Thursday, August 31, 2006

The Last Word

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb (A) four days.

18 Now (B) Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 19 and many of (C) the Jews had come to (D) Martha and Mary, (E) to console them concerning their brother.

20 (F) Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but (G) Mary stayed at the house.

21 Martha then said to Jesus, "(H) LORD, (I) if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 "Even now I know that (J) whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha said to Him, "(K) I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "(L) I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me (M) will never die. Do you believe this?"

27 She said to Him, "Yes, LORD; I have believed that You are (N) the Christ, the Son of God, even (O) He who comes into the world."

-John 11:17-27

Pathetic And Laughable At The Same Time

Byron York has a piece up over at National Review Online about the Plame lawsuit and their decision not to include Richard Armitage in the suit.

The new attorney for Joseph and Valerie Wilson says the Wilsons do not plan to add former State Department official Richard Armitage to their lawsuit against top Bush administration officials because Armitage “did not act with the same level of malevolence” as Vice President Dick Cheney, top White House aide Karl Rove, and former Cheney aide Lewis Libby in the CIA-leak affair.

Read this article. The sidestepping and schlepping that this lawyer does to try and make such nonsense sound reasonable is comical.

JASmius adds: It must be comical if even the Washington Post is admitting it....

Army Meets Retention Goal

You won't see much about this on the news:

Obleton knows about the Bush administration's often-touted long war on terror, and he's seen the Iraq insurgency up close. But he's determined to continue the fight. So on Thursday he will stand by the flagpole at Kentucky's Fort Campbell, raise his right hand, and swear once again to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies."

As he recites his oath of service, administered by the Army's No. 2 ranking officer, Gen. Richard Cody, Obleton will become the 64,200th Army soldier to re-enlist this year - allowing the Army to meet its retention goal a full month before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

Hmmm..."support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies." I think maybe we need to send a few troops to Washington, D.C. There are several enemies of the Constitution right there, most with a "D" after their names.

Driveway Duty

Over at The Corner, Kate O'Beirne asks some good questions:

For almost three years, at every minor twist or turn of Plamegate, there were media stakeouts at the offices and homes of of the suspected leakers that invariably made the evening news and played in constant loops on cable. So who's on Armitage driveway duty? Richard Armitage isn't being hounded to answer questions about his role in Plamegate because the media wishes he had no role. Such a bummer for all the reporters who are now bored with the whole subject.

Where is the media's insatiable curiosity now that the "leaker" is one of their own? Why are we not hearing and reading about this every day? The answer is simple. They are now looking for something else to use to damage Bush's presidency now that the Plame nonsense has fizzled. Never has the media's bias been more obvious.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Persecution That Backfired

18 (A) Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and (B) gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of (C) conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if (D) when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

21 For (E) you have been called for this purpose, (F) since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (G) an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 Who (H) committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being (I) reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself (J) bore our sins in His body on the (K) cross, so that we (L) might die to sin and live to righteousness; for (M) by His wounds you were (N) healed.

25 For you were (O) continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the (P) Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

-1 Peter 2:18-25

What Might Have Been

I was just putting the finishing touches on the first substantive post I've produced in over a week when my browser picked that moment to crash, taking over two hours' work with it.

Dontcha just love the "We're sorry for the inconvenience" box that pops up when it does that?

The worst part is I can't blame it on Blogger. So I guess Bill Gates can kiss my ass instead.

Put Up Or Shut Up

I'll admit, I'm not much of a Bill O'Reilly fan. But sometimes, he really hits the nail on the head, as in this column. I stopped watching awards shows a long time ago. They are nothing but plastic people with huge egos parading around for the camera. The vapid comments made by the so-called "stars" is enough to make one barf. O'Reilly touches on this in his column. An excerpt:

The TV Emmy Awards were broadcast a few days ago, and it was the usual -- a bunch of smug, self-satisfied showbiz types parading their liberal views in front of an adoring Los Angeles audience. I mean, come on, you showbiz people are supposed to be creative -- how about something new and exciting: maybe demonstrating to the country you might have a clue about what's going on in the world?

I am an independent American who sees fault on both the left and the right. I closely follow the issues so I can make responsible judgments about the country and its leadership. It annoys me greatly when I see this pack out in Hollywood mugging to the camera, trying to demonstrate how smart and savvy they are. Largely dressed in borrowed clothes and spouting borrowed ideas, these people constantly vilify conservatives as complete idiots. How irresponsibly condescending.

I like that line, "...dressed in borrowed clothes and spouting borrowed ideas,". How true, except calling those statements "ideas" is stretching it a bit. They are playing to people who agree with their statements, and the applause only makes them think even more that they know what they're talking about. Yuk. Rather than watching this parade of phonies, I'd rather watch The Three Stooges. They're a lot smarter.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Refuge Needed

1 Hear a (A) just cause, O LORD, (B) give heed to my cry; (C) give ear to my prayer, which is not from (D) deceitful lips.

2 Let (E) my judgment come forth from Your presence; let Your eyes look with (F) equity.

3 You have (G) tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have (H) tested me and (I) You find [a] nothing; I have (J) purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4 As for the deeds of men, (K) by the word of Your lips I have kept from the (L) paths of the violent.

5 My (M) steps have held fast to Your paths; my (N) feet have not slipped.

6 I have (O) called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; (P) incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

7 (Q) Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O (R) Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand from those who rise up against them.

8 Keep me as [b] the (S) apple of the eye; hide me (T) in the shadow of Your wings 9 from the (U) wicked who despoil me, my (V) deadly enemies who surround me.

-Psalm 17:1-9

Ridiculous Plame Kerfuffle

I can't believe I'm linking to Slate, but Christopher Hitchens has a good article rounding up the ridiculous Plamegate crackup.

In his July 12 column in the Washington Post, Robert Novak had already partly exposed this paranoid myth by stating plainly that nobody had leaked anything, or outed anyone, to him. On the contrary, it was he who approached sources within the administration and the CIA and not the other way around. But now we have the final word on who did disclose the name and occupation of Valerie Plame, and it turns out to be someone whose opposition to the Bush policy in Iraq has—like Robert Novak's—long been a byword in Washington. It is particularly satisfying that this admission comes from two of the journalists—Michael Isikoff and David Corn—who did the most to get the story wrong in the first place and the most to keep it going long beyond the span of its natural life.

Indeed. The Left looks completely stupid regarding this. The drooling and slobbering they have done over this, thinking they finally had Bush and Cheney on the ropes, has been nothing short of sickening.

Read this whole column.

On another note, I keep reading about how so many pundits think the Democrats are going to retake the House this November. I honestly don't know how anyone other than the psycho far left DU types could want those people in power. The thought of Speaker Pelosi scares me every bit as much as the thought of President Kerry did. As I've said again and again, we simply cannot let that happen.

VBC Missionary Of The Week: Mary Ann Lattin

Since 1971, Mary Ann's ministry focus through Worldventure (formerly CB International)in Senegal has been a fulfillment of the Great Commission through the primary tasks of evangelizing those who have not heard of Jesus, establishing new chruches where there are none, and developing those churches.

Dem Quote Of The Day

Talk about the Democratic strategy in a nutshell. Just read this from DUmmie FUnnies over at Free Republic. They were discussing whether or not the Democrats should run on an impeachment platform. One DUmmie said this:

NEVER let the people draw their own conclusions. You have to give the conclusions to the people if you want to win.

Classic, ain't it?

Monday, August 28, 2006

Frog & Toad

10 I will (A) rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in (B) my God; for He has (C) clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and (D) as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as (E) Earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will (F) cause (G) righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

-Isaiah 61:10-11

Shameful

James Taranto has a good article regarding Richard Armitage and the Plame affair. Some good observations:

As we observed on PBS 10 months ago, this was a "Seinfeld" scandal--an investigation about nothing.

Of course, much as this seemed like a sitcom, it had consequences in real life. Because Armitage did not come clean right away, many people suffered:

Millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted investigating a nonexistent crime.

Innocent White House officials were distracted from serving the country in order to participate in the investigation, which was in full swing a year ago when Hurricane Katrina struck.

Scooter Libby lost his job and was indicted for actions that never would have occurred but for the investigation.

The Democratic left, putting its faith in scandal to bring down the Bush administration, became even more fatuous and ineffective.

Wow, wonder if the Left will be calling for Armitage's head? Wonder if they'll go ballistic over at DailyKos and DU, wanting to see him "frogmarched" to jail? Silly me, of course not.

Read the whole thing.

Send Him Back!

Does anybody besides me think we ought to send that pervert John Mark Karr right back to Thailand??

Amen, Brit

Brit Hume, on Fox News Sunday:

Yes, and what an appealing faith these thugs must believe Islam is, that conversions have to be effected at the point of a gun. And what of the argument that all of the ills and troubles that beset the Palestinian people, that lead them to terrorism, are the cause of what they endlessly refer to as the illegal Israeli occupation.

Consider the latest rounds of trouble in Gaza and Lebanon, two places from which Israel has withdrawn.

It has been noted that not for one day after the Israeli pullout from Gaza did the rocket attacks that came from Gaza ever stop. We’re not dealing here with something that is susceptible to a political resolution of the kind of which the State Department and many a president has dreamed.

We’re dealing here with a lawless enemy whose goal far transcends any side-by-side, two-state solution. That isn’t going to do it. We’re dealing with a terrorist, gangland-style enemy, which I think it’s fair to conclude, and this episode only further illustrates it, must be defeated.

Read the transcript and watch the video here.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

The Real Enemy

Living in the Detroit area I can concur with this, we have more Muslims in our neighborhood monthly and they are very active in the schools preaching all the time about their "rights" and how tolerant we should be of their faith. However, toleration is a one way street with them. We are to learn about Ramadan, etc. but they are not to learn about Easter or Christmas. What is below is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry.

~ ~ ~

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs. I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say.

The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked:

"Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?"
There was no disagreement with my statements and without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!"

I responded:

"So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?"

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He sheepishly replied, "Yes."

I then stated:

"Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!"
The Imam was speechless.

I continued:

"I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?"
You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.

~ ~ ~

Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the "Diversification" training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about Muslim beliefs.

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized.

This is why the blogosphere exists - as the last line of defense in the ideological war.

[h/t: Uncle]

An Eye-Opening Map

Go to this link and enter your street address. It will show a "house" in the middle of the map; that's your house. All the little colored boxes are registered sex offenders. Click on them and you get a name, address & picture of the person along with his crime. It's pretty amazing and scary. It shows you where they live in proximity to your home and the local schools.

[h/t: Uncle]

Is He Listening?

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let (A) this cup pass from Me; (B) yet not as I will, but as You will."

40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not (C) keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 (D) Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; (E) the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this (F) cannot pass away unless I drink it, (G) Your will be done."

-Matthew 26:39-42

Service, Indeed

Allow me to extend my gratitude to Jennifer for keeping the lights on here while my technical difficulties persist. Too bad that we've been downgraded back to rodent status anyway. Guess that's what happens when the content goes from purely political current events to an excessive portion of my technogeek soap opera.

So, not to let our viewers miss out on the story line, and to pick up from where I left off yesterday, we took my folks out to a really nice place for their golden anniversary, and a good time was had by all. Today, however, I blew my stack twice, neatly sandwiched around worshipping at my parents' (and, originally, my) church. No need to go into to the respective causes, neither of which had anything to do with either each other, the worship service, the church, or my mom & dad. I will disclose, however, that within moments of my son booting up the kids' PC after we arrived home (on which I loaded several utilities applications last Thursday, including Intel Active Monitor), it began overheating.

Damn, I'll be glad when summer's over.

Service

"We do honor to the stars and stripes as the emblem of our country and the symbol of all that our patriotism means.

"We identify the flag with almost everything we hold dear on earth. It represents our peace and security, our civil and political liberty, our freedom of religious worship, our family, our friends, our home. We see it in the great multitude of blessings, of rights and privileges that make up our country.

"But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights, we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done. A yearly contemplation of our flag strengthens and purifies the national conscience. "

Calvin Coolidge

Leftist Attack On Free Speech

If you don't read anything else today, read this article. It won't get any play in the major news media, because it is a stark reminder of the far left of the Democratic Party, which as we all know is becoming the mainstream of the Democratic Party. Just look:

Liberals are actively undermining first amendment rights to free speech by trying to crush opposing views.

Growing ever bolder in their naked grab for power they are leaving scorched earth behind those who disagree with them. This is why Dick Gephardt, Joe Lieberman, and Zell Miller no longer find themselves included in the modern Democratic Party. What is left over for the Democrats are wildly anti-American, anti-God, and anti-biblical leftists who are now bragging about their use of brute force to crush the voices of those who disagree with them.

Perhaps that's why this week in one of the boldest moves yet by a sitting liberal, Democrat Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez proclaimed, "The real purpose of SB 1437 is to outlaw traditional perspectives on marriage and family in the state school system."

He continued, "The way you correct a wrong (perspective) is by outlawing.’Cause if you don't outlaw it, then people's biases tend to take over and dominate the perspective and the point of view."

Nunez's solution to the people he disagrees with is to outlaw their ability to disagree with him.

Nunez and his fellow Democrats have passed the following four bills in the California State Assembly. They await Schwartzenegger's signature or veto. What do the bills say? Just look:

These four bills would require that in every classroom from kindergarten through high school that perverse sexual activity be praised and highlighted in a positive light. They would require textbooks many of which would then also be produced for other states beyond the borders of California make positive references to the ideas of men putting on women's under things. They would restrict school districts from being able to bar females from displaying dildos on the outerwear of their prom dress. And in functional sexuality courses from K-12 they would require positive explanation of the merits and instruction of anal intercourse.

These four bills are also dangerous in what they outlaw. No single teacher - not even in science classes - would be allowed to talk about the negative health impact of homosexual behavior. No school counselor would be allowed to confirm to a molested student that they felt wrong about continuing in a homosexual relationship that they were primarily drawn into because of earlier molestation to begin with. No mention of moral aspects of sexual behavior would be permitted unless immoral activity were praised and in fact referred to as moral.

There you have it. The Democrat solution to the nation's sex education problems. Just allow anything...no, don't just allow it, REQUIRE it. These bills go much further than what you read above. Look at what they *outlaw*:

But one of the bills goes a step further. Its actual purpose is to cripple any state resources such as fire department or police protection for any religious institution (i.e. a Bible based church) that would in any way demonstrate negative "doctrine" or "propaganda". So if an arsonist (who also just happened to be a radical activist) decided to burn down a church that was in their view teaching the faithful interpretation of scripture as it relates to sexual practice - then the local fire company could be barred from assisting in the recovery and protection of said facility.

Sickening, isn't it? This is the end result of amorality. This is what "progressives" stand for. The indoctrination of our children into mind-numbed, amoral sexual beings. Yeah, that'll fix everything! It will be very interesting to see what Gov. Schwartzenegger does with these pieces of offal (the bills, not the Democrats). I think these bills should be held up by Republicans to the rest of the country as examples of what happens when Democrats are in charge.

Journalists Released

The two kidnapped Fox News journalists have been released. Thank God.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Sacrifice

1 (A) Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of (B) Your compassion (C) blot out my transgressions.

2 (D) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and (E) cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I (F) know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 (G) Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is (H) evil in Your sight, so that (I) You [a] are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was (J) brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire (K) truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will (L) make me know wisdom.

7 Purify me (M) with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be (N) whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear (O) joy and gladness, let the (P) bones which You have broken rejoice.

9 (Q) Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

10 (R) Create in me a (S) clean heart, O God, and renew a (T) steadfast spirit within me.

11 (U) Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your (V) Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the (W) joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a (X) willing spirit.

13 Then I will (Y) teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will [b] be (Z) converted to You.

14 Deliver me from (AA) bloodguiltiness, O God, (AB) the God of my salvation; then my (AC) tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, (AD) open my lips, that my mouth may (AE) declare Your praise.

16 For You (AF) do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a (AG) broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

18 (AH) By Your favor do good to Zion; (AI) build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You will delight in (AJ) righteous sacrifices, in (AK) burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

-Psalm 51

More Technical Difficulties

When last I reported on the state of my home PC, I had just wasted a trip over to the shop that was closed when I got their to pick up my machine. A pity the tech didn't give me another call to update me on the status of the repair job, since it was, and is, nowhere near complete.

I got over there when they opened yesterday morning expecting to simply pay the bill and take my PC home. I was greeted with a, "Hello, come with me, please," such as you would get if you were going to see your doctor after a routine physical when he'd diagnosed metastasized cancer.

The upgraded motherboard and processor were installed, and everything was fine except for one thing: the sound drivers wouldn't reinstall. The most proximate reason for that is that the old sound drivers wouldn't UNinstall. Since you don't see many personal computer retailers pushing the marketing concept of "monomedia," that obviously was an unacceptable status quo. So, having presciently brought my Windows XP disk with me, we tried a Windows reinstall in the hopes that that would remove the obstruction preventing the loading of the new sound drivers.

This process took an hour, necessitating that I find something to do besides standing there staring at my recalcitrant machine. However, attempts to find a breakfast outlet nearby that was open proved fruitless, as did locating an open library.

Upon my return to the shop I found that the Windows reinstall had concluded but now the new processor - rated at 3 GHz - was being slowed down by 90%, and Control Panel was completely unaccessible, meaning that we couldn't even determine if the new sound drivers would load because we couldn't load the damn things. The tech employed some utility programs to fix that problem, and I had another hour to kill. At least by this time breakfast and the library were available, but the latter did not have internet terminals available to non-library patrons, of which I'm, or else I'd have vented about this mess yesterday.

Upon my third return the Windows blockage was dislodged, but the sound drivers STILL wouldn't load, forcing upon me the option of last resort I had sought to avoid: backing up the hard drive, wiping it, reinstalling Windows, and then transferring back the data. The problem in that is that I have to re-load ALL my applications, not all of which are on disk, meaning I have to make yet another application inventory to determine what I'll be able to salvage and what I won't. And bear in mind that I have applications going back to 1992, so this is no small disruption.

Compounding my difficulties was that my family and I were scheduled to leave town at 1PM. Because of this hour round-trip that had become six times as long, I didn't get home until 2PM - without my machine - and we didn't get on the road until 4PM. We arrived at our destination after 7PM, leaving time only to check in at our place of lodging - which, as you probably already guessed, does not have an internet terminal - and get something to eat. This displaced the making of dinner reservations for my folks' golden wedding anniversary until this morning, whereupon we discovered that the establishment's listed phone number is, in fact, their FAX number, meaning that I really have no firm idea of whether or not it's already too late to make reservations.

I am not a happy camper. I'm supposed to be on "vacation." At this rate, by the time this "vacation" is over, I'll need a vacation.

I'll leave to the imagination the location from which I am klickety-klacking these words. Suffice it to say, thank the LORD for the ubiquity of the internet.

And pray the LORD that I'll get my PC back in full working order on Monday morning. If I have to go over there more than one more time, I might as well move in.

This 'n That

Tried to post a few times yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't let me. I still don't trust it, so I'll just do a drive-by post. To wit:

Global warming is the most flexible theory I've ever seen. Now it's causing glaciers to GROW.

Ray Nagin is an idiot.

Far Left Democrats like this jerk from San Francisco are pathetic. And this one.

Juan Williams, believe it or not, has written what sounds to be a great book regarding, among other things, the current black "leadership" and their efforts to keep black America "in line" and right where they want them. Walter Williams interviewed him on Rush's show yesterday, and he was right on the money. No doubt he will be derided for telling the truth, as Bill Cosby always is.

Speaking of Rush, read his comments regarding calling the Democrats what they are, unpatriotic.

Finally, the Democrats' War on Wal-Mart seems to be more important to them than the War on Terror. Go figure.

Hopefully, Blogger will cooperate today and we will be able to post. Here's hopin'!

Friday, August 25, 2006

Avoiding The Greener Grass

22 (A) Wives, (B) be subject to your own husbands, (C) as to the LORD.

23 For (D) the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the (E) head of the church, He Himself (F) being the Savior of the body.

24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 (G) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (H) gave Himself up for her, 26 (I) so that He might sanctify her, having (J) cleansed her by the (K) washing of water with (L) the word, 27 that He might (M) present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be (N) holy and blameless.

28 So husbands ought also to (O) love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are (P) members of His (Q) body.

31 (R) For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to (S) love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she (T) respects her husband.

-Ephesians 5:22-33

What DO They Support?

Great column by Ann Coulter. The Democrats keep saying they "support" the War on Terror, yet they try to obstruct everything Bush does in order to further it. NSA, Guantanamo, Iraq, the Patriot Act, you name it. As Ann says:

As Howard Dean put it this week, "The occupation in Iraq is costing American lives and hampering our ability to fight the real global war on terror."

This would be like complaining that Roosevelt's war in Germany was hampering our ability to fight the real global war on fascism. Or anti-discrimination laws were hampering our ability to fight the real war on racism. Or dusting is hampering our ability to fight the real war on dust.

It's hard to believe there are many in this country who believe the Democrats would better protect our country. How? How in the world do they think they would do it? What are those "tough measures" that Harry Reid keeps talking about? Withholding the A1 from the Guantanamo prisoners when their steak is served?

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin has compared Guantanamo to Nazi concentration camps and Soviet gulags, based on a report that some detainees were held in temperatures so cold that they shivered and others were forced to listen to loud rap music — more or less approximating the conditions in the green room at "The Tyra Banks Show." Also, one of the detainees was given a badminton racket that was warped.

Yeah, they'd get tough all right. Let's try diplomacy with the terrorists. They just want to get along with us, you know.

The twisted minds of the Democrats is a scary thing to watch. What is scarier is the thought of them being back in power. We simply cannot let that happen.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Remembered

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of (A) Gideon, (B) Barak, (C) Samson, (D) Jephthah, of (E) David and (F) Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith (G) conquered kingdoms, (H) performed acts of righteousness, (I) obtained promises, (J) shut the mouths of lions, 34 (K) quenched the power of fire, (L) escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, (M) became mighty in war, (N) put foreign armies to flight.

35 (O) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also (P) chains and imprisonment.

37 They were (Q) stoned, they were (R) sawn in two, [a] they were tempted, they were (S) put to death with the sword; they went about (T) in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, (U) ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), (V) wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

39 And all these, having (W) gained approval through their faith, (X) did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided (Y) something better for us, so that (Z) apart from us they would not be made perfect.

-Hebrews 11:32-40

Wasted Days

Today I had looked forward to as one on which I would get my computer back, and spend the rest of my time puttering around trying to finally get my accursed home network to finally, completely work again for the first time since I upgraded to broadband almost three years ago.

Instead I sat around all day waiting for the phone to ring, which it never did. I, on the other hand, made several other people's phones ring, including the computer shop, who finally told me at a quarter past four this afternoon that my machine would be ready at 5PM. Yeah, that's also when they close, but I did tell them I was coming to pick it up, so I figured the tech would stick around for a little past official closing time to accommodate me.

Guess again. I left a few minutes after I got off the phone for the last time, traffic was a nightmare, but I still managed to get to the shop by 5:15. But the place was locked up and deserted. So not only did I waste a fifty-mile round trip, but I have to make another one in the morning, taking up time that I needed for a number of other things preparatory to a weekend trip that kicks off tomorrow afternoon.

This is, you must understand, on top of the repair job taking twice as long and costing twice as much as promised. Needless to say, I was pissed, and even after venting a voicemail message, I'm still miffed.

I planned to take vacation time back in the spring and then again last month, but was unable to do so due to circumstances beyond my control. If this is how my vacation time is going to go, it would appear that I haven't been missing much.

The trip, BTW, is to commemorate my parents' golden wedding anniversary (which, technically, is today). My mother tried to talk me out of it a couple of weeks back, and I deployed the Admiral Kirk response: "The word is no; I am therefore going anyway." When I informed her of our imminent arrival tomorrow - thus making the matter a fait accompli - she was much less resistant.

The resistance had to do with her latest dog, which is reportedly an emotional basket case. So we're compromising: we won't go to their house, but will meet up elsewhere. And it does have the virtue of affording me more blogging time, so all these dark clouds are not entirely bereft of silver linings. Just 95% of them.

Guess the tech at the PC shop will be thrilled to see me as he walks in the door tomorrow AM. I'd have camped in their parking lot if I'd had my camping equipment and wouldn't have been at risk of being towed away.

If they make me wait....

Naw, you gotta tune in tomorrow for the next installment.

AFTERTHOUGHT: I commandeered my kids' machine to post this evening, in case anybody was wondering. Didn't give them any choice, and ods my bodkins, but they didn't complain, either.

Of course, just as I would get to like the idea of use fait accomplis as standard operating procedure for getting my way, that'd hit a brick wall that would give me a nasty bruise.

Then again, maybe that's my inner pussy talking.

Reflections

"Let not the foundation of our hope rest upon man's wisdom...It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence."

Franklin Pierce

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

God Fights Against Us

12 "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "(A) return to Me with all your heart, and with (B) fasting, weeping and mourning; 13 and (C) rend your heart and not (D) your garments. Now return to the LORD your God, for He is (E) gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and (F) relenting of evil.

14 Who knows (G) whether He will not turn and relent and leave a (H) blessing behind Him, even (I) a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

15 (J) Blow a trumpet in Zion, (K) consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, 16 gather the people, (L) sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants, let the (M) bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber.

17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, weep (N) between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "(O) Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your inheritance a (P) reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, '(Q) Where is their God?'"

-Joel 2:12-17

Laus Deo

One detail that is not mentioned, in DC, is that there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.

With all the up roar about removing the ten commandments, etc... This is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this historical information.

On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, are displayed two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less.

Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. But these words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched top the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, un-noticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.

So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say "Praise be to God!"

Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo ...........Praise be to God!"

From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant...a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.

A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.

Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!

When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy ."One Nation, Under God."

I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you never read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our LORD. Amen."

Laus Deo!

When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: "Unless the LORD builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127: 1)

[h/t: Uncle]

Democrats Happened

At first I thought this was funny............then I realized the awful truth of it.

Tax his land, tax his bed, tax the table at which he's fed.

Tax his tractor, tax his mule, teach him taxes are the rule.

Tax his cow, tax his goat, tax his pants, tax his coat.

Tax his ties, tax his shirt, tax his work, tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco, tax his drink, tax him if he tries to think.

Tax his cigars, tax his beers, if he cries, then tax his tears.

Tax his car, tax his gas, find other ways to tax his ass.

Tax all he has then let him know that you won't be done till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers, then tax him some more, tax him till he's good and poor.

Then tax his coffin, tax his grave, tax the sod in which he's laid.

Put these words upon his tomb, "Taxes drove me to my doom..."

When he's gone, do not relax, it's time to apply the inheritance tax, accounts receivable tax, building permit fee, CDL license fee, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog license fee, federal income tax, federal unemployment tax, fishing license fee, food license fee, fuel permit fee, gasoline tax (42 cents per gallon), hunting license fee, inheritance tax, inventory tax, IRS interest charges, IRS penalties (tax on top of tax), liquor tax, luxury taxes, marriage license fee, Medicare tax, personal property tax, real estate tax, Social Security tax, road usage taxes, sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state income tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal universal service fee, telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax, telephone state and local tax, telephone usage charge tax, utility taxes, vehicle license registration tax AND fee, vehicle sales tax, watercraft registration tax, well permit fee, workers compensation Tax....

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world, had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world and even with Mom staying home to raise the kids.

What happened!?

Actually, we know what happened.

We simply must keep it from happening ever again.

[h/t: Uncle]

Profiling Questions

Please pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple choice test. The events are actual cuts from past history. They actually happened.

Do you remember?

1) In 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by

a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

2) In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by

a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3) In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:

a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4) During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:

a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5) In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:

a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6) In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year> old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:

a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7) In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:

a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8) In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:

a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9) In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:

a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10) In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:

a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11) On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Center and of the remaining two, one crashed into the Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:

a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12) In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:

a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

13) In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:

a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

-On March 11, 2004, the Madrid subway bombings were done by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

-On July 7, 2005, the London subway bombings were done by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

AND NOW, a plot to blowup airliners leaving London for US destinations was thwarted in the nick of time, and who has been implicated? Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

Nope, I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?

So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80 year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim males between the ages 17 and 40 alone because profiling is discriminatory and not nice.

As the writer of the award winning story Forrest Gump so aptly put it, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Especially if it'll kill ya.

[h/t: Uncle]

Iraqi "Civil War" Takes A Time-Out

Betcha won't see this on CBS:

A senior U.S. military commander says the level of violence in Baghdad has fallen during August and that U.S.-led and Iraqi forces captured more than 100 known and suspected al-Qaida terrorists this week.

Major General William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad Tuesday that the new Iraqi government has formulated a very effective plan aimed at stopping violence.

There ARE good things going on over there. You'd just never know it if you use the MSM as your source of information.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Laundry Love

10 By this the (A) children of God and the (B) children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who (C) does not love his (D) brother.

11 (E) For this is the message (F) which you have heard from the beginning, (G) that we should love one another; 12 not as (H) Cain, who was of (I) the evil one and slew his brother; and for what reason did he slay him? Because (J) his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if (K) the world hates you.

14 We know that we have (L) passed out of death into life, (M) because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

15 Everyone who (N) hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that (O) no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 We know love by this, that (P) He laid down His life for us; and (Q) we ought to lay down our lives for the (R) brethren.

17 But (S) whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and (T) closes his heart against him, (U) how does the love of God abide in him?

18 (V) Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and (W) truth.

19 We will know by this that we are (X) of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

21 (Y) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have (Z) confidence before God; 22 and (AA) whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we (AB) keep His commandments and do (AC) the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 This is His commandment, that we (AD) believe in (AE) the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as (AF) He commanded us.

24 The one who (AG) keeps His commandments (AH) abides in Him, and He in him (AI); we know by this that (AJ) He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

-1 John 3:10-24

The Light In The Sky

....is just a flying saucer from the Zeta Reticuli system come to collect some more human specimens for its newest colony in the Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way, not Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apocalyptic beckoning of the twelfth imam, so there's nothing to worry about for the moment. Besides, the Persian Hitler might have meant August 23rd, so all the hyperventilating media speculation might not have been in vain after all.

Actually, it's guaranteed not to be in vain, ultimately. But let's stick to today for the time being.

The Iranians did launch a fresh set of war games yesterday, "defensive in nature" and set to last upwards of five weeks. Obviously they think that war is coming their direction (and are most impatient for it to arrive). They also undertook offensive operations as well, targeted at....Romania. Specifically, a Romanian oil platform in the Persian Gulf. Not exactly the stuff of story and song.

And no, there has not, to my knowledge, been an Iranian nuclear test, either above- or below-ground. Which I take to mean that they don't want to waste any of the handful of Russian and North Korean warheads they have on hand on mere tests as opposed to mass murdering Israelis, Europeans, and Americans.

As to mullahgarchic actions directly pertaining to today's "deadline," Tehran's long-promised response to the UN Security Council's "demand" that Iran cease and desist from its nuclear weapons program was pretty much what should have been expected - more tap-dancing:

Iran on Tuesday handed over its response to a nuclear package aimed at allaying Western fears that Tehran seeks to build atomic bombs, state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam television reported. It did not give details of the reply.

Sources in the United Nations described the Iranian response as "ambiguous and evasive." The sources said the Iranians are seeking to renew negotiations but nevertheless refuse to halt enriching uranium. They also said Iran failed to respond to several aspects of the nuclear package.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said Tuesday that Iran was ready to start what he called "serious negotiations" on August 23 with the six world powers about their offer to defuse a nuclear standoff, according to Iran's student news agency ISNA.

I'll stop the quote there because, come on, how much more do you need to know? It's the same old circle-jerk. We shake ourselves down and the mullahs scoop up all the concessions and wait for more. Instead of perhaps being tempted (or, alternatively, forced) to gamble by showing their nuclear hand prematurely, the mullahs can keep right on developing their own nuclear weapons manufacturing capabilities and extract as much foolish Western assistance in the effort as our boneheadedly suicidal diplomatic generosity can accommodate. By the time this "diplomacy with a hint of steel" madness is finished, Iran could have dozens or hundreds of nukes and as many ballistic missiles with which to deliver them against cities from Tel Aviv to London to New York. And, even more dangerous, a robust confidence - arrogance, really - that so weak-willed, divided, defeatist, soft, decadent, cowardly, pacifist, paralyzed (okay, you get the point) is the West that they can start torching our cities one by one and we will do no more than express "deep concern" and lodge formal protests at the United Nations.

And, Cap'n Ed's naive jingoism notwithstanding, who could blame them? Look at how Israel - Israel! - folded like a K-Mart deck chair against a mere Iranian proxie army in Lebanon, and how we not only pulled the plug on them at the UN but caved to the French appeasers and double-crossers in the process. Cripes, look at "diplomacy with a hint of steel". Put yourself in Ahmadinejad's shoes - does that not suggest unequivocally that the Bush Doctrine is deader than Dick Cheney's scalp? That you pretty much have a free hand to do pretty much whatever you want without having to give a rat's ass about what the irrelevant "international community" thinks, other than to make sure that you maximize their "diplomatic" boodle?

The degree of the mullahgarchy's rationality, as opposed to religious mania, is debatable, I suppose, but it would not be unreasonable of them to see the incentives for further provocations as outweighing the evidently evaporating risks. The same dynamic in the latter half of the 1930s is what propelled the world toward a global conflagration that need never have been fought but for the perceptions of the West in the minds of Hitler and Tojo created by its bitterly ironic desperation to avoid war at all costs. Those perceptions made war inevitable, on the enemy's terms, and therefore horrendously costly in lives and treasure.

Sure, lots of commentators and pundits are using the Nazi parallel. But it fits - burgeoning regional power, fascistic in nature, rabidly and genocidally anti-Semitic, possessing ambitions of global conquest, facing a First World debilitated by decadence, self-centeredness, solipsism, left-wing cultural neuroses, a deep-seeded collective infantility, a degree of spoiledness borne of prosperity that makes confronting threats, with all the concommitant sacrifices and nastiness, anathema, and ignoring and appeasing them mandatory.

And so, rather than, as President Bush once declared, "not letting storms gather and acting before threats become imminent," we have returned to "waiting on events." We are, as Mark Steyn laments, once again "back in the quagmire of perpetual interminable U.N.-brokered EU-led multilateral dithering":

What's the difference between September 2001 and now? It's not that anyone liked" America or that, as the Democrats like to suggest, the country had the world's "sympathy.'' Pakistani generals and the Kremlin don't cave to your demands because they "sympathize.'' They go along because you've succeeded in impressing upon them that they've no choice. Musharraf and Co. weren't scared by America's power but by the fact that America, in the rubble of 9/11, had belatedly found the will to use that power. It is notionally at least as powerful today, but in terms of will we're back to September 10: Nobody thinks America is prepared to use its power. And so Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad and wannabe "strong horses" like Baby Assad cock their snooks with impunity. [emphases added]

Mark Levin, as is his want, is even blunter:

If the U.S. was serious about winning the war on terrorism, which means destroying the Iranian regime, the time to take military action against Iran was when Israel was moving against Hezbollah. Yes, I know this is controversial, but it ought not be — unless, of course, the U.S. has no intention of stopping Iran, no intention of using military force against Iran, and is committed to a defeatist diplomatic agenda. The time to strike Iran was while it was engaged on another front (southern Lebanon) and before its acquisition of nuclear weapons.

If a military response against Iran is off the table, despite the fact that Iran has no intention of ending voluntarily its nuclear efforts, then the Bush Doctrine and the Democracy Project are dead by the hand of their architect. Iran will become a regional power and international threat. And the terrorists who seek to attack our cities will have access to devastating technology. [emphasis added]

More than any other prior conflict, this war is a battle, not of tanks and aircraft and infantry, or even WMD, but of will. When terrorists, and terror states, attack us, they aren't foolish enough to attack our strengths - we conquered Iraq in three weeks, for heaven's sake. They know that we can "turn Tehran into a glass farm." They simply do not believe that we will, no matter what they do to us. So they keep nibbling around the edges, blowing up embassies and warships and Manhattan skyscrapers, kidnapping civilians and lobbing rockets into the cities of our allies, battling our soldiers with seemingly interminable guerrilla tactics in erstwhile liberated nations, all the while eroding our collective will to resist, sapping our national stamina, and working busily toward the day when they will, they believe, blackmail us with "the world's most destructive weapons." And we continue giving them every reason to believe that their perception is right on the money.

War with Iran is inevitable because we refuse to fight it. We indulge in every fantasy we can find - "diplomacy with a hint of steel"; the equally as delusional Ledeenite pipedream of encouraging the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the mullahs, which, if it ever was a viable option, isn't any longer; and the short cut of limiting military action to air strikes, which the IAF's campaign in Lebanon pretty much proved is a chimera - to avoid the reality that only a full-scale invasion and conquest of Iran - even despite their token off-the-shelf nuclear arsenal - can eliminate the threat of both the Islamic regime's pursuit of their own nukes and the regime itself. We simply no longer have the option of ignoring that reality.

It took the attack on Pearl Harbor to get us into World War II. It took 9/11 to get us into World War IV, for a while. I shudder to think what it's going to take to motivate us to finish it.

Probably a good thing we can't mark that on the calendar, huh?

Mark Twain Was A Republican

That's a reference to the irascible author's famous retort to his premature obituary, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." I don't do that many literary references, so I try to make the ones I do post good ones.

J-Pod joins the growing number of center-right skeptics of the conventional wisdom that the GOP is "doomed" in November. And Jay Cost shoots down two of that CW's biggest justifications, the generic ballot poll and the "right track/wrong track" poll, neither of which are worth John Nance Garner's "bucket of warm spit" as predictors of congressional election outcomes.

Personally I'll stick with my predictions of no change in the Senate and a two seat GOP loss in the House unless and until there is compelling actual "horserace" polling data of likely voters by reputable polling organizations indicating otherwise.

I called the 2004 presidential election within a percentage point a full year before the ballots were cast. So I'm the closest thing to omniscience you're gonna get.

What We Owe

I need something quick, and this'll fit the bill quite nicely: if we do not abolish and/or privatize the entitlements monster, we will owe ourselves $65.9 trillion. Expressed another way, that's $65,900,000,000,000.

Too big to mean much in practical terms, isn't it? Well, Laurence Kotlikoff of the St. Louis Federal Reserve branch takes a stab at it:

This figure is more than five times U.S. GDP and almost twice the size of national wealth. One way to wrap one’s head around $65.9 trillion is to ask what fiscal adjustments are needed to eliminate this red hole. The answers are terrifying. One solution is an immediate and permanent doubling of personal and corporate income taxes. Another is an immediate and permanent two-thirds cut in Social Security and Medicare benefits. A third alternative, were it feasible, would be to immediately and permanently cut all federal discretionary spending by 143%.

David Frum adds that the Wall Street Journal op-eders have a rebuttal coming. When I find it, you'll get it.

All I'll say now is what I've been saying for years: It's like the old Autolite commercials where the mechanic, in a rare moment of candor (for a mechanic), shrugs and says, "You can pay me now....or pay me later."

And the ounce of prevention will be far more palatable than the pound of cure.

UPDATE: Okay, it's a different update, but it provides the proverbial other shoe to my close just above:

Trying to cut entitlement spending goes against human nature, which is focused on the short-term. A person who eats too much knows that it may lead to health problems down the road, but those potential health problems aren't yet real, while cheeseburgers, fries, and hot fudge sundaes are delicious and offer immediate gratification. Fiscal conservatives showing Americans charts projecting what's going to happen ten or twenty or forty years from now is not as compelling as media stories about seniors being thrown into the gutter.

I don't see that dynamic changing until an economic disaster results from entitlement spending. At that point, entitlement reform no longer becomes just a responsible long-term thing to do, but it enters Americans' short-term radar, just as terrorism did after 9/11.

President Bush actually tried for Social Security reform a year ago - passively and ineptly by giving the Democrats a pre-emptive veto over even his own submission of a private accounts plan - but it was a good faith attempt nevertheless. It went nowhere because, absent presidential leadership, the congressional GOP wouldn't leave the tall grass to take up the slack. Now that Republicans are back to being their normal timid, squishy, RINO selves, and also recalling what happened to them a decade ago when Newt Gingrich tried to reform Medicare, it's difficult to see the current majority venturing out on that limb again any time soon. And given the how close the time horizon of the entitlements crunch is getting - roughly a decade until just Social Security starts hemorrhaging, another decade after that until it's broke, and Medicare is in even worse fiscal shape - that was probably the last chance to avoid a second crash and Great Depression.

The terrorism comparison is apt. It's human nature to see only what you want to see and studiously avert your gaze from everything else. An entitlements-driven economic collapse is actuariliy inevitable, but it's still an abstraction, just like a 9/11 scenario was before the towers fell, or an Iranian EMP attack is today. One that people prefer to deny, because to acknowledge it would require them to accept remedies that they don't want face, even though the day of reckoning will not land on a future generation but smack dab on this one.

We can only kick the can down the road so far. Then comes the brick wall, in whose shadow we already tread. It has sixty-six trillion bricks in it, which means no climbing over and no going around. Will we reverse course or will we stubbornly try to run through it and make it fall on us?

Who says my retirement years won't be entertaining?