Right As Usual

I'm getting ready for a get-together with my high school class - it's 40 years since we graduated. Unfortunately, none of the friends I was close to in high school will be there. They have had life issues, conflicts with other obligations, and such. I'll miss them. I'm hoping that this will be a reunion that I'll remember fondly. I wasn't exactly Ms. Popularity in high school. In fact, I was kind of a dork - and not a happy one. I desperately wanted to be cool and popular. Which, to be honest, I had no hope of being. What IS great is that my life after high school has been, generally, great. I've been married for 35 years, have great kids and grandkids, and have been successful in my career. I have no complaints.

I've been in and out of town for the better part of 2 weeks. In a way VERY unlike me, I stopped posting (and, generally, stopped consuming media, including blogs). It was a total vacation from reality and the mundane. It was great. I finished my online course, helped my husband turn in a few papers for his course, enjoyed the company of friends and family, and just chilled. Now I'm back, and early today, found this gem - entitled What a Real Man Looks Like . It's at American Digest. Check it out - I promise you won't be disappointed.

Apparently, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it's illegal to execute a virgin. Do they then commute their sentences? Read their policy.

There are some parts of this video I don't agree with - the Electoral College serves non-urban residents very well - but it's, overall, a dandy. Please follow the last suggestion - send a tea bag to all the folks in Congress, the Senate, and the White House who you think aren't representing us well. Found on the Ace of Spades site.

The Democrats will be going home to their districts soon, and will have to emerge from their Hill bubble. When they do, they will find that the "little people" are not as excited about their "accomplishments" as they are - in fact, as they confront the mess that the economy is, and the amount that taxes will rise, they may become downright unreasonable. They may even talk of NOT returning the legislators at the next election (which, for those who keep track of things, is 2010 - not that far away). On the Ace of Spades blog, there's a great post on just this issue.

I found this on Creative Minority Report, titled "Watch This And Try Not to Smile" - you can't, it's too infectious.

My only experience with Canada's health care was last year, when my husband had a major onset of pain in his midsection. He was seen (after a relatively short wait - about 2 hours - the trick is, mention chest pains - that gets their attention), then, after several hours observation, sent home with pain meds. Two days later, he went back with the same problem. This time, they diagnosed it correctly as gall bladder. Several months later, in the US, he scheduled surgery. In Canada, is it free? Heck, no. We paid for it all - about 1500 dollars for the two visits.

Found the above on Big Hollywood (you DO have it bookmarked, don't you?)

Much has been made of the different approaches to science of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Obama's is supposedly the more objective, unemotional, and, most importantly, non-political. Oh, really? Check out the prior work of John Holdren, who advocates for forced abortions for those "undesirables". I found the link on Michelle Malkin.

I loved the original West Side Story (hey, what's not to love about Leonard Bernstein's music?), particularly the outrageous Gee, Officer Krupke! Here are two parodies that had me laughing. The Worst Slide Story and West Site Story

I found this video at First Things , in The Anchoress blog. The young man has the crowd on his side, and the sound of the crowd joining in, helping him finish is an example of the best that Americans can be.

Whoa! I don't know just what crawled into Ms. Parker's knickers , but she has a devilish itch for - something: Undoubtedly and understandably, Palin is weary of the fray. The crucial turning point was the attacks on her family. No one can honestly make the case that the Palins didn't take more heat than other public families. That said, it isn't difficult to avoid media attention. All one has to do is go to Alaska and stay put. But Palin, like the giddy Icarus, seems drawn to heat and light. Yeah! If you don't like seeing your family savaged, investigated, smeared in every tabloid (and many tabloidish-conventional papers) - well, missy, you just get yourself back to Obscurity, AK, ASAP!

I really had a laugh over a phrase in PowerLine: When Obama prefaces an observation with the command that we heed his words -- "make no mistake" -- a whopper is sure to follow. Here is Obama on the end of the Cold War: [W]ithin a few short years, the world as it was ceased to be. Make no mistake: this change did not come from any one nation alone. The Cold War reached a conclusion because of the actions of many nations over many years, and because the people of Russia and Eastern Europe stood up and decided that its end would be peaceful. You really ought to read the whole thing.

You have to see this video. It shows several people being assaulted on public streets, simply for: Asking a question about Islam (they were invited to, by the banner over the booth) Taping the incident Not turning off the camera when told to, by festival security

I know the Jackson 5 that's in the news this week is more famous (or, in some cases, infamous). But this Jackson 5 is more important.

Ace of Spades has an in to the Obama Decision-Making Process.

As usual, Francis Porretto knocks one out of the ballpark. A short excerpt: 1. "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You." This is one of the most important things Jesus said during His time on Earth. It's also the most inaccurately applied. How is Smith to know how Jones would like Smith to treat him? Is he to proceed solely from Jones's words, or is there "a more reliable authority?" I would go by Jones's actions. An honest man's words and deeds will run in concert. A dishonest man will lie with his lips but speak truth with his hands. When words and actions disagree, the better course is to trust the actions. For some years, the actions of the Left have been entirely aggressive and venal. Leftists are uninterested in rational discourse; they want power and will do whatever it takes to get it. Since the opposed movement of the Right is founded on rational discourse, they silence us when they can and shout us down when they can't. Since...

I'm fascinated by the outrage and disgust expressed by many media types, and the politicians of both parties, to Mark Sanford's extramarital antics. First, I do agree that Sanford acted in a boneheaded, adolescent, and irresponsible fashion. He left the country; he failed to notify his people of his whereabouts; he turned off his cell phone; and, he may have used public money for some part of the trip. However, let's look at the facts: His wife had just kicked him out - we might reasonably assume that he was disturbed by that action, and may not have been thinking clearly He had just gone through a major fight with the legislature about a principled issue, and been handed a defeat by the courts He was, it seems, in love - and we all know how love makes people act goofy Given all that, it's not surprising that his actions weren't sensible. Second, the issue of the adultery. Y'all remember the words that match this picture? Didn't think so. If Sanford needs t...

The NY Times has an article about Barack Obama's early writing (from his Columbia days). In that article, he quotes Don Kent: Most people my age remember well the air-raid drills at school, under the desk with our heads tucked between our legs. Older people, they remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think these kinds of things left an indelible mark on our souls, so we're more apt to be concerned. OK. 1983, college age, but not old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. But, somehow old enough to remember air-raid drills? Not possible - the bomb drills (which, I believe, is what Kent is referencing) were in the 1950's. The Cuban Missile Crisis was October 1962. If he is in college in 1983, he is referencing a practice that he was too young to participate in. I know. I DO remember the bomb drills in grade (about once a year, same as the tornado drills). And, I was 11 during the Cuban Missile Crisis - I remember the grown-ups talking, and the principal of my s...

I found this gem on The Dawn Patrol : Precisely because sex does not always create children, yet it always holds the promise of creating children, that sex stands for something greater than itself. Because sex is designed to produce children, yet does not always produce them, the act is transformed from a simple biological action into… there was no other word for it… poetry. Because sex contains not a hard reality, but only a future promise, it becomes a promise, the promise of the man to the woman "I will be with you always, even if this does produce that for which it is designed." And by this act, the man gives himself not just to the woman, he gives himself primarily to the not-yet-conceived child. That is why sex is MORE than just biology.

In response to Sister Toldjah's post about Sarah Palin's resignation: Had McCain/Palin won, she wouldn’t be having to deal with the backstabbing McCain campaign officials because they wouldn’t be having to try and make excuses for why their candidate lost. Had they won, the “ethics complaints” filed against Governor Palin wouldn’t have happened, because she would no longer be Governor. Had they won, I believe you would have seen less scrutiny on Palin’s children, because the WH press corp has an unwritten rule about the children of presidents and vice presidents: hands off. But they didn’t win, so it became open season part 2 not on McCain, but on Sarah Palin and her family from mostly the same crowd who would go ballistic if the types of attacks waged against both her and her children were made on Michelle Obama or any other female Democrat. I can't agree. I think the coverage of Sarah's family wouldn't be affected even if she HAD won the election. Let's comp...

Follow this link to an impassioned performance of "God Bless America" by some amazing kids. Page down the site to see fireworks at Mt. Rushmore (to the Star Wars theme and R-O-C-K in the USA), the words of the Declaration of Independence, and more. Deb's Jewish, so won't be around on the 4th, but do go there, and wish her well on the nation's birthday. UPDATE: Don't miss this video from GoDaddy.com - the founder of the company is a vet. This links to a post that has some old Schoolhouse Rock videos about America's Founding. Keep an eye out for activity at the Tea Parties, and have fun comparing the Internet coverage with the TV and Cable coverage of those events.