impression of applying careful legal reasoning, but too many times you happen to reach most conservative result.

You give the impression of being a meticulous legal navigator, but, in the end, you always seem to chart a rightward course.

I don't suppose Sen. Schumer has thought of the possibility that "careful legal reasoning" would naturally "chart a rightward course"?

Naaah, that would presume that Sen. Schumer actually thinks...

Life at the CatHouse

Well, the Darling Munchkin has a nasty little cough which has kept her home yesterday and today. I’ve got an appointment for her at 1pm today, to check and make sure it’s not strep (thanks for the heads-up, Raven!)... Better safe than sorry!

Fortunately, the Munchkin is a very healthy child; at 9½, she’s only ever been on antibiotics 4 times, and she’s missed less than 10 days of school - ever - due to illness. Of course, that’s kind of a bad thing, because, when she does get sick, I’m not entirely sure what to do! Ah, that we should all have such troubles.

Unfortunately, the doctor who is our Primary Care Manager is about an hour away. We’ll be changing that soon, I hope, since Beloved Husband got his new job and supplemental health insurance. There is a clinic in town, 5 minutes away, as well as another in Alta Vista, about 20 minutes away, but neither takes TriCare Prime. So,we may disenroll from Prime and use TriCare Standard, which pretty much everyone accepts, and then use the supplemental health to offset the co-pays.

I have to admit, I miss the Husband being on active duty and us being close to a full TriCare Clinic; it made things much easier. [rolls eyes]

So, although I had planned to go up to Lynchburg to run errands today, I’m at home until we need to leave for the appointment.

Hm. I ought to go bake some bread... Or sweep. Or vacuum. Or fold laundry...

The Cotillion honors RADM Grace Hopper

Zendo Deb hosts the Ladies of the Cotillion this week while celebrating the life of an amazing woman, RADM Grace Harper, "Amazing Grace." RADM Harper was the first woman to achieve that rank, and was obviously brilliant - certainly a worthy example for the Cotillion.

Deb also honors me by including both my submissions, this week's Sunday Thoughts, and A gross mis-carriage of justice.

Click on over and see what the Ladies are discussing!

As their bodies are laid to rest in the earth...

... their spirits are rejoicing in Heaven.

As I've said already, from what little I know of these twelve men who died in the mine accident last week, they seem to be men of deep and sturdy faith. Their families, therefore, while they mourn the loss, may take deep comfort, knowing that their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers are now before the face of Jesus. Flights of angels escorted them to their Father's House, and shouts of praise and welcome greeted them. And best of all - best of all - they finally are able to see the face of their Savior.

Well done, thou good and faithful servants. Well done.

(Thanks, Kilo)

Virginia Blog Carnival XVIII

This week's Virginia Blog Carnival is up, hosted by Hans Mast of the (not so) Daily Me.

Oh... My... GOSH!!!

I've heard 'em before, but this one just takes the cake! Go on over to the other Beth's: She has posted the BEST. BLONDE. JOKE. EVER!!!

ROTFLMAO!!!

Harry Belafonte...

... a rabid barking moonbat.

Will someone please tell me why the MSM thinks he's still relevant?

Sunday Thoughts

In a week filled with pain and tragedy, many people are wondering where God is, in all of this. How can He allow such things to happen? What is His purpose? Is He evil or inept? Is He "out to get us"? Does He even care?

I would like to reassure you that He does indeed care - and our cries of anguish and sorrow pierce Him to His heart.

A gross mis-carriage of “justice” (UPDATED)

I heard about this today on Sean Hannity's show, but left the car (and, therefore, the radio) before I heard any real details. Wizbang! sends me over to the Burlington Free Press, which has the full story:

A Williston man who admitted repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl for four years was sentenced Wednesday to spend 60 days in prison -- a punishment that angered the victim's family but was defended by the judge as the only way to provide counseling for the perpetrator.

"Counseling for the perpetrator"?! Screw him, it's that poor child he raped who needs counseling! It boggles my mind that anyone in the legal system should have more empathy and concern for the criminal, rather than for the victim. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this kind of criminal behavior: when convicted beyond reasonable doubt by a jury (and especially after admitting guilt), this cretin should have been incarcerated immediately!

Hulett began sexually abusing the girl -- a friend's daughter -- when she was 6, and the conduct continued until the girl turned 10 in April, according to court papers and testimony Wednesday from the girl's relatives. [emph. mine]

Frankly, this man ought to have been given at least the eight years the prosecutor was aiming for, and preferably the life sentence he was facing. When the judge only gave this 60-day sentence, he spit in the face of the legal system, justice, and the victim and her family. Judge Edward Cashman ought to be removed from the bench, disbarred, and drawn and quartered!

Prosecutors wanted Hulett incarcerated for at least eight years, and in impassioned pleas the girl's family members asked for a stern sentence. Cashman, though, told the crowded courtroom that punishment was not his priority in sentencing Hulett, but rather finding treatment for the man to prevent future abuse.

"This is not a situation where I'm doing this for the family," he said. "My heart goes out to this family, and I would hate to be in the situation this family is. But there's other families out there, and there's other people who could be victimized, and I'm trying to take the long view."

Later, Cashman added that a lengthy prison term "will accomplish nothing but to harden this fellow."

"Harden the fellow"? Hel-LO? Reality check, here: if this piece of shit masquerading as a human was already raping a SIX YEAR OLD, how much more hardened could he possibly get? Throw him in the deepest, darkest pit of the jail, lock the door, and throw away the key!

Prosecutor Nicole Andreson said punishment is a valid component of a sentence.

"This is not only about Mr. Hulett," Andreson said in arguing for an eight-year minimum. "To sentence him to any less demeans the level of trauma he has caused. To sentence him to any less will send a disturbing message of tolerance to the community."

Cashman disagreed, saying retribution "accomplishes nothing of value."

"We feed on anger," the judge said. "That's not my job. I've got to do something that solves problems. The one message I want to get through is, anger doesn't solve anything."

Anger doesn't solve anything? Oh, yes, it bloody well does! Righteous anger drives us to correct wrongs, to overthrow tyrants, to fight for freedom, to protect the helpless, and to stand up for what is right! Righteous anger gave this country independence. Righteous anger abolished slavery. Righteous anger conquered Hitler. Righteous anger brought equal civil liberties.

Righteous anger ought to put this criminal away for the rest of his life, and ought to offer full support and restitution to this little girl and her family.

Hulett spoke briefly at the end of the hearing, crying as he apologized for his actions.

"I want to get treatment. I need it," he said before officers led him from the courtroom to begin his prison term.

 

Oh, boo-fucking-hoo-hoo. The only treatment you need, buster, is someone to slap you upside the head every 15 minutes (every 5 minutes on Sundays) and tell you what a low-down, dirty, worthless, rotten, scum-sucking, heartless, depraved, revolting, accursed, monstrous, villainous, loathsome, disgusting, vile piece of trash you are. And that's insulting to trash.

God may forgive you - but I sure as hell wouldn't!

UPDATE and BUMP: From WCAX, in Burlington, VT comes more information about the local reaction to this ... "judge's" ruling:

"We were actually talking about it at work this morning. It just does not fee as if justice was done. Seems like a really serious crime with a pretty small consequence," said Joan Robinson of Burlington.

"I was dismayed to see that someone who had committed such a serious crime against a young child would be given less of a prison sentence than for instance someone who got a second-term DWI," said Paul Poss of South Burlington.

"It just seems really sad to me that was the judge's decision. And I hope that other judges look at that decision and see it as the wrong decision,"explained Robyn MaGuire of Winooski.

It's absolutely amazing based on what's going on in the United States with sex offenders, registry, non-registry, and so forth, that somebody could get a 60-day sentence and get off that easily. It just seems impossible to me that a 60-day sentence is logical," said Bill Polk of Panton. [emph. mine]

Oh, and here's a particularly lovely quote from the article:

...several defense lawyers told Channel 3 the judge's decision was "fair", "brilliant" and "beautifully reasoned."

As several of my commenters have already suggested: Rope, tree, "judge" - some assembly required. Shall we also add "several defense lawyers"?

(Crossposted at the Wide Awakes, And Rightly So!, Kender's Musings, and Third World County)

(Linked at TMH's Bacon Bits and the Mudville Gazette)

And, I've been terribly remiss in not publically thanking Emperor Misha I for His gracious endorsement of this rant. He said it was a "righteous rant" and "required reading." I'm honored and greatful!

Cattle Auction! (2.0 - the Duplicate edition)

(UPDATE : Well, you see that I have two posts! I had tried to post the previous entry using TypePad's interface, but got hit by a temporary slow-down, server side. While I waited for them to resolve the problem, I decided to recreate the post - this post - in RocketPost. I've been having a little bit of trouble with some glitches in RPost, but I thought I could at least get a good draft saved. And then I thought, what the hell, and hit post. And thus we get two semi-duplicates!

Computers. Want to love them... Must snarl at them!)

Today the Beloved Husband was volunteering by helping out the local Rescue Squad with their fund-raiser at a local cattle Auction. I've never been to one before, so the Darling Munchkin and I drove over and enjoyed the new experience. We had a great time, and enjoyed the wonderful people we met.

Several things in particular made me very happy: before the auction began, the veterans were asked to rise so we could thank them for their service - the applause was thunderous! Then, we all recited the Pledge of Allegiance, including the words "under God." There were no grumbles. Finally, a prayer was said, requesting that God would bless the purchases, and that each one would be according to His will, and done in an open and honest manner.

I LOVE the real America!

Cattle Auction!

This is what we did today - the Beloved Husband was volunteering for our local rescue squad, which was selling hot dogs and hamburgers at the auction. So, the Darling Munchkin and I went over, and had quite a bit of fun!

One particular point: before they began the auction, they recognized and thanked the veterans, said the Pledge - including "under God" - and opened in prayer.

I LOVE real America!

Still piecing up a storm

This is what I did yesterday:

I still have to add the setting triangles and sew the blocks together, but I got a LOT done yesterday. All of the “Sawtooth Star” blocks (12 of them) were done yesterday, and all of the “Delectible Mountains” blocks were done Thursday.

If you don’t know, the Mountain blocks are the ones in the very top row, and in the center you can see them rotated so that I had a background to appliqué the five-pointed star. The Sawtooth Star blocks (which I use frequently), are the ones which, well, look like eight-pointed stars.

Unfortunately, this picture doesn’t really show off the colors in the quilt to their best effect (perhaps I ought to have used the flash?); it looks very... brown. The lighter tones are actually more on the golden side, and all those darks are really very rich navy blue, burgundy, green and purple.

It is a very “country” style quilt, but the colors are very warm and cozy feeling. Also, it’s not really a very big quilt, more of a lap size as designed. Hm. Of course, I could add an additional border (there’s a pieced border outside of the setting triangles), to make it a twin size topper.

I’ll have to ask Seth if he’d like it larger, since it’s a house-warming gift for him.

Oh, and here’s a picture (which I’ve posted before) of the front of the pattern package. I must say that, although I like the design very much, I don’t much care for the instructions. I had to sit down and puzzle them out, and I’m not at all an inexperienced quilter: a beginner would have quite a few problems, even though this is a fairly simple design.

Saddam never supported or encouraged terrorists!

Oh, yes, he damn well did.

With an opener like this...

The mainstream U.S. media outlets have failed to report a major terrorist plot against the U.S. - because it would tend to support President Bush's use of NSA domestic surveillance, according to media watchdog groups.

News of a planned attack masterminded by three Algerians operating out of Italy was widely reported outside the U.S., but went virtually unreported in the American media.

... you know you've got to go read the whole article!

(HT to the Anchoress)

T. K. O!!!!

Total knock-out!

McQ over at QandO Blog sent me over to Victor Davis Hanson's, which published a letter from LTC John M. Kanaley on December 31, titled "Straight from the front: A letter to war detractors."

Oh. My. Gosh! Go read it, read it now, read it in full, read it again, and then re-read it. Did I say "read it"? Yes, I did! Here's some little tid-bits:

... Nobody questioned President Franklin Roosevelt's strategy by saying we needed to pull out of World War II because he did not foresee the intensity of the Japanese on the South-Pacific islands. There was no doubt about fighting the Germans, even though they did not attack the U.S. Absent were the calls that President Woodrow Wilson engage in self-defeating reflection by apologizing for the brutality of trench-warfare. General George Washington held firm over a period of seven years in his overall strategy, despite early defeats. Yet, they all believed in what was right and their persistence proved successful. The fight for freedom is a relatively recent phenomenon, therefore, it is not widely accepted and it is a difficult process. ...

Never has a nation invaded another for the purpose of improving the style of government in the occupied land, while simultaneously respecting the lives and resources of the people. Naturally, there is a self-serving national security concern that is the overriding issue; however, the American military truly believes that it is also improving the lives of the Iraqi people. After three successful elections never before witnessed in this part of the world, American service-members have much to be proud of.

However, you portray the war as an imperialistic adventure along the lines of Napoleon. As Camillus saved Rome, you play the role of a present day Manlius. Envious of success, along with a desire to contradict the President at every opportunity, you conduct yourselves in ways that reflect your self-centered, degraded pursuit of power. How shallow it must be to sacrifice the honor of the American military and all of its accomplishments in Iraq at the altar of the 2006 and 2008 elections. ...

Remember, three successful elections within one year with turnout rates that would make all democracies envious. Despite your efforts to the contrary, the American spirit will allow us to win. We will win the war. We will win militarily. We will win politically. The Iraqis will win their freedom. Our country is more secure, the Middle-East is more peaceful, and the world is more stable. Regardless of your attempts to undermine the historic mission in Iraq, the American people have much to be proud of in their military and in the accomplishments to spread freedom to the darkest corners of the world.

Oh, yeah! I sure hope that Congressman Murtha reads this, catches a clue, and decides to honorably get the hell out of the MSM limelight!

What a legacy to leave!

Some of the miners who died in the Sago Mine accident left messages for their families:

"I love you" [source]

The New York Times publishes the note from Martin Toler, Jr., to his family, adding that

"Word of Mr. Toler's note and similar ones from other miners, who were found dead late Tuesday in the wake of an unexplained explosion, offered a coda, at once heartbreaking and consoling, to the emotional maelstrom of the past four days."

What an inspiring thing to do, in such dire straits. The miners knew they might lose their lives, and apparently the first thought several of them had was to reassure their families. Ladies, and gentlemen, that is heroism! (HT to Jerry)

As always, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of these men, as well as with Randal McCloy, Jr., as he recovers from this terrible ordeal.

Additionally, Don Surber points to an article in the Charleston Daily Mail, which reports that

"International Coal Group is contributing the first $2 million to the fund and will also absorb all of the administrative expense," Ross said. "As a result of that, 100 percent of any contributions will go and will be distributed among the aggrieved families."

People who wish to contribute to the fund may do so by calling toll-free (800) 811-0441 or (212) 826-2174.

OK, definitely time to get him off the air

I've been fairly lenient with Pat Roberston lately - a lot of his publicised gaffs could have been misinterpreted, and one in particular (hey, Hugo!) might even have been deserved although hardly Christian.

But when I hear him infer imply (thanks for the correction, David!) that Mr. Sharon's stroke is a judgement from God for "dividing His land," I pretty much want to puke. Mr. Robertson should be taken off the air and should issue a very public apology.

CBN has quite a few ministries under its wing which do good work, yet will probably be damaged by Mr. Robertson's statement, for one... But, more importantly, while the point about God's displeasure at dividing His land may be accurate, there is absolutely no excuse for linking that to Mr. Sharon's illness! This is not Christian behavior, and there were probably a zillion other ways for Mr. Robertson to get his point about the land across without implying that Mr. Sharon's stroke was an act of God.

May I remind Mr. Robertson that the whole earth is under the judgement of God already? May I remind him that we are all sinners who deserve the wrath of God falling on our heads? May I yet again remind him that it is only by God's grace and mercy that any of us escape His eternal judgementIt is only by God's grace and mercy that any of us escape His eternal judgement? Our attitude as Christians should be humble gratitude and joyous thanksgiving, not harsh and unfeeling judgement. I certainly could make the case that God permitted 9/11 as a judgement upon America, but I would not dream of doing so, since I don't presume to know the details of God's plan and since it would serve to drive people away from Him and His grace. Mr. Robertson's error is in a similar category.

I do not have a problem - at all! - of proclaiming Biblical truth, and I acknowledge that that truth often seems harsh to an unbelieving world. I understand that God's ways are not our ways, and because of that He is often blamed for evil, when events are simply the result of a sin-cursed world. However, there is a certain tact one must display as a Christian, especially in front of non-ChristiansThere is a certain tact one must display as a Christian, especially in front of non-Christians, even when pointing out sin and the ultimate consequences. Mr. Robertson is failing, left-right-and-center, at displaying that tact.(And I'm not even going to bother going into his eschatology...) As Christians, we are to "speak the truth in love." Mr. Robertson may have spoken truth, but he has done so in such a way as to smear the Name of Christ.

The veracity of Mr. Robertson's faith is certainly known by God - but I must admit to having some serious doubts. As I said, CBN should take him off the air, and he should publish a very public apology to Mr. Sharon, Mr. Sharon's family, and to Christians everywhere for failing so spectacularly at honoring his Lord and Savior and bringing glory to His Name.

Wrestling

Driving back home today after dropping the Darling Munchkin off at school, I was listening to Victory FM, the local Christian station, and two songs came on which really touched my heart.

The first was a well-known hymn, sung by the group Avalon: "My Jesus, I Love Thee" -

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight;
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

That second line, "for Thee all the follies of sin I resign," just about stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me that - after all Jesus has done for me - I haven't been a very good disciple to Him. I've failed Him in many, many ways, and yet His grace abounds to me lavishly each and every day. How often I've dismissed His gentle reminders, and ignored His commands!

It's certainly not a comfortable thought, especially after the "high" of completing the Christmas Series.

The second song was "Until," sung by Mark Harris of 4HIM (a group I really love) on his solo debut album, The Line Between the Two. You can hear a sample of the song at that Amazon link, but the lyrics of the chorus got me:

Until this mountain moves,
Until the path is clear,
Until Your voice
Is the only one that I can hear

And, unfortunately, I didn't get the second half of it (drat). But the song talks about waiting on God and His timing. Many people, including some Christians, think that waiting on God is a passive thing, but the sense I got from this song was more active. It takes determination, perseverance and dedication to wait on God. We often don't understand His timing or His plan, and we want things done right now.

But we forget that His goal is not to make our lives easy, but to make us holy as He is holy. His ultimate purpose of displaying His Glory is accomplished in part by conforming us to the image of His Son.

*sigh*

I'm not very much like Jesus.

Yet, I must remember not to be discouraged. I have God's promise that He will complete His work in me, and God's promises never fail.

So, I need to be patient, yes - but I also need to buckle down and do some work.

OK, Lord, here we go again: Is this the thousanth or the millionth chance You're giving me? Thank You so much for Your love and forgiveness... And feel free to keep smacking me upside the head until I "get" it!

An interesting question...

The Red Stater and Shaun Kenney both point out this post over at Virginia Centrist, which asks

But this still begs the question: Why are Virginia's conservative bloggers more socially libertarian than the rest of the state? I'm not trying to claim that they support gay marriage or abortion rights. I'm just saying that for most VA Conservative bloggers, social issues are not at the forefront of their focus. They usually say "live and let die."

CR UVA (Red Stater) offers this in VC's comments

I have found that socially conservative people generally vary widely in how they work. I am sure you are aware that I am a social conservative, as well as an economic conservative and a strong supporter of our military. A number of other social conservatives are as well, but many that I know can be a bit more liberal in their economic views, as well as more pacifistic and more concerned with the environment. Yet, many of those social conservatives stay out of politics, feeling either that it is too divisive or it does not include them (I have told them many times that I do not feel that a third party can be successful, at least not in this decade). For that matter, many of those social conservatives spend most of their time in the leadership of religious groups. This is just speculation, but perhaps this may be common among many other social conservatives.

And Shaun lists the three hot points of pro-life issues, gay marriage, and prayer in school (excellent commentary, BTW, you ought to read it) and then says this

So why haven't we been addressing them? I think it's a question of first things. Note that not a single one of the solutions I have proffered involves the interference of big government. In fact, they subsist in the de-evolution of functions traditionally held by society and confiscated by socialist-minded government-cures-all types.

VC posed a very good question, and certainly received excellent responses.

As for me, well, I suppose my reasoning is pretty self-serving, I'm ashamed to say. Most of the people I associate with on-line tend to focus on politics and current affairs with only the occasional dip into these issues, and I usually follow along. It's what we discuss, rant about, and rally around - and there is certainly no shortage of topics and headlines!

Secondly, I confess to a sort of cowardice: pro-life issues in particular are very near and dear to my heart, and it is sometimes hard to post on the subject and have some serious leftist nutcase come on over and spew all over my comment section. I've been blogging for over a year, now, and I'm far better than I was about stuff like this, but I admit to still having a fairly thin skin on some issues. Not exactly a great public image to have, I agree, but - hey, it's an honest assessment. Maybe 2006 will be the year I work on that.

Finally, there are some issues - like gay marriage, for instance - with which I profoundly disagree, and which I'll campaign against. But in the end, if it is properly voted on by the people (e.g. not forced upon the citizens by an activist court) and passed, well, fair's fair. I don't have much problem with people doing whatever in private, so long as it doesn't reach out and disrupt the whole community and harm my family. Keep it off the streets, and out of my eyesight (and no, I'm not planning on peeking in your windows), and I'm pretty laid back about a whole host of issues.

Is that somewhat contradictory? Yeahsureyoubetcha! Welcome to my life. And, I suppose that it makes me some odd, esoteric mix of an evangelical social libertarian conservative Republican, but - trust me - it doesn't even come close to a split personality.

Except when it does.

Tragedy upon tragedy

Via FoxNews - and several of my blog-buddies - Eleven of Twelve Missing Coal Miners Believed to Be Alive Found Dead.

Families learned of the deaths from mine officials more than three hours after Gov. Joe Manchin said he had been told 12 of the miners survived the disaster. The sole survivor of the disaster was hospitalized, a doctor said.

Just before I went to bed last night, I had been rejoicing at the news that twelve men had been found alive. Now, I mourn with the families who have lost their loved ones. How terrible it must be to go from such joy and relief to stunned disbelief and heartbreak!

Somebody sure as hell screwed up in the information chain...

Blueberry double-fudge with sprinkles

... or, "How many seams can I force into place?" (hence the "double fudge" reference)

So, I've finally gotten this quilt top finished. I'm not going to add a border to it: I think it looks just fine like it is. I will use an antique red for the binding, and I have a nice flannel in my stash that I think I'll use for the back - assuming I have enough!

This top is, oh, I dunno... Seventy-five inches square? Certainly enough for a Queen topper, anyway!

(Pictures below the fold....)

Kitty garage!

OK, it's a quilt top... But Smudge parked herself right inside!

(And, if you view the next post, you'll see the quilt top she hid in...)