And To The Republic...

Democracy: Enemy of liberty

John Adams said, "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." Chief Justice John Marshall observed, "Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos."

Our founders intended for us to have a limited republican form of government where rights precede government and there is rule of law. Citizens, as well as government officials, are accountable to the same laws. Government intervenes in civil society only to protect its citizens against force and fraud, but does not intervene in the cases of peaceable, voluntary exchange. By contrast, in a democracy, the majority rules either directly or through its elected representatives. The law is whatever the government deems it to be. Rights may be granted or taken away.

Autism II, The Diagnosis

From The Fear Industrial Complex

As March of Dimes researchers put it, "Changes in diagnosis account for the observed increase in autism." Sure enough, California data show the rise in autism diagnoses almost exactly matches a decline in cases of retardation.

"People that we once called quirky or geeky or nerdy are now called autistic," Dr. Offit said, "because when you give that label of, say, autistic spectrum disorder, you allow that child then to qualify for services."

Imagine that. A trendy diagnosis being driven by government-paid services.

Thought so.

Evil Rising

Affirm Our Beliefs, Or Bow to Evil

Evil is on the rise again and it is truly amazing to see so many people latch on to it and make excuses for it. This is the spirit that gripped Germany and Japan in the past. WWII knocked that spirit out of them but it has regrouped in the Middle East and it will not be talked away. It will have to be put down forcibly again.

The United States is divided and paralyzed with political correctness. Can we get it together in time? Or will Europe snap and decide it's had enough?

The Pride of Broward County

I'm watching the proceedings of what to do with the body of Anna Nicole Smith on Fox News and I have to say I am embarrassed to know this is going on in the Judicial system of the United States. Not that this is being decided but how and by whom. How did this judge get this far in his career? We need cameras in every court room so we can see which Judges to get rid of. Starting with this one.

Did Shepard Smith just say Baba Booey after mentioning Howard Stern? Somebody did. This is too funny. The proceedings are a joke, the judge is an embarrassment, our Judicial system is broken. It's so bad it's funny. It's unreal.

Now James won't stop saying Baba Booey cause he wanted to know what I was laughing at and he thinks it's a funny name.

Some quotes from the show: "This is a very odd proceeding." "Is this a freak show?"

Where's Judge Judy when you need her?

Happiness

Happiness: A moral obligation

It is safe to say that the happiest Germans were not those who joined the Nazi Party. Nor did the happiest Europeans become Communists. And happy Muslims are not generally among those who extol death. The motto of Hamas and other Islamic groups engaged in terror, "We love death as much as [Americans, Jews] love life," does not appeal to happy Muslims.

Cults, hysteria and mass movements all appeal to the unhappy far more than to the happy. It is one more example of the genius of America's founders to include "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence. No other major civilization so enshrined happiness as a core value.

An important caveat:

The pursuit of happiness is not the pursuit of pleasure. The pursuit of pleasure is hedonism, and hedonists are not happy because the intensity and amount of pleasure must constantly be increased for hedonism to work. Pleasure for the hedonist is a drug.

But the pursuit of happiness is noble. It benefits everyone around the individual pursuing it, and it benefits humanity. And that is why happiness is a moral obligation.

Yes!

Introducing the Book

New technology is just hard for some people to get used to.

I Don't Like This News

TV Bounty Hunter 'Dog' Chapman Faces Extradition to Mexico

He doesn't deserve this at all. For all the respect Mexico has shown the laws of the United States we can afford to tell them to pound salt on this one. America has a severe shortage of people who will stand up for what is right and decent, especially in governmental positions. Plenty who will stand up for sex offenders, thieves and murderers, though.

Best thing to do, for all so inclined, is to pray about it.

I Like John Howard

He's not afraid to speak the truth, and stand by it.

Australian PM Defends Comments on Obama

Howard, a steadfast supporter of President Bush in the Iraq war, insisted his criticism of Obama's plan to withdraw U.S. combat troops in Iraq by March 31 next year was in Australia's national interest because Obama's plan would represent a defeat for Australia's most important military ally.

Oh yes it would.

How Vinyl Records Are Made

Or, if you were born after 1980, what are vinyl records?

Autism

I saw a commercial on TV the other day saying 1 in 166 children were diagnosed as autistic. I was going to write that I thought someone was expanding the definition of autism but didn't see it again and didn't know who said it.

I just ran into this article saying autism now effects 1 in 150 children! Is autism the new ADHD? I don't know but I have a hard time believing these numbers. I think someone is expanding the definition of autism.

Wrong Place, Wrong time

Meteorite claims 3 lives in Rajasthan

How often do you hear of anyone being killed by a meteorite? Never? Oh, here you go, they get you with the headline and in the last paragraph ...

While the locals believed that it was a meteorite, the police said the blast may have occurred due to the explosive scrap that the nomads had collected.

Most likely was an explosive.

Go Directly To Jail

It seems Julie Amero, the substitute teacher who was convicted for allowing children to see porn popups on the school computer, was apparently railroaded. The school is letting her take the fall for their failure to properly secure the computer and our justice system has failed again. Here is a commentary by Herbert Horner who did the forensic examination of the computer assigned to Julie Amero:

The Strange Case of Ms. Julie Amero

This was one of the most frustrating experiences of my career, knowing full well that the person is innocent and not being allowed to provide logical proof.

If there is an appeal and the defense is allowed to show the entire results of the forensic examination in front of experienced computer people, including a computer literate judge and prosecutor, Julie Amero will walk out the court room as a free person.

Let this experience stand as a warning to all that use computers in an environment where minors are present. The aforementioned situation can happen to anyone without fail and without notice if there is not adequate firewall, antispyware, antiadware and antivirus protection. That was not provided by the school administration where Julie Amero taught.

It can happen to you.

Here is an article about the situation - good information:

Teacher Faces Prison for Pop-Up Infested PC

Letters From Iwo Jima

I have not seen the movie and , to tell the truth, have only vaguely heard something about it being made, I didn't know it was released. I haven't even seen a commercial for it. I'm glad I came across this commentary, though, I would like to see it.

Misunderstanding Iwo Jima

In a second scene, with the battle all but over, another platoon surrounds Saigo. Deranged by grief, he attacks the platoon with a shovel. Instead of shooting him, as the soldiers have every right to do, they disable him with the butt of a rifle.

The final scene, a telling one, finds a smiling Saigo lying on a stretcher at the edge of the beach amidst a row of identical stretchers bearing Americans. He has found a place among a people who respect his humanity just as they do their own.

"It is Eastwood's queasy triumph," writes Scott Foundas of the Village Voice, "that, when we hear those words, ['Do what's right ...'] regardless of what language we speak, they have rarely sounded more foreign."

As Foundas' churlish little remark makes clear, these critics fail to understand "Letters from Iwo Jima" because they fail to understand America.

Ban Everything

Bill Banning iPods In Crosswalks Slated For Albany

They're walking into speeding cars. They're walking into buses. They're walking into one another and it's creating a number of fatalities that have been documented right here in the city."

You can't ban stupidity, they'll just find another way.

Joseph Farah Explains

Why conservatism is dead

We need to read our history. We need to rediscover our Founding Fathers. We need to recognize what a unique breakthrough in liberty they inspired. It's their vision to which we need to rededicate ourselves. It's the biblical values they held that caused the greatest outbreak of freedom the world had known.

By the way, they weren't conservatives.

They wouldn't even know the term.

Instead, they laid out a radical break from the past – a new way of thinking about freedom and independence and strict limits on government.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and John Adams were not conservatives. These men risked everything in the hope of changing the status quo. They fought a War of Independence from the Old World. They fought a revolution against the assumptions of the past.

They did this, by the way, at a time when life was not so bad. But they were wise enough to see a better way for themselves and their posterity. Thank God they did.

It's time for conservatives to stop being conservative. It's time to get radical. It's time to remember our heroic heritage. It's time to take risks. It's time to stop business as usual. It's time to stop repeating the mistakes of the past. It's time to see we're losing ground.

It's time to fight for something worthwhile – not just the preserving of freedom, but the expansion of freedom.

Truth in Advertising

A spoof of the recent Mac commercials - closer to the truth.

Appreciating the Cup

My grandfather brought to this country his personal, wonderful tradition, which was the art of wine-making. And he couldn’t have picked a better part of the world to ply this skill, for he settled in New York State, home to some of the best wine-making grapes in the country.

He held nothing back when pursuing this passion, including a trip to the country to buy fresh grapes and carting them back to his basement in town. I remember the elaborate apparatus where he squeezed the juice from the grapes, the fermentation process, and the barrels of red wine that were the result.

One time – I must have been eight or nine years old – I was rummaging around his house and coming across a gallon jug into which he had drawn some of his new wine. There was no one around, so I got to wondering how the stuff might taste. Was it sweet? Was it smooth? What was the fascination that adults held for this homemade concoction? So I took off the cap, tilted back, and let the light red fluid pass my lips and touch my awaiting pallet.

I distinctly remember my reaction: “How can anybody drink this stuff?” My eight-year-old taste buds revolted at the dry bite. A good wine was something that I just wasn’t capable of appreciating at the time.

It is curious that Jesus compared his blood to the fruit of the vine. His blood was shed for us, but to many this idea pure foolishness. Just like wine, one must develop an appreciation for it, and that can only come through age and experience. Rummaging around the attic and stumbling across it is just not enough. It must sink down to our innermost being, and we must savor it sip by sip.

Along with the Apostle Paul, I must admit that when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man I put away the childish things. And I came to a deeper appreciation for the need of a Savior. My tastes were more attuned to the nuances of the blood of Christ.

These days a good bottle of wine is part of the enjoyment of life. It took time to develop the taste for it. I would give a lot to go back and sample my grandfather’s creation and experience it with a more appreciative attitude. That opportunity is gone. But the cup from which I now drink is richer than any cup my grandfather could have given me.

Lenny Cacchio

The Lady Sings the Blues

Here's another YouTuber I ran into last night. I was looking at another users favorite videos and saw one that said, "Sittin On the Dock of the Bay." I almost passed it by but I like that song, I sure am glad I didn't. Turns out ysabellabrave can sing. I looked at a bunch of her other videos and it was no fluke, she's good. She's real good. Watch her sing Stormy Monday Blues:



Here is her YouTube page and her homepage.

It's For Your Own Good

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

C. S. Lewis
English essayist & juvenile novelist (1898 - 1963)

Is Islam the Problem?

In Fear of Islam

This is a "Born to Win" mp3.

What's Wrong With Us?

Australia seems to get it.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said.

He continued: "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option."

And there's nothing wrong with that. If you want sharia law, go to Saudi Arabia or Iran or where ever, that's not gonna fly here. At least I hope not.

Retreat NOT An Option

Liz Cheney wrote an article I was pleasently surprised to find: Retreat Isn't an Option.

The biggest mistake this country could make right now is pulling out of Iraq. The enemy is drooling with anticipation of our retreat and it will embolden them. Sorry we have to deal with reality here but that's the cold, hard facts.

-- We will have to fight these terrorists to the death somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer, more deadly struggle later.

-- The terrorists are counting on us to lose our will and retreat under pressure. We're in danger of proving them right.

-- A member of Lebanon's parliament recently told me that Lebanese Sunnis, Shiites and Christians are lining up with Iran and Syria to fight against Sunnis, Shiites and Christians who want to stand with America. When I asked him why people were lining up with Iran and Syria, he said, "Because they know Iran and Syria aren't going anyplace. We're not so sure about America."

-- America deserves better. It's time for everyone -- Republicans and Democrats -- to stop trying to find ways for America to quit. Victory is the only option. We must have the fortitude and the courage to do what it takes. In the words of Winston Churchill, we must deserve victory.

I Want To Know

Why do I need a passport to get back into my own country and any Mexican can just walk right in across the southern border?

YouTube Treasure

Look long enough on YouTube and you will find some really fantastic clips you never knew existed. Here's one, this is Mississippi John Hurt singing "Lonesome Valley Blues."

Did I Do That?

Surf's Up

Perverted America

America is in trouble.

Not just in Iraq and in our war against radical Islam. We are in trouble in our national soul. We are often undisciplined in the use of our endless freedoms.

Those who think a new or better government can change this are mistaken; reforming our morals and our behavior is up to individuals, families, parents, and people in positions of authority such as teachers, coaches, mentors, and role models.

We, as a country, need to look in the collective mirror and see the truth: We are becoming what we detest.

I agree with that except the last part of the last sentence, "We are becoming what we detest." A good portion of this country appears to enjoy riding this wave in the name of social progress - oblivious, of course, to the destruction toward which we are headed.

Thinking Again

Random thoughts from Thomas Sowell

Some people seem to think that we live in more "liberated" times, when all that has happened is that one set of taboos has been replaced by another and more intolerantly enforced set of taboos.

Civil rights used to be about treating everyone the same. But today some people are so used to special treatment that equal treatment is considered to be discrimination.

What is especially disturbing about the political left is that they seem to have no sense of the tragedy of the human condition. Instead, they tend to see the problems of the world as due to other people not being as wise or as noble as themselves.

It is hard to think of any word that has confused more issues than the word "rights." Nowadays, almost anything that anybody wants is called a "right" -- a magic word that does away with the need for evidence, logic or even common sense.

This Is Your Spider On Drugs

Please Appease Me

Spanish Prime Minister Takes Political Heat After Airport Attack by Basque Group

"Are we better off now with a permanent cease-fire, or when we had bombs, car bombs and explosions?" he asked. "This time next year, we will be better off than we are today."

The next morning, a bomb ETA had planted in a Renault van exploded in the five-story parking garage of Madrid's new air terminal, killing two people and causing tens of millions of dollars of damage to Spain's glittery showpiece of modernity.

Gettysburg

The "Born to Win" program "Gettysburg" is available for download again.
Go to this page and you will see the download link for Jan 19.

I can't recommend it more highly.

Lily Munster

Yvonne De Carlo has died.

De Carlo died of natural causes Monday at the Motion Picture & Television facility in suburban Woodland Hills

Hope she's buried with a lily on her chest.

A World of Hatred

What is the rest of the world to do when they come up against the absolute embodiment of evil in a man, a nation, or a movement?

This is a must-hear program - 30 minutes and available here for a very limited time before it's replaced.

Click on the link to go to the download page: Negotiating With the Devil

Then, click on the title to listen or right-click and "save link as" to download.

Update Jan. 17 - Gone.

More Dark Matter

Here is the Dark Matter map they made. How do they know the gravitational pull they measured to make this map was from Dark Matter and not from the stars and galaxies that are seen? They are saying the Dark Matter attracts "ordinary" matter through its gravitational pull. Why not the other way around? Or why assume Dark Matter at all, why couldn't they have just been measuring the gravitational pull of the "ordinary" matter? I don't know, I'm just wondering. I would like to learn a lot more about this.

Her are a couple of related links:

Dark Matter Mapped

Hubble makes 3D dark matter map

Anybody Wanna Buy A CD?

The music industry now is like the American auto industry was in the 1970's - way out of touch. DISConnect, It's a long article but I think he pretty much nails it. Very interesting, I thought I was the only one so burned out on music.

I Can't See, I Can't See, I Can't See

Whatsamadda? I got my eyes closed! Thunk!

The universe gives up its deepest secret

I don't think so. Sorry, no. Latest secret? OK, I'll go with that. Deepest, no way, there are plenty more in that hole. Not to mention we don't really even understand what we have here, how it works, what it is, what it's made of. See:

"We have answered the first question about where the dark matter is, but the ultimate goal will be to determine what it is."

This is an interesting development - mapping Dark Matter - I wish I could see what they have, it is not included in the article. In case you have no clue what it is:

Unlike the ordinary matter of the planets, stars and galaxies, which can be seen through telescopes or detected by scientific instruments, nobody has seen dark matter or knows what it is made of, though calculations suggest that it is at least six times bigger than the rest of the visible universe combined.

It's very interesting that it cannot be seen or detected by scientific instruments. Also worth mentioning is the words they chose to describe it.

One of the most important discoveries to emerge from the study is that dark matter appears to form an invisible scaffold or skeleton around which the visible universe has formed.

Although cosmologists have theorised that this would be the case, the findings are dramatic proof that their calculations are correct and that, without dark matter, the known universe that we can see would not be able to exist.

"A filamentary web of dark matter is threaded through the entire universe, and acts as scaffolding within which the ordinary matter - including stars, galaxies and planets - can later be built,"

Scaffolding within which ordinary matter can later be built. Interesting slip of the tongue, I assume, because in no way would they be insinuating that the universe was actually "built" by a higher intelligence, would they? No!

I really have no problem with what they are finding, I find it quite fascinating. I love to find out the little details of how the universe was put together. I believe God built it, they don't, but I'm not afraid of anything they can find out about the universe. In fact, every time they make a new discovery - if it turns out to be true - it reconfirms to me that the universe was designed and built by a Being so far above us in intelligence and ability that we can only begin to grasp very rudimentary aspects of that Being, most of which only because He revealed them to us.

(Job 26:7) He stretches out the north over the empty place, and He hung the earth on nothing.

(Isa 40:22) It is He who sits on the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in;

These were written long before modern science, long before we "discovered" the Earth is not flat. I can't wait to find out more!

Disney's Problem Child

Tigger is in trouble again.

What Rules?

A commentary well done by Walter E. Williams: America's rules no longer in effect

The kind of rules we should have are the kind that we'd make if our worst enemy were in charge. My mother created a mini-version of such a rule. Sometimes she would ask either me or my sister to evenly divide the last piece of cake or pie to share between us. More times than not, an argument ensued about the fairness of the division. Those arguments ended with Mom's rule: Whoever cuts the cake lets the other take the first piece. As if by magic or divine intervention, fairness emerged and arguments ended. No matter who did the cutting, there was an even division.

Don't hold your breath.

Epcot International Airport

I just had a lady ask me how to get to the airport. She saw a sign that said "Epcot International Airport" and wanted to know where the Orlando International Airport was. I showed her how to get there and explained that the sign meant Epcot and International Airport. Disney doesn't have it's own airport ... yet.

Call 911

I broke a thermometer!

I never, ever would have thought to call 911 for that and I can't believe so many responders showed up and treated it so seriously. How many people does it take to clean up a little mercury? It sounds like the infamous light bulb joke.

I know mercury is not something you want to play around with - well, maybe you do, I've done it, but that was a long time ago, you shouldn't - but come on. Do you call 911 if you find asbestos in your house? Mercury just sits where it lands if you leave it alone, call a poison hotline and find out how to clean it up and dispose of it.

If the stuff is so dangerous, why do they still sell the thermometers?

2007 Is Here?

Happy New Year to all!

I spent the day painting my laundry room and the night working. It was the busiest New Year we've had in a long time.

I posted a new video on YouTube. The video is actually Joshua's doing. He took the camera while we were in New Jersey and took the audience on a tour. Now everyone gets to see it - he didn't expect that!

A Bit of a Laugh

Funniest news stories of 2006

The World Is A Better Place Today

Minutely so, perhaps, but better. Saddam Hussein is finally dead. They should have pulled him up dead from the hole they found him hiding in, but what can you do. This is not a cause for celebration, it's just something that desperately needed doing for the sake of justice. The fear that many in Iraq felt of his returning to power is gone. It's time to forget him and move on.

Godfather of Soul

An American icon, James Brown has died. He was 73 years old. He went fast, last I heard, at 10:30pm on Dec 24, he was in just hospitalized for pneumonia.

In the news

I'm Allergic to Crowds

I had to mail a package the other day and was, of course, dreading going to the post office because of the long lines. Usually I stop on my way home from work, around 7:30am, and use the self-service computer - whatever they call it. That day there was a line of about 7 people, I didn't have time to wait.

I decided to go before picking up the kids from school so I woke up early and headed to a satellite office nearby. As I walked in the only other customer was walking out, I didn't have to wait at all. Yeah! I drove over to Advance Auto Parts to dispose of some used oil and they just took the oil from me - in my disposable containers - I didn't have to dump it myself, as is usually the case. Great.

Irma wanted me to drop off a deposit at the bank so I headed over there, again, no line, just drove up and got it done. This was getting bizarre. I then went over to Home Depot to make a payment and there was no line there either. I thought this was the busiest shopping week of the year, what was going on?

I love this kind of day! I wonder if online shopping is cutting the crowds at the stores?

You May Need to Know

How to Care for a Donkey

Let's Talk Peace, Shall We?

Wake-Up Call Looming?

Doesn't matter, some people just will not hear it. Hit the snooze.

International moral relativism

As I have pointed out more than once, Israel has proven it would only use nuclear weapons in a last-resort defense of its population. Yet, Israel's enemies, personified by the suicide bombers who attack it relentlessly, would likely not even hesitate to use nuclear weapons if they ever had the chance.

But in our politically correct, multicultural world today, it is wrong to recognize differences between people - even when they are openly espousing diametrically opposite views and acting in completely different ways.

I don't expect a single moral relativist reading this column to agree with me about this. It's almost a litmus test. If you can't tell the difference between Israel and Iran, you are a moral relativist. If you can't see that Israel, with all its faults, represents a basic sort of decency and civility in the world, while Iran represents the opposite, then congratulations, you're a moral relativist. Or, maybe you're just plain evil - like the leaders of Iran.

Most of the world - or at least its leaders - fall into one of these two categories: moral relativist or evil. That's what makes out world so dangerous. And, increasingly, more Americans are falling into one of these two categories.

These people think they are making the world a safer, more secure place by advocating their foolhardy, tried-and-failed positions and attempting to impose their nebulous and evolving ideas. In fact, they are throwing gasoline on fires all over the globe.

These people also think - or say they think - that talking about our disagreements can almost always lead to resolution. Unfortunately, if you comprehend this simple message today, you need to know that these people may as well live in a parallel universe.

They cannot hear you. They do not have the ability to discern truth from lies. They no longer can discern right from wrong. They can't tell the difference between black and white, up and down, right from left. They cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy.

That is the essence of our times. That is the definition of international moral relativism. That is the world in which we live.

Danger, Danger, Danger

Here's a couple of cool posts about the most dangerous roads in the world. Great pictures, as close as I want to be to these roads. The Chinese road in part 2 is awesome.

Part 1

Part 2

Gettysburg

Every red, white and blue blooded American will want to hear this Born to Win program by Ron Dart: Gettysburg

A new page will open, right click on Gettysburg and save as ... to download.

It's a fascinating look at freedom and the price that must be paid to maintain it and it will only be available to download for a limited time.

12/19 - Sorry, looks like it's gone now.

If You Look Like Santa

... don't go to Walt Disney World. They'll kick you out.

I've seen people who look like Santa before, and that's just the way they look. They can't help it. I guess they could shave but they have every right not to. I have an idea, don't go to Disney.

Quote of the Day

...most people want to believe rather than to know, to take for granted rather than to find out -- James Thurber

I Thought Hot Particles Were Non-Migratory

This is interesting and not surprising.

Detailed observations from the first comet samples returned to Earth are debunking some of science's long-held beliefs on how the icy, celestial bodies form.

And how do they think they formed now?

Hot particles from the inner solar system migrated out to the cold, outer fringes beyond Pluto where they intermingled and congealed to form a comet.

Just before deciding which path they should take through the solar system.

What does that mean anyway? "Hot particles from the inner solar system migrated out to the cold, outer fringes?" Is the solar system made up of different elements in the inner and outer portions? I never knew that. Are they still hot particles when they migrate to the cold, outer fringes - is that the difference? Or do they become cold particles. How and why do they migrate? And what do you mean "migrate?" You mean like geese?

Why can't they just say they don't really know?

Snoozing While Intoxicated

A potentially lethal pastime.

Video Editing

I had been using Windows Movie Maker to edit videos for YouTube but I've run into some snags. It's just not up to the task. You can't burn a DVD is the first problem, but I was able to get around it. My latest video I did a lot of editing and Movie Maker just couldn't handle it at all. I couldn't complete the movie and it started crashing.

Too bad. I kinda liked it because it's easy to use, but it won't get the job done. I downloaded Adobe Premiere Elements and Ulead Video Studio to tryout.

I don't know which one I like best. It takes time to get to know them and I don't have time to play with them all day. I've been leaning towards Adobe.

Anyway, I was able to get the video done. I should say redone. Here it is.

Peter Boyle 1935 - 2006

Holy crap!

3 Million Bees!

3 Million Bees Removed From Kitchen Of Couple's Apartment

They knew about the bees for 2-1/2 years and only now get around to getting them out? Weird.

"So we're trying to, like, get rid of most of them, but without professional help we can't. So now we almost ... They're biting me!'" Molina screamed, running from the home during an interview with reporters.

Sounds Like U.S.

He gives greatness to the nations, and destroys them. He spreads out the nations, and leads them away.

He takes away the heart of the chief of the people of the land, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no path.

They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them to stagger like a drunkard. Job 12:23-25 MKJV

"Islam is the New Giant of the World"

Terrorists rejoicing over new Iraq 'plan'

"[With the Iraq Study Group report], the Americans came to the conclusion that Islam is the new giant of the world and it would be clever to reduce hostilities with this giant. In the Quran the principle of the rotation is clear and according to this principle the end of the Americans and of all non-believers is getting closer," Abu Ayman said.

"It is not just a simple victory. It is a great one. The big superpower of the world is defeated by a small group of mujahedeen (fighters). Did you see the mujahedeens' clothes and weapons in comparison with the huge individual military arsenal and supply that was carrying every American soldier?" exclaimed Abu Abdullah,

Abu Abdullah said following a withdrawal from Iraq, the U.S. will be defeated on its own soil.

Wow, way to go Dems! That took no time at all. Way to sacrifice our nation on the alter of false peace.

...And Darkness, They Call Light.

Living in the New Dark Ages

The word tolerance sounds great, but this is really tolerance with a twist; it demands that everyone has a right to express his or her own views as long as those views do not contain any suggestion of absolutes that would compete with the prevailing standard of relativism.

Usually those who promote tolerance the loudest also proclaim that the motives of religious people are suspect and that, therefore, their views on any matter must be disqualified. Strangely, socialists, Nazis, sadomasochists, pedophiles, spiritualists, or worshipers of Mother earth would not be excluded. Their right to free expression would be vigorously defended by the same cultural elite who are so easily offended when Christians or other religious people express their views.

But this paradoxical intolerance produces an even deeper consequence than silencing an unpopular point of view, for it completely transforms the nature of debate, public discussion, and consensus in society. Without root in some transcendent standard, ethical judgments become merely expressions of feelings or preference. "Murder is wrong" must be translated "I hate murder" or "I prefer that you not murder." Thus, moral claims are reduced to the level of opinion.

Opponents grow further and further apart, differing on a level so fundamental that they are unable even to communicate. When moral judgments are based on feelings alone, compromise becomes impossible. Politics can no longer be based on consensus, for consensus presupposes that competing moral claims can be evaluated according to some common standard. Politics is transformed into civil war, further evidence that the barbarians are winning.

Proponents of a public square sanitized of moral judgments purport that it assures neutrality among contending moral factions and guarantees certain basic civil rights. This sounds enlightened and eminently fair. In reality, however, it assures victory for one side of the debate and assures defeat of those with a moral structure based on a transcendent standard.

Historically, moral restraints deeply ingrained in the public consciousness provided the protective shield for individual rights and liberties. But in today's relativistic environment that shield can be easily penetrated. Whenever some previously unthinkable innovation is both technically possible and desirable to some segment of the population, it can be, and usually will be, adopted. The process is simple. First some practice so offensive it can hardly be discussed is advocated by some expert. Shock gives way to outrage, then to debate, and when what was once a crime becomes a debate, that debate usually ushers the act into common practice. Thus decadence becomes accepted. History has proven it over and over.

Massie On Sharpton

Lights, camera... Sharpton

I find it interesting that these people continue to demand that police be held accountable, but when will they hold themselves and their own accountable? Why is it they don't give a twit about black gang bangers killing one another, they certainly don't care about black gang bangers murdering police, as evidenced by their proud indifference to the murders of Andrews and Nemorin. Why aren't Sharpton and the so-called leaders in those housing projects identifying gangs and working with police to rid their neighborhoods of that element? Wouldn't a real man of God be more interested in reaching the people and neighborhood for Jesus than he would be in hustling the police department and mayor for filthy lucre? But then, I guess I answer my own question.

And along those same lines, this is good, too: No, the Cops Didn't Murder Sean Bell

"Stop the killing!" Since 1993, 11,353 people have been murdered in New York City. The large majority of victims and perpetrators have been black. Not a single one of those black-on-black killings has prompted protest or demonstrations from the city's black advocates. Sharpton, Barron, et al. are happy to let thousands of black victims get mowed down by thugs without so much as a whispered call for "peace" or "justice"; it's only when a police officer, trying to protect the public, makes a good faith mistake in a moment of intense pressure that they rise as vindicators of black life. (As for caring about slain police officers, forget about it. Sixteen cops-including several black policemen-have been killed since 1999, not one of whom elicited a public demonstration of condolence from the race hustlers.)

A Day in the Life

I didn't get a lot of sleep today. I took the kids to school and went to bed, but at 12:30 I heard Joshua talking. I thought I was dreaming, he's in school. I heard it again, it turns out he was at the bedroom window.

"Dad, Open the door" he's saying.

"What? What are you doing here?" I said, trying to figure out if I'm awake.

He told me James was sick. Irma was sick Monday and James was getting a cough, so I half expected it. But why was Joshua here, where was James and why didn't the school call me?

He said I didn't answer the phone. - I keep my cellphone next to the bed, it didn't ring. I'm not even awake yet, "They called me, didn't get an answer and sent you home anyway?" He says, "Yes, open the door."

My head is spinning. How does a school let your kids walk home without your permission and without even knowing if your home? What the hell is that?

I got up and dragged myself to the door, half naked. I opened the door and - Hello - there's one of the teachers standing there. Joshua neglected to tell me that part.

She said they called but they called the wrong number (???) and they let Joshua come home so he could babysit James while I sleep. Thanks for thinking about me. I didn't sleep again. I also looked on caller ID, no one called, they called the wrong number all right, good thing it wasn't an emergency.

How to Eat Sushi

This is crazy. Just eat and enjoy. If someone is offended because you left a grain or two of rice on your plate or put down your chopsticks wrong, they have serious issues. Don't be a pig, but just eat and enjoy your food. Just don't let me catch you using the wrong fork for your salad.

When I lived in Japan I was told to always leave a little food on your plate so they will know you are finished. Otherwise they will think you want more. Go figure.

Playing With Fire

Snake king Ali Khan dies from cobra bite

Horses Are Cool

I just put a new video on YouTube, check it out. It's James and I visiting with the horse across the street from us.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

The DVD is being released soon (Dec 5, I believe), so here is a review of the movie to help you decide if you should get it.

Another Reason Not To Smoke Crack

As if you needed another one: Man on crack when alligator attacked

A man who was attacked by an alligator this morning was naked and smoking crack at the time, Polk County deputies who rescued him said today.

The alligator had the man in his jaws when deputies arrived at Lake Parker in Lakeland about 4 a.m. today. They were called by nearby residents who reported hearing a man yelling for help.

I'm not sure lucky is the right word but it was an 11 foot gator - he's in real bad shape but he could have just disappeared had no one heard him screaming.

Be careful out there kiddies.

Say It Isn't So!

Reports: the Wiggles' Lead Singer May Quit

How can I go on?

New Video

I put a new video up on YouTube. I saw a really strange looking spider Monday and recorded it, then I explored the Moviemaker program and spiced it up - probably more than I should have for what it was but, hey, I was just having some fun.

I Don't See It

 

This Jaguar was inspired by the body of Kate Winslet. I just don't see it. It looks like a handful of other cars of the same type. Looks good though.
 

Ministry of Silly Walks and Dictators

Chavez

He spent nearly ten minutes trying to see which of four groups of demonstrators could cheer louder -- then told them all to be quiet.

"Whoever talks first will turn into a donkey," he thundered, only to break into his unmistakable giggle.

Yes, I'm drawing a comparison. That's what I see. Of course, John Cleese is much funnier. Chavez is dangerous to the people of Venezuela.

Torito

3 Little Pigs

James with his cousins, Eric and David on Thanksgiving day.



The voice-sync is off a bit because of the converting YouTube does, the original is perfect. I've often wondered why so many of their videos are like that.

Oh Happy Day!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Sedge Viper

This is a very cool video of a very beautiful and dangerous snake.




Thank you viperkeeper over on YouTube for some great videos.

Let It Snow!

Snow Reported In Central Florida

We get excited about a few flurries that melt before they reach the ground, you can see them if you look real hard up at a street light. Not where I live. It is getting a little brisk the last few days.

Read This

An Uneasy Thanksgiving by Ron Dart

Very interesting.

Waiting Game

This was my view Thursday morning on my way home. There was an accident in front of Medievel Times and they had all three lanes blocked for 45 minutes. I couldn't even turn around from where I was. What bugged me most was even after the ambulance and firetruck left they couldn't even get one lane open for another half hour. I could see a handful of cops standing around shooting the breeze and that's all.

Not putting any priority to getting a lane open seems to be standard practice around here. I know taking care of the injured is more important but after they've been helped and have left the scene how about getting a lane open. Please.

Did You Know ... ?

Newspaper editorials in Iran claim 50% of Israel was destroyed in the recent 33-day Lebanon war. (At least)

"In the 33-day war, the Lebanese Hizbullah destroyed at least 50% of Israel [and therefore] half the path to the liberation of Jerusalem equals 33 days. Now, only (at most) 50% of the path [to Israel's destruction] remains. This remaining 50% is easier than the 50% that was already accomplished.

Wow, 50% destroyed. The Western media really missed that.

"It must not be forgotten that the great war is ahead of us, [and it will break out] perhaps tomorrow, or in another few days, or in a few months, or even in a few years. The nation of Muslims must prepare for the great war, so as to completely wipe out the Zionist regime, and remove this cancerous growth. Like the Imam [Ayatollah] Khomeini said: 'Israel must collapse."

No war yet though, no worries, go back to what you were doing. Well, as soon as Bush is out of office and the troops are withdrawn from Iraq they won't bother us anymore anyway. We'll let them have Israel. And France. Britain, yeah Britain too. And Spain, can't forget Spain.

So, we give them Israel, France, Britain and Spain and ... wait, they want Germany, too. Ok, we can do this. We can make this problem go away. They can have Europe, Asia and the Middle East and we'll throw in Venezuela. Then we'll have peace, right?

Right?

Proof Of life On Earth?

 A giant head seen from space may be proof of life on Earth, although some scientists say it's just a rock formation. Rumours of an extraterrestrial advertising campaign abound.

Don't think it'll work, everyone knows aliens prefer tacos.


 

Michelle Shows Nancy How To Clean House

How Democrats Clean House

This Brings Back Memories

The guys at Yamato Damacy climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and video blogged it. I only wish they had timed the climb. Before starting at station 5 they were all excited and ready to go. At station 8 they were tired but the sign says 3 more hours. At the top it was cloudy, misty and cold and their mood changes, maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

That's about the way it is. When I climbed I had a clear night and saw the sun rise (you climb all night), it was still exciting at that point. After the climb down, which is a different route and zig zags down through volcanic ash, you swear you will never do it again.

Hey, You Never Know ...

How to save a wet cellphone

Hope you don't need it, but it sure is good to know before it happens.

These Colors Don't Run ... They Just Redeploy

Mark Steyn says U.S. must prove it's a staying power

As it is, we're in a very dark place right now. It has been a long time since America unambiguously won a war, and to choose to lose Iraq would be an act of such parochial self-indulgence that the American moment would not endure, and would not deserve to. Europe is becoming semi-Muslim, Third World basket-case states are going nuclear, and, for all that 40 percent of planetary military spending, America can't muster the will to take on pipsqueak enemies. We think we can just call off the game early, and go back home and watch TV.

It doesn't work like that. Whatever it started out as, Iraq is a test of American seriousness. And, if the Great Satan can't win in Vietnam or Iraq, where can it win? That's how China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Venezuela and a whole lot of others look at it. "These Colors Don't Run" is a fine T-shirt slogan, but in reality these colors have spent 40 years running from the jungles of Southeast Asia, the helicopters in the Persian desert, the streets of Mogadishu. ... To add the sands of Mesopotamia to the list will be an act of weakness from which America will never recover.

Here are some people who know not to give up when the going gets tough.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.
Dale Carnegie

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
William Feather

We Support Your Right To Destroy Us

China sub secretly stalked U.S. fleet

I don't know what to say about this. On the one hand we KNOW China is building arms against the United States, the information is out there, we know their philosophy of war, we know we really can't trust them. On the other hand we are trying to be best buddies with China, building their economy, giving them advanced technology, we even have a military exchange program. I wonder who benefits most from that? And I don't think this is a case of "keep your enemies closer."

We do the same with our Islamist enemies. We know how they make treaties in order to regroup and regain advantage and what do we do? We make treaties and are surprised when they are broken. We make excuses, we finance them. We are, my friends, the ultimate enabler.

I'm not saying we have to be the aggressor but we sure as hell shouldn't be the enabler. We not only make it possible for our enemies to attack us, we protect their rights to do it. Something is drastically wrong with this picture and we're all standing around admiring the artistic value.

It's like we are on the Titanic and we see the iceberg in plenty of time to avoid it, but we just don't want to leave the dance to go steer the ship, we're having too much fun.

The Democrats are going to improve the situation? Cock-a-doodle-doo people, it's morning. Wake up!

It's maddening. The United States needs an intervention.

Will It Blend?

That is the question.



Incredible. See more here.

Forget Global Warming ...

Aliens could attack at anytime!

Which of these will kill you first?

• Aliens!
• Global Warming
• Meteorite or comet
• Super Volcano
• Conservatives
• Super Hurricane
• Tidal Wave
  

This Is A Test

Of your internet connection speed at Speedtest.net. I've seen these tests before but this one is slick. Click on the yellow pyramid to test your computer. They provide a graphic you can cut and past. Here's mine:




This is a great way to see if your ISP is giving you the speed you pay for.

H/T - #!/usr/bin/geek

America Wants a New Direction

25-point manifesto for the new Congress

Remember the old adage: Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.

On The Ground, Now!

I was just sitting here at work surfing the web and watching "Dog, the Bounty Hunter" and heard an episode of "Cops" happening outside. I got up to see what was going on and there were six cars in the entrance of the parking lot, lights flashing and cops with guns drawn yelling "On the ground, now!" I saw three people on the ground, at least one female. I wonder what they did? I didn't ask, just kept my distance. Had nothing to do with the hotel anyway.

Gatorland Burns

 The famous Orlando attraction Gatorland caught fire this morning around 6AM. I could see the smoke and smell it as I drove home. It was confined to the gift shop and only four animals were killed. Says James, "That stinks!" They will rebuild. Newslink
 

Laughing Baby

Interlude

This post is merely to provide a break between the laughing baby and the post below. I just didn't want to put the two together. And for your amusement ... a joke.

Two vampire bats wake up in the middle of the night, thirsty for blood. One says, "Let's fly out of the cave and get some blood."

"We're new here," says the second one. "It's dark out, and we don't know where to look. We'd better wait until the other bats go with us."

The first bat replies, "Who needs them? I can find some blood somewhere." He flies out of the cave.

When he returns, he is covered with blood.

The second bat says excitedly, "Where did you get the blood?"

The first bat takes his buddy to the mouth of the cave. Pointing into the night, he asks, "See that black building over there?"

"Yes," the other bat answers.

"Well," says the first bat, "I didn't."

Death by Hanging

Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death by hanging. He should already be dead, but what ya gonna do? Now how long before it actually happens? That's another story. His death will finally allow Iraq to move on without fear of his coming back. As long as he's alive, anything is possible - and they know that.

The Only Issue This Election Day

I wish everyone was required to read this before voting: The Only Issue This Election Day by Orson Scott Card, a Democrat.

The frustrating thing is that if people would just look, honestly, at the readily available data from the Muslim world, they would realize that we are winning and that the course President Bush is pursuing is, in fact, the wisest one.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of news organizations trying to keep you from the truth.

Meanwhile, we have this election. You have your vote. For the sake of our children's future -- and for the sake of all good people in the world who don't get to vote in the only election that matters to their future, too -- vote for no Congressional candidate who even hints at withdrawing from Iraq or opposing Bush's leadership in the war. And vote for no candidate who will hand control of the House of Representatives to those who are sworn to undo Bush's restrained but steadfast foreign policy in this time of war.

Agree or disagree, it's worth reading the entire article.

Ninjistics

You may die laughing. If so, a ninja did it.

Creative Letter Opener

Last One

Don't want to talk about John Kerry too much, so this commentary, Kerryism, will hopefully be the last time. It's worth reading.

Halp Us Jon Carry

Priceless!

Where's the Film?

'UFO' caught on film

Italian UFO buffs are excited about a mysterious ball of light caught on film in Sicily at the weekend .

Is it a secret film, why the delay? And only one person got it on tape even though it was there for 2 hours?

Sicily's self-styled 'UFO Centre' said it would view the tape in the next few days .

The southern island appeared to be a favourite destination for UFOs, the centre said .

Yes, UFOs simply love Sicily this time of year, can't keep them away.

Keep Talking, Johnny

Some people just don't know when to shut up.

It's just a daily reminder to never, ever vote Democratic. No matter how bad it gets, it can always be worse.

Ignore the prominent, blue, double-underlined words on that page. They are annoying advertisements that have nothing to do with the context.