Oh glorious love of Christ my Lord Divine,
That made Him stoop to save a soul like mine;
Through all my days and then in Heaven above,
My song will silence never, I'll worship him forever,
And praise Him for His glorious love.
("Oh Glorious Love" by the Talley Trio)
Make sure you go on over to Vivian Paige's today to post a question, because Virginia's Attorney General, Bob McDonnell, will be liveblogging there tonight. This is an excellent chance to get a look inside the legal workings of Virginia, and to get the AG answering questions about current policies and plans for public safety and homeland security issue, among other topics. Several questions have already been posted, so go on over and contribute!
Fresh from the wild, whacky and wonderful time we had are all the posts about the Blog Conference I could find... since very few people actually submitted them to me. [stern look at all those people whose arms I twisted - what? I wasn't charming about it?? LOL]
Friday night, at the Chatmoss Country Club, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Bill Bolling, spoke to the attending bloggers. After a light hearted introduction - which included a hearty endorsement of Bob McDonnell for a second term as Attorney General - LG Bolling concentrated on the challenges that Virginia currently faces.
At the end of his speech, he very kindly gave this novice interviewer a few minutes of his time, so I asked him a few questions about what he and his wife do for entertainment - after all, politicians are people, too! That file (in .wma format) is at the end of this post. The LG was very gracious and suffered my fluff questions very kindly. He is an excellent speaker, and an engaging man. He focused his attention on me, and gave no indication of impatience or condescension, so I must give him the back handed compliment of being a wonderful "training wheels" interviewee, LOL
I also need to extend my thanks again to Jim Hoeft of Bearing Drift for the loan of his microphone, as well as all the encouragement and tips he gave on podcasting. He's very enthusiastic about this medium, and very graciously offered his assistance on any questions or problems any of us had. Thanks, Jim - you're a prince among men!
Ah, finally a little time to gather my thoughts about Martinsville and then start writing about it.
First, of course I must begin by thanking Alton, Anne, and Mary for all their hard work. Things went very smoothly, and it was obvious they'd put a lot of thought and effort into the whole conference. BRAVO!!!
Barnie Day was an excellent M.C., even though he wasn't feeling tip-top. I really hope that his health improves some, because he is a very gracious and kind man, and I'd like to get to know him better. He also gave out his book, Notes from the sausage factory, which is an insider's look at the workings of the Virginia Congress. Barnie is a talented writer, so I'm very much looking forward to being richly entertained as well as educated!
My deep gratitude must also go out to the Conference's corporate sponsor, Smith River Community Bank. This generous bank put up some money to help defray the cost of the conference, no strings attatched. However, proper courtesy and gratitude require me to extend my personal thanks - I hope that someone who reads the Virginia blogs and sees this mention goes on in to the bank to see what they have to offer!
Steve Sisson, the Blue Dog, was also there and I got to chat with him more than I had at Sorenson. He's a riot! You've got to watch him closely, though, or he'll get in a little sly remark that you might miss ;-) He was also gracious enough to give me a copy of his book, Adventures in Warnerland, about his experiences in Virginia politics with Mark Warner, our previous governor. I'm sure it will be a great read, if it's got anything close to Steve's personal style.
*sigh* More for my pile of books-I-gotta-read. But these two, of course, will go to the top, and will be the next books I crack open. Make sure you bug me about them, 'cause I really am going to need to post my thoughts and impressions so these two excellent people will get some positive - I'm sure! - feedback.
Here is another transcript of one of my Sunday Thoughts shows on Wide Awakes Radio. This one aired on the 23rd of July, I think. Of course, the actual show doesn't follow this transcript exactly, but it's pretty close.
So, I hope you read and enjoy it!
Thank you so much for tuning in again today to "Sunday Thoughts with Kat." Today, we're going to talk a little bit about being tired and frustrated with all the busyness of our lives, and one of the main things God wants us to do about it.
I'd like to tell you about a friend of mine named Jody. I met her through my association with the Ladies of the Cotillion, but I've never met her in person. Just recently, she started a new blog with her friend Wendy, called GodDivas. Her first post, "the Thought" has this wonderful paragraph:
"First of all, you don't have a random 'higher power'. You have a father, a comforter, a redeemer, a merciful God and a friend to help you. Jesus is not just an abstract thought. Second of all, even if you pray to Jesus 25 hours a day or fast 8 days a week, you're not guaranteed anything but His love and mercy. So yes, everything will eventually be great in heaven. But that certainly doesn't mean there won't be a storm or two or an entire Florida Hurricane season in your path or in your daughter's path. Just know you've got God to hold on to and for Him to hold you when things get rough. And that's where your faith needs to be. Not in your 'instincts' or abilities as a parent but in Him and knowing that whatever you go through and whatever (your daughter) goes through, He will still be there."
Fantastic - Jody gets it! In all the turmoil and upheaval of our lives, we have a God Who is personal and caring, Who wants us to cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us.
So, before we begin, let us open in prayer:
Dear Father, we come before You today in worship and thanksgiving for Your love and mercy and grace. We know that You are a very present help in trouble, that You are our Rock and our Fortress amid life's turmoil. You are El-Shalom, the Lord our peace - and You bring the peace which passes all understanding. Help us, Lord, to abide in You and take Your strength for our lives. Help us, I pray, be still before You and listen for Your still, small voice.
Father, I pray yet again, that You open ears only to the Words that are true and right and according to Your Word. Remove my mistakes from the listeners' ears, so that You may be glorified in Spirit and in truth. And I pray with all humility that
... the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen!
The freeing of FOX correspondent Steve Centanni, 60, and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36, ends the longest-running drama involving foreign hostages in Gaza.
The two journalists were dropped off at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials. A tearful Centanni embraced a Palestinian journalist briefly as he entered, then rushed upstairs as Wiig followed.
Centanni, in a phone interview shortly after his release, said "I'm fine. I'm just so happy to be free."
He said he was so emotional because he was out and alive.
"There were times when I thought 'I'm dead,' and I'm not," Centanni said. "I'm fine. I'm so very happy."
Definitely a wonderful answer to prayer, and a perfect way to wake up rejoicing!
I am so glad that their families and friends can now celebrate the return of their loved ones, and I hope that Mr. Centanni and Mr. Wiig recover quickly from their ordeal.
Well, here I am after a busy day getting here to Martinsville, meeting up with Alton and Kilo, giving and getting hugs. I got settled in, changed for dinner, and then it was off to the Chatmoss Country Club for a delicious dinner. This is a smaller conference - for now! - than Sorenson was, but...
a lady from Virginia Beach Dems (to whom I *did* introduce myself, but I forgot her name - is it indeed Eileen? - I'll have to write it down tomorrow so I remember [rolls eyes at self]),
... oh, I know I forgot several people! Hopefully, I'll get some soundbytes for them pimping their blogs for the Virginia Blog Carnival on Monday. Speaking of the VBC, I was able to hand out several flyers to promote it - including to Lt. Gov. Bolling and his aide! - so I'm hoping for a jump in participation. I'll hand out more tomorrow...
Alton had honored me by requesting that I give the invocation, and then Will Vehrs got up and displayed his acute sense of humor. He presented Alton with the beautiful wall-hanging that the Red Queen made. RQ, of course, came all the way down from Pennsylvania for this, and I am so gratified that she was able to spend a couple days with me before we came over for the conference.
Lt. Gov. Bolling was introduced by Barnie Day, and spoke well. He also granted me a brief interview just before he left (very brief, and NOT on politics, LOL), but I'll write that post up tomorrow, 'cause it's almost midnight, and I'm TIRED!!!
So far, it's been lots of fun - kinda sorry I didn't stay longer at the Pajama Party - and tomorrow will be full of interesting people and subjects. THerefore, I'm signing off, and I'll see y'all tomorrow!
RightBump.com has launched its beta version, with the intent to launch in full on September first. Ron Williams, its owner/manager, is planning to use RightBump to promote conservative news stories and posts which may have been lost among all the LameStream Media hype.
I've just signed up with the 2996 Project to commemorate one of the fallen from September 11th.
On the fifth anniversary of the atrocity committed against America, we will celebrate the lives of those who died on that day. Instead of glorifying the barbaric terrorists who murdered so many, we will remember the lives and the heroism of each person who died.
I have been blessed to remember and honor Timothy A. Roy, a Sergeant with the NYPD.
The Project still need around 500 more bloggers to complete this tribute to each and every person who was killed that terrible day. Please consider going over and signing up. You will need to do some of your own research, but the Project is well organized, and your honoree's information will come up with Google, About, Ask, MSN, etc., links to assist you.
Make sure you get your entries in to the Virginial Blog Carnival this week! I'll be hosting the Carnival, and I'm planning on having it up Monday evening - but, since I want to do something totally new for me, it may take until Tuesday.
You see, this weekend is also the Martinsville Blog Conference. I'll be taking a little digital voice recorder and trying to waylay as many of the attendees as possible. So, if you're going to be there, be ready to pimp your blog a little with a 4-6 sentence long blurb.
So make sure you track me down at the conference, and make sure you send in your posts for this week!
Yeah, yeah, I know... It's MS Live Windows, and I know I'm not really supposed to "do" the Microsoft thing, but RocketPost is pissing me off (perhaps the latest edition will finally be stable enough...), so I'm experimenting.
One of the wonderful ladies of the Cotillion, Mary Katharine Ham, who has blogged with Hugh Hewitt, and is now at TownHall.com (but isn't that sorta still with Hugh? But she's got her own pages, now... I'm so confused!), but recently was guest-blogging at Michelle Malkin's (my, this lady is talented; she gets around!)... stood in for Michelle in her "Vent" program at HotAir yesterday, and will return again today!
A peacemaker walks up to the left side of a line. A terrorist walks up to the right side of the line. The peacemaker introduces himself. The terrorist kills him.
A peacemaker walks up to the left side of the line. A terrorist walks up to the right side of the line. The peacemaker asks, "why did you kill my friend?" The terrorist kills him and rapes his wife.
A peacemaker walks up to the left side of the line. A terrorist walks up to the right side of the line. The peacemaker says, "Stop that!" The terrorist kills him, rapes his daughter and kills his wife.
The future of Stargate is in question today, as SCI FI Channel has cancelled the long-running Stargate SG-1, Multichannel News reported today and a GateWorld source has confirmed. The news regrettably follows the airing of the show's milestone two-hundredth episode on Friday.
Stargate Atlantis, meanwhile, has been renewed for a fourth season, with the network hoping to see that the spin-off series can stand alone, according to a source.
SG-1 has struggled in the ratings all summer, with the record-breaking tenth season premiering with a 1.4 household rating -- down more than 20 percent from last season's average. After a brief climb to a 1.6 in its second week, the show fell to a 1.3 in week four.
Man. I bet that Ben Browder and Claudia Black are pissed - this is the second show that's been cancelled on them (Farscape, anyone?), and it's certainly NOT because they're poor actors...
The two IDF reservists, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser have been held hostage by Hizbullah since their kidnap on July 12th, an incident that sparked a full-fledged war between Israel and Hizbullah in southern Lebanon.
"It appears that they are in good condition, but not great," said de Gregorio. "They are alive." He did not give further details, other than to say that Larijani told him that "he will ask Hizbullah to negotiate only with the Italians."
However, there is still one dark note:
A third soldier, IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit was abducted three weeks earlier by Hamas terrorists who attacked an IDF base at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt. His whereabouts remain unknown.
My prayers go out to the two rescued soldiers, for quick healing and peace of mind.
But for Cpl. Shalit, I lift my hands up to the Lord and earnestly plead for his safe return!
UPDATE: Ooops. In my enthusiasm about the soldiers being confirmed alive, I didn't read closely enough... Apparently, Italy will be negotiating for their release... But they HAVE been confirmed alive; perhaps this will give these hostages the protection of publicity in some small way.
A little game of Cat 'n' Mouse happened here at the CatHouse this morning. Pixel was in meatloaf position outside the hall closet, staring intently at the door. When I opened it up, she hurried inside and started nosing around my sandals. Smudge soon became interested as well...
The poor thing had taken up residence in the sandal, thinking it would be safe.
*sigh*
Evil Mom Kat dragged out the sandal, and the kitties had some morning entertainment.
Now, for those mousy-lovers, don't worry. Mousy was scared spitless, but the purrs never really touched him, and the DadCat finally picked him up and put him outside. So, Mousy is NOT currently residing inside the CatHouse in any way, shape or form.
Darn.
(UPDATE: GASP!!! That's the wrong video! Let me see if I can find and upload the right one...)
Here's your Monday morning wake-up ("WAKE UP, America!") video.
Mom showed me this when I was last down in Orlando, and one of my friends, Seth, just asked me a question which reminded me that I hadn't posted it. So - here it is:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Diamond Rio - "In God We Still Trust"
You place your hand on His bible, when you swear to tell the truth. His name is on our greatest monuments an' all our money too. An' when we pledge allegiance, there's no doubt where we stand: There's no separation, we're one nation under Him.
In God, we still trust here in America, He's the one we turn to every time the going gets rough. He is the source of all our strength, the one who watches over us. Here in America, in God, we still trust.
Now there are those among us, Who wanna push Him out. And erase his name from everything, This country's all about. From the schoolhouse to the courthouse, They're silencing His word, An' now it's time for all believers, To make our voices heard.
In God, we still trust here in America, He's the one we turn to every time the goin' gets rough. He is the source of all our strength, the one who watches over us. Here in America, in God, we still trust. Here in America, Here in America, Here in America, in God, we still trust. Here in America, in God, we still trust. Here in America
Dear Father, call us back to You. This glorious country was founded in prayer and love for You. We earned our freedom by Your power and Your grace. You have uniquely blessed us with a rich land; a wide, generous land teeming with variety and beauty. The work of Your hand is before us each and every day, and we rarely lift our hands in praise and thanksgiving.
Call us back to You, Lord! Send Your Spirit like a fire, and revive us again!
We got to the Crossings at the Dan at about 5:30 - the gates opened at 6 p.m., and the crowd was pretty big...
We met Kelly and her daughter, Heather, who had gotten tickets (GOOD ones! Seven rows back on the left side of the Pavillion) via the Dierks Bentley Fan Club. The Munchkin and Heather hit it off right away, and had fun visiting back and forth.
The gates opened right on time, and we went in with the crowd - who were mostly there for the unassigned lawn seating. Note to self: Next time, when you buy assigned seats, you can get there later... However, the lawn seating was very attractive: the venue is small and pretty intimate for headliners like Chris Cagle and Trace Adkins to visit (IMO - I'm used to bigger cities' stadiums).
As you can see, it's an open area, and the covered seating is relatively limited. However, it's very friendly-feeling: family oriented, casual crowd, and the ages ranged from 80-ish all the way on down.
Everyone knows I'm the hard workin' peace lovin' type I walk a thousand miles out of my way Just to keep from a fight Poke fun at the way that I talk Or this hat that I wear You can say what you want about me See if I care
But one slip of the tongue 'bout my God Or my mama Or this flag that I wear on my shirt You'll see a side of me man That I don't think you wanna Cause them there's fightin' words
Now don't get me wrong I've swapped skin now and then in my youth I was all for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth Now the older I get The less I wanna stand toe to toe But before you go runnin' your mouth I think you oughta know
That one slip of the tongue 'bout my God Or my mama Or this flag that I wear on my shirt You'll see a side of me man That I don't think you wanna Cause them there's fightin' words
Chevrolet or Ford The south or the north That ain't gonna get me worked up But I'll draw the line Everytime when it comes to the things that I love
So one slip of the tongue 'bout my dog Or my woman Or this country that I proudly serve You'll see a side of me man That you damn sure don't wanna Cause them there's fightin' words Yeah, them's fightin' words Ahh them's fightin' words, Hoss
(spoken)
Excuse me First amendment? Son, the first amendment protects you from the government Not from me You can say whatever you want to out there You come within reach of me I'll exercise my right to give you a good ol' country ass whoopin' Is what I'll do for you By God
Warning: NSFW - but extremely FUNNY! Oh, and liquid warning as well: do NOT have a beverage in your hands while watching. Surf safely, and keep your computer working properly!
I particularly like his, um, remarks to the UN... "Oh, I guess you better sanction me. Oh wait! You don't have an army, do you? Sanction me!"
(H/T tomy Cotillion sisters oops, not the Ladies of the Cotillion, but to my dear blog-brother Seth. My only excuse is... um, I *have* no excuse - sorry, Seth.)
... is ON! ... and he's HOT!(Geeze, these photos from my cell phone are... crappy! But, I've got - and hubby's got - MUCH better photos with our real cameras... I'll post 'em tomorrow...)
Yes, indeedy - there is a polar bear in Iraq, serving with the US Military! Make sure you go say hi, and read about all his exploits; he's a very cool ursine!
The Beloved Husband and I are taking the Darling Munchkin, and we're going to enjoy Chris Cagle, who is opening for Trace. Chris has lots of good songs: "Miss Me, Baby," "Laredo," "Country By the Grace of God," "Chicks Dig It," and so many others: he's going to be a great opener, especially since he's pretty much a headliner himself!
Trace, of course, will be singing several songs off is newest album Dangerous Man, most notably "Honky Tonk Badonkabonk." I'm sure he'll include past hits, like "Chrome," "I'm Tryin'," "Then They Do," "Don't Lie," "Every Light in the House Is On," "Songs About Me," and - I hope and PRAY - "Arlington."
And absolutely beautiful song!
Hm, and here's "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," since it's his most current hit:
It's a little raunchy for me, but - MAN! - what a bounce! Good, no-nonsense dancing music!!
While the United Nations is pushing for French troops to form the "backbone" of an international force in Lebanon, Paris is "cautious"about sending its military to help Lebanon's army take control of the south and disarm Hezbollah, Turtle Bay and French officials said yesterday. [link]
Oh, really? Fwance? "Cautious"?!
Several countries have offered troops for a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon but France, which agreed to head the force, has only committed a small amount of soldiers amid concern about the lack of clarity over the mandate. [...]
France took the diplomatic lead in drafting a UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah but has become increasingly concerned about the exact rules of engagement for the troops.
According to Le Monde, Paris wants "guarantees" for its soldiers and is worried it will face reprisals from Iran and Syria - supporters of Hezbollah. [emph. mine -- Kat][link]
Aw, poor widdle wannabes - they want to make sure they don't have to actually, um, you know, act like a military and face opposition! Apparently, fwance's definition of "military duty" is sitting around sipping fwench wine and having the ladies swoon over their spotless uniforms. God forbid that they should actually... fight!
I think the Marquis de Lafayette would be mortified...
I just watched this music video: Lindsay Haun singing "Broken," (UPDATE: lyrics here) from the soundtrack to Broken Bridges. Go watch it: the lyrics are wonderful, and Ms. Haun's voice is beautiful!
I think I'm going to have to see this movie (which stars Toby Keith... AND Burt Reynolds!) when it comes out on September 7th...
So, get your submissions in, than then run on over to PWC on Monday to enjoy the VA blogosphere!
The following week, August 28th, I will host the VBC here, and am hoping to make it a round-up of the Martinsville Conference. I *may* even get myself a little digital voice recorder, and do interviews.... (OK. I admit it. It's just an excuse to buy another gadget!)
(UPDATED below the fold, just for meathead. A few little things I've rounded up to show that knee-jerk responses aren't always wrong, and that he should find his backbone and reinstall it [assuming he ever had one]. As I said below: the terrorists are evil, and you do NOT negotiate with evil: YOU WIPE IT OUT!)
The ACLU has persuaded a federal judge (didn't take much, I'm sure) that the NSA wire-tapping program is un-Constitutional. Apparently, this judge has "a history of ignoring the law." [UPDATE: James Young reminds me in the comments that the language highlighted in the hyper link is... not accurate. OK. He's right. {Yes, and you can imagine me pouting, too, if you like.} I'm going to leave the link and those words, since they're the title of the post I linked to, but... *sigh* One instance does not a "history" make. Didn't I just go through that on another topic? Yikes. I was wrong to do this, and offer my apologies.]
Oh, and she was nominated by Jimmah Cah-tuh. Jimmah, of course is the soul of determination and steely eyed resolve, willing to track down injustice, and ready to stand up to murdering... Oh. Wait a minute. Wrong Jimmah.
The left is going to get us all killed by the terrorists. They are systematically hunting down and destroying all our tools and programs to track these bloodthirsty, murderous, insane barbarians (may they be buried in pig offal and urinated on by Jews) and kill them before the barbarians kill more of us.
Either that, or they're desperate to become dhimmi slaves, cowed by the threat of being beheaded because of some fatwa-crazy imam.
These people are not US citizens. These people want to kill US citizens. These people hate our society, our culture, our wealth, and our freedom. As far as I am concerned, as long as they hold this intolerant, militant, and murderous ideology, we should never consider allowing them ANY of the rights in our Founding Documents.
None.
They are evil, and you do NOT negotiate with evil: you wipe it out.
The left hasn't been able to brainwash all those attending major universities. One individual who sees through the lies propagated by political correctness and multiculturalism is Brandon T. Stanley.
Brandon, who has written No God But Allah, an as-yet unpublished novelized biography of Muhammad, graciously allowed me to publish one of his essays, "A Step Forward":
**snip**
"In one of the most famous, or in recent theological debates rather infamous, events in the Old Testament, Moses is told by Yaweh that Israel will inherit the land of the Canaanites. Yahweh does call for war, he tells the Israelites to show no mercy. Not because Israel is moral, not because it is great, not for Paradise or to avoid Hell, but because the Canaanites were evil. Tradition relates that the Canaanite practiced forms of human sacrifice. Moses died and the scepter passed to Joshua. In a series of brutal campaigns, Joshua subdued and destroyed many of the cities of the Canaanites, depopulating them utterly. Thus was Canaan defeated, and the worship of Baal lessened.
"The tale was largely taken as a Jewish Jihad, as an uprovoked attack upon peaceful peoples. The tales of the perverse nature of Canaanite worship were called slanders and tall tales. That is until, like always, Bible skeptics were hit with archaelogical evidence. Ugarit Epics were found which told tales of perverse deities who tortured men for fun, and of gods whoese care was not for men but for themselves. It told tales of deities, the moon-deity Baal foremost among them, who demanded human blood.
"The Canaanite deities were strikingly similar to today's Allah, to the reincarnation of the terrible Mesopotamian gods. The mode of sacrifce today has a new name, that of Jihad, and the followers still place their children upon altars, albeit ones of a more explosive type...."
The actress, joined by 84 other high-profile Hollywood stars, directors, studio bosses and media moguls, has taken out a powerfully-worded full page advertisement in today's Los Angeles Times newspaper.
It specifically targets "terrorist organisations" such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine.
"We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas," the ad reads.
"If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die.
"We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs."
I'm curious as to why her name is in the headline. Not to be snarky: I was simply wondering if this was her brainchild. If so, then Brava!
And then, of course, the cynic in me is wondering what
"We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs."
really means to most of the names included in this ad...
Thanks to my fellow Lady of the Cotillion, Beth of Blue Star Chronicles, we see this charming video of how Islamic cultures can indoctrinate their children.
Warning: **NOT** for the faint of heart!
Anything even a tenth as horrific as this sort of behavior would get parents locked up for abuse in most "civilized" countries.
And people wonder why I'm such a strong advocate of taking care of this problem PERMINANTLY. I would prefer not to use the ultimate recourse, but if these crazy murderers keep pushing and pushing and pushing...
Implying that Sen. George Allen a racist for this?
At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb "macaca." During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was "going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas" and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd.
"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen said, "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror." (emphasis mine)
Taken in context - even with an excerpt from the Washington Post, which is hardly a friend of conservatives - Sen. Allen obviously misunderstood/misremembered/messed up Mr. Sidarth's name. He probably remembered that is was an Indian (as in India) name, but couldn't remember exactly, and improvised.
I watched the video embedded with the WaPo article, and my opinion hasn't changed. Sen. Allen didn't know Mr. Sidarth's name, exactly, and he came up with an off-the-cuff improvisation that sounded generally like what he thought it was. I personally have done that zillions of times!
For all the fuss about NotLarrySabato, the more I read, the less I am impressed. This is a manufactured tempest in a teacup.
He used a word that sounds like a racial slur, yes, but that doesn't mean that he meant it that way. The video plays MUCH kinder to Allen than the transcript reads, and the footage makes the Senator look downright playful. He looks into the camera. Allen is many things, but he is not politically stupid, especially on the stump. If he knew the phrase he was using was an ethnic slur, there is no way he makes the comment when he knows he is on camera.
But then, he reminds Sen. Allen's supporters
...just because he didn't mean it in a racist manner doesn't mean that it's OK to yawn this off, or to blame the story on the left-wing bloggers who broke it or the media that ran with it once it broke. The fact of the matter is, he said something that could be interpreted as racist. [...]
The end story - Allen said something that, in retrospect, can be interpreted as fairly offensive, though there is very little to suggest that it was intended that way. Democrats are overreacting. Republicans are underreacting. And the overall impact on the election will be pretty much nil.
It is pretty clear, at least to me, that Allen is good naturedly ribbing a guy who is following him around and harassing him. The reason for him being singled out is not because the Webb volunteer, is non-white, but rather because the guy is following Allen around, unwanted, trying to catch him on film in an embarrassing incident.
So, the Allen campaign should say, "Oh, sorry - Sen. Allen simply couldn't remember Mr. Sidarth's name. It was unfortunate, but certainly unintentional, that his improvisation was apparently an insulting name. We extend our apologies to Mr. Sidarth, and promise to get his name right the next time Sen. Allen mentions him."
UPDATE: Jon Henke offers some common sense, Sophrosyne weighs in, but Greg Tinti has the killer comment: "For someone that is typically derided as, er, not that worldly, Sen. George Allen is sure being given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his knowledge of really obscure ethnic slurs."
Greg also points to the YouTube Video, now also posted here:
And, for those of you Shocked! Shocked, I say! about the "Welcome to America" comment, Greg has this to say:
But again, if you watch the clip carefully, prior to making the "America" remark, Allen says that his opponent is "living inside the beltway" and thus seems to be implying by the "America" remark that the real America is found outside the beltway-coincidentally, exactly where Allen's event happens to be convening. It's not exactly an uncommon reference from politicians, after all.
Puzzles, puzzles, puzzles - and more puzzles! You can choose puzzles sets from 6 to 247 pieces, you can have the classic puzzle piece, Euros, six pointed stars... light bulbs...! They have dozens and dozens of pictures, and since you can change the number and shape of the pieces, each puzzle has about twenty different versions...
Warning, warning! Danger, Will Robinson!!
I've been playing since Sunday... Oh, well, at least it's more interesting than Free Cell or Spider Solitaire...
Ace had a fantastic post yesterday, titled "Had Enough?" that is excellent! (I really think I'm going to have to add a new category: "Must Reads")
There is too much equivocation about terrorism. There is too much protection of hate-preachers and actual terrorists. There is too much coordination with the terrorists' message of the day. There is too much support, active support or the sorter sort of moral support, for the terrorists in Muslim communities.
You guys had better get your shit under control, pronto. Because the American Street is growing very angry indeed.
You wouldn't like the American Street when it's angry.
Do you not realize that, due to our compassion, openness, and commitment to tolerance, we have lost more than 3000 lives, spent billions on security measures and unprecendentedly humane military interventions, seen hell wreaked on our economy, and have seen our lives disrupted and inconvenienced and just made generally poorer overall?
At what point do you think the limits of compassion, openness, and commitment to tolerance are reached? Do you imagine our virture -- or weakness, as you would have it -- in this regard is infinite?
Well, I have been wanting my own pet troll for awhile, and meatbrain is the only one so far that I've found. As trolls go, he's not bad, although he does tend to get rather repetitious and boring after a bit. However, I wanted a troll, and this appears to be the one God has chosen to give me.
I really rather like God's sense of humor at times...
Now, as my friends know, I banned meatbrain yesterday after his intransigence on this thread. Unfortunately, this caused him to go on over to Rocinate's Burdens, the author of the first of the two articles I quoted, and I really don't want to inconvenience Roci with this little... bundle of sweetness and light. And therefore, I lifted his ban, and told him he was allowed back here.
After all, I'm going to buy stock in bleach and antibiotics - I ought to rake in a fortune!
However, since we are all civilized people here, I'm going to outline the Rules of Engagement for mocking meatbrain.
First and foremost - meat never gets to link to his blog here. His trackbacks are not allowed, he may not add hyperlinks to his blog in his comments, and I will never actively link to him in a "Mocking meatbrain" post. Ever.
Secondly, meat will be restricted to (oh, I'm feeling generous) three questions per thread. He may not rephrase, he may not add, and he may not ask questions on another topic. Three questions, three questions only, and they must remain exactly as he originally writes them on the thread.
Thirdly, meat must answer at least one question for every two comments he posts. He may even choose to answer one of his own questions, I don't care. But, for the conversation to progress and be productive, meatbrain must answer questions, too.
Fourthly, I promise I will not edit meatbrain's comments except a) to remove any profanity (but, to his credit, I don't recall that's he's ever used it), b) to remove embedded URLs breaking Rule One, or c) to add any pithy comments I feel like - but I will make it quite clear that they are my remarks and not meatbrain's.
Now, for my dear blog-friends and myself, these are our rules:
First, no ad hominem attacks. You (my blog family and I, of course) may not call meatbrain a moron, an idiot, a fathead, an a**hole (remember my Rules for Chatting in the CatHouse), etc. However, you may criticize his actions, statements, and attitudes all you like. No swearing, of course. But, while you cannot say "meatbrain is a moron," you CAN say, "meatbrain, your statement is moronic." Oh, and needless to say, threats of physical violence are not allowed. meatbrain is of a delicate nature, and would never dream of engaging in fisticuffs. Even mild insults tend to send him into a tizzy. Poor baby.
Second, you may ask him all the questions you like, but please keep them relatively impersonal. I really do not want to know the details of meatbrain's private life; my stomach isn't that strong. Feel free to repeat the question as often as you like, certainly you may accuse him of evading it, and of course you may switch gears entirely in the middle of the argument - even if everything goes hopelessly off topic. I realize this may mean that meatbrain's original three questions may never be answered, but - hey! - that's life sometimes. Too bad.
Thirdly, in the comments on "Mocking meatbrain" posts, you may choose to simply ignore him and talk about the weather, or what you had for dinner last week, or the movie you saw last night, or the vacation you're planning next month - I don't care. You might even take a stab at reading his mind (although I'm not certain there's much there - "See Dick run" is probably as sophisticated as it gets), or maybe you'd like to speculate on his fashion sense (or lack thereof), his eating habits, his profession (now remember, he's got a tender ego - don't be mean!), or his dating success. However, remember rules one and two for us, all right?
Finally, we will all agree to never ever EVER visit meatbrain's links if a) they link to his blog, b) they're a "tiny URL" type link, or c) we don't feel like it.
There, I think that about takes care of it. I think these rules are entirely fair and reasonable, don't you? I may add to them or tweak them as I get suggestions from my friends, but I think these will do for now.
Rule the Third: All opposing opinions are welcome, as long as they are in conformity to Rules One and Two. If you really want to try to persuade me to your point of view, use well-reasoned arguments supported by documentation from places other than the Democratic Underground and other places infested by Barking Moonbats on Speed(tm). Please remember that I am like most people: coaxing me works far better than beating me over the head.[...]
Finally, I reserve the right to interpret any of these rules to mean whatever I choose, and may at any point revise, retract, or remove them at my whim.
A friend of mine has just purchased BlogSoldiers, and is encouraging new sign ups. So, if you'd like to get more traffic on your blog, go on over and sign up! It's free - or, if you don't have time to surf, you can buy credits.
Ms Underestimated has also dug up the beginnings of a new odiferous cesspool of snide and insane gloating over at the DU, but you can visit via her post, and not here. Eeew.
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement calling for their release.
"We are gravely concerned about our colleagues' safety and call for their immediate and unconditional release," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "These are well established journalists who are not participants in the conflict. They should be treated accordingly and freed."
Well, guys, don't forget, you're dealing with spoiled, intractable, murderous barbarians, so it really shouldn't be surprising that they'd pull a boneheaded move like this. One of my sisters in the Cotillion mentioned that the Paleoswinians have a history of catch-whine-release for journalists, but you never know with these nutcases.
Nothing on FoxNews as of yet, but they may be enforcing a news blackout, so as not to encourage future kidnappings in pursuit of publicity.
UPDATE: TelChai Nation has an excellent round-up of bloggers posting on this.
My poor purr... She's been very listless, especially since yesterday. She even let me pick her up and snuggle her today, without her usual "Gee, Mom, I know you love me, but do you HAVE to pick me up?!" protest. Well, I know when something's wrong!
She's snuggled up next to me now, most mousey-quiet (which is unusual in itself), and we'll go down to the Vet in about an hour.
My poor 'Nuggle 'Mudge... I hope it's nothing serious...
UPDATE: Fortunately, it appears to be nothing more serious than a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics twice a day for my poor pitty purr! But she was so good for the vet. She's such a good kittipurr.
The Virginia Blog Carnival is up and running - and with sound!
Make sure you go right on over for the first ever VBC podcast, hosted with grace and talent by Jim Hoeft of Bearing Drift. Excellent job, Jim! Thank you so much, and thanks for such a novel way of hosting the Carnival!
By now, if one watches the news. one has heard about CAIR's objections to the term "Islamic fascists." But that's not the only terminology to which CAIR objects.
**snip from CAIR's web site**
"The use of ill-defined hot button terms such as 'Islamic fascists,' 'militant jihadism,' 'Islamic radicalism,' or 'totalitarian Islamic empire,' harms our nation's image and interests worldwide, particularly in the Islamic world...."
**end snip**
Mustn't insult Islam, you know. **snerk**
How about a little analysis of CAIR's statement? Read it here and see through the obfuscation.
The Americans are prepared to use force in pursuit of what they regard as noble aims. It is yet another respect in which they are rather old-fashioned. They are patriots who venerate their nation and their flag.
The idea has somehow gained currency in Britain that America is an essentially peaceful nation. Quite how this notion took root, I do not know. Perhaps we were unduly impressed by the protesters against the Vietnam war.
It is an idea that cannot survive a visit to the National Museum of American History in Washington, where one is informed that the "price of freedom" is over and over again paid in blood.
The Americans' tactics in Iraq, and their sanction for Israel's tactics in Lebanon, have given rise to astonishment and anger in Europe. It may well be that those tactics are counter-productive, and that the Americans and Israelis need to take a different approach to these ventures if they are ever to have any hope of winning hearts and minds.
But when the Americans speak of freedom, we should not imagine, in our cynical and worldly-wise way, that they are merely using that word as a cloak for realpolitik. They are not above realpolitik, but they also mean what they say.
These formidable people think freedom is so valuable that it is worth dying for. (emph. mine - Kat)
Yes. We do.
In spite of all those people wailing about "The children! Oh, the children!" most Americans - and I believe this with all my heart - really believe in right and wrong. And most Americans look at the atrocities of Islam and its nurturing of terrorism with hard, stern eyes - and hate it with all their hearts.
We are a free people - we owe allegience to no king, no tyrannical religion, to no other man. We owe fealty only to the ideals of our country as written in our Founding Documents. We love liberty with all our passionate, unruly, undisciplined hearts - and we love it so intensely and recklessly that we want everyone under oppression to have the opportunity to be the captains of their own lives, just like us.
And so we look with stern eyes at barbarity, lawlessness and cruelty... and pick up our rifles... and march to war.
Hard Truth #1: We are not all entitled to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Only those of us who are willing to live in peace with our peaceful neighbors are. The rest can go back to that God-forsaken rat-infested third-world hell hole they came from and stay there till they die of an unnaturally short lifespan or some disease that could have been cured with an office visit in the USA. Home-grown enemies cannot be deported. They have to be executed, after very short prison stays, preferably in some sort of crushing-grinding death machine that hasn't been invented yet.
Hard Truth #2: Our enemies are easily identifiable. They come from a few countries, share a common religion and a common heritage. It is self-defeating to cling sloth-like to the Cold War civil rights era mantra that racial profiling is wrong. (2 of the 5 offered - go check out the rest! -Kat)
And then Roci offers some new rules -
Rule #1: No one has a right to live in the USA as a citizen or a visitor. Moslems need not apply. Moslems already here can be deported for anti-American behavior. Membership in CAIR qualifies. Moslems can visit Europe to let their hair down. We don't want them here.
[...]
Rule #5: Eject the UN from US territory. This was a conduit for communist spies and agents during the Cold War and is doing the same thing for our islamic enemies now, most of them with diplomatic passports. There is no possibility of reforming them. They have never and will never achieve their chartered purpose. Continued USA participation in this organization is counter-productive. We do not need or want any more security council resolutions to back up the self-defense of western civilization.
Read the whole thing - it's truly and excellent post. I hop Roci submits it to the VBC this week.
But this is what our honor and scruples have forced us to, when faced with an enemy which has no honor or scruples - and never has.
"Then it is proven," I say. "It is our love of these innocents that endangers them. If we did not care if children died, they would be in little danger."
"That cannot be," she replies in anger.
"But it is so," I contest. "If we did not care if our children died, they would not be targets. There would be no reason to target them, because we would not be moved by their deaths.
"If we did not care if their children died," I add, "there would be no reason to clutter military emplacements with their presence. If it were not that we are horrified by the deaths of children, the enemy's children would be clear of all places of battle -- because they are, except for the fact that we love them, a hindrance."
Truly a chilling necessity - but it may be a chilling necessity similar to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: it may be that we must ruthlessly kill thousands, so that we may forever eradicate the murderous Islamo-fascist terrorists - and so that millions may finally live in peace and in freedom from oppression, tyranny and terror.
What have we had to come to? And how can we stir up the resolve and hardened "Git 'r' done" attitude which used to be the core - the backbone - of every American citizen?
After we have exterminated these vermin forever, after we have wiped out these vicious thugs that have forced us to do what we hate, after their bodies and their ideology have been reduced to their atomic particles - after all this, we can bind up our wounds, and in triumphant sorrow return home to mourn our methods.
Not before. As Grim says:
"Love should always rise, above war and fear and death. Love should always be first, and not last, in our hearts. It should never be that love brings wrong, and disdain brings right.
"And yet," I say, "It is. I have shown you that it is. That means we have moved into a time beyond human wisdom. We can no longer know the right. It is beyond us.
"We can only do," I must warn her, and you. "We can only do, and pray, that when we are done we may be forgiven."
Comedienne SANDRA BERNHARDT, close friend of Madonna, has threatened to fight new security measures at airports imposed after a terrorist attack on planes flying from the UK to the US was averted. [...] She tells the New York Daily News, "When I go to the airport and they try to take my MAC Plushglass away from me, it's going to be World War III!"
... yeah, I zoomed over from Ace's post and dipped my toe in the cesspool that is the DU. Blech! I really cannot understand how brains can be in such a state of degenerate mush, yet still direct fingers to type. No, I'm not going to quote any of the deranged paranoia - this is a CLEAN blog!
Fortunately, Ace redeems himself by linking to Dan Reihl's hilarious phone tap on a conversation between Karl Rove and Osama bin Laden... Choice, Dan - just bee-YOU-tee-ful!
The next Virginia Blog Carnival (August 14th) will very graciously be hosted by Jim Hoeft, at Bearing Drift (thanks so much, Jim!).
Make sure you get your entries in... which means I actually need to POST something so I can ENTER it... Yikes!
I also STILL need hosts! A Prince William Citizen is hosting on August 21st, and Craig Vitter on September 11th (oh, that's going to be an interesting one... five years since 9-11) , but everything else is wide open.
SooOOOOooooo... Please look at the schedule (Aug, Sept-Oct, Nov-Dec) and see when you would like to host.
Also of note; Blogsome (which hosts http://vablogcarnival.blogsome.com) is driving me absolutely nuts for some reason, so I'm going to switch over to the VBC page at BlogCarnival.com and use it exclusively starting in October. Doug, I reallyreallyREALLY need to thank you again for letting me know about BlogCarnival. I love it!!!
Friday night, at the 
I also need to extend my thanks again to Jim Hoeft of 
Ah, finally a little time to gather my thoughts about Martinsville and then start writing about it. 
Barnie Day
Steve Sisson, 
... oh, I know I forgot several people! Hopefully, I'll get some soundbytes for them pimping their blogs for the 
A little game of Cat 'n' Mouse happened here at the CatHouse this morning. Pixel was in meatloaf position outside the hall closet, staring intently at the door. When I opened it up, she hurried inside and started nosing around my sandals. Smudge soon became interested as well...
PREACH it, Trace!
