Right As Usual

Don't forget to look for posts re: immigration on Monday, rather than Wednesday. I'll set up all the links later this weekend. Tags = Immigration

I found the following via Alabama Improper . I was so impressed by her blog, I added it to the Blogroll. Your Blog Should Be Red Your blog is full of intensity and passion. You are very opinionated - and people love or hate you for it. You have the potential to be both a famous and infamous blogger. What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be? Tags = Blogging

I'll be switching to Monday for blogging about immigration. I've decided to join the Guard the Borders blogburst, and that's the day they regularly post. I received an email today with directions about how to modify my template and such, and, when I have a little more time (maybe Friday night?), I'll set it up. Tags = Immigration

I've been looking at pictures of Mark Warner, VA governor, to see if the questionable image was, in fact, a deliberate attempt to make him look horrible. Below are some more normal pictures of the Governor. You decide. He's not a particularly handsome man, a little craggy, and with horsy teeth. But, clearly not as scary as the picture below from the NPR site : Tags = News and Politics

The blog Sheila Variations periodically posts on her current reading. Today, she provides an excerpt from Stalin . Sheila writes: I cannot cop out and say: "THE MAN WAS NOT HUMAN" because you know what? He was. He was a human being ... and he cannot be written off as a "lunatic" - which is why I find him so scary. There is no dearth of prose trying to explain Stalin, but I've not found a biography that gets into the skin of the monster. When push came to shove, the only one who had the guts - the only one who literally had the STOMACH to do what needed to be done - to actually carry out these theories to their logical conclusions was Stalin. ("Okay - you want to destroy the peasant and the Russian village? How 'bout a big ol' honkin' FAMINE? How 'bout that?? How 'bout we starve millions and millions of people to death - and then watch how gratefully they scurry into the kholkhozes - how 'bout THAT?") - Now I'm not sure ab...

The following is a poll from Slate.com. Not surprisingly, it was found on Doonesbury Should Dubya be censured? Yes. Since when did breaking the law stop being against the law? I'm tired of the moral relativism of '60s-types like Bush. Can't we finally have one moment of accountability? No, impeached. It was good enough for Clinton, who lied about hooking up with an intern. Bush's lies have lead to thousands of deaths, with no end in sight. A proportional response, please. Neither. If I'm a Democrat, I'm like, why arouse Bush's base just before an election? If I'm a Republican, I'm like, why, what'd he do wrong? support level never supported W used to support W still support W For once, I'm speechless. Tags = Stupid People

I've been busy with my husband this weekend, and have been shamefully remiss in planning my posts. What can I say? It was the Sacred Holiday of the Celts. I'm a long way and time from the Old Country. By my reckoning, it's been well over 150 years since an immigrant was born into my family. Most of my ancestors were in this country well before the American Revolution. But that's not the reason that I oppose illegal immigration. I've frankly had it with the immigrants who disdain our traditions and take advantage of the hard-working Americans' generosity. Too many come into this country and expect handouts, without any strings. I couldn't get that in ANY country, why should they expect it in mine? Like it or not, our resources are limited. Abundant, but limited. And, if we're not careful with how they are used, we will run short ourselves. We can't save every person on the planet by allowing them to come in. Tags = Immigration

I've been following the story of the Christian man being tried for his renunciation of Islam. He's in Afghanistan, and the courts want to put him to death. I searched for a picture of him, but, although there are many with the name Abdul Rahman, none seem to be him. I wanted to put a face on the story. The real question is, What Would YOU Do? Would you calmly refuse to re-convert? Would you risk death to affirm your God? I can't even imagine it. Most of us would want to be that stalwart, but I doubt most of us would manage. Please pray for him. Tags = News and Politics

I'm thinking we, who oppose illegals trespassing in our country, ought to start trying some protest action, ourselves. Take the trash left by the illegals, dump it on the lawn of those organizations that support "illegal rights". Send collection agencies to board members' houses to collect the money for the education and health care. Distribute flyers with the agencies' employees' addresses, inviting the illegals to stay as long as they like, at the agencies' expense. Have pizzas delivered. Tags = Immigration

I found a new blog, euphoricreality.net , where I found an interesting post about immigration and the rally in Chicago. It's part of a blogburst called Guard the Borders. I'll be linking to them weekly. Some observations from the rally (long, but worth it): I came upon a bank where most of employees had gathered on a raised brick planter to watch the march pass by. A gentleman in his mid-thirties stood nearest the end where I hopped up to join him. I asked him his thoughts on the march. He replied that he thought it was great, that these people definitely deserved to hold a march like this. He was waxing quite eloquent when he uttered an oopsie. He went on to say that we should welcome everybody. I queried, somewhat astonished, everyone on the planet? It was fascinating to me to watch his facial expressions cycle through surprise to astonishment. I honestly don’t think he’d ever thought it through before, that we can’t welcome every person on the planet no matter how much th...

Spell with flickr Right As Usual : "On Flickr RI 017GhT WebsterASsU on roadSsUArea L"

I just checked out Misha (Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler) and he alerted me to the fact that a critic of Google's censorship policies in China has apparently been eliminated from the Google database. In effect, The People's Cube has become an "un-site". No longer exists. Move along, proles, there's nothing to see here. I'm anti this kind of power-flexing, so I've added the Cube to the Blogroll. I'm urging everyone I know to bookmark it or blogroll it, and spread the word. Tags = Blogging

Just caught up on Mudville Gazette's Dawn Patrol , and was inspired to better Zogby's efforts. I just spent hours minutes making THE DEFINITIVE POLL FOR SOLDIERS that will clarify just when they want to leave. Go to Bzoink , and take it. I guarantee the results will be amazing. And, if you're still not convinced that the troops are desperately eager to leave, right now, take the follow-up survey. You'll see. I seem to have a career in this field. Tags = News and Politics

I did something silly just for fun. I followed an Instapundit lead, and went to the new John Edwards blog. While I was there, I noticed an invitation to submit my blog for the blogroll. So, I did. Hey, I'm always looking for more links. And, what do you want to bet he'll get a higher Ecosystem rating than I? I received the message: Your blog submission was successful, and will be reviewed by our online volunteers. Once they give your blog the green light, we will add you to the blogroll. Green light! You didn't mention any green light! What's going on? I thought all I had to do was sign up! I'm waiting now to be validated. What do you want to bet that they change that open invitation to add some restrictions? Can I sue if they don't add me? I think I'm still a registered Democrat. Tags = News and Politics

Again, found on Ankle Biting Pundits , former journalist and current phone sex operator sounds off on a variety of topics. Now, I'm not one to say that you should be defined by your occupation, but... I found multiple posts to criticize: The Home Abortion Manual - Read it, but ONLY if you have a strong stomach. This woman is not only sick, but stupid! If anything could help people understand what is at stake in the protection of life, this could. I really can't believe that she would lay it all out so straight-forwardly. The "why is our government not supporting science" (because they want to limit access to potential weapons). Science is not a criminal enterprise. Science and knowledge should not have to be taken underground, or only demonstrated by people with the money and determination to acquire federal licenses. If this government insists on continuing to treat scientists and teachers like terrorists, the free exchange of ideas and information will be at...

Ankle Biting Pundits has a post on the sagging Bush poll numbers. It's a pretty good take-down on the skewed nature of the sample. One of the biggest problems I have with polling is the sloppy way questions are often worded: Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track? I can think of several ways that could be interpreted: Bush is leading us in the wrong direction Bush is leading us in the right direction, but not fast enough. Bush is leading us in the right direction, but those !@#$%^&* in Congress are blocking every move. Bush is leading us in the right direction, but those !@#$%^&* in the Main Stream Media are blocking every move. Although I was a History major in college, I specialized in data crunching - collection and analysis of quantitative data. Fortunately, my offbeat interest captured the attention of my advisor, Dr. Ramos, and another number-cruncher, Dr. Wheeler. They nurtur...

My husband loves Desperate Housewives. His reasons are low, and carnal. I don't think he really wants a cumpulsively neat obsessive alcoholic; I think the attraction is the red hair and a really great body. I've got that body - and more. Which is why I'm joining Curves. But, I digress. I really started this post to show this funny picture, found on Curmudgeonly & Skeptical . If it isn't on your Blogroll, it should be. Tags = Humor

I really do love that BlogAdSwap thingy on the sidebar. Every time I click it, I get sent to a really good site. The only trouble is that my Blogroll is growing out of control - I keep adding stuff to it. Today's addition is ArmyWifeToddlerMom . I don't have twins, but I can relate to the situations. My own kids, 3 of them, were born in a span of 4 years. So, there was always a crowd and a lot of excitement. However, I never encountered this situation . Go read it, it's the funniest thing I've read in a while. Tags = Blogging

In a rather snidely headlined post "Delete Us, the Fetus" in Slate Magazine , a commenter spews a truly twisted and ignorant comment. What liberals take issue with when Saletan calls abortion "bad" and hopes that we reduce the abortion rate is the fact that this has at its core the "sex is bad" morality. Why do we think that abortion is shameful, such that women who are faced with that choice feel guilty about choosing to have an abortion? Because on some level the "sex is bad" morality tells us, to put it crudely, "bitch shoulda kept her legs closed." If you don't think that zygotes are fully formed human beings [...], the only way that abortion would be a tragic choice is within a society which tells women that sex is bad and that giving birth is their societal duty. I would have commented on the site, but you need to have a Passport (MicroSoft) account, and, on principle, I won't give the Evil Empire the information needed. ...

Below are the cartoons. Sorry for not posting them earlier, my connection to Blogger was giving me a tempermental fit. Hmm...Now that I count them, they seem to be 2 short. Whatever. I'll add them later, and put a Permalink on the sidebar when I do. Just in case someone wants to send the Jihad Brothers to lay a little retribution - you know where I am. Tags = Mohammed cartoons

I've been exploring new blogs, using the new addition to my sidebar - the Blogads button. New blogs pop up randomly - they appear to be selected with some rationale, but they're just different enough to appeal to me. That's how I found the Crime Scene Blog . I suggest you try it out - I've not been disappointed with the selection.

Found on Crime Scene Blog . The California Supreme Court today declared that a 22-year-old man who received oral sex from a 16-year-old girl should not have to register for life as a sex offender. The state’s top court found that California denied Vincent Hofsheier equal protection under the law because those having intercourse in such circumstances would not be forced to register as lifetime sex offenders. Now, you may be saying, I know some 16-year olds who don't look it - " That's true, but there's more: It is also worth noting the manner in which he found his “date.” He managed to lure her to a beach and got her drunk after meeting her in an Internet chat room. I truly don't understand the culture that uses kids as sexual objects (and OBJECTS is what they are - not people). Maybe it's the change from a culture where most adults are parents, and act like adults, to one where many are not parents, by choice, and are really not adults. (And, sometimes, are ...

I hate to call a fellow member of my church a moonbat; that's especially so if that moonbat is a Cardinal. I'd been raised to respect the office, if not the man. It's just that some clergymen make that respect hard to deserve. From TMH's Bacon Bits Controversial liberal prelate Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles, a top dog at the often left leaning, U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops, has essentially called for treating the USA’s borders as if they were the Berlin wall. One could almost hear him demanding “Mr. Bush, tear down that wall!” This open-borders, leftist-leaning cleric is directing his priests to violate immigration law and to encourage illegal immigration, thereby encouraging other Catholics (the illegals) to violate Church law, which clearly requires Catholics to recognize the rights of politicians to establish immigration law. His directives also fly in the face of required Roman Catholic behavior. A Catholic — be he citizen, priest, illegal, or cardina...

There are those who seldom make a move without first ascertaining what the majority (or at least the IMPORTANT ones) thinks. In grade school and junior high, I noticed that many of my classmates seldom expressed their thoughts without first checking to see what the "correct" thought was, first. Even when voting on insignificant issues (preferred dates for events, or whether to bring in treats for Halloween), those timid souls darted cautious and wary glances around, to make sure they weren't expressing unacceptable opinions. I rarely fell into that category. Not that I was brave, just stupid. I generally shot my mouth off before finding out that my opinion was in the minority. Chalk that up to living in a family that never feared expressing their thoughts, however ill-informed or wrong-headed. When my reasoning didn't match up to my father's expectations, he had no hesitation in helping me to understand it's inferiority. But, nicely, not as though I wer...

Via Mike's America, I found this wickedly funny new toy on Sean Gleeson's site . Tags = Entertainment

In a post, The Intellectual Activist it is necessary for every newspaper and magazine to re-publish those cartoons, as I will do in the next print issue of The Intellectual Activist. Click here. This is not merely a symbolic expression of support; it is a practical countermeasure against censorship. Censorship—especially the violent, anarchic type threatened by Muslim fanatics—is effective only when it can isolate a specific victim, making him feel as if he alone bears the brunt of the danger. What intimidates an artist or writer is not simply some Arab fanatic in the street carrying a placard that reads "Behead those who insult Islam." What intimidates him is the feeling that, when the beheaders come after him, he will be on his own, with no allies or defenders—that everyone else will be too cowardly to stick their necks out. The answer, for publishers, is to tell the Muslim fanatics that they can't single out any one author, or artist, or publication. The answer is to s...

I was taking a break from grading (I really do catch up at times, I just avoid it a lot), and found a really procative post: Celebrities are our young peoples' mentors now? Actually, as long as parents give in and give in and kowtow, celebrities rule. Fashion, music, behavior. . . . .besides, many kids nowadays see celebrities more frequently than they see their parents. Kids spend long hours home alone in front of the tv, and lifestyle examples are rampant all over the networks. All of them look like more fun than their parents' lifestyles. You know, just like us, when we were their age. Celebrities are out there everywhere. There are more celebrities than regular people, in some areas. Celebrities, wearing g-strings and two styrofoam egg carton sections, carrying french bread in a mesh bag, talking on a cell phone and frowning at the ten thousand photographers who are following them. Celebrities, making babies and abandoning them like so much dross. Celebrities, walking out o...

  This is a picture of some sketches I made today. I know they're not good, but the thing is, I was drawing for the first time in perhaps 45 years or so. I was using my new markers, and sketched a cup and the cover of my journal. And a flower. I decided that, even if I am terrible at drawing, I used to like it. So, I gave myself permission to be a really horrible artist. I don't care what anyone thinks, I enjoyed it. 

Oh, Boy! I have strong feelings about THIS! I have fond memories of old movies. In the lates 60s and early 70s, Channel 19 was new to Cleveland. They would regularly broadcast the movies of the 30s and 40s (known as the Golden Age of Movies). They created Friday night retrospectives, focused on the best films of a particular star. Bogart, Wayne, Cagney, Hayworth, et al. My dad used to go to bed early, right after supper, then rise again, just to have the opportunity to see films he was too poor to see the first time. Sometimes, my brother, Mike, or I would join him. Surprisingly, although I saw many of the Bogart films, I never did manage to be home and awake when Casablanca was on. I was over thirty when I first saw it. Another film I never finished - Bridge Over the River Kwai. I tried to stay awake, but invariably fell asleep before the end. This last year, thanks to one of the Classic movie channels (probably Turner), I finally stayed awake long enough. Well worth the wa...

I found the above link on Bad Example . You enter your zip code, and find the cheapest gas prices as of the night before. It won't protect you against a sudden change that morning, but it gives you a starting point. And if, like me, you fill up infrequently, it could save you a lot. I find that I lose track of the price if I've been able to avoid stopping in a few weeks (yes, I said WEEKS - I live just over a mile from work, and, except for fresh foods, I do a lot of online shopping). Tags = Money

I got the inspiration for some of the changes below from The Alliance post on Speeding Up Your Blog . Tags = Blogging

I finally got disgusted with the speed of my page loading, and decided to go in an clean up: Got rid of the Stickam Player . I didn't really have much time to work with it, and may in the future on another page, but the bottom line is that it took too long to load, took up too much space, and didn't deliver anything I needed that badly. Cleared out some old links I never used. Trimmed some redundant code. As a result, I speeded up the loading process about 300%. Well worth my time. Sorry it took so long - my allergies have been kicking up (the down side of a temperate climate), and I've been holding together just long enough to get through work, then come home and crash. Tags = Blogging

I'm still on the fence about Blogrolling (I've experienced instances in the last month of Blogrolling not loading, sometimes for extended time periods), but, for now, will continue with it. I'm adding some new links The Museum of Left Wing Lunacy - I just couldn't resist the name. Real Teen - Right on the Right - it's amazing what the younger crowd is doing right now. I feel the conservatives have nothing to fear in the future, with so many passionate and energetic supporters. GenerationWhy? Don't miss this post on the OK student who blew himself up There's also an excellent analysis of the poll numbers, which, after a closer look, show that the troops support the administration's plans . That skewing of the figures is becoming ho-hum normal. here is the headline for seeBS News' latest poll: "Poll: Bush Ratings At All-Time Low" But look at the sample of respondents: Total Republicans:..........289 Total Democrats:...........381 To...

I've been trying to get Blogger to admit me to create a new post for the last 15 minutes. Nada, nothing, no way. Blogger is just hanging there, the little dotted circle of Firefox circling around endlessly, but the page won't load. So, you won't see this until the problem clears up. At least, I think you won't. I may try posting by mail. The last time I did that, I had to go back in to edit the post, and get rid of all the funky misformatting that resulted. Lord, I wish I had a cold scotch and soda right now. What I'm going to do for now is to break up any posting into small chunks - maybe then, I'll be able to get them online. Tags = Blogging.

Cassandra, of Villainous Company , writes about a phenomenom that is becoming more obvious every day. In his Sun Times column, Mark Steyn used a phrase which caught my eye. He called the Jews of France "canaries in history's coal mine". It caught my eye because in November, during the French riots, I wrote a piece called Canaries in the Mineshaft, about the migration of French Jews to Israel, Montreal, and the United States. Canaries in the mine shaft. It is an ugly image. A terrifying image, almost an archetypal one: instantly recognizable to all of us. We know what it means. We know what is being asked of us, whether we want to recognize it or not. Because it is not birds, but people who we are using in this manner. And this is a historical pattern which would truly be unimaginably horrifying if it were to come to pass. What kind of civilization shrugs its shoulders and turns away from something like this? A society that has lost its guts. Or, to put it another way, Eu...

The Minutemen have expanded their efforts beyond the Southwest, and rightly so. The problem of illegal immigration goes further than that. What's infuriating is that many local governments, in their soft-headed "compassion", block efforts to enforce the law that bars employment of non-citizens, in most cases. In fact, too many local politicians eager for more voters, encourage their employment, at taxpayer expense. "The good news is that these Minutemen are yet another in the long line of radical fringe groups that will die of their own weight in Montgomery County because they don't speak for Montgomery County," said County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring). About 40 percent of the county's 930,000 residents are foreign born. The Minuteman Project began attracting national attention when members initiated civilian patrols of the Mexican border in an effort to inhibit border crossings. The opening of a day-laborer center in Herndon last year g...

Arizona lawmakers have an interesting proposal for paying for a proposed wall to keep illegal aliens out of the US: Mexican immigrants and nationals working in the U.S. sent $20 billion back to Mexico in 2005, according to the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. The proposed ballot question would assess a new 8 percent tax on international money transfers from Arizona. Those funds would be used construct the wall and pay for other border security efforts. The measure is under consideration by the state Legislature and has the support of Republicans in favor of tougher border security and immigration controls. GOP sponsors include State Reps. Russell Pearce and Rick Murphy and state Sens. Dean Martin, Ron Gould and Thayer Verschoor. I like this idea - the wire transfers are coming from those people who have money. It's aimed at the people who are sending money back to their home country. Most other countries have ways to take a cut of money leaving their country, so why can' we? I...