Another Lightning Strike

In another Janesville Gazette article Gina Duwe reports that the Dave Heider farm has made the news again.

In 1994, Miracle, a rare white buffalo was born on Heider's farm. In August, 2006, another white buffalo, Miracle's Second Chance, was born.

Sunday night during a thunderstorm, lightning struck again... literally. The strike killed two adult buffalo and three calves, including Miracle's Second Chance.

Bummer!

Say What?

In a story in the Janesville Gazette written by staffer Anna Marie Lux concerning unknown HIV infection:

"Laura Cooper froze in fear when her test for the AIDS virus came back positive."

""All I could see was death," the Beloit woman says. "I got angry at God. I felt He had forsaken me.""

"In her panic, she insisted that the man who infected her also be tested."

"He did not know he had the virus."

Forsaken you?

Tigerhawk Calling Lance

Tigerhawk asks a question of his fellow Episcopalians concerning this observation by Mark Steyn:

"...the new Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first woman to run a national division of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Kate gave an interview to the New York Times revealing what passes for orthodoxy in this most flexible of faiths. She was asked a simple enough question: "How many members of the Episcopal Church are there?""

""About 2.2 million," replied the presiding bishop. "It used to be larger percentage-wise, but Episcopalians tend to be better educated and tend to reproduce at lower rates than other denominations.""

"This was a bit of a jaw-dropper even for a New York Times hackette, so, with vague memories of God saying something about going forth and multiplying floating around the back of her head, a bewildered Deborah Solomon said: "Episcopalians aren't interested in replenishing their ranks by having children?""

""No," agreed Bishop Kate. "It's probably the opposite. We encourage people to pay attention to the stewardship of the earth and not use more than their portion.""

"...But, even in their vigorous embrace of gay bishoprics and all the rest, I don't recall the Episcopalians formally embracing the strategy that worked out so swell for the Shakers and enshrining a disapproval of reproduction at the heart of their doctrine."

"Here's the question for Bishop Kate: If Fatma An-Najar [aged 64 and self-detonating in the town of Jebaliya] has 41 grandchildren and a responsible "better educated" Episcopalian has one or two, into whose hands are we delivering "the stewardship of the earth"? If your crowd isn't around in any numbers, how much influence can they have in shaping the future?"

Tigerhawk: "Any [other] Episcopalians out there who want to try their hand at answering that?"

Lance?

Keeping Up With the Rana catesbeianans

Walter Williams writes in Townhall.com:

"Some Americans look to European countries such as France, Germany and its Scandinavian neighbors and suggest that we adopt some of their economic policies." [...]

"Government spending exceeds 50 percent of the GDP in France and Sweden and more than 45 percent in Germany and Italy , compared to U.S. federal, state and local spending of just under 36 percent." [...]

"Over the last decade, the U.S. economy has grown twice as fast as European economies. In 2006, European unemployment averaged 8 percent while the U.S. average was 4.7 percent. What's more, the percentage of Americans without a job for more than 12 months was 12.7 percent while in Europe it was 42.6 percent. Since 1970, 57 million new jobs were created in the U.S., and just 4 million were created in Europe."

"Dr. Mitchell cites a comparative study by Timbro, a Swedish think tank, showing that European countries rank with the poorest U.S. states in terms of living standards, roughly equal to Arkansas and Montana and only slightly ahead of West Virginia and Mississippi. Average living space in Europe is just under 1,000 square feet for the average household, while U.S. households enjoy an average of 1,875 square feet, and poor households 1,200 square feet." [...]

"A suggestion that we should be more like Europe is the same as one suggesting that we should be poorer."

Ribbet... ribbet.

November 22, 1963

While in the 6th grade classroom at Hillcrest Elementary, we were watching an educational film of some sort or another. Our teacher broke the news that President Kennedy had been shot. We sat in stunned silence for quite awhile and then began talking among ourselves about it. The only statement that I recall was that of a classmate named John Holdorf. He had recommended that bamboo shoots should be jammed under to shooter's fingernails. This suggestion seemed reasonable to me. A short time later, Jack Ruby took the law into his own hands and killed Lee Harvey Oswald on national TV.

The days of my innocent youth were over. I could never look at the villains on 'Cecil, the Seasick Sea Serpent' in the same way again.

Science & Religion

Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. outlines some considerations when discussing science and religion:

1. Science is about the natural world. By definition, it has nothing to say about the supernatural world, including whether there is a supernatural world.

2. Theism is compatible with science. If it's not, then teaching science in public schools is an establishment of atheism, which violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

3. Theists have an explanation for the evil in the world, so the existence of evil—even horrendous, seemingly pointless evil—doesn't disprove the existence of God. Some of the scientists mentioned in the story need to get up to speed on philosophy of religion. They are embarrassing themselves.

4. Religion has been a force for both good and evil. To condemn it for the evil it does without commending it for the good it does is intellectually dishonest.

5. Religion is not the only divisive force in the world. The horrors of the 20th century were motivated by political (usually leftist) ideals, not by religion. So if religion is to be abolished for being divisive, then so should political ideals such as leftism be abolished.

6. Corollary: If inculcating religious belief is "child abuse," then so is inculcating leftism.

7. That religion, as an institution, can be explained in naturalistic terms (e.g., in terms of its psychological or social usefulness) has no bearing on (a) its truth or (b) its value. Morality, law, mathematics—even science itself—can be explained in naturalistic terms. Are they to be rejected as false or valueless? Indeed, everything that exists—every belief, practice, convention, tradition, institution, and emotion—can be explained in naturalistic terms. Nothing of an evaluative nature follows from this.

8. Scientists who make claims about the value or disvalue of religion—about whether it has been a net benefit or a net detriment to humanity, or to sentient life generally—are acting in a nonscientific capacity. Science—even social science—is value-free. It has nothing to say about what's good, bad, right, wrong, just, unjust, fair, unfair, beautiful, or ugly. Scientists who pretend that their scientific expertise gives them evaluative authority are guilty of scientism, which is an ideology.

9. Richard Dawkins is not merely indifferent to religion, as one might expect of a scientist; he is hostile to it. This cries out for explanation. Some scientist should try to discover the roots of his hostility. Is he afraid of dying? Was he abused by a preacher? Is he symbolically killing his father? Is he trying to get attention? Fame? Fortune?

10. Some scientist should conduct a study of theists and atheists to see which of them comes closest to living a morally upright life. The standard of uprightness would have to be neutral, obviously. One candidate is the utilitarian standard of Jeremy Bentham, which neither presupposes nor precludes the existence of God. Who produces the most overall utility: theists or atheists? This is an empirical question, well within the competence of (social) scientists to investigate. Do you suppose they're afraid of what they'll discover?

Dr. Burgess-Jackson is one of my regular atheist reads.

Bart Who?

After Sunday's game against the Patriots, where the Packers received a whuppin' on the order of the thumpin' of the liberal Republicans by the conservative Democrats, the Packers divulged some very bad news. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be out for the rest of the season with a broken bone in his foot.

Rodgers will probably be replaced by an unknown entity named Bart Favre. (I think it's pronounced Fayv-ree, or perhaps, Fay-ver) Favre was obtained in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons a short while back and has yet to show promise. Let's just hope that this young quarterback can develop some of the skills of his namesake, Bart Starr.

Finally, Someone is Using Their Head

The Event:

WHO? All Men and Women, you and everyone
you know.

WHERE? Everywhere in the world, but especially in countries with weapons of mass destruction.

WHEN? Winter Solstice Day - Friday, December 22nd,
at the time of your choosing, in the place of your choosing and with as much privacy as you choose.

WHY? To effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy a Synchronized Global Orgasm. There are two more US fleets heading for the Persian Gulf with anti-submarine equipment that can only be for use against Iran, so the time to change Earth’s energy is NOW!

The Mission Statement:

The mission of the Global Orgasm is to effect change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy. Now that there are two more US fleets heading for the Persian Gulf with anti- submarine equipment that can only be for use against Iran, the time to change Earth’s energy is NOW!

The intent is that the participants concentrate any thoughts during and after orgasm on peace. The combination of high- energy orgasmic energy combined with mindful intention may have a much greater effect than previous mass meditations and prayers.

The goal is to add so much concentrated and high-energy positive input into the energy field of the Earth that it will reduce the current dangerous levels of aggression and violence throughout the world.

Global Orgasm is an experiment open to everyone in the world.

The results will be measured on the worldwide monitor system of the Global Consciousness Project.

This is the First Annual Solstice Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace, leading up to the December Solstice of 2012, when the Mayan Calendar ends with a new beginning.

This event has been endorsed by:

The International Association of Rapists

Pedophilia Unlimited

Al-Qaida- "Kill infidels in the morning, participate in the event with your 72 virgins in the afternoon."

Jack Murtha and the Democrat Party

Dems' Proposed "Forces Leaving Early Expeditiously" Plan (FLEE)

Analysis by Peace Moonbeam:

"As expected, the Republicans are crying a river over our plans to exit Iraq gracefully with dignity, but no big surprise there - you'd cry too if someone took away your oil wells. The biggest whiner is the Iraqi government itself, "Oh boohoo, our government will collapse, hundreds of thousands of people will die in sectarian violence, Muslim extremist groups will take over, blah blah blah." Oh please, over here we're battling for stem cell research and tax hikes, fending off Evangelical homo-drug addicts, etc., and you're complaining about a few heavily-armed over-stimulated camel jockeys? Give me a break."

"When it's all said and done, there's nothing wrong in Iraq that the ACLU couldn't fix, and the sooner we send some lawyers over there and start suing the crap out of the troublemakers, the quicker that rat's nest will become civilized."

"Troops out, lawyers in, build water parks. All better."

(H.T. Dr. Sanity.)

Pastry Fight!

I turned on the radio and started listening to the Badger football game just before halftime. The Badgers were up 7-3, but Buffalo had the ball on the Badger 3 yard line with a first down. The Badgers held, the Buffalo kicker shanked the field goal attempt. Wisconsin scored two quick touchdowns and went into halftime up 21-3.

During the half, the announcers gave the scores of other Big Ten games, all which had border or intrastate bragging rights. Minnesota and Iowa were battling in a close contest. Illinois and Northwestern were strangling each other neck and neck. Indiana and Purdue were dueling to the death. Penn State and Michigan State were assuring mutual total destruction.

I don't know if any of you guys have ever seen cream puffs fight, but they are vicious and always very messy (viscous).

Buffalo could have finished in the middle of the Big Ten pack this year.

The Packers couldn't even beat Buffalo. (I know that Green Bay played the Bills and not the Bulls, but a few Democrats read this blog and they never bother to fact check.)

Oh, yeah... Michigan visits Ohio State a little later this afternoon. (If Michigan were to win by two touchdowns or more, wouldn't Wisconsin deserve the chance to play them again for the national championship? Since this game is played in Arizona, instead of "I smell roses", would we yell, "I smell illegal aliens"?)

Thanksgiving

I have often marvelled that the Pilgrims held a feast of thanksgiving to God while preparing to enter the New England winter when, in the previous winter, one-half of their number had died.

Abraham Lincoln's proclamation of a day of thanksgiving to God did the very same thing in 1863; honoring God and his goodness while in the midst of a bloody civil war. This was the proclamation that set aside the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom."

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy."

"It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed."

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

A. Lincoln

And as I am the party of the 'big tent', I don't want to exclude my secular friends. To them I say, "Happy Turkey Day!" (Although it does make me wonder... Did you kill, stuff, roast, and eat a veteran on Veterans' Day?)

Out of the Quagmire

Ohio Democrat Jack Murtha proved a man of his word as he pulled out of the quagmire 'War for House Majority Leadership'.

Murtha will redeploy as chairman of the House Committee on Okinawan Tourism.

Chick Fight!

Pelosi, Murtha, Hoyer, Harmon, Hastings... the estrogen is as thick as 'Lake Michigan steam in a young man's dream'.

I bet Barney Frank is as giddy as a school girl.

Surprising Republican Backlash

According to this article in USAToday, dated November 8th:

ORLANDO (AP) — A tornado leveled four buildings in Seminole County and damaged 40 others, but caused no serious injuries, officials said Wednesday.

The twister touched down Tuesday evening in this Orlando suburb. The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday it was a "strong F1," a ranking that ranges from 73 mph to 112 mph. Building inspectors were surveying the damage.

And this article in The Canadian Press, dated November 16th:

RIEGELWOOD, N.C. (AP) - A tornado flipped cars, shredded trees and ripped mobile homes to pieces in this little riverside community early Thursday, killing at least eight people, authorities said.

The disaster brought the two-day death toll to 12, after a devastating line of thunderstorms swept across the South.

In Louisiana, a man died Wednesday when a tornado struck his home. In South Carolina, a utility worker checking power lines Thursday during the storm was electrocuted. In North Carolina, two people died in car crashes as heavy rain pounded the state, dropping as much as 12 centimetres in some areas.

The storm also caused minor flooding in the Washington area, where rescuers grabbed several people stranded in their vehicles, and slowed commuters as far north as Newark, N.J.

Back in the day when my long hair and full beard were intended for use as antennae to receive messages from the speaking universe, I learned many many heretofore unmentionable secrets. My friends all thought it was the acid, but I knew that I had found many mystical truths that even were denied to Timothy Leary. These days, if I let my hair grow a little too long or don't shave well enough or soon enough, I may still hear astronomical speech. Today, in concert with the two articles quoted above, I received another tidbit of great stunnation.

It is a good thing that hurricane season was over before the November elections, but I fear greatly for the East Coast and the Gulf Coast next summer because...

Who knew Gaia was a Republican?

Fair Wisconsin Re-Knights Sir Elton Sir John

As reported by WTMJ:

"Elton John has donated $20,000 thousand dollars to Fair Wisconsin. The group is trying to beat a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the state."

And by Lite 96.7:

"He [Little Sir Echo] says, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays.

"I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work.

"It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate.""

The Bitch is Back:

"I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can bitch, I can bitch
`cause Im better than you
Its the way that I move
The things that I do" - Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin.

I am religious and I think homosexuals are human enough to stand up to the same scrutiny as everyone else. I find it much harder to extend grace to stupid dolts, however.

Widely Read and Worldly Wise

Robert Godwin, aka Gagdad Bob, strikes again:

Here are a few "wise old Islamic sayings" from the book that I think are particularly relevant to our discussion. These are almost clichés in the Islamic world, but they are probably new to you:

“Fool me once, death to you. Fool me twice? Ain’t gonna happen.”

“There's something rotten in Denmark. Free speech.”

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Period.”

“One picture is worth a thousand riots.”

“Good fences make it more difficult to kill your neighbors.”

“If you can't say anything nice, Grand Ayatollah Khamemei just might select you to be the President of Iran.”

Now that I’m just free-associating, I am reminded of the excellent children's book Mommy is a Democrat. Here are a few gems pulled out at random:

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Instead, pack the Supreme Court with activist judges and make it an entitlement.”

“It's not how you play the game, so long as no one wins or loses and gets their feelings hurt.”

“A fool and someone else's money can solve any societal problem.”

“If life gives you lemons, file a class action suit against Sunkist.”

“A person is known by the company he boycotts.”

“Boys will be boys, at least until government provides subsidized ritalin for every last one of them.”

“Regardless of your background, any American who really works hard at it can still be a victim.”

Sports Experts

The Sunday Morning Janesville Gazette usually gives a full page rundown concerning the upcoming Packer game. This summary includes injury reports, series history, several keys to watch, team leaders, expected starting lineups and main substitutes, and the betting line. The bottom section includes the prediction of five Gazette sports writers; the persons in the know, the local experts.

Here are their predictions:

Dave Wedeward: "A loss in Buffalo doesn't bode well for a trip to a dome." "Vikings 31, Packers 28."

Pretty reasonable assessment.

Tom Miller: "Packers begin their drive to ensure that their games do not get hit with NBC's flex schedule changes." "Vikings 20, Packers 7."

Tom, you should give up your day job, and I wouldn't recommend anything in cutting edge humor, either.

John Barry: "I can't think. I'm going through Jillian Barberie withdrawal. Brad Childress ran same boring offense at Wisconsin." "Vikings 3, Packers 2."

John, I see that McDonald's is looking for help.

Ken Veloskey: "Another loss, and it's time for the Packers to turn to Aaron Rodgers." "Vikings 28, Packers 10."

Ken, weren't you fired from writing obituaries for submitting them for persons still living? It's time for the Gazette to turn to Aaron Rodgers as he will have plenty of free time for awhile.

John McPoland: "I have a hunch Green Bay has just enough offense to win this game. We know the Vikings have no offense." "Packers 17, Vikings 13."

Ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Among the five experts, one got it right, one was respectably wrong, and three had their heads firmly inserted well into their otherwise impacted sigmoids.

A friend in Texas used to parse the word 'expert' with the following etymology: 'ex-' is from the word meaning 'a has-been', and 'spert' is derived from the root meaning 'a drip under pressure'. With apologies to John McPoland, I'd say my friend was most generally correct.

Yeller Dogs/Blue Dogs

My last post suggested the possibility of newly elected Conservative Democrats forming a coalition to stand up for the principles upon which they were elected. Being out of touch with Washington, I soon discovered that there was already such a coalition that includes 37 members. After this election they expect to increase that number to 46.



The Blue Dogs were formed in 1994 after the Republicans took over leadership of the House. Some of its earliest members soon joined the Republican Party. With the Liberal leadership soon to be running the show, it would seem feasible that many of the Blue Dogs would consider switching parties, especially if Nancy Pelosi, et al., try to force through their progressive ideals.

Vince & Larry Married in Arizona

Heather Has Two Crash Test Daddies

Kevin McCullough has written an article entitled LIBS: Standing on the Shoulders of Crash Dummies in Townhall.com that contains the following excerpts in analysis:

"Look at how the candidates described themselves: "pro-marriage", "pro-life", "pro-gun", "born-again Christian", "pro-business", "anti-tax,” and in one case "former member of the Reagan administration.""

"They invoked Jesus, God, the Bible, marriage, and faith in decibel and volume that would have earned Soros-sized scorn, and Kos-site mockery - were the party to actually let them demonstrate any of it."

If some of these freshmen do indeed hold some of these principles on a deeper level than just efficacious campaign rhetoric, they would not be allowed to 'demonstrate any of it' by the liberal leadership. To the level that this may be true, perhaps they would be good candidates to:

1) Form coalitions ala the 'Gang of 14' to wield power to frustrate liberal leadership initiatives, or

2) Switch parties to gain support for re-election.

Presupposing that their constituencies voted, at least in part, for these principles, these freshmen may be facing the choice between being one-hit crash test dummies or two-termers.

No Benedict Arnold Burris

Chuck Colson's article, Unexcused Absence-Why Don’t Elite Americans Serve? in Townhall.com explores some aspects of the American elite's disdain for the military. When Senator John McCain's son signed up, it was big news. When Frank Schaeffer's son, grandson of the late, great Francis Schaeffer, signed up, his first reactions were horror and embarrassment.

Kathy Roth - Douquet and Frank Schaeffer are the authors of AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service — and How It Hurts Our Country.

Some excerpts from the Colson article:

"They argue in the book that from our country's founding onward, serving one's country in the military has always been expected — especially among the scions of the upper class, what a previous generation called noblesse oblige. As evidence, the authors point to the fact that, as recently as the 1950s, half the graduating classes of Princeton and Harvard — the sons of bankers and businessmen — signed up for a tour of duty, as I myself did after graduating from Brown. Today, fewer than one percent do. Overwhelmingly, those who serve today are from the middle and working class, rural and small town."

"Why is this dangerous? Well, the authors write, wealthy elites who avoid military service will someday be running America — and their ignorance about what our military endures or is capable of may cause them to misuse our troops. Studies show that they tend to look down on those who do serve, and they put too small a value on their willingness to serve, why they serve, and on what this service gives in return." [...]

"Schaeffer and Roth-Douquet are right: It's wrong for an entire class of Americans to consider themselves exempt from serving their country — and then to expect to lead it. Tomorrow — Veterans Day — we ought to reflect not only on the sacrifices made by earlier generations of veterans, but also on how we can spread out the sacrifice more fairly among all classes of Americans."

"America's most privileged youth should remember something their ancestors well understood: To whom much is given, much is expected — and that applies to serving their country."

The elite Burri family has bucked the trend toward disdain and evasion of service in the military. Uncles Dave and Fred were stationed in Pearl Harbor during the actual "Tora, Tora, Tora". They served to the defeat of Japan in WW II. While Jerry served as an Anchor Clanker in the Pacific the North Vietnamese and Al Qaeda steered clear. While I served to restore a crumbling Europe and limit damage by 'Al Qaeda-oid' groups, the United States lived in safety. While Lance and Todd served, America continued in security and prosperity.

We Burris may be 'uppity hoity-toitians', but we were proud to serve.

Happy Veteran's Day!

A Compromise That Doesn't
'Rise Above My Principles'

James Taranto in Friday's Best of the Web Today proposes a compromise concerning Iraq with which I can agree:

Well, Daniel P. Quinn of St. Petersburg, Fla., has the courage of Hans Blix's convictions. In a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune, he writes:

"It's a question of being "right" or doing the right thing. Saddam Hussein could save more thousands of lives from suffering and death than he is accused of having caused."

"Hussein has already been vindicated as being guiltless in the accusations that he had weapons of mass destruction."

"For the sake of peace and better relations in the Middle East, Saddam Hussein should be reinstated as leader of Iraq. He is the only one who can stabilize the region. Returning Hussein to power will take guts."

Taranto: How about a compromise: We restore Saddam after he's been hanged.

Third-Party Cola Demands Ad-Campaign-Finance Reform

I love the Onion

Third-Party Cola Demands Ad-Campaign-Finance Reform

COLUMBUS, GA—Claiming the American consumer is in crisis, third-party soft drink Royal Crown Cola called for an end to two-brand dominance, demanding an equal playing field for all and urging sweeping restrictions on the amount Coke and Pepsi are allowed to spend on advertisements.

The Bureaucracy

Columnist Burt Prelutsky:

"To begin at the beginning, a few months ago, we broke down and bought a new clothes washer. Because it was one of those machines that allegedly uses less water than the typical unit, the local DWP offered a rebate. All that was required, we thought, was to mail in a proof of purchase. Which we did. But instead of receiving a check by return mail, we were notified that we’d have to make an appointment so that they could send some guy out to make sure, I suppose, that we weren’t turning out counterfeit Sears receipts in our basement."

"So, like the sheep we all tend to turn into when there’s a rebate being dangled in front of our noses, we made our appointment. A week or so later, the fellow showed up at our front door. We led him to our washer. He seemed satisfied. He had me sign a couple of papers, and that was that. It took all of three minutes, and it only took that much time because I have a long name."

"Soon, the check arrived. But we weren’t done, as it turns out. Today we received a phone call from the DWP. They were following up. They wanted a report. Had the fellow shown up on time? Was he polite? Had he done what he was supposed to do?"

"Now, offhand, you would at least have to agree it was a case of overkill. Surely my receipt should have been sufficient to get me my rebate. But, think about it. On the one hand, they’re rewarding me for saving water and power, but, at the same time, they’re paying a bunch of people to waste gas, driving all over L.A. to make darn certain these washers are actually plugged in on the service porch. What am I missing? Are there scofflaws I don’t know about who stick these things in the middle of their dens and are using them as coffee tables?"

"As if that’s not silly enough, the DWP compounds the farce by having this other bunch of spies phoning to check up on the first bunch. And is it unreasonable to wonder if there are still other people checking up on them?"

"Having, as I’ve confessed, no concept of how the utilities work, I’ve never had the slightest idea why the bills are so huge when they show up at the end of the month. Now, at least, I have an inkling."

Dick Armey's Summation

A gem written by Dick Armey in an Opinion Journal article summarizing the results of the election of 2006:

"I've always wondered why Republicans insist on acting like Democrats in hopes of retaining political power, while Democrats act like us in order to win."

You Tell Us, Jon

In reaction against the passage of the Wisconsin Marriage Amendment, State Senator Jon Erpenbach, (D) Middleton, announced that he was going to introduce a proposal during the next legislative session to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to ban discrimination.

Let's see... Equal pay and taxes for every citizen of Wisconsin, Kayla and Mitchell allowed to drive, required rooting equally for the Packers, Badgers, Wolverines, and Bears, fetuses allowed to abort their mothers, rats and cockroaches added to protected and endangered list, Democrats and their issues being reported favorably in the MSM, Amanita on all mushroom pizzas, voting made illegal as it requires discrimination...

What will the picket signs say? "Life Unfair, Boycott Excellence!"

Celebrating Behind the Woodshed

The Democrats, flush with the success of their great 'whuppin' of the Republicans, have announced the opening day agenda for their 2008 National Convention. The convention will either be held in Denver or New York.

THE 2008 NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION OPENING DAY

6:00 p.m. - Opening flag burning ceremony.
6:05 p.m. - Opening secular prayers by Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton
6:30 p.m. - Anti-war concert by Barbra Streisand.
6:40 p.m. - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
7:00 p.m. - Tribute theme to France .
7:10 p.m. - Collect offerings for al-Zawahri defense fund.
7:25 p.m. - Tribute theme to Germany .
7:45 p.m. - Anti-war rally (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:25 p.m. - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:30 p.m. - Terrorist appeasement workshop.
9:00 p.m. - Gay marriage ceremony (both male and female couples)
9:30.p.m. - * Intermission *
10:00.p.m. - Posting the Iraqi Colors by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins
10:10 p.m. - Re-enactment of Kerry's fake medal toss.
10:20.p.m. - Cameo by Dean 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'
10:30 p.m . - Abortion demonstration by N.A.R.A.L.
10:40 p.m. - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
10:50 p.m. - Pledge of allegiance to the UN.
11:00 p.m. - Multiple gay marriage ceremony (threesomes, mixed and same sex). Rep. Barney Frank (D,Mass.), Sponsor
11:15 p.m. - Maximizing Welfare workshop.
11:30 p.m. - 'Free Saddam' pep rally.
11:59 p.m. - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
12:00 p.m. - Coronation of democratic candidate.

(H.T. Wicked Thoughts.)

Election, 2006

I fell asleep sometime during the wee hours of the morning. I had been watching the election results, local, state, and national, with great interest and hope. The voters chose the Democrats to control the U.S. House by a wide margin and it also seemed apparent that they, too, were going to have the majority in the U.S. Senate. The Wisconsin voters returned Jim Doyle to Madison and swept the Democrats into control of the State Senate.

This morning I was awakened by the explosion of a terrorist RPG in my bedroom. My face burned with fire. While regaining partial consciousness, I discovered that my 5:00 AM alarm was blaring and my dutiful cat was licking my face as she always does when I don't answer the alarm quickly enough.

After my shower, I noticed that the sun had actually come up and it looked to be a very nice day.

As I went outside, I heard the birds singing and watched as the squirrels scurried about with there usual business. I never knew that vultures has such beautiful singing voices. I also thought that squirrels has bushy tails.

While driving to work, I could see that stop lights worked and traffic was moving normally. Yeah, I know that Florida had possible tornadoes and some California houses were sliding into the Pacific, but life somehow just seemed to move along.

I was very disappointed, but by some means, I got over it.

It's funny. I can't help but think that, even though the Democrats are now leading the House, that by some measure it had still become more conservative.

Congratulations to the winners and good luck. On to 2008!

A Taste of Chez Gagdad

What is at stake Tuesday is the same thing that has been at stake since time immemorial: a choice between the truth that is, has always been, and cannot be invented; and a shallow and improvised falsehood that man -- both individually and collectively -- perpetually fabricates to shield himself from reality. If truth is known and embraced, it is efficacious and leads to dynamic progress. But to the extent that truth is warped or denied, the only result can be various degrees of catastrophe in the form of sharp blows from reality.

There is no getting around the fact that the "culture war" is at bottom a theological dispute between secular and traditionally religious forces. But it would be a great error to conclude that the war therefore involves atheistic vs. theistic camps, much less logic vs. faith. Rather, it is a war of competing theisms, each rooted in faith and steeped in metaphysics. Radical secularists are rarely neutral about God -- in fact, they are obviously burning with passion about spiritual matters. Secular leftism merely replaces one God with another, but in so doing, destroys man.

Human beings cannot help being religious. One of the benefits of religion --properly understood -- is that it prevents the mind from regressing into the magical worldview that preceded its development. Sophisticated secularists believe they are making progress by leaving the “superstitions” of religion behind, but this is rarely the case. As Chesterson said, instead of believing “nothing,” they tend to believe in “anything,” which is where the pseudo-religion of contemporary liberalism -- that is, leftism -- rushes in to fill the void. [...]

(From A Snake, An Apple, and A Ballot Box.)

Atomic Moral Authority

Reprinted from The Nose on Your Face: News so fake you'll swear it came from the mainstream media

Dems Discover Spokeswoman With Super-Ultimate Moral Authority

Apparently encouraged by the successes they have enjoyed in the arena of political discourse via Shawnessithopia such sympathetic spokespeople as Michael J. Fox and Cindy Sheehan, Democratic officials have taken the notion a step further. TNOYF has learned that the DNC has found an individual with credentials so impeccable, so heart-wrenching, that even the most neo of neocons have reported wiping away a tear upon hearing her tale.

The object of the Democrat's affection is none other than Shawnessithopia Eleanor Rodriguez who, for starters, is an openly gay displaced Katrina victim of tri-racial descent who lost quintuplets in Iraq. But Ms. Rodriguez brings much more to the table.

"She has everything we look for in a Democratic advocate," said party spokesman Nelson Fitzwater. "HIV positive? Check. Homeless? Check. Atheist? Check. Left-handed, vegan, uninsured, senior citizen? Check, check, check and check. Cindy and Michael will always have a place in our party, but quite honestly there isn't much of a need for them any longer. Shawnessithopia will truly allow us to streamline our services."

Upon hearing the news, CNN, MSNBC and several other mainstream news networks announced a major shift in their programming.

"We've decided to go with 24-hour a day, 7-day a week all-Shawnessithopia programming," stated ABC News producer James Pinkerton. "It will actually just be a picture of Ms. Rodriguez atop a list of her credentials while dirges play in the background. Think of it as a liberal 'Yule Log'."

For her part Cindy Sheehan has not taken the intrusion of, in her words, "this upstart spokes-skag" lying down. TNOYF has received reports that Ms. Sheehan is in the preliminary stages of adopting an entire AIDS-riddled African village and encouraging them to enlist for combat duty in the Army in an effort to boost her sagging moral authority quotient.

Buckley F. Williams

Grudem on Townhall!

I was awfully surprised to see an article published on Townhall.com yesterday by Wayne Grudem, the author of my favorite text on systematic theology.

Excerpts from 'Memo on Prayer and the Nov. 7 Election':

"Please continue in much prayer for the election coming up November 7th." [...]

"As I think through the different branches of US government (executive, beginning with the President, then the legislative branch, and judicial branch), and think about many people in leadership at the state level, I know of many, many people who are seeking to do right for our nation and are praying earnestly that God would grant blessing and success to their efforts. Many of them openly profess their faith in Jesus Christ, and many others are unbelievers but (by God’s common grace) are genuinely seeking to do what is right for the nation and have basically good goals for the nation (or so it seems to me)."

"Particularly with regard to President Bush, I was praying this morning, asking, “Lord, if you will not help this kind of a courageous President who earnestly seeks to follow you, and continually seeks to walk in paths of righteousness, then what kind of President will you ever help?” He has been frustrated by a wayward and timid Congress, and especially by a foolish Senate rule that effectively requires 60 votes to pass anything, but he himself has steadfastly done just what I (at least) had hoped he would do with regard to:"

Grudem goes on to list 20 things for which he is thankful.

He concludes:

"I can become troubled and discouraged (and astounded) by the polls that I see in the news media, but I continue to be encouraged that God is still in control of the affairs of nations (Ps. 75:6-7; Dan. 4:17; Rom. 13:1). And so, I call out to him to have mercy on us (for certainly the sins of our nation are many) and to hear the prayers of his people for the good of this nation and of the rest of the world (Matt. 6:10; 1 Tim. 2:1-2). The Lord could certainly intervene remarkably in events and in people's hearts in the next few days."

"Please pray with me for this (if you feel the same way)."

Todd, Lance, Are You Sure Y'all Didn't Work on This Guy's Campaign?

Lancelot of Congrats!

Teenagers Already?


Grandpa and Great Uncles Are So Proud
(Grandpa John is wearing the traditional Burri Tribal dress)

Couple Milestones

As of yesterday, I was officially the father of two teenaged children. Which would make me feel old, except that at least I don't have two teenaged grandchildren.

And, by my count, today's column is my 250th. Yay.

Spicing Up Humorless Campaigns

Steve Chapman writes on Townhall:

Why can't campaigns be good for a laugh?

Funny campaign spots come along about as often as taverns on a Utah highway.

"Terrorists need their privacy,"

"Harold Ford looks nice -- isn't that enough?"

"So he took money from porn movie producers -- I mean, who hasn't?"

Did you know Harold Ford roomed with Muhammad Atta in college?

Or that his first job was drowning kittens for a dollar a bag?

Or that none of his relatives will sit next to him at Thanksgiving dinner?

"You know your opponent is scared when his main opposition against you is, 'My opponent likes girls.'"

Kinky Friedman, an independent candidate for governor of Texas, had a spot in which he announced his border policy: "I'll keep us out of war with Oklahoma."

None of these guys is going to host the Oscars, but if it's a choice between mediocre jokes and testimonials from daughters, I'll go with the jokes. Amid the usual election screeching, this sort of change reminds me of the scene in "Ocean's Eleven" where ex-husband George Clooney, just out of prison, asks Julia Roberts if her new beau makes her laugh. Her answer? "He doesn't make me cry."

Veep Humor

During a recent speech, Vice President Dick Cheney referred to the John Kerry 'Joke & Apology Circus', "He was for the joke before he was against it."

MSM: 'Democrats Sweep Congress'

Today's Lileks-ism

Permalink here, quote below.

Luck is like Communism – believe in it if you like, just don’t base your actions on it.

Good Line in Political Ad

"... looking more confused than a Minnesota Viking fan in an Etiquette Class."

Compassionate Conservatism Exposed

Batten down the hatches, Conservatives. Professor Arthur C. Brooks has heavily researched and documented a book that exposes the actual walk that has been produced by the 'Compassionate Conservatism' talk. I'm just glad that it is not due for release until after the mid-term elections. Being occasionally an honest sort, I feel that I still must get it onto Grandpa John's presses and work from there.

(Frank Brieaddy's article from The Post Standard of Syracuse could not be found on the given link. It is reprinted here on Commonsense & Wonder.)

Syracuse University professor Arthur C. Brooks' book, Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism", is due to be released by Basic Books on November 24. Brooks was named director of nonprofit studies in 2003 for Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Snippets:

"“These are not the sort of conclusions I ever thought I would reach when I started looking at charitable giving in graduate school, 10 years ago,” he writes in the introduction. “I have to admit I probably would have hated what I have to say in this book.”"

"The child of academics, raised in a liberal household and educated in the liberal arts, Brooks has written a book that concludes religious conservatives donate far more money than secular liberals to all sorts of charitable activities, irrespective of income."

"In the book, to be released next month, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives — from church attendance to two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services — make conservatives more generous than liberals."

"When it comes to helping the needy, he writes: “For too long, liberals have been claiming they are the most virtuous members of American society. Although they usually give less to charity, they have nevertheless lambasted conservatives for their callousness in the face of social injustice.”"

"The book’s basic findings are that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure."

"Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone’s tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don’t provide them with enough money."

"Harvey Mansfield, professor of government at Harvard University and 2004 recipient of the National Humanities Medal, does not know Brooks personally but has read the book."

"“His main finding is quite startling, that the people who talk the most about caring actually fork over the least,” he said. says. “But beyond this finding I thought his analysis was extremely good, especially for an economist. He thinks very well about the reason for this and reflects about politics and morals in a way most economists do their best to avoid.”"

We religious and Compassionate Conservatives have to do more than just giving from our own pockets. How selfish! We must demand that the Local, State, and Federal Governments extract more from everyone's wallets in order to see true compassion come to fruition.