Judge Paul Tressler's "Mistake"

System Breakdown #1:
Ronald McDade, 33, was arrested in September after he attempted to lure a 15 year old girl into his car. After his arrest he told a detective: "If I get released, I'm gonna go rape a girl." I can only assume this information was presented to Judge Tressler when he decided to grant the pedophile reduced bail ("Bail in that case had been set at $100,000 but was lowered to 10 percent of $25,000 after McDade's employer and his girlfriend testified on his behalf")....

System Breakdown #2:
Apparently, even after being arrested for a child-related crime, McDade's girlfriend (who has a 13 yr. old daughter) not only stayed with him but let him move in while he was out on bail. The she left him alone in the apartment with her daughter and her daughter's friend who was there for a sleep over (the girl's parents "were under the impression that McDade wouldn't be there").

"...The 13-year-old girl recounted in court today how a 33-year-old Lansdale man raped her in the hallway of a borough apartment earlier this month. He said, 'Do you like being molested ?' " the girl testified in a packed court room heavily guarded by police and Montgomery County sheriff's deputies. "I froze. I was scared if I said anything he would do something else. God only knows what he would do." (source)

God only knows what he did do because he will be tried on "a long list of charges including two counts of rape."

I sit here wondering who is worse, the judge that now tries to absolve himself of guilt by claiming "I was only following federal guidelines and didn't realize he was a threat" --or-- the desperate, selfish woman that would open her home to this predator and leave her daughter and someone else's child in his care...

NY Post Says 'Vote for Obama'

"... Democrats in 22 states across America go to the polls next Tuesday to pick between two presidential prospects: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

We urge them to choose Obama - an untried candidate, to be sure, but preferable to the junior senator from New York.

Obama represents a fresh start.

His opponent, and her husband, stand for déjà vu all over again - a return to the opportunistic, scandal-scarred, morally muddled years of the almost infinitely self-indulgent Clinton co-presidency.

Does America really want to go through all that once again?

It will - if Sen. Clinton becomes president.

That much has become painfully apparent.

Bill Clinton's thuggishly self-centered campaign antics conjure so many bad, sad memories that it's hard to know where to begin.

Suffice it to say that his Peck's-Bad-Boy smirk - the Clinton trademark - wore thin a very long time ago." (Read the entire article)

It seems as if the impossible has happened -the Clintons have somehow fallen out of grace with the MSM (and those that want to point out that The Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch, I make that statement based on many recently published articles...not just this one).

Speaking of Shrillary and Obama...over the past two days I have been barraged with Hillary and Obama ads (mainly on my local FOX station) and I'm wondering why. AS I said, Pennsylvania has virtually no weight in the primary (I don't think we vote until April 22nd -what kind of bull is that?) I guess they must be counting on bordering Jersyites watching our stations...I think they vote on Super Tuesday...

Berkeley Strikes Again

"...The City of Berkeley, California has passed two resolutions attacking the United States Marine Corps, calling the Marines, “uninvited and unwelcome intruders in the city.”

The Berkeley City Council voted to condemn the Marines on Tuesday night (January 29th) as part of a campaign by anti-war activists to shut down a U.S. Marine Recruiting Center located in the city of Berkeley.

The actions by the Berkeley City Council followed continuous protests by Code Pink and other anti-military organizations that vandalized and defaced the U.S. Marine Recruiting Center in September 2007.

One of the two resolutions passed by the Berkeley City Council last night granted a parking spot in front of the Marine Recruiting Center to be used by anti-military activists to harass Marine recruiters. The anti-military activists would not need to apply for a sound permit for the next six months – allowing them free reign to disrupt the day-to-day operations by the Marines..." (source)

As an interesting side not to this current Left Coast fiasco... You know how the 'Blame America First crowd' always touts Tim McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski as examples why we can't stereotype Islamic extremists? 'Look, white boys did it too!' Aside from the obviously lame nature of the justification comparison, are the pretty compelling stories that McVeigh was trained by al Qaeda in the Philippines AND this weekend I was watching a "Discovery Times" FBI files about the unabomber and learned something I can't believe I didn't know before. He was a professor at BERKELEY! Snap!

BTW, who is Noone? :)

Caption It...

Do I dare...?

Florida Primary

DEMOCRATS:

" Florida violated party rules when it moved its voting contest ahead of Feb. 5, the date sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. The DNC allowed four early contests: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

While Obama, Edwards and Clinton agreed last September that they wouldn't compete for Florida because of the party- imposed penalty, Clinton, a New York senator, last week announced she would press to have Florida's delegates seated at the Democratic convention in August. Florida is a crucial swing state in the general election." (source)

Hillary not keeping her word...say it aint so! And once again Silky Pony I (Romney is now Silky Pony II) came in far, far behind...when does he drop out? Maybe today...

Most interesting story of the day (IMO):

"More than 80 attorneys who have been offering free-of-charge legal services to Guantánamo detainees issued a statement Monday supporting Democrat Barack Obama's presidential bid." (source)

REPUBLICANS:

"Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida Republican primary Tuesday night, edging past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and seizing precious campaign momentum for next week's string of contests across 21 states.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was running third, and headed for the exits. Officials familiar with events said his aides were in discussions with McCain's advisers on a possible endorsement later in the week." (source)

I know there's a lot of animosity --and we all need a bit of group therapy...but McCain CAN beat Shrillary. Republicans have a shot at keeping the White House despite the Bush hatred...

Free Republic has a poll asking readers how they will vote if the nominees are McCain and Hillary. As much as you dislike McCain...imagine listening to this for four years!

SUCKAHZ!!!!!!!!

This is hilarious. The New Hampshire Union-Leader calls Hillary a liar and anyone who voted for her suckers!

COURTING VOTERS in Iowa and New Hampshire, last August Sen. Hillary Clinton signed a pledge not to "campaign or participate" in the Michigan or Florida Democratic primaries. She participated in both primaries and is campaigning in Florida. Which proves, again, that Hillary Clinton is a liar.

Clinton kept her name on the Michigan ballot when others removed theirs, she campaigned this past weekend in Florida, and she is pushing to seat Michigan and Florida delegates at the Democratic National Convention. The party stripped those states of delegates as punishment for moving up their primary dates.

"I will try to persuade my delegates to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida," Clinton said last week, after the New Hampshire primaries and Iowa caucuses were safely over.

Clinton coldly and knowingly lied to New Hampshire and Iowa. Her promise was not a vague statement. It was a signed pledge with a clear and unequivocal meaning.

She signed it thinking that keeping the other candidates out of Michigan and Florida was to her advantage, but knowing she would break it if that proved beneficial later on. It did, and she did.

New Hampshire voters, you were played for suckers.

Teenage Angst Has a Diagnosis and a Host of Drugs

...and here I thought it was a rite of passage. Wow, we're really destroying the generation that will be governing and supporting us...

"...For a generation now, disruptive young Americans who rebel against authority figures have been increasingly diagnosed with mental illnesses and medicated with psychiatric (psychotropic) drugs.

Disruptive young people who are medicated with Ritalin, Adderall and other amphetamines routinely report that these drugs make them "care less" about their boredom, resentments and other negative emotions, thus making them more compliant and manageable. And so-called atypical antipsychotics such as Risperdal and Zyprexa -- powerful tranquilizing drugs -- are increasingly prescribed to disruptive young Americans, even though in most cases they are not displaying any psychotic symptoms.
Young people diagnosed with ODD, by definition, are doing nothing illegal (illegal behaviors are a symptom of another mental illness called conduct disorder). In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) created oppositional defiant disorder, defining it as "a pattern of negativistic, hostile and defiant behavior." The official symptoms of ODD include "often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult requests or rules" and "often argues with adults." While ODD-diagnosed young people are obnoxious with adults they don't respect, these kids can be a delight with adults they do respect; yet many of them are medicated with psychotropic drugs..." (Read the entire article)

Fred Was the Right Guy. Now...

New word for the English language:

Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over any of the
choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election
year.

(An email I received yesterday -thanks Jer2913!)

"A Christmas Story" in January

"...Single-digit temperatures brought a scene right out of the movie "A Christmas Story" to two students at Jackson Elementary School (IN) on Friday morning.

The two fourth-grade boys, who served flag duty to raise and lower the flag for the school, stuck their tongues to the flagpole and spent the rest of the day in pain and embarrassment.

"The nurse called us and said the boys' tongues were bleeding," said Billie Dempsey, mother of Gavin Dempsey, who celebrated his 10th birthday Friday.

"The nurse asked them, 'OK, who double-dog dared who?' But they weren't admitting to what they did and said they just bit their tongues. When she told me there were a couple of layers taken off, I thought, 'Oh no, he's on flagpole duty,'" Dempsey said..." (source)

Yeah, that might follow him right through high school....

Romney: "You Just Can't trust Him"

"...Then there's Mitt Romney. I've written about the flip-flops before. However, the man also has an excellent family and a strong business record. Mitt looks and sounds Presidential. The pity of the campaign is that, quite frankly, you cannot trust him. A video record caught Romney on tape telling fundraisers to "promise anything" to potential donors. While Romney clearly meant in terms of primary victories, the phrase could describe his entire effort.

Every time he hits a must-win state, there's a new promise. In Michigan, $20 billion a year was promised for automotive and energy research (hope he can do that while fulfilling the promise I heard him make Nevada to hold the growth of spending to Inflation — 1%) and in Florida, he promised to do away with the payroll taxes on workers over age 65, thus speeding the decline of Social Security in order to score points with Florida seniors. If Romney's going to get be the nominee, it better happen soon, before he has to make any more eleven-figure campaign promises that it anyone's guess as to whether he'll try and keep them..." (source)

If you didn't see that "promise anything" article this piece refers to...you can read it over at RedState.org, but here's the gist of it:

"... Romney was encouraging his phone bank volunteers with a little pep talk when he unintentionally summed up his entire campaign; ironically hitting upon the reason why he has failed to gain any traction with conservatives despite spending the most money of any Republican. ABC News Radio was contacted by telephone and confirmed the following quote from their report.

"Hit the phones today make all the promises you have to, and…make sure that we get the funds that we need to keep on propelling this campaign forward with power and energy.

“Make all the promises you have to.”

That’s Romney in a nutshell. Of all the Republicans running, he alone has sought to clarify, cover, and indeed change past positions in an attempt to curry favor with conservatives. In the process, Romney has developed a reputation not as a principled conservative, but as a politician who will say almost anything and take almost any position to win votes..." (source)

So people can stop the emails accusing me of not voting for him because he's LDS. Yes, being 100% honest that does play into my decision, BUT mainly I think he's shady and I just don't trust him.

Teddy Kennedy Incurs NOW's Wrath

Teddy *hiccup* Kennedy has endorsed Barack Obama saying the first term Senator is a man of "grit and grace" and that "change is in the air." (source)

...But now he must pay the piper. The National organization of Women had a few choice words for the bloated Senator...

"Women have just experienced the ultimate betrayal. Senator Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard. Women have forgiven Kennedy, stuck up for him, stood by him, hushed the fact that he was late in his support of Title IX, the ERA, the Family Leave and Medical Act to name a few. Women have buried their anger that his support for the compromises in No Child Left Behind and the Medicare bogus drug benefit brought us the passage of these flawed bills. We have thanked him for his ardent support of many civil rights bills, BUT women are always waiting in the wings.

“And now the greatest betrayal! We are repaid with his abandonment! He’s picked the new guy over us. He’s joined the list of progressive white men who can’t or won’t handle the prospect of a woman president who is Hillary Clinton (they will of course say they support a woman president, just not “this” one). ‘They’ are Howard Dean and Jim Dean (Yup! That’s Howard’s brother) who run DFA (that’s the group and list from the Dean campaign that we women helped start and grow). They are Alternet, Progressive Democrats of America, democrats.com, Kucinich lovers and all the other groups that take women’s money, say they’ll do feminist and women’s rights issues one of these days, and conveniently forget to mention women and children when they talk about poverty or human needs or America’s future or whatever.

“This latest move by Kennedy, is so telling about the status of and respect for women’s rights, women’s voices, women’s equality, women’s authority and our ability – indeed, our obligation - to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman after centuries of men who ‘know what’s best for us.’” (source)

Many of the women Lefty bloggers are wagging their heads in agreement.

Yikes, has Teddy seen pictures of these women? He better find a good place to hide --and apparently somewhere else to get his campaign contributions...

Another Harsh Reality of National Health Care

Before you champion the need for the US to embrace socialized medicine national health care, you need to read up on the countries that already have...

"Doctors [in the UK] are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives.

Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.

Fertility treatment and "social" abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

About one in 10 hospitals already deny some surgery to obese patients and smokers, with restrictions most common in hospitals battling debt.

Managers defend the policies because of the higher risk of complications on the operating table for unfit patients. But critics believe that patients are being denied care simply to save money..." (Read the entire article)

On second thought, this could be the answer to the social security problem...

Caption It...

"Economic Stimulus Package"

"...The stimulus package, with an estimated price tag of $150 billion, must be approved by both houses of Congress before President Bush can sign it into law. Some Senate Democrats have indicated they will attempt to broaden the bill to boost government benefits for the unemployed, as well as those who rely on federal assistance to buy food. President Bush has argued against changes to the package that could delay its implementation..." (source

What's the bottom line here? People keep asking me what this means for them (that's all anyone ever really wants to know right?), but I hadn't really read how it would all work. Last night I found this article that breaks it down:

1)The $150 billion plan is worth about 1 percent of U.S. economic output and would include tax rebates for individuals and families as well as incentives for business investment.

2) Individuals would get rebates of up to $600 and married couples could get up to $1,200, plus $300 per child, no limit. Individuals with annual incomes above $75,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI) or married couples making $150,000 in AGI would get less depending how high their incomes are above those thresholds. Democrats estimate some 117 million families will receive a check.

3) The plan also includes a provision that Democrats had sought that would allow some low-income workers who do not earn enough money to owe income taxes to receive a check. Those who made at least $3,000 last year and paid no income taxes would be eligible for a check of up to $300 for individuals and $600 for couples.

4) As an incentive to encourage business investment, firms would be able to immediately deduct 50 percent of the costs of purchases of new equipment.

5) The House package includes raising the limits on "conforming mortgages" financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $729,750 from the current cap of $417,000 for one year. It would also indefinitely raise the limit on Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages to that same level from $367,000. Such a move is expected to lower the interest rates on those high-cost loans.

I will be more than happy to provide a P.O. box address for all those that don't believe tax cuts and letting people keep their own money works. :)

No More Poor People with Obama!

Barack Obama said over the weekend that if you "work in America" you "shouldn't be poor" and that will "change when he's president." (source)

Wow. No more poor people? That's about the most ambitious campaign promise I've ever heard. Who knows, if Mitt's the nominee we may have to hold him to it... I mean, come on, the Huckster may have Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone might be backing McCain -but Obama has Ludacris!

In other Obama news --It seems that Brittney Spears' new British accent has inspired Barack to affect a Southern one...

And, not that this has anything to do with anything, but as I was downloading that picture last night I realized that his initials were BO. Not very presidential. :)

"Arnie" Calls Mitt

...and (what a shocker), Mitt has no sense of humor.


Mitt Romney Arnold Prank Call - Watch more free videos

(H/T: Crass Steve)

From Around the Blogroll: Things You Shouldn't Miss

(With a bonus caption it because how could I resist when I saw this pic)

I was clicking around trying to figure out who all the "A-list" Bloggers (that were for FDT) were throwing their support behind... I can't figure out who Mischa over at Rotti is picking, but it's definitely not McCain.

Make sure to go read about the service and sacrifice of SSG Eric C Barker over at AFSis's site. You can find the news article here.

CFUCS has a list of Why he Carries a Gun... My favorite of those reasons? "My sidearm is $500 dollars. My wife is priceless." That's like an NRA valentine or something! :)

With only a year left in office for Bush and Cheney, the impeachment crusade continues. Common Sense Political Thought has the story.

J Marquis makes a good point about the big-wigs that are coming out against McCain. I guess the same could be said for me if Romney ends up being the nominee.

Cullen has decided where his support will go now that Fred is out of the race.

Sohos has a Concise rundown on the candidates.

Wyatt Erp recounts a story that elucidates the assache of being a detective in Philly. I don't envy the people he must deal with on a daily basis. Sorry Wyatt, it may have been annoying, but it was funny :)

A good friend of mine has been toying with the idea of starting a blog. She's a SAHM with four kids and another one due in less than a month (and she's only 29 as of yesterday!), so as you can imagine...she doesn't exactly have tons of time to be online. I set up a blog for her (her hubby's idea) and he presented it to her for her birthday. She's a newbie to the blogosphere (and blogging software), but I think she'll really enjoy the place to vent. If you get a chance, go over and welcome her to "this world." (She's also interested in learning more about politics...so be on your best behavior!) ;) Motorcycle Menage.

No Posts For You!!!

I'm too upset (that at last count 41% of you are going to vote for Mitt Romney) to post today. That bothers me...a lot. It's adding insult to injury after FDT's withdraw. And that goes for you too Rush.

Anyway, you might as well have all just told me you're voting Hillary or Obama. ROMNEY CAN NOT WIN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Only McCain or Guiliani have a prayer of winning. Are you going to let grudges over McCain's past missteps allow Shrillary Clinton or Barack Hussein Obama in the Oval Office?

Yes, in my PJs with messy hair, but I needed to convey my 'very annoyed' face. Pictures being worth a 1,000 words and all...

I'll be off sulking somewhere.

Rocky's Endorsement

Caption It...

Right'O'Sphere in Disarray

I feel like most of us 'Fredheads' were so confident he was the right guy that we didn't take much time to explore the possibility of his withdraw from the race. As I zipped around the blogosphere yesterday it became apparent that there is now no general consensus when only just a few days ago there was one...Fred.

So I've been thinking about what freakchylde said yesterday: "I'm just going to write Fred in. I don't consider the others worth my point 'n click."

And what tbuzz41058 said on my 'Draft Thompson '08' blog:

"With Fred Thompson dropping out of the race, it is truly a dark day for America. Do not despair though, there is still hope, the fight will and must go on; there is a plan. If we are all truly committed to Fred's principles, and hope to see these principles have some bearing on the future of America, we all must vote for Fred in every primary, even if we have to "write in" his name. If we can keep the vote split enough, maybe a brokered convention could happen. At the very least, it will send a very clear message to Fred and the American people he actually had more support than they thought. This in itself may reinforce the possibility of Fred being selected to run as VP, which would not only bring some integrity into the White House in January of 09, but would garner him the exposure needed for a Presidential run in 2012 or 2016. It would also send a message to the Republican party there are still many true conservatives left who will not stand idly by and watch our party be hijacked by moderate, liberal-leaning Republicans. Last but certainly not least, it would educate the MSM to the fact that even though they may be able to influence a campaign's decision, it is truly we the people who will exercise our God given right guaranteed by the Constitution to make the final decision, to select who we feel is the best leader for our great country."

Maybe that's the right thing to do. Write in Fred.

Here's the thing...it's a great idea and it would be awesome to show that Conservatives can rally and unite when need be, but it would only be the Bloggers. How would the word get spread to the troglodytes/Luddites? (Deal, I'm angry with off-line, apathetic Americans right now.)

What do you plan to do?

In the 2008 Primary Election I Will...
	Vote for McCain
	Vote for Romney
	Vote for Huckabee
	Vote for Giuliani
	Abstain and Vote in the General Election
	Abstain from the Primary and the General Election
	Write in Fred Thompson
pollcode.com free polls

Oh yeah, the Carl Cameron 'revelation' (who knows if it's even true -I never heard that and I've been in pretty close contact with quite a few people from the campaign and a few that would have liked to destroy it) isn't bothering me. If Thompson didn't think he had a shot and wanted to test the waters...who cares? We never thought he wanted it --that's the whole point of a DRAFT people. I am all for him as VP...it would make any of the other candidates more palatable.

"Bush Lied" (Yet Oil Prices Went Up...)

This story was posted yesterday by the Associated Press:

"...A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses..." (source)

It seems there's even a number...Now the placards can read: "Bush Lied 935 Times and People Died."I was going to post about it yesterday and I'm glad I held off because last night I noticed this over at Newsbusters:

"...Well, the AP has done it again. They have given us leftist propaganda and painted it as news. This time they have published the results of a "study" that claims that "Bush lied" in the run-up to Iraq and somehow the AP forgot to mention that the organization that released this study was funded by extreme leftist George Soros, who has spent billions funding the Democrat Party and many far left think tank and advocacy organizations. Yeah, THAT study is going to be legitimate!

This one may as well have been just a reprint of the press release of the Soros-funded Center for Public Integrity, but the AP dressed it up as an actual story written by reporter Douglass K. Daniel. Headlined "Study: False statements preceded war," the AP reveals how, "A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks." (Read the entire post)

Yeah, damn our Conservative delusions that keep hallucinating about media bias...

Obama VS. The Clintons

"...[Bill Clinton], stumping in South Carolina on his wife's behalf, hurled a venomous new broadside against the Illinois senator.

"I never heard a word of public complaint when Mr. Obama said Hillary was not truthful, no character, was poll-driven," he told startled reporters.

"When he put out a hit job on me at the same time he called her the senator from Punjab, I never said a word," he said, referring to an Obama campaign memo last year that attacked the Clintons' links to the Indian-American community.

"Shame on you!" the former president exclaimed, berating the reporters for picking up on Obama's attacks instead of focusing on the issues that he said mattered, such as the faltering US economy.

Simmering tensions between the two campaigns erupted late Monday at a Democratic debate, when Obama and the former first lady traded accusations of dishonesty, policy U-turns and campaign trickery.

Obama again accused the Clintons of twisting his remarks to suggest he was endorsing Republican ideas, and shot back at their claims that he has been inconsistent in his opposition to the war in Iraq -- which she voted for.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton added: "That fact that Hillary Clinton has praised Ronald Reagan and supported some of the very worst Republican ideas just underscores that she will say or do anything to get elected." (source)

I have to wonder if Obama has read any of the books about the Clintons that I have. Does he know what kind of political power he's up against? His "be nice and stay clean" tactic of campaigning is already fading and it will have to.

Then there's this from "America's #1 Progressive Talker" (very short clip):

Thompson Withdraws

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a bit crestfallen today. Yes, of course I knew it was coming but one of the reasons I was so excited about Thompson was because I was so apathetic about the rest.

Here's the official statement:

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people. -posted by Fred"

What's a girl to do? Do I try to get excited about someone else, or do I just wait and see who the nominee will be. I'm a Republican in Pennsylvania...so my vote never really does count. Now, that being said, I have never missed voting in an election since the day I turned 18. BUT, our primaries aren't until after Super Tuesday so the nominee is normally pretty clear by then and I'm a red living in a blue state so my general election vote is lost also. It sucks.

I'm 90% sure that my vote will go to McCain. I know many of you won't be happy with that, but (obviously) I have really thought this through and I don;t see another alternative (for me at least). I know some people think "character" shouldn't matter. I think "character" should be everything --and by that I mean if I believe that someone's heart and intentions are genuine. McCain has heart. He loves this country. He served this country with distinction.

...And he may try to mend his foibles by appointing Fred as his VP?

Abortion Still #1 Issue Among Evangelicals

"...A new report from the Barna Group warns political campaigns that assuming the evangelical vote is "splintering" over abortion would be a mistake, with 19 of every 20 members of that group citing the issue as their top concern.

"One of the myths about the 2008 election is that the evangelical vote is splintering over issues such as abortion and homosexuality. In fact, when defined based upon a consistent set of theological perspectives, evangelicals remain very united on abortion and homosexuality," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group and director of the study.

"Evangelicals' top concern – by a wide margin – was abortion (94 percent). This was followed by the personal debt of Americans (81 percent), the content of television and movies (79 percent), homosexual activists (75 percent), and gay and lesbian lifestyles (75 percent,)" the report on the assessment of voters' values and morals said..." (source)

And for what it's worth "Jane Roe" has endorsed Ron Paul.

After I read this I was trying to think what my "top concerns" are. Personally, seemingly unlike many in the country, I don't think a President can or will solve my personal problems... I guess #1 for me is definitely national security. I know it's cliche, but I pretty sick of the middle class being trampled (and from me that's more of a condemnation of social programs than anything else). The main thing I look to the President to do is appoint decent Supreme Court judges that will adhere to the Constitution and veto big spending bills.

Columbia Professor Making Bombs?

"Police stumbled upon a bomb-making factory Sunday in the home of a Columbia professor who specializes in the spread of infectious disease - and are investigating whether he and his roommate have terror ties.

Cops evacuated the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood around the Remsen St. home of Michael Clatts, a medical anthropologist, after finding seven pipe bombs fitted with fuses in his flat, police sources said.

The frightening cache was discovered almost by accident - Ivaylo Ivanov, the man living with Clatts, accidentally shot off the tip of his left index finger and sought police help in the street about 1:15 a.m..." (source)

What's really sad is this story didn't faze or shock me in the least. This story about the Professors at Princeton university pretty much sums up the state of affairs in America's institutions of higher learning where the "Blame America First crowd" gathers to teach our children the evils of free trade and capitalism.

Taking Football WAY Too Seriously...

"...A 36-year-old Pardeeville man accusing of tying up his 7-year-old son with tape Saturday after the boy refused to wear a Green Bay Packers sweatshirt during the divisional playoff game against Seattle said the incident was a joke that "got blown way out of proportion."

Matthew Kowald was arrested Monday on tentative felony charges of causing mental harm to a child and false imprisonment, but was issued only a disorderly conduct citation for the incident.

Kowald reportedly forced a Packers sweatshirt on the boy, who told his father he refused to root for the Packers and was told by Kowald that anyone who said that would be grounded. Columbia County Lt. Wayne Smith said Kowald restrained the boy with tape for about an hour and taped the shirt to him.

"He wanted the juvenile to be a Packers fan, and I would suggest he went about it the wrong way," Smith said..." (source)

Alright, this is worse than me sending mine in the T.O. jersey...right?!

Caption It...

Thompson's Campaign Struggling...

We needed the South Carolina win. The Conservatives there opted to listen to talking heads rather than research the facts and for that I may never forgive them. On top of the third place disappointment in S.C., Senator Thompson's mother is quite ill and the campaign is not saying what the future holds...

I don't normally reprint entire articles verbatim, but this piece in The National Ledger, by JB Williams, may just be the most succinct recap and explanation of the events to date thus far... I agree with every word.

"Fred Thompson was drafted by the conservative base of the Republican Party for two very simple reasons. One, the Republican National Committee offered no other viable conservative choice and two, only a true traditional conservative can challenge today's Democratic Socialists. Thompson was not planning on running for an office he never aspired to hold. He was asked to put his personal life on hold, and answer the call to serve his fellow conservatives in desperate need of real conservative leadership.

Thompson didn’t enter the race late. The other eight eager beavers entered the race a year early, throwing the nomination process into a confusing tailspin and the nation into unwanted perpetual campaign mode. Those who claim Thompson’s late entry cost him the nomination need to answer why the early “front-runner” Rudy Giuliani, is in worse shape than Thompson in the polls?

No conservative including Thompson, had any chance of winning in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan or Nevada, all heavily liberal, which delivered three different winners in four primaries. So Thompson bet his farm on South Carolina, where conservative candidates normally do best.

But Thompson finished a distant 3rd instead of 1st or even 2nd, after pundits had been painting Thompson as “lazy” – “no fire” – “slow” and “disinterested” since the day he announced his campaign. And now, Thompson’s campaign is in real trouble coming out of South Carolina a distant 3rd.

But, every Republican emerges from South Carolina in trouble. John McCain thinks he emerged from South Carolina a victor. But what did he win? McCain won South Carolina the same way he won New Hampshire, with Independent votes, not Republican votes. So what did he win and how can he turn that into a national victory in November?

The answer is - he can’t turn it into a national victory in November, no matter how much he tells himself he can. He’s simply running on ego, ignoring an overtly obvious reality.

NO Republican can win in November without the support of the Republican base of the party. And none of the new front-runners, McCain, Romney, or Huckabee will enter November with the base of their party intact. Thompson is the only Republican candidate who can bring all Republicans into the voting booth in November, yet too many Republicans choose to ignore this reality." (source)

(Photo Courtesy of: Fred Thompson on flickr)

U.N. Admits "The Surge" is Working...And Reuters Actually Reports It!

"We cannot ignore the recent improvements both in the security and political situation in Iraq," Staffan de Mistura, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said in a address to the Security Council.

Reasons for the reduced level of violence include the increased presence of U.S. and other troops, a ceasefire declared by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and increased cooperation with Iraq's neighbors, he said." (source)

Of course the report couldn't all be good and they went on to say that Iraq still needs more political consensus, but Democracies aren't built in a few years. I wish I could fast forward 30 years and see how this will be talked about then...

Homeless OIF & OEF Veterans

Throughout history, every war has produced homeless veterans in its aftermath. Right now the Department of Veterans Affairs says there are about 1,500 from OIF & OEF that are currently homeless.

"...People who have studied postwar trauma say there is always a lengthy gap between coming home - the time of parades and backslaps and "The Boys Are Back in Town" on the local FM station - and the moments of utter darkness that leave some of them homeless.

In that time, usually a period of years, some veterans focus on the horrors they saw on the battlefield, or the friends they lost, or why on earth they themselves deserved to come home at all. They self-medicate, develop addictions, spiral down.

Mental illness, financial troubles and difficulty in finding affordable housing are generally accepted as the three primary causes of homelessness among veterans, and in the case of Iraq and Afghanistan, the first has raised particular concern.

Iraq veterans are less likely to have substance abuse problems but more likely to suffer mental illness, particularly post-traumatic stress, according to the Veterans Administration. And that stress by itself can trigger substance abuse.

Some advocates say there are also some factors particular to the Iraq war, like multiple deployments and the proliferation of improvised explosive devices, that could be pulling an early trigger on stress disorders that can lead to homelessness.

While many Vietnam veterans began showing manifestations of stress disorders roughly 10 years after returning from the front, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have shown the signs much earlier..." (Read the entire article)

I wouldn't presume to offer any insights into this terrible reality. I have not served and have never dealt with the horrific realities of war.
Over the weekend, The Man and I watched a movie that dealt with the redeployment of troops from Iraq: Home of the Brave (Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba & Fiddy Cent). Granted, this was one of the worst movies I've seen in a while, but the point was well taken. Watching the troops attempting to meld back into their pre-combat lives was painful.

Bill Was "Having A Dream"

Not good for the "first Black President" and the aspiring first, First Husband to be caught on tape snoozing during a ceremony honoring the late Martin Luther King Jr.



(H/T: Breitbart.com)

Computer Generation

Apparently my 9 year old set up the tripod and took 15+ photos of his new Spawn figure. He then imported them to "Photoshop Image Ready" (a program I have yet to figure out), changed them all to .gif images and then created the above animated picture.

Do you know how many adults I know that have trouble accessing their email or wording something in a Google search?

I know I complain a lot about my boys' school, but I guess they're doing something right. Oh yeah, they don't teach stuff like this there --well, I guess we'll just have to chalk it up to good genes ;)

Did Oprah "Betray" Women for Obama?

AMERICA’S favourite television presenter is paying a painful price for her intervention in the US presidential campaign last month. Oprah Winfrey has been dubbed a “traitor” by some of her female fans for supporting Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton.

Winfrey’s website, Oprah.com, has been flooded with a barrage of abuse since the queen of daytime chat shows joined Obama on a tour of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in mid-December.

Her intervention was widely credited with broadening Obama’s national appeal - especially among women - and with helping him to an upset victory over Clinton in the first vote of the election year in Iowa.

Source
Obama's not gonna win it. He's shot his wad. The best he could hope for would be vice-president. This wouldn't be so bad, as he is young and could be a more viable candidate after 8 years in the executive branch.

I'm sorry !Fred! didn't do better in SC. If McCain would promise not to support amnesty in his first term, I could support him. He does want to cut spending and has a good record on the War on Terror. !Fred! could be the VP on the ticket. Supposing that McCain is to old to run in 2012, !Fred! would be in a great spot to run.

The Problem with Boys

What changes would you recommend if I told you that African-American children were:

four to eight times as likely to be drugged with Ritalin and other stimulants, which pediatrician Leonard Sax, calls “academic steroids.”

reading much more poorly than are other students.

five times more likely to commit suicide.

two and a half times as likely to drop out of high school.

severely underrepresented in college and even more so among college graduates, thereby locking them out of today’s, let alone tomorrow’s, knowledge economy.

You’d likely invoke such words as “institutional racism” to justify major efforts to improve African-Americans’ numbers.

All of the above statements are true except for one thing: I’m not talking about African-American children. I’m talking about children of all races, indeed half of all children, half of our next generation: boys.

Read the whole thing.

Amen to this:

Boys advocate Joe Manthey reminds us that "When girls were behind in math and science, we said, 'We want to help these girls; there's something wrong with the schools.’ But when boys don't do well in school, we say there's something wrong with the boy."

Let’s stop blaming the boy and start fixing our schools and media.

Diversity Training Backfires

"...Most diversity training efforts at American companies are ineffective and even counterproductive in increasing the number of women and minorities in managerial positions, according to an analysis that turns decades of conventional wisdom, government policy and court rulings on their head.

A comprehensive review of 31 years of data from 830 mid-size to large U.S. workplaces found that the kind of diversity training exercises offered at most firms were followed by a 7.5 percent drop in the number of women in management. The number of black, female managers fell by 10 percent, and the number of black men in top positions fell by 12 percent. Similar effects were seen for Latinos and Asians..." (source)

I think it's only common sense to realize that forcing (or requiring) someone to respect someone else is impossible and breeds resentment. Unfortunately the only way for people to become more accepting is by example (IMO anyway). Therefore if it's not there once they reach college/the workplace...I'm not sure if it can ever be taught. I think acceptance is something that has to be learned from childhood, not taught in a boardroom.

Caption It...

Candidate Match

I know there are tons of these out there, but I'm glad about it. I think bringing politics into the 'new media' is the only way to get the American Idol Generation into the process...



My Matches...

76% John McCain
75% Fred Thompson
74% Tom Tancredo
74% Mitt Romney
73% Mike Huckabee
59% Ron Paul
53% Rudy Giuliani
37% Bill Richardson
35% Chris Dodd
34% Hillary Clinton
33% John Edwards
31% Barack Obama
28% Joe Biden
21% Mike Gravel
14% Dennis Kucinich

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Biblical Knowledge

I wasn't sure how I would do on this...Though I had 12 years of Christian school, it's been almost 11 years since I've been to Church. I felt a little hesitant on some of the answers, but it seems as if I've retained my Biblical knowledge pretty well. My Bible teacher (who hated me) would be proud (or not).

You know the Bible 95%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Digging out the King James Edition or Googling is prohibited! :)

Abortion on a Decline

I was hoping that when the "morning after pill" became available OTC it would reduce the number of abortions. I know many Conservatives have a problem with this method (different than RU486), but if life begins at conception and you are able to mega-dose on birth control before the sperm penetrates the egg and stop the fertilization...there was no conception.

"...A comprehensive study of abortion in America underscores a striking change in the landscape, with ever-fewer pregnant women choosing abortion and those who do increasingly opting to avoid surgical clinics.

The number of abortions has plunged to 1.2 million a year, down 25% since peaking in 1990, according to a report released today -- days before the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.

In the early 1980s, nearly 1 in 3 pregnant women chose abortion. The most recent data show that proportion is closer to 1 in 5.

"That's a significant drop, and it's encouraging," said Randall K. O'Bannon, director of education and research for the antiabortion group National Right to Life.

Women looking to end early pregnancies are gravitating to medication abortions, in which they take two pills under a doctor's supervision to induce miscarriage. This approach lets them avoid surgery -- and the protesters who often picket clinics -- and expel the embryo in the privacy of their homes. The Food and Drug Administration approved the pills in 2000 for use through the seventh week of pregnancy.

By 2005, the most recent year covered by the report, the pills accounted for 13% of all abortions..." (source)

ACLU Goes to Bat for Larry Craig

"... In a legal effort to help a U.S. senator, the American Civil Liberties Union is arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms have an expectation of privacy.

Republican Senator Larry Craig is asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to let him withdraw his guilty plea to disorderly conduct related to a bathroom sex sting at the Minneapolis airport last year.

Craig was arrested by an undercover police officer who said Craig tapped his feet and swiped his hand under a stall divider in a way that signaled he wanted sex. Craig has denied that, saying his actions were misconstrued.

The ACLU filed a brief Tuesday supporting Craig. It cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

That means the state cannot prove Craig was inviting the undercover officer to have sex in public, the ACLU wrote.

Even if Craig was inviting the officer to have sex, the ACLU argued, his actions would not be illegal." (source)

I'm interested to see what you folks think about this. What if it's a married couple looking to spice up their marital sex life? If the stall door is closed, who are they hurting? I'm sure you can guess where I stand on this. If it's out in the open that's one thing...but behind closed doors where no one else has to see --I could care less.

For Free, Jpck & SoLow

I have finally started reading "House to House" and, omg, I seriously can't put this book down. It is SO well written and I am SO impressed. There are so many quotes I want to transcribe here and so many stories to re-tell, but seriously you need to read this for yourselves. BUT, as I was reading yesterday and came across this paragraph I couldn't help but laugh thinking of my three beloved jarheads :D

"...Our unit is set to head out to Fallujah, a city of about 350,000 in the restive Anbar province, along the Euphrates River. Fallujah has been under total insurgent control since April, when Operation Vigilant Resolve, a Marine offensive planned in response to to the ghastly and well publicized hanging of four U.S. contractors, was canceled for political reasons. The jarheads just loved that. All they wanted to do was finish the insurgents off once and for all. Marines. They may be all double-barreled and single-helixed. They may just be the worst historical revisionists of all time. But at their core they are fiercely proud and spoil for an unfair fight. God love 'em all." (House to House; SSG David Bellavia)

Caption It...

Night Out

The lack of posts today isn't because I'm bitter about yesterday... The Man and I actually went out to see a show last night and I'm too tired to post.

We started the night by meeting OkayPro, a Flickr contact, for drinks at a cool little Philly bar (that had strong Long Island Iced Teas and killer pirogies). Yes, Free was right...I am cheating on the blogs for Flickr ;)



Then we headed over to the TLA (Theatre of the Living Arts) to see The Mars Volta's sold out show. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a few crappy shots before my camera battery was confiscated:



After the show, we decided to head over to Geno's. I rarely eat cheesesteaks, but there's really nothing better after a night out. I know I've said in the past that Geno's was more of a "tourist steak", but I totally take that back. They were SO much better than I remember.

Here is the new walkway that has each fireman and policeman that has been killed in Philadelphia:


The infamous sign and all the tributes to Danny Faulkner:


And the crescendo of the evening:


Since I'm not used to be out so late "on a school night" I assume I'll be useless all day...but it was worth the pics...

Dear Michigan...

Muslim Double Standard...Again.

"...A Muslim store worker at Marks & Spencer refused to serve a customer buying a children's book on biblical stories because she said it was "unclean".

Sally Friday, a customer at a branch of one of the famous stores, felt publicly humiliated when she tried to pay for First Bible Stories as a gift for her young grandson.

When the grandmother put the book on the counter, the assistant refused to touch it, declared it was unclean and then summoned another member of staff to deal with the purchase.

Mrs Friday was so upset that she has now complained to the store's manager.

Politicians and religious leaders supported her in condemning the high street chain and it has reignited the debate over religious beliefs in the workplace..." (source)

This story elucidates everything I hate about this religion... If a Christian clerk called the Qu'ran "unclean" and refused to touch it, Muslims would be burning down embassies. I hate that everyone else is supposed to turn a blind eye to the chauvinism, misogyny and violence of Islam and "embrace tolerance"; but the gross double standard allows Muslims to openly desecrate and disdain anything that isn't Islam.