J's Cafe Nette

Archive for the ‘Stuff’ Category

Well, knock me over with a feather. A liberal radio show host takes on Bill Clinton.

All those on the Right who are contemplating staying home in November because the GOP nominee does not meet your standards should take heed in this post from Sister Toldjah.

She sure got me to thinking.

I’m a daily reader of Powerline but I missed this post which was picked up by Betsy Newmark.

The gentlemen at Powerline are doing something tremendous. With a grant from a donor, they are awarding the Powerline Book Award with a check of $25,000 to the winner.

The best part is who will actually benefit from that $25,000. Go on over a have a look!

Would someone please enlighten me? I cannot grasp what one issue has to do with the other.

Several women from the feminist anti-war group Code Pink were among the group of 50 pro-abortion protesters, the latter of whom comprised members of the National Organization for Women, its Action division, and the Feminist Majority.

“With regard to the war and this issue, it’s very much the same thing,” Liz Hourican, a Code Pink activist told Cybercast News Service. “This is about basic human rights – standing here and being able to take care of women. Take care of women first. This is my body. I should have the decision over my body.”

[Emphasis, mine]

Terrific links offered by Michael Totten at the Middle East Journal.

I’ve had too many things to do all at once, but I’m almost caught up. The publishing schedule around here will be back to normal shortly.

In the meantime, here are some worthwhile links to keep you busy.

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Chinese take-out meals will never be the same:

Some 3 billion fortune cookies are made each year, almost all in the United States. But the crisp cookies wrapped around enigmatic sayings have spread around the world. They are served in Chinese restaurants in Britain, Mexico, Italy, France and elsewhere. In India, they taste more like butter cookies. A surprisingly high number of winning tickets in Brazil’s national lottery in 2004 were traced to lucky numbers from fortune cookies distributed by a Chinese restaurant chain called Chinatown.

But there is one place where fortune cookies are conspicuously absent: China.

Now a researcher in Japan believes she can explain the disconnect, which has long perplexed American tourists in China. Fortune cookies, Yasuko Nakamachi says, are almost certainly originally from Japan.

Who could have known? Balance of the story here.

Congressman William Jefferson appeared in court yesterday:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Louisiana congressman accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes told a judge Thursday that FBI agents who interviewed him back in 2005 were so overbearing that they followed him inside the bathroom of his own home.

Testifying under oath for the first time in his bribery case, Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., contradicted the testimony of multiple FBI agents who said the Aug. 2005 interview was cordial and friendly.

Poor man graduated from Harvard Law School and had no knowledge of basic Miranda Rights:

But under cross-examination, Jefferson acknowledged that he spoke to the agents voluntarily, out of a desire to cooperate. Prosecutor Mark Lytle also pointed out that Jefferson, a congressman since 1991 and a graduate of Harvard law school, presumably well understood the right to remain silent.

Jefferson disagreed, and said his experience was primarily in business and tax law and that his grasp of criminal law is fleeting.

[Emphasis, mine]

As they say..Rrrrrright.

This is very, very good news indeed:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iraq’s army and police could be ready to take over security in all 18 provinces by the end of this year as the U.S. military moves toward a less prominent role in the country, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

“We look at it every month. We make recommendations. I think that if we continue along the path we’re on now, we’ll be able to do that by the end of 2008,” Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said when asked when Iraqi forces could take the lead in all provinces.

He said that a joint operation under way led by Iraqi troops and supported by U.S. troops against al Qaeda militants in the northern city of Mosul was a model for the future.

“That’s how I see our role frankly in the future here,” he told Pentagon reporters via videolink from Baghdad.

Fingers crossed.

Finally, a few posts from around the sphere which either had humor, human elements and emotions or just plain common sense.

Even when it has not been considered wise by many, or the President has made decisions which make me go, “geez, why did you do (or not) do that,” I have remained a steadfast supporter of both him and his administration.

DJ Drummond has too.

You might enjoy this post at Winds of Change which incorporates the following,

One of my best friends spent years as a community organizer for parks in New York City. She is a fountain of funny stories and ‘on-the-ground’ political wisdom, and one of her truisms is: dog doo ends all meetings.

into a wonderful post on the issue of race in America.

Jules Crittenden has designed a“Playoff” system of his own. Good stuff.

All together now..TGIF.

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John Murtha has certainly distinguished himself well as a US Congressman, don’t you think?

America’s youngest Governor has assumed his office:

BATON ROUGE, La. – Republican Bobby Jindal was sworn in Monday as Louisiana’s 55th governor, and moved quickly to make good on a campaign promise to clean up the corrupt image of this hurricane-battered state.

“We have the opportunity _ born of tragedy but embraced still the same _ to make right decades of failure in government,” Jindal said in his inaugural speech, referring to hurricanes Katrina and Rita of 2005.

Jindal, a former congressman, became Louisiana’s first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction and the nation’s first Indian-American chief executive.

He said he will call a special legislative session Feb. 10 to address the state’s image as a haven for cronyism and self-serving politicians.

“We can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable, a Louisiana where incompetence is not a synonym for government, a Louisiana where corruption does not hold us back,” he said without providing specifics.

From everything I have heard or read about Governor Jindal, this can only be good news for the State of Louisiana.

Beer wards off cancer??

Preliminary studies indicate xanthohumol, a compound found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes which trigger cancer, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens.

“It’s very healthy,” said Dr. Werner Back, a brewing technology expert at the Technical University of Munich. “I think the ingredients in the beer are very good.”

But there’s a catch:

Researchers warn that it would take 60 regular beers to equal the amount of xanthohumol they were able to brew in one beer.

Guess that would be well over the “legal limit.”

The LA Times is nabbed for not doing their homework. Here’s the gist of the subject matter:

Bogus Statistics, Courtesy of the L.A. Times Editorial Board? Late last month, an L.A. Times editorial reported that “In our America, 60 million people survive on $7 a day” — which is to say that 20% of the population survives on $2555 or less a year.

That’s obviously way wrong: As of 2006, according to the Census, 12.3% of the population lived at or below the poverty level, which was $10,294 for a single person and $24,382 for the average family of five ($23,691 if one assumes only one adult and four children). Thus, even if all the poor people in the country were in families of one adult and four children (which I suspect substantially overestimates the average family size), that would mean 12.3% of the population surviving on $4600 or less, not 20% on $2555 or less. Naturally, I wouldn’t want to live even on $10,294 per year, but the Times made a specific assertion about a particular number. It’s pretty clearly a false assertion.

Certainly we should address poverty in a country as wealthy as ours, but to distort or simply not verify facts on this or any issue is simply unacceptable. The plate of goodies this serves up for those looking for a cause to pursue is just to rich.

I encourage you to follow the links at the above referenced post. They are interesting reads.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

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Remember Norman Hsu? He was sentenced today in a California Court:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) – Disgraced political donor Norman Hsu was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after a judge rejected his bid to throw out a 16-year- old fraud conviction.

Over at Suitably Flip (where extensive posts were offered on Hsu), Flip offers his reaction to the imposed penalty:

Fitting (if perhaps a bit lenient), given that it was an agreed-upon three year prison sentence that Hsu skipped out on when he went missing in the early 1990s.

Watergate and its’ relationship to the woman who would like to be President.

Hmmm. Very interesting. Here’s a sample:

Hillary’s main duty on our staff has been described by as “establishing the legal procedures to be followed in the course of the inquiry and impeachment.” A number of the procedures she recommended were ethically flawed. And I also concluded that she had violated House and committee rules by disclosing confidential information to unauthorized persons.

Hillary had conferred personally with me regarding procedural rules. I advised her that Judiciary Committee Chairman Peter Rodino, House Speaker Carl Albert, Majority Leader Tip O’Neill and I had previously agreed not to advocate anything contrary to the rules already adopted and published for that Congress. I quoted Mr. O’Neill’s statement that: “To try to change the rules now would be politically divisive. It would be like trying to change the traditional rules of baseball before a World Series.”

Hillary assured me that she had not drafted and would not advocate any such rules changes. I soon learned that she had lied: She had already drafted changes, and continued to advocate them.

President Reagan was a man respected and revered by many on both sides of the aisle. I don’t see another Ronald Reagan in the race of 2008. While he epitomizied everything the party and country needed at the time, I would prefer to judge today’s candidates on their own merits.

Check out this piece at Stolen Thunder and see if you agree with the lack of “Reagan qualities” in each of the candidates the GOP has to offer for 2008.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Each of these candidates (except Paul) has qualities which could serve America well, and any of them (except possibly Paul) would be preferable to anything the Democrats could nominate this election. But none of these men rises to the level of George W. Bush, let alone Ronald W. Reagan. It’s disingenuous for any of them to even pretend so.

Just a bit of food for thought..enjoy your weekend everyone!

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I read something in the early hours of this morning which defines exactly the way I have felt about this constant campaigning which has continued through the Christmas season.

From AJ Strata, who says this far better than I ever could:

Never before has the Presidential election attempted an incursion into America’s sacred time to give thanks and pray for peace and solidarity. Never before has politics intruded so much on Christmas (and hopefully never again). The candidates’ desperate attacks and dirty tricks are ringing a harsh dissonant note against the backdrop of Christmas caroling, and friends and family uniting to celebrate a man who tried to bring people together in peace – not to divide them with heated rhetoric. I cannot help but notice this state level race to be first in the nation in the primaries is actually turning into a disaster as politics poisons a perfectly good American Holiday meant to transport us away from the daily grind to a happier place – even if it is a fleeting and brief escape.

Don’t you wish you could just yell, STOP? I know I do!

Thanks to the folks at Blackfive, the troops will receive holiday wishes from several different bloggers.

Should you have a spare few minutes you might want to check out the compilation of greetings on the video at their site.

Would these be your choices for the top twenty stories of 2007?

Have a wonderful weekend before Christmas everyone.

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It is interesting to see which of our past Presidents is most admired by some of those aspiring to be our next President of the United States:

The presidential candidates are wild about Harry. And Teddy. And Martin?

The Associated Press asked them to name their favorite 20th century president from the opposing party. Two presidents swept the standings—Theodore Roosevelt, the Republican who was the nation’s 26th chief executive, 1901 to 1909; and Harry S. Truman, the Democrat who was the 33rd president, 1945-1953. The runner-up: a guy who played a president on TV.

I guess great minds really do think alike. At least all but one.

I picked up the link to Michael Totten’s most recent piece at Winds of Change.

The quote with which he chose to begin speaks volumes.

“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” — Thomas Jefferson

Read the rest here, including this telling paragraph:

Mr. al-Fadhily is unhappy with the way things are going in the city right now. It means little to him that the only shots fired by the Marines anymore are practice rounds on the range, and that there hasn’t been a single fire fight or combat casualty for months. That’s fair enough, as far as it goes, and perhaps to be expected from a reporter who isn’t embedded with the military and who focuses his attention on Iraqi civilians. The trouble is that Mr. Al-Fadhily’s hysterical exaggerations, refusal to provide crucial context, and outright fabrications amount to a serious case of journalistic malpractice.

It’s funny how sometimes you visit one site with a piece which captures your interest and the very next post you read makes a statement or asks a question which is pertinent to the one prior.

Upon completion of Michael Totten’s article, I stopped over at The Midnight Sun where Aurora asked this question:

Our fighting people, British, Australian, American and Iraqi, are doing a magnificent job. They deserve respect and recognition for a job well done…But will they receive it?

I think there are two answers to that question.

Many citizens of Britain, Australia, America and Iraq do respect the job their respective forces have and will continue to accomplish.

However, the agenda driven press and politicians are another story. Sad that there are those would seek to undermine those fighting to maintain your freedoms, but unfortunately, so true.

Healthy food vs. the Food Nannies.

To believe that denying a couple of cupcakes during the Holiday season is going to make a difference in a child’s overall nutrition is idiotic. The Holidays are a time for celebration. And for generations of American kids, that celebration has taken the form of treats at school, shared in a true spirit of Christmas, with their friends and classmates. The mindset of administrators who seek to change that tradition not for the sake of better nutrition but in the name of controlling what kids eat is nanny statism at its worst.

Veggie trays with marinaro sauce will inspire little celebration among kids – unless children have radically altered their brain chemistry in the last few years. And banning cupcakes only destroys the notion that Holidays are special.

I believe that children should have well rounded diets and certainly nutritious food are vitally important to their growth, but come on now. A cupcake? One has to wonder if these adults have sacrificed their daily coffee loaded with cream and sugar or always forego the dessert table at functions or restaurants they attend. Ridiculous.

Thought I’d wrap up with one of those heartwarming pictures which leaves you feeling both happy and still with bit of a lump in your throat.

A father and daughter reunited..what a wonderful gift.

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Happy belated Birthday to the National Guard:

Guard celebrates 371 years – or 19 generations of lifers
What is a few years younger than the Mayflower Compact (1620); a lot older than the Declaration of Independence (1776) and U.S. Constitution (1787); predates the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps by 139 years; and is 311 years older than the Air Force?

Answer: The National Guard.

Known originally as the militia, the National Guard turns 371 years young Dec. 13.

Thanks to each and every member for their service to the country.

Sometimes, people find themselves in hot water simply for the way they word a memo. That may be exactly what happened to this principal in a New York High School:

Last month, Principal Bennett Lieberman sent off a stern memo to teachers.

“If you are not passing more than 65 percent of your students in a class, then you are not designing your expectations to meet their abilities, and you are setting your students up for failure, which, in turn, limits your success as a professional.”

Was he ordering teachers to dumb down their classes?

The memo continued:

“Most of our students come from the lowest third percentile in academic achievement, have difficult home lives, and struggle with life in general. They DO NOT have a similar upbringing nor a similar school experience to our experiences growing up.”

The School Board is requesting he clarify these statements but in my opinion just about anything he says now will only make the matter worse. Sometimes silence really is golden.

If you missed this post at Captains Quarters yesterday, it is a must read.

HC: We’ve got to enlist the American people the way we did in a previous generation for the Apollo program. As a little girl, I remember being thrilled about that, and feeling there was something I could do. [Shrugs] My fifth-grade teacher said it was to study math and science, but it gave me an idea of actually contributing to my country.
Hillary Clinton was born in 1947. Assuming she started the first grade as a six-year-old as most kids do, she would have been in the fifth grade in 1957-1958. The Mercury program didn’t start until 1961, and Apollo started in 1966. John Kennedy didn’t even make his speech about going to the moon until she was a teenager, not a “little girl”.

The shine appears to be slowly coming off the penny.

*Apologies for posting this piece..I know I mentioned no Clinton pieces until at least after Christmas, but it was too important not to post. Mrs. Clinton seems to have a tendency to not be capable of telling us the truth on even the smallest issues…what would she do as POTUS?*

In a portion of a post by James Lileks, a simple act of kindness..the kind which I think you remember and tell your grandkids:

I don’t remember precisely how the conversation began, or who spoke first, but he said he was going to plug my meter, and I noted that I’d been warned in time, and gosh: that’s nice of you. I mean, when I saw someone about to feed my meter, the brain balked at processing the data and the conclusion, because such random acts of generosity seem absurd to expect, let alone witness. As it turned out: he was a reader of the sites, and recognized the vehicle from the Bleat. Seeing it outside StarTribune HQ, he figured it was mine, saw that I was down to 9 minutes, and wanted to chip in.

Wow. So, Kevin: I meant it when I said that was the nicest thing anyone had offered to do all day. Because it was, and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be equaled. It wasn’t. It’s not the cost, but the thought, and the idea that someone would fill my meter because he recognized my car and liked the work – well, as the old Ren and Stimpy cartoon said, it filled my heart with blood.

It really does come down to that simple phrase “It’s the thought that counts,” doesn’t it?

Have a terrific weekend all!

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Today and through Christmas I will make no mention of the names
C_ _ _ _ _ _, O_ _ _ _, R_ _ _ _ _ _, G _ _ _ _ _ _ _ or H or E or the cast of, oh I don’t know, I have lost count.

It’s not easy finding news which does not include one of above or some other politically charged issue, but if you search looooong enough, it is possible.

So here goes, with the best I could find.

Impressive..That was my reaction to this story out of the UK:

London – Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims joined Britain’s equality watchdog on Monday in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas without worrying about offending non-Christians.

“It’s time to stop being daft about Christmas. It’s fine to celebrate and it’s fine for Christ to be star of the show,” said Trevor Phillips, chairperson of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

“Let’s stop being silly about a Christian Christmas,” he said, referring to a tendency to play down the traditional celebrations of the birth of Christ for fear of offending minorities in multicultural Britain.

The US could take a few lessons from our ally on this issue don’t you think?

Roe v. Wade. Do you know the facts? Take this short IQ Test related to the Supreme Court decision and find out. HT: Evangelical Outpost

In spite of its impact, true understanding of Roe and what it accomplished remains relatively vague in the public consciousness.

We can expect both sides in the abortion debate to ratchet up arguments in the coming months as we mark this anniversary. It is imperative that we, as citizens, understand the facts about what Roe does and does not do.

We have created the Roe IQ Test to measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test. Your answers and results will remain 100% confidential.

Readers who are college football fans or live with one probably have heard the news that for the first time in Heisman Trophy history, a sophomore, (Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow), won this coveted award.

After reading a bit of background on this young man it made me all the happier that someone of his character walked away with the trophy.

The legend of Tebow started at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where he once finished a game playing on a broken leg.

Homeschooled by missionary parents who run an orphanage in the Philippines, Tebow took advantage of a Florida state law to play for Nease, about 90 miles from the University of Florida campus.

Tebow has worked and preached at his parents’ orphanage since he was 15. He regularly speaks at schools and delivered his message of faith at a prison in Florida earlier this year.

Lots more at the link.

Whew, that was not simple and it might be short, but I managed to avoid all the self imposed forbidden topics in this post.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Usually I attempt to post a piece like this on Friday, but this week for some reason I cannot at this point remember, I simply did not get around to it.

Anyhow, here is the Friday fly-by on Sunday. Better late than never I guess.

This paragraph and the attached post dealing with the President’s position on Embryonic Stem Cell Research from The Anchoress was by far one of the best I had read all week:

It’s going to take a long time for all the good things Bush has done to be recognized – it may take generations. And those of you – and I’m talking to you folk on the hard right who have decided that because Bush is not “perfectly in line” with you, he cannot have been a good and effective president, those of you who have forgotten the “good” you have received and will thus be unlikely to receive another – will miss this guy when he’s out of office. That’s all I have to say about that.

I think so too Anchoress, I think so too.

Last Wednesday I had written a post about the Virginia GOP and their insane idea of having primary voters sign an oath to vote for whomever the GOP Presidential candidate is for 2008. While this update might not fit in the format of last weeks news, it is heartening to know these party bosses have retracted this ludicrous idea:

Virginia Republican leaders decided yesterday to scrap plans to require voters to sign a loyalty pledge before they cast their ballots in the Feb. 12 presidential primary.

The decision by the 86-member Virginia Republican State Central Committee, meeting in Crystal City, came after a public outcry over the pledge and mounting concern among party leaders that it could drive independents and moderate Republicans away from GOP candidates.

“We have heard the voice of the people,” said John H. Hager, the state party chairman. “It’s a new day, and our job has to be to build the party. We welcome new people into the party. We want as many people as possible participating if they share our principles and values.”

AJ Strata, a Virginia resident, adds his own thoughts in his post which includes the paragraphs above:

Share their principles and values? How about they work to respect our principles and values and stop this insane purity purge the GOP is all about these days. No more derogatory names like “RINO” or “traitor” or “el Presidente Jorge Bush”. If we need to be “good Republican” then forget it – the clique types can live in their little echo chambers for all I care.

When any organization within the GOP has the impression they can lead the voters around like herded sheep, there will be backlash. I am pleased the voters in Virginia made their sentiments heard and slapped down this unethical nonsense.

From the “who cares” category, this was the clear winner in my book:

Barbara Streisand’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton a day after word came that Oprah Winfrey would stump for Barack Obama made for delicious timing, and The New York Post, for one, couldn’t resist slapping together a battle-of-the-divas “tale of the tape,” stacking up Babs’s “71 million albums sold” against Oprah’s “9 million viewers.”

Entertainment over issues…wow what a way to select a President.

Replace the name Giuliani with your choice of republican nominee for the 2008 election and then read this piece by Matthew May.

You play to win the game.” The goal of conservatives, so-called moderates, Reagan Democrats, and every level-headed citizen of voting age in 2008 is electing a war time president capable of pressing on to victory. The times in which we live are too serious for a replay of more scandals than days each week, and for a president who openly states that power must be taken from the people “for the greater good.”

To paraphrase former Celtics coach Rick Pitino lecturing Boston fans that the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were gone, “Ronald Reagan is not walking through that door.” Conservatives better realize it and get cracking on nominating the next-best thing if they want it so badly. In the meantime, stop clucking from the sidelines, keep your eye on the ball, and play to win for the sake of the nation.

“For the sake of the nation”, indeed.

I hope you found something here which gave a little food for thought or just a bit of enjoyment. Most of all, here’s hoping you had a great weekend.

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It struck me funny that a writer at the NYT began this article with the following sentence:

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation — and a moment to destroy it.

With revenues of many major publications declining, could the subconscious have been at work here?

Those who watch the Olympics no doubt remember Marion Jones and her incredible feats in womens track. By now most know of her illegal use of steriods to enhance those performances.

One would like to say that this came as a shock, but in todays climate in sports at all levels somehow it was no surprise.

What is sad though, is that her actions could very well cost those who legitimately secured their medals the opportunity to have them remain in their possession.

The international track federation’s council on Friday recommended that members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic relay teams on which Marion Jones competed be stripped of their medals.

Jones returned her three individual medals after admitting last month she had used banned anabolic steroids before the Sydney Olympics. She also won a gold on the 1,600-meter relay and a bronze on the 400 relay.

The International Olympic Committee’s executive board will consider the recommendation at its meeting next month.

IOC President Jacques Rogge has said he believes the relays should lose their medals. U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Peter Ueberroth supports that action, a change from when the USOC appealed a similar decision in a case involving Jerome Young and the men’s 1,600 relay at the 2000 Olympics.

Texas town goes Italian?

Someone in Italy placed the winning bid of $3.8 million on Friday for an unpopulated, one-house Texas town auctioned online.

No one lives permanently in the 13-acre town of Albert, about 60 miles north of San Antonio, but the tavern created from the frame of the old general store is open on weekends.

The town also includes a pavilion, an 85-year-old dance hall, a tractor shed, a three-bedroom house, plus peach and pecan orchards.

But before town owner Bobby Cave signs the deed over, he must ensure the eBay bid is legitimate. Cave said that unlike the usual items bought through eBay, there are no contractual obligations when it comes to real estate.

What do a chimney and a curfew have in common? Read on…..

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Just a few quick stories I thought you might enjoy.

Someone needs stronger glasses, or at the very least to have his gun taken away!

A man says he shot and killed a neighbor’s cow after mistaking it for a coyote.

Authorities and the owner are skeptical.

The undersheriff in northern Michigan’s Benzie County says he doesn’t see how anyone could confuse a 1,400-pound, pregnant cow with a coyote, which typically weighs 20 to 45 pounds.

For those interested in keeping up with the latest sports news, here’s a site for you. If it’s half as good as Real Clear Politics, it’s sure to be a hit.

Mark Noonan at Blogs for Victo(R)y has my vote for the paragraph of the day:

The Times goes on to note that the candidates are going to campaign through the Holiday season rather than take a break – something which is both unprecdented and annoying. Hey, I’m a political junkie, and I’m sick of these candidates endlessly yammering at me. Shut up. Go home. Talk to us again on January 2nd.

Will tax refunds be delayed next year? Robert Novak explains why that might very well be the case:

Habitual congressional gridlock usually has no impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. But what happened on the Senate floor last Friday just before lawmakers left for their Thanksgiving break will delay tax refunds next year for some 50 million taxpayers who count on them.

CNS News relays some thoughts on the upcoming Presidential election as spoken by former Ambassador John Bolton:

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says the upcoming presidential election will have enormous consequences for America’s national security, and he warned against electing anyone who would not take an aggressive stance towards America’s foreign enemies.

“If we make the wrong decision in 2008, just as if we had made the wrong decision in 2001, it’s our security and our safety that will suffer and our future that will be in jeopardy,” he said.

For my part, I think he’s right.

Last but most certainly not least, a tidbit from Michael Yon’s latest dispatch:

I had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with General Petraeus. Very interesting series of helicopter flights to several bases. Bottom line is that progress is clear and real, but there are tough days ahead and al Qaeda, for instance, is far from dead. The mood is of cautious optimism, with a concern that some of the very positive media lately might set expectations too high. (That’s right: many military leaders are concerned that the media lately might be too positive.)

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and if you are braving the malls and stores today that you not only found a parking spot but that your sanity was in tact when you finished shopping.

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I found this site via Instapundit.

This is a terrific resource for childrens literature. You can access information via the right sidebar at the site or this link will direct you to the homepage.

Every once in a while there is a story which defines love perfectly. This is one of those times:

Sandra Day O’Connor’s husband struck up a romance with a fellow Alzheimer’s patient after moving into an assisted living center, and under the circumstances, the retired Supreme Court justice is just glad that he is comfortable, her son told a TV station.

Sometimes you see the word protest in a headline and either pass it by or read and wonder its purpose. I was glad this was one time I chose to read on:

Hiding from the Nazis in a cramped Amsterdam apartment, Anne Frank often gazed at a majestic chestnut tree visible through an attic skylight—her only window to the outside world—and dreamed of freedom.

Now a group of conservationists and local activists are fighting to prevent the badly diseased tree from being cut down, saying it is a living link to the memory of the teenage diarist, who died in a Nazi concentration camp at 15.

My grandchildren are fascinated by dinosaurs. There have been many books read, computer pages studied and crafts completed on the topic so imagine our delight when this turned up at National Geographic:

A weird-looking dinosaur with a muzzle resembling a vacuum cleaner suggests long-necked plant-eaters such as the well-known Diplodocus didn’t always have their heads in the trees.

The findings are based on fossil analyses of a 110-million-year-old dinosaur found in the Sahara region of Africa by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago, and his colleagues. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society.)

We truly do never stop learning!

Once again we see the result of one individual putting a stop to a kind, worthwhile endeavor. This time, the Boy Scouts (and the troops) paid the price.

Some people have no shame.

Have a great weekend and try not to shop till you drop getting ready for the holiday.

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Excerpts from “Fighting Terrorism” by Benjamin Netanyahu are available at Liberty Pundit.

“To achieve this goal [defeating terrorism] we must first have moral clarity…..

Looks like one to put on the list of must reads.

Sounds like a good idea to me. From the American Spectator:

Quite an interesting concept.

Thanks to those who supported Project Valor-IT. If you would like to see the final totals raised by all services for this worthwhile cause you may do so here.

Some people seem to have taken this seriously. I prefer the attitude here.

ADHD can be a real challenge for parents and children alike. If this piece at the LAT proves true, there could be hope on the horizon (minus drugs).

The brains of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder develop more slowly than those of other children but eventually catch up, according to a government study published Monday that suggests ADHD may be a transient condition, at least for some.

Using advanced imaging techniques, scientists found that the cortices of children with ADHD reach peak thickness an average of three years later than children without the disorder.

Finally from Musing Minds a very short “movie” which no doubt rings true for each of us.

So often, human beings will try to “help” or “save” something and we just don’t really think about the fact that what we want to “help” or “save” may not want or need it.

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We hear so often of troubled youth but rarely are the stories of those who have acted with kindness and bravery made public. That’s why when I found the video below, I felt it was worth sharing.

The CPSC has ordered Aqua Dots off the store shelves.

The parents of a Jacksonville toddler were horrified when their child swallowed part of a colorful toy bead set made in China and then passed out. He apparently was overcome when the coating on the beads metabolized into a chemical compound known as the “date rape drug.”

It’s good to see this quick action when this problem was identified, but unfortunately according to the WSJ the list of childrens toys being recalled has grown again. And again.[Final link added late. It applies to Curious George toys.]

Tuesday, Mattel Inc. recalled 155,000 toys marketed under Fisher-Price’s Laugh & Learn brand after pieces of the play kitchen’s faucet were found to pose a choking risk to children…..

Books continue to look better and better.

Thought there was nothing useful about all that spam in your mailbox? Think again. Check out what Linzie Hunter has done. Pretty darn clever! HT: Boing Boing

If you or someone you know is anemic and on medication, be sure to read this piece from the NYT:

Amgen and Johnson & Johnson strengthened the label warnings for their widely used anemia drugs yesterday, placing further emphasis on the risk that the medicines could cause heart attacks, a worsening of cancer and death.

Wrapping up this fly-by is an article by non other than Karl Rove..sounds like he hasn’t missed much since departing the White House:

This week is the one-year anniversary of Democrats winning Congress. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid probably aren’t in a celebrating mood. The goodwill they enjoyed after their victory is gone. Their bright campaign promises are unfulfilled. Democratic leadership is in disarray. And Congress’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest point in history.

Have a terrific Friday and wonderful weekend.

OOPS, I knew there was something else. For a chuckle go have a look at this from Texas Rainmaker.

Now I promise, I am finished.

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Just a few pieces I found of interest. Thought you might too.

Thomas Sowell at NRO offers his perspective on two phrases we hear often:

Among the many mindless mantras of our time, “making a difference” and “giving back” irritate me like chalk screeching across a blackboard.

Many times over the past few years I have asked the question “why won’t the Republicans in Congress come out and challenge the Democrats on issues of importance?”
It seems David Limbaugh must have been wondering the same thing:

The Republicans’ timidity shows up on a wide array of issues, from Social Security to torture, where they’re on the defensive and apologetic, and they allow the liberals’ revisionist “facts” to become “conventional wisdom.”

I must admit, I thought by now Ron Paul would be out of the Presidential race. Guess I was wrong.

On Monday, a group of Paul supporters helped raised more than $4.07 million in one day — approaching what the campaign raised in the entire last quarter — through a Web site called ThisNovember5th.com, a reference to the day the British commemorate the thwarted bombing.

While I still do not find Mr. Paul a serious contender, I must say those numbers are impressive.

Tuesday could prove interesting on the floor of the House:

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) plans to take to the floor of the House Tuesday and introduce a privileged resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. The privilege approach allows him to circumvent Democratic leadership, which opposes voting on the measure.

He has every right to try but will it advance to something further? Doubt it.

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Just a few items from this past week which might be of interest if perhaps you missed them:

The Telegraph provides us with their opinion regarding the top 100 influential Conservatives in the US. See if you agree.

More on media bias at Texas Rainmaker. This piece includes not only print media but television also with some very interesting charts included. Here is just a sample:

For the top tier Democrats, the positive tilt was even more the case than for Democrats in general. Obama’s front page coverage in the sample was 70% positive and 9% negative and Clinton’s was similarly 61% positive and 13% negative.

Republican candidates, in contrast, were more likely to receive clearly negative stories in print than elsewhere: 40% negative vs. 26% positive and 34% neutral.

What would you think of disbanding the Air Force and giving their air craft to the Army and Navy? Follow the link at Danger Room-Wired Blogs to read why Robert Farley thinks this is a good idea.

The Buzz has an interesting interview with former Governor Jeb Bush. He speaks candidly on his opinion of the Republican candidates for President.

Check out Jonah Goldberg writing on Media Matters latest attempt to shill for Hillary. Sure they are a non biased, non-profit organization…..

Finally Dump Lindsey Graham provides a post on…well the name of the blog says it all:

Some tough reflection yields the following: If Lindsey Graham is the best that the South Carolina GOP can offer in 2008, then we’re in a world of hurt, friends. Strom Thurmond and Carroll Campbell must roll over in their graves when Mr. Graham bows to Ted Kennedy and plays footsies with Hillary Clinton.

The SC Democrat Party has made it clear that if it appears Graham is safe in 2008, they won’t pitch a strong Democrat candidate. That sounds good until you hear the reason: They love Lindsey Graham, and consider him a practicing Democrat!

I hope you found something of interest, but most of all I hope you have a terrific end of the week and great weekend!

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At first I thought this was a joke, no really, I did. Via Slate:

Dredge your overstuffed furniture. Scrape the bottom of your purse. Shatter your kid’s piggy bank. Do what ever it takes to find $500 for a ticket to the Churchill Centre’s Oct. 25 fund-raising dinner at the Willard so you can witness the presentation of the Emery Reves Award to Chris Matthews for lifetime achievement in journalism.

Well if Chris Matthews symbolizes journalism standards of today then we are in a whole heap of trouble. Oh well.

Here’s a bit of a refresher course from the Hillary Project: “Seven Things To Know About the Clintons”

An interesting read and one of the things I’d forgotten was how many on the Democratic side had in the past, made less than gracious comments about the former first couple:

Very little of this has escaped the notice of journalists and of Democratic leaders. Yet, after every scandal they forget their public denunciations of the Clintons. Here are some flavorous reminders. After the Clintons and their siblings were caught in the 42nd president’s last-minute pardon scandal, Jimmy Carter called them “disgraceful.” Robert Reich opined that “Clinton is utterly disgraced.” Al Hunt called Clinton the “albatross” of his party who should “drop dead.” Al Gore’s campaign manager, Donna Brazile wrote in the New York Times that “It’s time to let Bill Clinton go — go on and live the rest of his life and allow a new generation of Democratic leaders to renew their fight on behalf of working families in America.” New York Times columnist Bob Herbert affirmed that “Bill Clinton has been a disaster for the Democratic Party. Send him packing. It’s time for the Democratic Party to wise up. Ostracism would be a good first step. Bill Clinton should be cut completely loose….some of Mr. Clinton’s closest associates and supporters are acknowledging what his enemies have argued for years –the man is so thoroughly corrupt it is frightening.”

Looks like the Democratic party in Pennsylvania might have a bit of explaining to do.

Files seized from a Democratic House research office were laden with campaign and other political documents, according to a judge who reviewed them.

Contents of the 20 boxes were “overwhelmingly and patently non-legislative in nature,” said Judge Barry Feudale, who allowed the documents to be considered in a grand jury investigation into whether taxpayer-funded resources were used to run elections. The grand jury also is looking into whether state employees received substantial state bonuses for work on political campaigns.

I wonder, will this become a national story if the grand jury returns indictments?

For those who may have missed it, it sems Rudy Giuliani has a few enemies, and they reside in New York.

All presidential candidates have some element of hometown opposition—constituents angry about a factory closing, politicians spiteful about losing a bill or an election. But no candidate engenders as much local animus as Mr. Giuliani, whose terms as mayor were characterized by a series of spectacular running battles with various, mostly liberal constituencies.

For the first months of his candidacy for president, prominent progressives in New York mocked the notion that a pro-choice, immigration-friendly serial husband with a history of opposition to guns would have a shot at the Republican nomination.

But now, with Mr. Giuliani up nearly 10 percentage points in national polls and unexpectedly competitive in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, a mixture of nervousness and disbelief is running through the ranks of his old antagonists.

Sometimes that which seems impossible is that which materializes. Could that be the case with Rudy?

And finally.

An interesting piece from Newsmax.

Call it “Bloggergate” — the subversion of the blogosphere by Democrat money.

To be more precise, Bloggergate is the subsidizing of left-wing bloggers with illegal Democrat campaign contributions, laundered through ostensibly “non-partisan” non-profit groups.

At a convention of left-wing bloggers last summer, Hillary Clinton announced, “We are . . . putting together a network in the blogosphere.”

Her remarks became public only three weeks ago, on Oct. 2, when an anonymous person posted a shaky, hand-held videotape of her speech on YouTube. In it, Hillary bragged that she had helped create “institutions” which had produced a left-wing “network in the blogosphere” capable of “matching” the alleged “advantage of the other side.”

Hillary’s claim raises troubling questions. On a practical level, just how exactly does a U.S. senator go about exerting her power to stack the blogosphere in her favor?

This article contains some very thought provoking information. Will anything come of the indiscretions mentioned, well, here are the authors’ thoughts:

It remains to be seen whether the IRS and the Federal Election Commission will blow the whistle on Hillary’s army of paid bloggers. Who knows? They just might. But I’m not holding my breath.

Indeed.

Hope you found something here that peaked your interest on this final workday of the week for most.

*Meant to mention earlier, ~J~ was a bit under the weather last evening so two of these articles she forwarded on to me. The Giuliani piece and the final piece on Hillary Clinton were of particular interest to her. In the interest of time, I hope she doesn’t mind that I slipped them into the fly-by as she might have devoted far more time to them.*

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Just a few stories which might be of interest on this last day of the work week for many:

Check out what’s happening at West Point. Best of luck to all the cadets.

I love animals and I have cat myself, but decorate my house around her, well let’s just say, No!

On a more serious note, check out this post at PrairiePundit.

Federal statistics show that 171 people in the metropolitan area have been indicted on public corruption charges from 2003 through mid-September of this year, said Howard Schwartz, supervisory special agent for public corruption in the FBI’s New Orleans’ office. More than 80% were convicted or pleaded guilty to charges including bribery and fraud.

I’m sure somehow it is President Bush’s fault.

And finally from Winds of Change Armed Liberal links to an article by Jonah Goldberg which critiques today’s American culture, more specifically our views on patriotism.

I’ve come around to the view that the culture war can best be understood as a conflict between two different kinds of patriotism. On the one hand, there are people who believe being an American is all about dissent and change, that the American idea is inseparable from “progress.” America is certainly an idea, but it is not merely an idea. It is also a nation with a culture as real as France’s or Mexico’s. That’s where the other patriots come in; they think patriotism is about preserving Americanness.

If you go directly to Mr. Goldberg’s piece, be sure to go back to Winds of Change for another perspective on this topic.

Hope you find one or more of these stories enjoyable and informative.

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