Right As Usual

I've long been a fan of Winston Churchill. Don't know quite why he captivates me, but he does. Maybe it's the way he flung himself into life. He had a dreadful childhood - a mother who wasn't fit to care for a kitten, and sexually promiscuous, as well, a father who went mad, due to the progression of syphilis he'd contracted in a mispent youth, and a poor school record (he was considered not very bright at school). He didn't whine about the unfairness of life, he just picked himself up and tackled life with a will to win. Although he trained as a soldier, his record on the battlefield is more remarkable during the years he acted as a war correspondent (he was captured during the Boer War, and escaped). He was right in the thick of things during that war, and, after, stood for Parliament. He was heavily involved in government and politics for the remainder of his life. There is much to criticize in his life. As First Lord of the Admiralty in WWI, he engine...

I have a request. I've noticed that the top 50 or so blogs keep getting mentioned on lists of favorites again and again. I'd like to ask everyone to write down their 5 favorite undiscovered (relatively so) blogs. Several rules: They can't have appeared on other favorite blogs lists They need to rank lower than Large Mammals - below that point, they're still lesser-known They have to post regularly - at least several times a week Currently active I just think a list like that would give some publicity to blogs that don't get much attention yet, but deserve a larger audience. If you want to post the above on your blog, great - the more this Undiscovered Favorites list circulates, the better. Either add your list to the comments, or email me . MY LIST Red Guy in a Blue State Eleven Day Empire Yeah, Right, Whatever - This blog is already on my blogroll Fred on Everything - He's irreverent, he's funny, and he's TOTALLY un-PC. The Mommy Blog - it's ...

Because I used to vote Democratic, I still receive mail from the DNC. Today's over-the-top message is about Social Security reform, and how "George W. Bush and his Republican cronies" (don'cha just love that word cronies - doesn't it just convey that smarmy note of back-room deals?) will destroy that hallowed American tradition - "guaranteed" benefits. From the official Social Security website Your Social Security Statement is a concise, easy-to-read personal record of the earnings on which you have paid Social Security taxes during your working years and a summary of the estimated benefits you and your family may receive as a result of those earnings. Yeah, notice that word "may" - they're not guaranteeing a thing. Worse, since I started working, they've come up with the Windfall Elimination Provision, which, as a teacher, affects me. I've read nearly every page on the SS site, and, for the life of me, I can't figure out wh...

I found mention of an important bill that needs your help on Blackfive . The bill would provide wounded servicemen/women with Traumatic Injury insurance, which would relieve the families of worry about finances while the wounded person recovers. It's retroactive to the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. Go there , and get the contact information.

I've been thinking about Viet Nam lately (I've been reading David Horowitz's "Radical Son"), and I've decided that those of us who were formerly leftists need to declare our own American Day of Complicity. It would be a day similar to Yom Kippur, when the Jews have a Day of Atonement, and reflect on their individual and collective sins. But this day would be specific to those of us who worked to end the war in Viet Nam, whether we rioted in the streets, accused returning vets of being war criminals, rooted for the Viet Cong to win, or, like me, just signed petitions and parroted the jackass opinions of the Fonda-Hayden-et al crowd. We would spend that day reflecting on how wrong we had been, the misery we had caused (to both our own soldiers and, ultimately, to the people of Viet Nam), and what we could do to make sure that the record was corrected in light of what we had learned since those days. This Friday, April 29th, marks the 30th anniversary of the Fa...

While avoiding housework mindlessly surfing catching up on the news this morning, I found reference to a correlation I hadn't been aware of: the high risk areas for HIV coincide with tribes who are uncircumcised. In Africa, it seems a man is much more likely to get HIV if he is uncircumcised. That's a correlation that is strictly limited to heterosexual transmission, BTW. If anyone has any further information about this link, please email me .

OUr Word and Welcome to It posts about the new Peggy Noonan WSJ article, about the excitement generated by the announcement of the new pope, Benedict XVI. Peggy Noonan shot to public attention when she served as a speechwriter for George Bush, and crafted the words "a thousand points of light". She later wrote the book "What I saw at the Revolution". The defining feature of Peggy (I hope she doesn't mind the use of her first name) is that she is a devout Catholic. When she writes about the Church and its people, she speaks with the voice of someone who loves them. With this article, she zeros in one why the funeral, conclave, and election of the new pope dominated the media's attention (and the world's) for such an unprecedented time. I've long been a fan of Mitchell and Judith Hadley's blog, Our Word and Welcome to It . I first read it when I stumbled across it on the list of Terri's Blogs . It's a must-read every day.

I've been thinking about the phrase "It takes a village to raise a child". I think it's totally wrong. A village can raise your child if you want the values of the village to overtake your own. Do you? Can you look around your neighborhood and say, Wow, I want my children to be just like them, and mean it? Even if you like your neighbors, and even if you would trust them to watch your children for a few hours, that doesn't mean that you agree with every one of their principles. Look at the larger village - would you want your child to be like the least moral, trashiest person in the town? That person, too, is part of the village. Just limit that village to the school your child attends - would you be comfortable with them acting like any given student or group of students? Would you want your child to be like the teens on TV? They, too, are part of the village. How about Jackass? Or The Real World? Or Fear Factor? The village extends further than you realize. ...

Thanks to An American Housewife , I found the Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred website. In one of their posts, they give some background info about the history of the Israel-Arab conflicts (some of this I knew, much was either new or presented in a different way than I had seen previously). For anyone born after 1960 or so, you need to read it. It's about that time that radicals began to distort the reporting of Israel's current events in a way that now makes it possible for college kids to call Israelis "Nazis" without thinking, and support those who do. I've been thinking - why is the US still pushing giving back the territories? Have the Arabs behaved in a way so as to make the Israelis think they might want to live in peace? No. Has the "Palestiine" civilization taken steps to use the money given it to start building a viable society, one that could survive without outside help? No. Has the school system they've had control over begun graduating ...

As a former Cleveland schools teacher, I'm often asked if the violence in the schools is as bad as rumored. Frankly, the answer is "it depends". At some schools, yes, it is. However, most of the time, it's not that bad. In the aftermath of some recent incidents that created bad publicity for the district, others have considered that same question. One of them is a current teacher in the district, Mary Beth Matthews, who writes the blog, Street Smarts . In it, she asks, What prevents teachers or building administrators from punishing students who behave inappropriately? This is a question that must be asked of teachers and administrators anonymously, otherwise the answers will be: "We always give appropriate attention to discipline problems." Many teachers already told Regina Brett the real answer to that question. High suspension and expulsion numbers look bad to the folks downtown. This begs another question; Why? A report detailing the numbers of stud...

Sometimes I wonder at the tactics of biased reporters, who try to keep within the grounds of truth, and yet convey a misleading picture of a story. I found the following in paragraph 2 of today's CNN story on the proposed change to the Senate rules. Internal GOP polling shows that most Americans don't support Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's plan to ban judicial filibusters -- a tactic in which opponents can prevent a vote on a nomination with just 41 votes in the 100-member Senate. From the above, and MOST of the rest of the story, those big, bad Republicans are trying to trample on a hallowed tradition, in direct opposition to the wishes of the American people. Pause for the stirring chords of "The Star-Spangled Banner". (Remember "Green Acres", when the New York lawyer would talk about the traditions of America, and the music would swell in the background?) OK, where was I? Oh, yes. The American people, and how their wishes should be respected, a...

On In The Bullpen , I found the link to this video , showing the survivor of a helicopter crash - a crash that was directly caused by the actions of Islamic Army in Iraq , who cold-bloodedly murdered the man (believed to be Belgian). Understand me, this was not the merciful shooting of a severely wounded victim, he was conscious, able to talk and walk, and was on his feet, testing out his mobility, when they abruptly opened fire. This is the 2nd half of the video - the murder is at the end of the segment. I do hope that the same people who scream for the prosecution of the soldier who killed a wounded man that he believed threatened him, will also push equally hard for the murderers of this poor man. Having one standard for the American soldier, and another for non-Caucasian terrorists that oppose us, is the essence of pukka sahib thinking. Those doing it clearly hold the opinion that the "brown brothers" of Kipling's writings don't have highly developed ethical aw...

I was reading Cut on the Bias this morning, and I found a gem that expresses something I'd been mulling over for some time. That is, the effectiveness of changing the heart vs. imposing your will upon a protesting populace. Suzanne says: As a Christian, I see many things going on that I think the world would be better off without: drinking, sexual promiscuity, rampant materialism, I have a whole laundry list. In an ideal world, I'd like those things to be not just a bad idea, but illegal. However, I'd be very very hesitant about passing laws against them, because it's not an ideal world and people can't be put on what I consider the right path just because I say so. In constrast, many liberals look to the law: What the leftists want (and won't say out loud) is a ruling elite that controls the choices of the hoi polloi so they can construct the world they want. It's truly about the Christian concept of free will; that's where CHOICE comes into play. Ma...

I was at work today, and got the news that a new pope had been selected. As it was lunchtime, I turned on the TV, and watched with several of the teachers. One other teacher was Catholic, two others were not. According to Fox News, Ratzinger, who turned 78 on Saturday, served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (search). In that position, the man described as a conservative guardian of church doctrine disciplined church dissidents and upheld church policy against attempts by liberals for reforms. I knew it wouldn't take long for the media to start carping about him. They didn't dare criticize JP II too heavily, as the average Catholic liked him, they really liked him. But, the media seem determined to do their best to see that Pope Benedict XVI does not attain that treasured status among the faithful. All I have to say about that is, give him a chance to do the job.

I found this image from Cafe Press on Michelle Malkin's blog . I have no words that would be sufficient to express my disgust with how anti-democratic (small d) this is. In a democracy, we don't threaten to kill our political enemies. Or, I should say, we dare not. To encourage violence against political opponents is to move a giant step closer to anarchy. There's a reason that our government imprisoned anarchists - no democracy can survive violent assaults by immoral lunatics. Several weeks ago, my husband was watching public television, and I wandered in to see that Emma Goldman was being canonized. According to the "documentary", Emma was just a tireless crusader for the underdog. She is quoted as saying: "As an anarchist, I am opposed to violence. But if the people want to do away with assassins, they must do away with the conditions which produce murderers." According to the PBS website Throughout her life, Goldman would oppose violence in ...

Mae Magouirk has been moved from the hospice, and is getting food and hydration now, according to Blogs for Terri , in an update to their post. If this illustrates anything, it shows the need for constant vigilance. Too many people become interested in an issue because a single person captures their attention. If that person's situation changes (improves, resolves, dies), then they turn their focus to the next thing. We need to look at the hospices - are they a convenient way for our society to bring in euthanasia without triggering public attention? I mention this because of a post in Right-Wing Nut House , that referenced the Hospice Patients Alliance . One of the articles on their site: The efforts to change how society views the disabled seem to be schizophrenic. On the one hand, we are taught that we should defer to the disabled, give them special parking spots, make our buildings wheelchair accessible, yet on the other hand, it's "OK" to discount their view...

On American Digest, I found a great post by Gerard Van de Leun: As a one-time card-carrying member of the Culture of Death, I've had no little experience with the bile and the acid that is used to burn out the soul and replace it with the dead-end secular totems of possessions, fashion, sexuality, and the self-uber-alles. I've used selfishness to "enhance" my own life and I've had "selfishness" used on me in turn to enhance the lives of others. Commitment and duty have no place in this philosophy -- everything is reduced to "lifestyle" choices in which, since people are only things, they can easily be replaced by other things, other people. I remember when this acid burned strongly on all fronts and seemed, in the main, unstoppable because it seemed to have become 'the universal solvent' -- something that could dissolve all that it came in contact with. The flaw in that formula was, of course, the flaw that lurks in the ancient alchemi...

I found this reference that puzzled me : The staff took pride that she never developed a bedsore. With twice as many nursing aides per patient than the average nursing home, Woodside workers were able to turn her every two hours. I haven't been able to verify her condition, but I remember reading somewhere that, in the last few years, Terri had developed bedsores. Was that commenter incorrect? Please comment if you have knowledge of any online source that you trust on this issue.

Reading Fr. Johansen's Thrown Back blog today, I found this reference to another Schiavo-like case: 85 year-old Mae Margourik of LaGrange, Georgia, is currently being deprived of nutrition and hydration at the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy. Mrs. Margourik suffered an aortic dissection 2 weeks ago and was hospitalized. Though her doctors have said that she is not terminally ill, Ms. Gaddy declared that she held medical power of attorney for Mae, and had her transferred to the LaGrange Hospice. Later investigation revealed that Ms. Gaddy did not in fact have such power of attorney. Furthermore, Mae's Living Will provides that nutrition and hydration are to be withheld only if she is comatose or vegetative. Mae is in neither condition. Neither is her condition terminal. Unbelievable! If you would like to know more about the situation, or offer assistance, go to Blogs for Terri . Although our efforts did not stop the starvation of Terri, they did raise awareness of th...

In no order of significance, here's what I've been reading/watching/thinking about lately: The death of John Paul II occupied a great deal of the last week. Like many people, I had the TV playing in the background for the last days of his life, and over the weekend. One of the best things to come out of that was the opportunity to watch the documentary "Witness to Hope". I've been reading the book - it's VERY WEIGHTY AND DENSE READING . I'm in no hurry to finish it (I know how it ends), so I generally read for 15-30 minutes just before bed. I'm enjoying it very much. Most of the reading I do is either technical stuff or fluff mysteries, so it's been a refreshing change. I've been mulling over a new post-in-progress at my Technology in Teaching blog. I've been considering "What is the Purpose of Education?" If you have any thoughts on that subject, I'd love to hear them. As part of the process of writing that post, I...

From FoxNews.com Terri Schiavo's ashes will be buried in an undisclosed location near Philadelphia so that her immediate family doesn't show up and turn the burial into a media spectacle, a member of the Schiavo family said Thursday. "If Mike knew they would come in peace, he would have no problem with it," Scott Schiavo, Michael Schiavo's brother, said during an interview at his home. What is the Catholic position on funerals? According to the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, The Church now permits cremation. It is preferred that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites since its physical presence reflects the values affirmed in these rites. What's the big deal about cremation? It's not just a picky rule, it has specific religious significance. According to American Catholic, From early Christian days cremation was viewed as a pagan practice and a denial of the doctrine of the Resurrection. That's why cremation was expressly forbid...

I think the two above pictures show the multi-faceted nature of John Paul II - he is both the polished and media-savvy leader of the Catholic Church, and a man of the world, at ease in his time. The media have been covering these final hours extensively. My husband and I stopped off at a local establishment for refreshment after a strenuous evening of babysitting, and both TVs were turned to news about the Pope. I don't believe that I ever heard anyone say that they didn't admire and respect him, whether they agreed with all that he said. This is one of the first times I ever heard any newscasters talk about their religion. I was surprised to hear many self-identify as Catholics. It seemed to be important for them to state that affiliation.

I've included the link to the Will to Live Project in the title. That project intends to replace the Living Wills with an alternative that assumes that the person will want not just give up any effort ASAP, but will prefer to stay alive as long as reasonable. After the Terri Schiavo case pushed end-of-life medical care past the brink of passive "letting them go gently", and moved it into an active effort to get rid of "unwantables", I think many of us need to look at the options available to us, and consider what we might want. It's difficult to imagine what our last days on Earth might look like, and just what we might want for ourselves. Many a young person can't imagine old (or even middle) age, and declares that "life wouldn't be worth living" if they lost some functions. However, when we DO age, we find that diminished senses, creaky joints, and lessened physical abilities are mitigated by medicine, adjustments, and compensations. ...