Hollywood Women vs. Afghan Women
>> Sunday, October 31, 2004
Let's have a discussion about pampered Hollywood women vs. Afghan women who take their lives into their own hands just to vote.
Read more...
50 reasons to vote for President Bush
50 reasons to vote for Bush, a photo essay
UPDATE: More from VariFrank. Be sure to check out this essay from VariFrank too.
I'm a Mom Now
>> Saturday, October 30, 2004
As all of our regular visitors have seen, Brenna Clare has decided to join us. And not a bit too soon, in my opinion. I'm biased, of course, but she is perfect.
I had arrived at the hospital prepared to battle contractions by walking and breathing. I was informed, however, that I had not dilated at all and because my water had broken I would be given Pitocin and confined to bed. Damn. And I bought new slippers, too.
I won't bore you will the details of my labor, it's not that interesting. By 4 pm I had only dilated to 7 and was beginning to run a fever, a very common event if your water has been broken for more than 12 hours. At 5 pm my fever was over 101. The doctor said that I could continue to try to have her vaginally, but that with my fever, the fact that I still hadn't dilated completely and that the baby was becoming distressed during contractions he thought that I would end up having a c-section, regardless. So, I chose the c-section. I'm not a fool. The odds were against me. I was only sad because I wouldn't get to hold my baby right away.
The hospital stay was uneventful. We were able to come home Friday afternoon. No problems there... until bedtime. Everything in Brenna's room was ready for her and the monitor system was set up. We put her in bed and tears sterted to run down my face. OK, I started to bawl. Brenna was unfazed. And I'm sure that Doug thought I was losing my mind. Separation anxiety. Noone told me about that. Why didn't anyone tell me about that?!?! But we made it through the night. I laid awake, listening to the monitor & crying until 3:30 am- time for her feeding. I was able to put her down after that with no problem, and Doug was finally able to sleep.
Speaking of Doug, he's been a diaper changing champ. He did cover his nose with his shirt to change a blow-out today, but, hey, he changed it. He is an incredibly doting father and I think it will tug at his heart to go back to work on Monday. he's in love. Between visitors today we just vegged on the couch completely in awe of the baby. For someone so small who only eats (like a champ), sleeps (like her dad), and poos, she's fascinating.
Political Ads
I've stopped polishing the halo around Baby Brenna's head long enough to sort through the mail that has piled up since we've been gone. There were 20 pieces of political ads for the 3 days we were gone. However, the big day was today at 10 pieces of political mail. Ten political ads in one day! We also had our first Kerry supporter knock on our door. I guess the 3 yard signs, and 3 Bush/Cheney window signs didn't provide enough of a deterrent. Maybe he thought that "That's not my yard, that's the family's yard." Not only is Kerry blind, but so are his supporters...
Read more...Meet Brenna Clare
>> Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Meet Brenna Clare (last name removed)
All the rumors, all the stories, all the clichés are true…all of them. There is nothing like being a parent. A new life and light has entered the world; my daughter.
Today I have known patience - waiting for Mother Nature to take her eons old course.
Today I have known concern - helping Jody through the worse of her contractions.
Today I have known helplessness – watching Jody, asleep on the surgeon’s table while the nurses try to get Brenna to take her first breath.
Today I have known prayer – Dear Lord, may my wife and daughter come through this okay.
Today I have known happiness – looking at my wife holding my daughter.
Today I have known contentment – my wife, my daughter and I are whole. And our lives are just beginning.
Off to the hospital
For friends and family reading the blog, Jody and I are off to the hospital. After one false start already, I don't want to get too excited, but wish us luck!
UPDATE at 10:30am: If people can live-blog the debates, I can live blog a birth. Just kidding...I think. Yes, it is official, Jody is in labor. Her water did break, so it was a good thing we went to the hospital. Pitocin triggered a never-ending contraction, so it was stopped. The good news is that she went from 2cm to 4cm in an hour. We are now on a Pitocin and Epidural cocktail and Jody is doing fine, I'm catching a second-hand buzz. The miracles of modern chemistry. Nurse Heidi is standing guard duty by the monitors...hmmm, I wonder who wrote the software? Yes, only a true geek would code OB software in their head while their wife is in labor.
For my part, it's hard watching Jody be in so much pain (pre-cocktail) and not be able to do anything about it. Sometime...yes...sometime today I will be a father. I teared up just typing that sentence.
UPDATE at 4:30pm: Jody has been sitting at 7cm-9cm (one side is more dilated than the other) for a few hours now, but nothing further. At 5:00pm the on-call doctor wants to talk to us about C-Section. Since it’s been so long since the water broke, it’s time to have Brenna join us out here. Keep us in your prayers.
Before I could finish with the update, the decision has been made for the C-Section. Jody’s temp is too high to continue.
But will he learn anything?
>> Monday, October 25, 2004
Amanda found a new blog that "made her blood boil" and asked me to check it out. I did. We made several comments on this little blogger's site, check them out. The real question is, did he learn anything or will he resort to DNC talking points?
The Kerry Committee
I need you to read a couple of articles. Go ahead, I'll wait.
The Men's News Daily - Have You Forgotten...The Kerry Committee? and The John Kerry Committee-Pro Communist, thru & thru. Wait, you're not done, here's an article from the Miami New Times that tries to spin it Kerry's way.
Here's why Kerry can't point to his record in the Senate. He not only sold all Vietnam vets down the river, but did his best to keep communists in power in Central America too. What has Kerry ever done for America?
Stolen Explosives?
The New York Times came out with a story recently about 380 tons of explosives that may have been stolen out of an Iraqi arms depot. The story fails to tell you several things.
The first being that this story first came out 19 months ago, when it was announced by the Army Corps of Engineers after Saddam was toppled. The second being that US forces went thru the depot once looking for WMD's and removed some of the more deadly stuff. The third being that as of June 2004, 110,000 tons of weapons have been destroyed and another 138,000 tons has been secured.
The Times didn't even mention the bigger story. That being that it is estimated that Saddam had 600,000 tons of weapons. If I remember by math classes right, 600,000 minus 238,000 leaves 362,000 tons of munitions not under US control. Some is being used by the new Iraqi National Guard and Police. Some stolen by civilians for their own protection. Some buried in forgotten places that we may never find. Heck, WWI era munitions are still being found by French farmers; and we know were all the battles took place.
This is yet another lame attempt by the press to discredit our troops and the president and demoralize the nation.
History Repeating Itself
Bloodletting relates a from his sister stationed at the Presidio in San Fransisco. Read the whole thing and tell me what you think.
Read more...
The Liberal Definition of Truth
TRUTH
As defined my Mirriam - Webster: the body of real things, events, and facts : ACTUALITY
As defined by a Liberal: the body of real things, events and facts as I see, remember or describe them (until I am proven wrong by simple fact finding measures.)
Doug had linked to this article in the comments section, but I think it deserves its own post. Security Council Members Deny Meeting With Kerry
With the election a week away, John Kerry needs to be exposed for the prevaricator (that's a fancy word for liar, just for you "educated types") he is.
DSM Register Stumping for Kerry
>> Sunday, October 24, 2004
It's no surprise or secret that the Des Moines Register is stumping for Kerry. Their attempt at fair and balanced is to have columns from a conservative standpoint 2 or 3 times a week.
That being said John Kerry, the real thing is so over the top that they couldn't even sign it. The byline is REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD.
Read the editorial, then click on the link to the right of it to Send a Letter to the Editor. We cannot let this go unchallenged. While reading this, I couldn't help thinking that they are characterizing the wrong person.
UPDATE
Here is my letter to the editor. After you write yours be sure to share it with us in the comments section. It may be the only place you will get to see it in print and unedited. ~ Jody
You begin your opinion article stating that "About half of Americans have lost confidence in President Bush". That statement leads to the fact that slightly more than than half of Americans have NOT lost confidence in the president. You go on in the article to state "National polls show the president's disapproval numbers hoving near 50 percent". That, again, means that the President's approval numbers also hover near 50%.Read more...
Your article shows a "glass half full" mentality that is clearly being used to sway voters. Americans are more astute than the Register or the main stream media give us credit for. The internet has given us the ability to check and cross check facts that are handed out to us.
As you so rightly say, we should judge John Kerry on his years in the Senate and his voting record. It's not an impressive record. In 20 years he has written 5 bills that have become law. Only one helped women in small business. The other 4 a) named a building, b) granted a visa, and c) dedicated 2 "holidays", one to Jackie Robinson and one to "World Population Day". Also, every time he has voted on a tax bill it was to increase taxes.
That's not a record to be proud of, nor to base a Presidential campaign on- which is why John Kerry has not touted his Senate years.
It has been rare for me to find someone who is voting "for Kerry" and not just "against Bush".
Happy Anniversary... to us
Today is our first anniversary. This is a huge milestone for a girl who, up until fall of '02, said she would never get married. Never say never. Boy, have I learned that one... never getting married, never having kids, never moving back to Iowa. Couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?
It's 9:23am and Doug is still sleeping. I'm gonna let him sleep as long as he wants- hopefully this will be the last weekend he has the chance to sleep in. We talked about going to the Amana Colonies (go to shopping and check out the number of wineries. Also great meats & cheeses. Yum!!) today and the weather looks like it may cooperate. The sun is shining- for the first time in a week- and the air is brisk. Perfect.
And maybe the walking will help to stimulate the baby? I am not looking forward to yet another ultrasound & Dr appointment. But Brenna is still tucked up high. She's going to be stubborn like her mama. Damn.
If you want a good laugh check out the next post "Democrat is a bad word". It features a clip of my 3 year old nephew Carter. It takes a few minutes to load- even with DSL- but I promise you a good chuckle.
Democrat is a bad word
>> Saturday, October 23, 2004
Carter is our nephew. He overheard his mother telling me a story: she asked a friend if he was a Democrat because he couldn't choose a side and stick with it. Ever since then, Carter has screamed 'Democrat...AAAHHH!' when he hears someone say Democrat. Democrat has become a bad word.
The video is a Quicktime .MOV (4.5 Mb) because that's what our camera can make. I'm trying to find a converter but I'm not willing to plunk down several hundred dollars for one.
UPDATE: Carter watching himself on the video and laughing. Probably more for the family.... [download is 4.5Mb]
Photos you should see
Military photos from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Be sure to follow links to other military operations.
Read more...
Shaking VP Cheney's Hand
>> Friday, October 22, 2004
What a day! Jody has been having cramps for the past couple of days, so I thought we would be spending the day/night at the hospital. Alas, Brenna still has yet to make an appearance.
That means that I was able to greet VP Cheney and his wife Lynn at the Des Moines Airport this afternoon. Go here for the pictures. He was on his way to the Story County Fairgrounds for another speech in Iowa today.
The Vice President and Mrs. Cheney were both really nice and spoke a few words to each of us. Not much of a story besides meeting the the VP, but quite an experience all the same.
Ta-Ray-Zah: Shut up already!!!
Yet another great post from Boudicca.
I am amazed that the DNC allows this woman to speak in public. Has she ever opened her mouth and not stuck her Italian leather clad feet into it?
My respect to Mrs. Bush for her understated - and tactful- response
No apology necessary: Laura Bush said Thursday that Teresa Heinz Kerry didn’t need to apologize for saying she couldn’t remember whether the first lady had ever had "a real job."Read more...
"She apologized but she didn’t even really need to apologize," Mrs. Bush told reporters at a coffee shop before attending a rally for President Bush. "I know how tough it is and actually I know those trick questions."
Somewhat mindless rambling before dawn
This morning I had hoped to write that we were leaving for the hospital. Instead I have been sitting here, somewhat mindless for over an hour.
Yesterday began with quite a bit of cramping which continued all day with no regularity, rhyme or reason. No problem. I went about my day, running errands, tidying things up, visited my chiropractor, and prepared all the last minute "can't-forget-to-take-this-to-the-hospital" stuff.
I went to bed early, read for a while and was asleep before 9:30. Which is a good thing because at 4am I was rudely awaken by a pain in my right side. I have nothing to compare this to. Let's just say that if someone reached into your right side and grabbed your kidney, squeezed it and pulled left you might have an idea of this pain. So, assuming it was a cramp or strange contraction, I rolled over. Agonizing! I got up, walked around, bent over, sat on the floor and tried basic yoga stretches. Nothin'. So I gave up and here I am.
The regular cramping continues and the pain in my side has somewhat subsided (which is a relief since it's 6 am). I have to assume that the baby will make her appearance before next Tuesday's ultrasound & Dr appointment. I have to assume that because it is the only thing keeping me sane right now.
Brenna not arriving today is both good & bad news for Doug. The good news is that she won't keep him from meeting the Vice President's plane when it arrives in Des Moines this afternoon. The bad news is that Doug was really hoping she would be a Libra. Unless something happens very soon and I sprint through labor it is not to be. She will be a Scorpio like her mama. (Two Scorpio women in one house. Condolences may be sent to Doug via the comments section.)
My sister has predicted that Brenna will be born on the 24th. That will cause double celebration in our house as the 24th is our anniversary. If that is the case can I use Brenna as Doug's anniversary gift? And, if so, how many years can I get away with it?
The Kerryness of Kerry
>> Thursday, October 21, 2004
I initially wanted to give numerous samples and commentary, but decided that it's best just to go read Mark Steyn on Kerry. Heeeeeelarious!
UPDATE: An older article about WMD's in Iraq
I had a weird experience a few days ago. I flew from the Middle East to North America. In Iraq, 95 per cent of the people I met told me they were happy to be liberated and regretted only that various disappeared loved ones weren't around to see it. In the US, the great victory has been digested and folks have moved on to newer distractions, like the travails of the indicted style guru Martha Stewart. In their different ways, these are both rational reactions.
But, en route from east to west, I briefly touched down in the strange area known as "Europe", where possibly due to a freak electrical storm or some other phenomenon the people of Britain appeared to be in the fevered grip of some mass psychosis, perhaps a variant of Sars (Sudden Alternative Reality Syndrome). Peter Worthington, the Canadian columnist and veteran of the Second World War and Korea, likes to say that there's no such thing as an unpopular won war. Tell it to Downing Street. If I understand correctly, the British, having won the war, are now demanding a recount. Across the length and breadth of the realm, the people are as one: now that the war's out of the way we can go back to bitching and whining that Blair hasn't made the case for it.
This is all very odd. In Kirkuk the other day, they found another mass grave, this time with the bodies of 200 children who had been buried alive. Yawn. Doesn't count. Wake me if they find a toxic warhead among the teeny skulls. The naysayers were wrong on so much - millions of refugees, Vietnam quagmire, Stalingrad, etc - you can't blame them for clinging to the one little straw that hasn't shrivelled up and slipped between their fingers: Come on, Tony, where's the WMD?
Or as Iain Duncan Smith put it in the House of Commons: "The truth is nobody believes a word you say now."
Well, I do. Because what Mr Blair said is not only in line with what American officials told me, it's in line with what Continental officials told me - as recently as two weeks ago, when a big-time Euro paused midway through his harangue about the illegality of the war to assure me that "of course" Saddam had been up to WMD monkey business.
That's why, if you notice, the axis of weasels (France, Germany, Russia) and its short-pants league (Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada), while undoubtedly enjoying Mr Blair's discomfort, have nevertheless declined to join in the show-us-the-sarin taunts. They know what their intelligence services say (assuming, for the purposes of argument, Luxembourg has an intelligence service), and it's the same as the British and Americans. The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is presumably privy to more high-level briefings than I am, so his tawdry opportunism is especially contemptible.
What IDS merely implied, Max Hastings spelt out in these pages last week: "The Prime Minister committed British troops and sacrificed British lives on the basis of a deceit." Sir Max, the liberator of Port Stanley, has somehow morphed for this war into Belgrano bore Tam Dalyell: his thesis is that Blair and his American masters lied to the world about Saddam's arsenal in order to justify an invasion that would prove no such arsenal existed and that they were a bunch of liars.
That's the setup for this. Pay attention now.
Insofar as this is a serious argument, let's rebut it in terms the armchair accusers can understand: Liberty. Not the liberty George W Bush has brought to Iraq, which Eurosophisticates are so sniffy about, but the Liberty on Regent Street. I once ordered a sofa from Liberty and, as is the way, I had to wait till they made it. They didn't have the sofa itself, but they had sofa capability. That's what counts: capability, not inventory. It would obviously be easier to wait and pick the evidence of WMD out of the rubble of Birmingham, but for the Americans it's capability that's the determining criterion.Read more...
Can you say bias?
A story on Yahoo News got my attention this morning, titled Kerry Looks to Avoid Gore Recount Errors. Okay, that's fair enough, let's see what's inside.
Sen. John Kerry, bracing for a potential fight over election results, will not hesitate to declare victory Nov. 2 and defend it, advisers say. He also will be prepared to name a national security team before knowing whether he's secured the presidency.Okay, Kerry is assuming it will be close and is coming up with a strategy. That's fair enough too. But wait a second! Kerry "will not hesitate to declare victory"? Even if he loses? Is this what the Democrats mean by "regime change"? (An election is not a regime change as the US would still a republic form of government.) Will he just declare victory no matter what happens in the polls?
The Democratic vice president prematurely conceded the 2000 race to George W. Bush in a telephone call, then had to retract his concession after aides said Florida wasn't lost. He never declared victory, an omission Kerry's advisers — many of whom worked for Gore — now believe created a sense of inevitability in voters' minds about Bush's presidency.What?!? A sense of inevitability in voter's minds? They've already voted! It was a matter of counting the votes. Since there were so many states where the margin of victory for one candidate or the other was in the hundreds or thousands, every vote had to be counted and in some places, recounted. How did the Gore concession affect anyone when the polls had already closed?
Gore didn't plan for the legal showdown, though few could have predicted it before Election Day. And he watched as Bush seized political advantage during the 36-day recount by publicly discussing a transition to the White House.Well, I would say that no one predicted that Gore would go off the deep end and try to circumvent the US Constitution as well as the State of Florida's Constitution. Again, Bush naming Cabinet positions and security advisors didn't affect votes already cast. It was a technical process, not a political one at that point. Every recount in Florida declared Bush the victor there. That's why Gore kept asking for more recounts (except for the absentee ballots of course, we wouldn't want the military voters to sway an election).
"Right now, we have 10,000 lawyers out in the battleground states on Election Day, and that number is growing by the day," said Michael Whouley, a Kerry confidant who is running election operations at the Democratic National Committee.That alone should chill the hearts of Americans everywhere.
While the lawyers litigate, political operatives will try to shape public perception. Their goal would be to persuade voters that Kerry has the best claim to the presidency and that Republicans are trying to steal it.Again, they're talking about after the election, after the polls are closed and the counting begins. Shouldn't Kerry be trying to persuade voters before they vote? What does Kerry hope to accomplish after the polls have closed? Projection anyone? Sounds like Kerry is planning on blaming Bush for something he plans to do himself.
Democrats are already laying the public relations groundwork by pointing to every possible voting irregularity before the Nov. 2 election and accusing Republicans of wrongdoing.Yes, there have been some Republican wrong-doing, however, most of the stories about fraudulent voter registrations are by Democrat related 527s and PACs. Is Kerry announcing that he is trying to steal the election in advance?
Amid the tumult of the 2000 recount, Bush sought to make his presidency appear inevitable time by leaking word of his national security team and bringing news cameras into his transition meetings.I would think that not only did a Bush presidency "appear inevitable" after the election, it actually was inevitable. It was made more inevitable with every recount in Florida. Again, the voters had already cast their vote. The polls were closed. People had made up their minds. No more voting was going on. Media "perception" had nothing to do with the technical fact that Bush won more electoral votes than Gore.
What's the Chinese curse again? "May you live in interesting times." Oh, what an appropriate saying. Read more...
On voting with children
Visit Boudicca's Voice for a great blog about voting with children.
Warning: refrain from drinking anything until you have finished her post.
I think we could organize an evil right wing conspiracy- Take Your Child to Vote Day. **evil laugh**
Hypocrisy at work, um... school
I can't believe that with all the fuss and furor over the separation of church and state and keeping religion out of public schools that this is being viewed as a good thing: Teaching Ramadan in public schools
The link takes you to the KC Star and you will probably have to register, so let me give you an idea of what is going on: During the next few weeks, multicultural trainer Afeefa Syeed will bring third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from a Muslim academy in Herndon, Va., to nearby public schools to share the practices and beliefs of their holiest month, Ramadan.
Syeed and the children will present the call to prayer in Arabic, display prayer rugs and offer tastes of dates. In countless other classrooms across the country, similar efforts will be made to educate students about the time of fasting and spiritual reflection for adherents of the world's second-largest religion.
The Council on Islamic Education, a nonprofit organization based in California, plans to release an updated version of its booklet “Muslim Holidays,” which was first published in 1997, for the more than 4,000 teachers nationwide who have used it.
The booklet, which contains lesson plan ideas and historical and cultural background on Ramadan and other Muslim holidays, also outlines the various state regulations governing instruction about religion in public schools and discusses accommodations that schools can make to enable Muslim students to observe the holiday.
Muslim educators note tremendous progress in education about Ramadan and Islam in general in public schools, particularly since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — perpetrated by extremist Muslims — brought Islam into the national spotlight.
Now, personally, I don't have a problem with this, conditionally speaking. Does this mean that children can celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah in school again?
Read more...
Terrorists for Kerry
>> Wednesday, October 20, 2004
It was recently announced that the Kosovo Liberation Army has given money to the Kerry campaign
This joins in a long list of questionable people and groups hoping for a Kerry win.
- Arafat hopes for a Kerry win.
- Kim Jong Il of North Korea airs Kerry's speeches with favorable commentary.
- Let's not forget Malaysia's former prime minister urging Muslims in the US to back Kerry.
- Also, the CP-USA
- Hamas
- Al-Jazeera
- Castro too?
- Athiests
UPDATE: Cubans campaigning for Kerry. What's it say when communist countries actively support a campaign? Read more...
Lincoln to Bush parallels
Liberating Iraq has a post going thru historical parallels between the Lincoln v. McClellan campaign and the Bush v. Kerry one. It's a long post, but worth your consideration.
Read more...A Pictoral Review
Stolen from Dr. Taylor because his is on a college site and may be taken down....
Without further adieu...
Welcome to the John Kerry interpretive campaign official webpage.
Interpreting his actions to expose the horrible "truths" about his political platform.
John Kerry supports lying about your penis size.
John Kerry supports making out with mannish chicks.
John Kerry supports using evil powers to blast back a crowd.
John Kerry likes to watch.
John Kerry supports giving people shitty gifts.
John Kerry STILL supports lying about the penis.
John Kerry supports giving kids heroin to make them learn at super blurry speed.
John Kerry supports patronizing old people.
John Kerry supports taking the ropes out of wrestling rings.
Seriously, John, nobody believes it for a second.
John Kerry supports ugly people.
John Kerry supports lying about sending that child support.
John Kerry supports breaking and entering.
John Kerry supports creepy stalker types.
John Kerry supports making a joke that only one dude knows is racist.
John Kerry supports impersonating statues.
John Kerry supports putting immigrant kids back in the Atlantic.
John Kerry supports the crane kick as a finishing move.
John Kerry supports smallpox blankets.
John Kerry supports urinating in public to show excitement for a book.
John Kerry supports putting old wives out to pasture.
John Kerry supports desecrating the memory of C.H.I.P.s.
Finally, a little honesty on the penis issue.
I'm pretty sure none of this is true, seeing as I made it up...but it doesn't
matter considering that 90% of the voting public has no idea what either candidate's
platform is based on.
Go to http://www.johnkerry.com source for all photos
So if you don't think it's funny, tell them to get better material.
Thank you Dr. Taylor!
Thoughts on our public schools
I was listening to Glenn Beck this morning. He made a comparison that I hadn't really thought about. Lately John Kerry has been shouting that the choice to "take the healthcare plan" he will institute is yours. You don't have to take it. But, even if you don't take it you will still be paying for it.
Glenn then compared that to the fact that so many people are choosing private schools or home schooling options for their children and the fact that these same people are paying for schools they don't use.
Good comparison. Makes you think.
Your children are in the care of a school for up to 8 hours a day. What are they learning? I've posted on this before. My blogger friend, Meritt, has also voiced her opinions:
So this is on my mind and gosh darnit I'm going to post it.
School is for teaching. Math, reading, social sciences, etc. I have concerns about our government overstepping their boundaries... coming into our families through school, the medical field, etc. (OK, I could really get into this but I need to stay off that soap box). My soap box is the fact that I happen to think social services suck. And to put a social service person into each school upsets me. They cause more harm than good.
where am I going with this?
My son, who is 12 and in 6th grade came home with a paper about 'feeling anxiety'. I read the questions. "I feel anxiety when I have to make a big decision" choose 'low' 'medium' 'high' (how much you agree with the statement). On to others similar.
Then... "Asking someone out on a date" "Telling someone I like them" "Being offered drugs" "Being offered hard liquor"
My son doesn't even like girls yet! He likes girls who play football. He likes girls who can belch the alphabet. He does not ask girls for dates. He hasn't told a girl he 'likes her'. He doesn't even know what hard liquor is!!!! He told me: "Yeah, I was a little confused on that one. I figured they meant it was frozen."
UGH.
Teach my kids math.
Teach them to read.
Teach them Language Arts and Music... but stay the hell out of our private life.
And then there are the multiple incidents of schools showing Farenheit 9/11 to students without parental consent. That's a rated R "documentary", people. No matter which way you lean politically does a teacher have the right to show anything rated R to your child?
So, what began this rant? The NEA (National Education Association) has given nearly $2 million worth of teacher's dues to fund attack ads on President Bush's signature education law, No Child Left Behind.
The people we are trusting with our children are attacking a program that makes schools responsible for what they teach and what our children learn. If a school doesn't "measure up" under NCLB steps are taken to make changes that are necessary for the school to better teach our children. What's wrong with that?
Another point: "They're (the NEA)a union and their agenda is supposed to be to help teachers, and it's supposed to be to help education. But it's estimated that about 75 percent of the money the NEA collects is used for politics." Full Article
Read more...
Why I'm voting for President Bush
>> Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Hugh Hewitt has asked people to write in their blogs the reasons they will vote for President Bush on November 2nd.
My favorite comes from a former Navy Seal.
President Bush's actions and words following 9/11 exemplify a grace under pressure, outstanding leadership, and steely resolve that will not soon be replicated. His response to the assault on our Homeland was the perfect combination of effective force, assertive diplomacy, and crisis management. The Afghan campaign will go down in military history as a textbook implementation of Unconventional Warfare techniques to achieve with a small number of SOF operators what the entire Soviet Army could not. This was set in motion within a month of the precipitating event, which is all the more amazing. Not all Presidents would take the risk of confronting our enemies in Afghanistan in such a manner.
Read the whole thing, it's well written and passes along quite a few tidbits.
Why will I be voting for President Bush? Partially it's because he's lowered my (and all taxpayers') tax bill. He's started Healthcare Savings Accounts which help people provide their own coverage rather than rely on coverage from their employer. Partially it's because he's a genuine person who does what's right, not what would make him popular.
However, the over-riding reason I will vote for the President is because he is actively going after terrorists and their supporters around the globe. I want my family to be safe and attacking those who would do harm on America is the best way to keep us safe.
I'm voting for President Bush because I want my daughter to live free.
UPDATE: Welcome visitors from Hugh Hewitt! We set a record for new visitors. Be sure to look at a few of our favorite posts:
- Jody explaining I married a Geek
- Doug Rebutting Liberal Myths
- And a wee bit About the Economy
Baby News
Brenna's room is complete and ready for her to move in. She, however, seems to be content right where she is, thank you very much.
We had an OB appointment this morning. 75-80% effaced and 1cm dilated. Ok, I suppose that's progress. I wasn't prepared for the doctor to say that he wants another ultrasound. He wants to know how big the baby is because:
A) my uterus may be narrow which would explain why I am carrying so far forward
OR
B) Brenna is already over 8lbs. If she is large and I haven't delivered by next Tuesday there is a possibility of induction. Tuesday being the day of the ultrasound.
Sooo, if anyone knows any pagan birthing chants could you please share them?
Other than all that I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Getting out of a chair or bed has become more difficult in the past days. Which I find kind of odd because I haven't gained any weight in the past 2 weeks. I actually lost a couple pounds.
In political news, the VP is scheduled to be in town on Friday and Doug has been invited to meet him at the airport. Pretty cool, huh? Of course, if Murphy's Law does exist, Brenna will decide that daddy will miss that opportunity.
On with the countdown.....
More supporters of President Bush
As usual, Blackfive has the goods.
On a side note: John Edwards looking very Vice-Presidential....vice president of what, I don't know.
How Kerry licked himself during the debate
Kerry declines endorsement
>> Monday, October 18, 2004
I thought this article was quite telling of John Kerry's international supporters.
Malaysia's former prime minister has urged Muslims in America to vote for US Senator John Kerry in the Nov 2 presidential election.
And the Kerry camp's response:
However, Mr Kerry's aides insisted the Democratic candidate 'rejects any association' with the Malaysian ex-premier, whom they called 'an avowed anti-Semite whose views are totally deplorable'.
Dr Mahathir retired last year mired in a controversy after telling a summit of Muslim leaders that 'Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them'.
Yep, that's the kind of guy you want supporting you. Read more...
NY Times endorses Kerry
I know, no big surprise there as they've been stumping for Kerry for over a year now. Read for a blow by blow take down of the Time's editorial. You would think that a newspaper as big as the Times would be better informed than that.
Donated Body Armor
Iowa police donate body armor for troops
It's a nice gesture but it would be like me donating my outdated computer equipment to MIT or NASA. Worth a quiet snicker in the back room. Not only is the body armor outdated, but they're made for civilian law enforcement, not military use. Military weapons pack a lot more punch than what cops usually see. When I was in a line infantry unit, we hated body armor because it was heavy, got in the way and didn't stop a military round. Mobility was our defense.
Who knows, maybe they can use them or donate to the Iraqi forces.
Ann Coulter in Ames
Ann Coulter will be in Ames, IA, on October 29th, at 8pm.
Her trip is being paid for by student funds which makes me feel better about student funds paying for Michael Moore to speak. But not too much better. At least students get a chance to hear both (extreme) ends of the political spectrum.
The UN is paying for genocide
Yet another reason to be disgusted with the UN
A United Nations employee charged by a war crimes investigator with killing some of his colleagues during the Rwanda genocide in 1994 has been awarded 13 months' back pay by a United Nations panel on the ground that he was unfairly dismissed.
The award, by the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, was made on Sept. 30 after another United Nations board recommended that the employee, Callixte Mbarushimana, be paid for six months. Dissatisfied with the first judgment, Mr. Mbarushimana appealed to the tribunal for higher compensation, and won.
The decision has incensed other United Nations officials who worked in Rwanda during and after the genocide and has embarrassed senior officials at headquarters.
Mr. Mbarushimana, who now lives in France, was accused in an indictment of directing or taking part in the killing of 32 people, including United Nations colleagues, during the orgy of killing in Rwanda 10 years ago.
Oh, he lives in France? That explains it then. Talk about cajones, he went back to the UN for more money...and they paid up! Read more...
Drugs from Canada
>> Sunday, October 17, 2004
Canada tells John Kerry to "shove it"
I never understood the idea of importing drugs from Canada. Many of the drugs originated from the United States to begin with, so how can it be cheaper to ship them to Canada, then back? The answer is that it's not. Much of the reason the prices for drugs here in the States are so high is because of laws and regulations. Some protect a monopoly for X number of years in which generic cannot be made. Some add to production and R&D costs by requiring drug companies to jump thru more hoops than a 3-ring circus.
If you are going to bypass our own laws altogether, why not get rid of the regulations that are driving costs up? Wouldn't it be smarter to fix the problem instead of relying on the Canadian law?
No baby yet
>> Saturday, October 16, 2004
But we did the her room painted today! We'll put up the trim tomorrow & it will be done! Yippee!!! The crib can be set up and all her furniture & clothing can be moved in from across the hall.
Tonight Doug & I attended a Republican fundraiser dinner. The guest of honor was the Governor of Massachusetts. Did you know their Gov is Republican? Me neither! Crazy but true. The speeches weren't as dull as I anticipated and the chicken wasn't too rubbery. And they served cheesecake for dessert. Nothing can ever be bad when it is followed by cheesecake.
I had hopes that it would be oh so dull that Brenna would decide that the only escape would be labor, but it wasn't to be. There is something going on but I don't know if it is contractions or not. Since noone can tell me what they feel like, "trust me, you'll just know", and I am able to function, I am assuming that it is nothing to get too excited about. **sigh**
What is going on in our schools?
>> Friday, October 15, 2004
I received the November Reader's Digest in the mail today. If I admit that am I old? I have to hide it from Doug until I finish or he steals it. But I digress from my point.
One of the articles is titled "A" is for Average. It details how some schools are declining to name honor roll students, spelling bee winners and even high scorers in sporting events because some people "were very concerned that (children) would feel ashamed or discouraged or left out because they weren't honored."
What?!?!
But it gets better. Some elementary schools have begun using commentary about students based on their achievements "in relation to their own effort and ability." Ummm, so if Susie can't read at the 4th grade level but is doing what she can in the teacher's estimation of her effort and ability she'll move on to the 5th grade?
If we are blocking any type of competition in our public schools how will our children be prepared for the "real world"? Competition is vital in our world. It gets you in to college, it gets you the job you want- and helps you keep it. Almost every aspect of your life is a competition, even if it is just trying to outdo yourself.
No wonder we are becoming a nation of whining, spoiled people. No wonder half our country believes we need to be liked by the global community. What are we going to do to stop this ludicrous behavior before it is too late?
Iraq News
Don't just get your news from ABC/NBC/CBS/NPR, go here for a roundup of news stories from Iraq
Read more...Meeting Mary Cheney
Hindrocket at Powerlineblog recounts meeting Mary Cheney in 2000
I've never met Mary Cheney. But four years ago, when Dick Cheney was in the Twin Cities, I got word that he would make an unscheduled stop at an outdoors-type store, REI or something, in the suburbs, for a photo-op. Since the stop wasn't being publicized, there would be only normal shoppers in the store. I went to have a look at the Vice-Presidential candidate. He strolled through the store, bought some fly-fishing equipment, shook hands with some customers and answered a few questions before leaving.
Truthfully, Cheney didn't make much of an impression on me. He was as diffident as you would expect, and, as with most famous people, my main thought upon seeing him in the flesh was that he looked just like he does on television.
The person who did make a deep impression on me was Mary Cheney. She appeared to be in charge of her father's security detail. She was wearing a leather jacket and a microphone, through which she communicated steadily with other security personnel. She seemed very intense and looked tough, but not at all unattractive. In all my life, I have never seen such a striking image of protectiveness. She hovered over her father, cleared a path for him, scanned the small crowd anxiously. It was obvious that she adored her father; incongruously, perhaps, she reminded me of an eagle protecting its young.
Mary Cheney does not, I think, do campaign speeches and interviews. Perhaps she is not comfortable in that role. But we all serve where we can. That day four years ago, it was very clear that if anyone sought to harm Dick Cheney, he would have to do it over his daughter's dead body.
Read more...
This is how the 82nd pay tribute to their fallen
Hugh Hewitt posts a letter from the 82nd Airborne.
There's just something special, maybe even fulfilling, about a paratrooper's inaugural jump in the 82nd Airborne Division. Whether it's the initial shock of the parachute opening, the breeze blowing beneath the canopy or the picture-perfect landing they compare to a sack of potatoes, every 82nd paratrooper may remember that particular day with the fondness of memories.
For 54 paratroopers from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, the airborne operation they conducted on July 6, at Sicily Drop Zone may be another jump they won't soon forget.
The jump was dedicated to Sgt. Cory Mracek. He completed five jumps during the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, GA., but never got his first jump with the 82nd. He was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb before he had the chance. Keeping a promise the battery made to Mracek’s family, his name was put on the jump manifest, officially giving Mracek his first jump.
Mracek, 26, was assigned to the battery on December 11, 2003. Right away, the battery befriended him. He was quickly welcomed to the Alpha Battery family.
"New guys and outsiders are not always welcomed at first, but he fit in right away," said. Spc. Jesse Runge, a forward observer with the battery. "He knew his job well, and we respected the kind of person he was."
The paratroopers of the battery remember Mracek for his smile and sense of humor. He was a sports fanatic and rooted for the Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche. Capt. Mathew Madison, battalion chaplain, joked about a hockey game Mracek attended between the Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C.
"He was the only person in the stands cheering for the Avalanche," Madison said with a laugh. "He was pretty dedicated to his team."
Mracek carried the same type of dedication, but as a Soldier, to Iraq. By Jan. 15, he and 34 paratroopers from the battery were conducting operations south of Baghdad with the 82nd's 1st Brigade Combat Team.
On Jan. 27, Mracek and his team were patrolling an area near Iskandariyah, Iraq. They noticed a suspicious object on the side of the road. He and two infantry soldiers approached the object. All three were killed by the detonation.
"It was a big shock for us (at Fort Bragg) because they had only been on the ground in Iraq for about ten days," said Capt. Norberto Menendez, battery commander.
"It was a very deep loss for me and the other guys in the platoon," said Staff Sgt. Abel Almanza, Mracek's team chief during the deployment. "He was a great leader and friend. He loved being a Soldier."
Immediately after the battery was notified of Mracek’s death, Menendez and Madison began making arrangements for the funeral. Several paratroopers from the battery flew to Nebraska to help bury their fellow paratrooper.
"The most special thing about the funeral was that we got to bury him," Menedez said.
During the memorial service, Menendez gave Mracek’s eulogy. The eulogy told of Mracek's professionalism as a Soldier and how important it was to him to get his sixth jump.
"We will not fail him," Menendez read. "(The battery) will make a jump in honor of Cory. He will get his sixth jump."
The battery kept their promise. Mracek was the 55th paratrooper on the July 6th jump roster. 1st Lt. Michael Tumlin, the battery's executive officer, jumped with Mracek's boots and beret in a back pack. Menendez filled out Mracek's jump log, officially giving him his sixth jump, his first jump as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.
There are several words that describe soldiers; duty, pride, dedication, discipline, loyalty, courage, and camaraderie. Not all civilians will understand what the symbolic jump means to Mracek or his family, but you should know that it does mean a lot. It is this sense of community and remembrance that makes the US military the best in the world. Oh ok, the Brits and Aussies are good too and for the same reason.
While in combat, politics mean nothing, reason mean nothing; it's just you, your friends and those trying to kill you. You fight because you don't want to let your friends down. You don't want to be the one not doing their fair share. You fight for your band of brothers. It's a sentiment Shakespeare nails in Henry V.
Furthermore, having been at such cerimonial events myself, I bet that soldiers on the ground saluted Mracek and that his baret and boots were given honor guard treatment the entire time. This fills the heart and soul of all soldiers and vets as it should with every patriotic American. Mracek, you did not die in vain. I, and people like me, will make sure of it. Read more...
What a crock!
The Guardian is giving away Ohio voter's email addresses and asking readers to send them mail letting them know how they feel about the election. Is this a part of the global test?
I signed up for one and I will send them a letter explaining exactly what is happening. Someone in their county sold their names to the wrong people.
Kerry on Faith & Other Bits
>> Thursday, October 14, 2004
We didn't get to see the dabate last night as we had a bit of a pregnancy scare. So I spent part of my morning perusing the transcripts.
Funniest quote by Kerry: On healthcare:
In fact, it's starting to fall apart not because of lawsuits – though they are a problem, and John Edwards and I are committed to fixing them
Now I find it funny that a trial lawyer who made his millions with medical malpractice lawsuits- and is highly financially supported by trial lawyers- would work to make any changes to "fix lawsuits".
Kerr'y low blow: On homosexuality:
I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as.
Now, was it really necessary to say that? couldn't he have very easily said, "I think that if you were to talk to any gay person they would tell you that they are just being who they were born as." To use Cheney's daughter was unnecessary & mean spirited.
** UPDATE ** Lynne Cheney on Kerr'y remark
He is opposed to gay marriage:
I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.
Umm, any of you listening out there? No gay marriage support here.
His belief is that abortion is wrong but he won't press his faith on others. Now this is funny because his beliefs and morals seem to be behind everything else he does, from gun control, to healthcare, to national defense. And he later states,
" My faith affects everything that I do, in truth."Hmm, so what is it then? Does your faith truly affect everything you do or does it merely affect those choices from which you can gain?
Another curious quote about faith,
"And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people."
So how are you being guided by your faith yet not transferring it in any way to the people? If your faith is helping you to provide solutions and safety to the country isn't it directly affecting the people?
Yet another curious statement:
President Kennedy in his inaugural address told all of us that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own. And that's what we have to – I think that's the test of public service.
Umm, yeah. I think that negated almost everything he said about not letting faith affect the people.
Kerry spoke quite a bit about his faith and religion in this debate. It is odd to me that someone who is so steeped in his religion can say that it will not affect the way he governs. Read more...
Notable Quotes
Government truths sent to me via email.
- Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
--Mark Twain
- We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
--Winston Churchill
- A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
--George Bernard Shaw
- A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.
-- G. Gordon Liddy
- Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
--James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
- Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
--Douglas Casey, Classmate of W.J. Clinton at Georgetown U.(1992)
- Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
--P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
- Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
--Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
- Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-- Ronald Reagan (1986)
- I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
--Will Rogers
- If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free.
--P.J. O'Rourke
- If you want government to intervene domestically, you're a liberal. If you want government to intervene overseas, you're a conservative. If you want government to intervene everywhere, you're a moderate. If you don't want government to intervene anywhere, you're an extremist.
--Joseph Sobran, Editor of the National Review at one time (1995)
- In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
--Voltaire (1764)
- Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.
--Pericles (430 B.C.)
- No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.
--Mark Twain (1866)
- Talk is cheap-except when Congress does it.
--(Unknown)
- The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.
--Ronald Reagan
- The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
--Winston Churchill
- The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
--Mark Twain
- The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
--Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
- There is no distinctly native American criminal class save Congress.
Myth of 'Squandered Sympathy'
John Rosenthal in the Wall Street Journal
In short, upon closer inspection, it turns out that "the world" of which the Democrats speak consists, not surprisingly, of just Germany and France and their inner-European satellites such as fractious Belgium and mighty Luxembourg. This makes all the more odd Ted Kennedy's exhortation to the effect that "we should have strengthened, not scorned, the alliances that won two world wars and the Cold War." Has Senator Kennedy forgotten that America fought the two world wars against Germany?
Another ad prepared by Win Back Respect contains a similar howler. Titled "History," it features two World War II veterans, one of whom, Robert O'Kane, notes, "There's a very divided world about why we're in Iraq--not like World War II." When the U.S. entered the Second World War, it did so in coalition with 25 other states, jointly comprising the so-called United Nations (from which the later international organization would take its name). The majority of these, however, consisted either of countries already under German occupation, whose governments-in-exile adhered to the coalition, or small Latin American or Caribbean states, which declared war on Germany and Japan, but never sent troops to any theatre of operations.
By D-Day, the number of formal adherents to the coalition had risen to the mid-30s, but the bulk of the fighting continued to be borne by the U.S., Britain and the Soviet Union. The number of countries currently contributing personnel to coalition forces in Iraq is 31. Even leaving aside the historical details, a world war supposed to unite, rather than divide, the world is an obvious contradiction in terms. The ad ends with the second veteran, Charlie Vaughn, concluding, "I don't think our President has any sense of history." The shoe is evidently on the other foot. It is President Bush's opponent's who do not have any sense of history--or logic, for that matter.
France has been playing both sides during and since WWII. Why should we consider their feelings when it comes down to defending America? Let's pull our troops out of Germany, since it's such an issue to them. What, we can't do that? That would be bad for the German economy? Think of all the Germans that would lose their jobs? My response is "And your point is?" Read more...
Was Saddam a WMD?
>> Wednesday, October 13, 2004
OK, so we are hearing that Iraq had no WMDs. Our intellegence- and everyone else's- was wrong. Hindsight being what it is, let's just leave that alone.
This new article tells of finding more mass graves.
Shocked investigators reported finding "thighbones the size of matchsticks" at what they believe is the site of one of Saddam Hussein's atrocities. Among the findings-were the skeletons of unborn babies and toddlers clutching toys.
A baby had been shot in the back of its head and was found still being clutched by its mother, who had been shot in the face. The discovery was reported as Tony Blair came under mounting pressure to apologise to Parliament for the misleading intelligence claiming Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
It will strengthen the Prime Minister's case that despite the intelligencefailures the war to topple the Iraqi dictator was justified by his record as a mass killer of his own people.
Some 300,000 people are thought to have been killed during Saddam's regime. Iraq's human rights ministry has reportedly identified 40 possible mass graves across the country.
In my opinion that makes Saddam & his regime a WMD unto itself.
DOUG CHIMES IN:
How can you claim Saddam didn't have WMD's when:
- Saddam has used WMD's in the past
- Almost every intelligence agency thought Saddam had more WMDs than we have already found.
Brits
CIA
Russia and the UN agreeing that Saddam was in material breach and the cease fire signed in 1991 is no longer in effect
Russia helping Saddam build long range missiles
The reason France didn't care - The stash of Sarin found
- The 36 WMD artillery shells found. here, here, here, and pre-war
- The chemical/biological weapons factories found
- The raw material and documentation for said factories found in scientists homes pix
- The sarin bomb on it's way to Amman, Jordan
From Syria? - The fact that Saddam used WMD's on the Iranians and his own people
- The 1.77 metric tons of uranium removed from Iraq
- The missile body parts with radioactive traces found in Amsterdam
- The fact that Saddam tried to purchase more uranium from Niger as verified by Joe Wilson.
- The fact that the weapons that Saddam was known to have had have not been proven to be destroyed
- The fact that Saddam continuously suffled things around prior to a UN inspection. And that he kicked out the inspectors.
Helpful links: The Kay Report, Duelfer in March 2004, Read more...
False Alarm
I tagged along to Jody's OB appointment this morning. Everything is fine, though only trace dialation and small amount of thining.
While we were waiting for our soup and sandwiches at Panera, Jody went to the bathroom. When she came back, she called our OB because she was bleeding. Two and a half hours and a hospital trip later, we can report that everything is fine. I was worried, but the Jody and the Doc said that it may have been from the exam and nothing to be worried about.
Brenna is doing fine, though still holed up in Jody. She's not even born and already disobeying me by not coming out.... :-)
Kerry's Navy Record
From the OpinionJournal: Is this the real reason Kerry won't release all of his Navy records?
An official Navy document on Senator Kerry's campaign Web site listed as Mr. Kerry's "Honorable Discharge from the Reserves" opens a door on a well-kept secret about his military service....snip..
The document is a form cover letter in the name of the Carter administration's secretary of the Navy, W. Graham Claytor. It describes Mr. Kerry's discharge as being subsequent to the review of "a board of officers." This in itself is unusual. There is nothing about an ordinary honorable discharge action in the Navy that requires a review by a board of officers.
According to the secretary of the Navy's document, the "authority of reference" this board was using in considering Mr. Kerry's record was "Title 10, U.S. Code Section 1162 and 1163." This section refers to the grounds for involuntary separation from the service. What was being reviewed, then, was Mr. Kerry's involuntary separation from the service. And it couldn't have been an honorable discharge, or there would have been no point in any review at all. The review was likely held to improve Mr. Kerry's status of discharge from a less than honorable discharge to an honorable discharge.
A Kerry campaign spokesman, David Wade, was asked whether Mr. Kerry had ever been a victim of an attempt to deny him an honorable discharge. There has been no response to that inquiry.
There are a number of categories of discharges besides honorable. There are general discharges, medical discharges,bad conduct discharges,as well as other than honorable and dishonorable discharges.There is one odd coincidence that gives some weight to the possibility that Mr. Kerry was dishonorably discharged. Mr. Kerry has claimed that he lost his medal certificates and that is why he asked that they be reissued. But when a dishonorable discharge is issued, all pay benefits, and allowances, and all medals and honors are revoked as well. And five months after Mr. Kerry joined the U.S.Senate in 1985,on one single day, June 4, all of Mr. Kerry’s medals were reissued.
If true, this certainly explains a lot about the discrepancies in Kerry's service record. Read more...
Civil War?
On my way in to work, Glenn Beck was saying how the President had a more than wild youth, but in the 80's he found his faith and became a changed man. A man of character and conviction and that is the reason he is despised by those on the extreme left.
Prayer and belief in God are under attack by the media and opinion writers. We cannot allow this to happen, just as we cannot allow one party to intimidate and physically attack campaign headquarters and supporters of the other.
Many conservative commentators predict a social civil war in the US after the election. I didn't agree with their opinion then. However, with each new attack on religion and faith, not only faith in a higher being, but in our country; with each new physical attack on Bush campaign supporters, I think that the war for the social character of our nation is closer to reality. Here's an interesting tidbit; most of the anti-war/anti-Bush rallies around the world have been coordinated and funded by communist groups like International ANSWER.
Why is it that liberals, who have no problem projecting the "fascist" label on conservatives, are the ones actually behaving like fascists? Why do they want to ban conservative books and opinion from the media and on campus? Why are they physically attacking Bush supporters? Why do they force their idea of the world on others and then expect them to pay for it too? Why is it that their only retort to things they don't like is "Bush is a fascist"? Why do they expect us to forget what happened 3 years ago and sometimes even a couple of months ago? Why do they not trust America to do what's right or even recognize the good we have already done in the world? Why do they continually get caught making stuff up (that means lie; for examples, see Richard Clarke, Joe Wilson, Dan Rather, Maureen Dowd, Michael Moore, Tom Harkin, Ted Kennedy, and Al Gore), then claim that the media is giving Bush a "pass"?
Happy Birthday Anita
Those of you who read here often know that we have linked to Anita at Fighting Inertia quite a few times. As today is her birthday my gift to her is to send as many of you to visit as I can. She's a great wit, I hope you enjoy her!
If you love (or hate) working out try Pilates Envy or Masochism.
Have kids? You will probably relate to Curse those Jib Jab People.
Or just stop by & wish her a Happy Birthday!
Orson Scott Card
>> Tuesday, October 12, 2004
This is Orson right after the first debate between Bush and Kerry.
Read the whole thing. Here's a teaser...
John Kerry is and always has been the enemy of the U.S. military. He got out of his duty as quickly as possible; he slandered his fellow soldiers when he returned from Vietnam; he voted against every weapons system that is now making our military irresistible on the field of battle; and he believes our enemies more than he believes our own sources of information.Read more...
That's what the debate showed -- as if we needed to be shown it again.
So what if President Bush got angry? Wouldn't you, to hear a man like Kerry stand up and pontificate and judge, when Kerry knows less than nothing and is, in fact, deeply stupid about foreign relations and military affairs?
On the phone
Last night and tonight I've gone to the GOP headquarters to make phone calls for President Bush. It's cool to say that I'm calling on behalf of President Bush. The list consists of non-party affiliated registered voters in central Iowa. If you registered to vote and didn’t pick a party affiliation, you’re on the list. The point of the call is to make personal contact and make sure Bush supporters vote in the election.
During the call, we ask if President Bush can count on their vote. If yes, then we ask if they need an absentee ballot, then we ask if they want to volunteer to help President Bush get re-elected. Through all this, I can say that a majority of central Iowans are nice, courteous people, at least on the phone.
Here are the results from 2 nights of calling.
Calls made: about 200
Bush supporters: 55
Non-Bush supporters (including hang-ups): 19
Volunteers recruited: 5
This informal, non-scientific but very personal study indicates that Bush should get 75% of the independent voters in central Iowa. Most of the non-Bush supporters were polite too. There were a few disgruntled people (as opposed to gruntled I suppose), but most said “No” and waited for a response.
So, can President Bush count on your vote November 2nd? Would you like to volunteer to help the President get re-elected? It’s easier than you think and you get to meet people from around the area. It’s even more fun for those that like talking about politics which seems to be a favorite topic.
Easy to read Economic stats
>> Monday, October 11, 2004
Really, trust me it's all laid out in layman's terms from The Heritage Foundation.
Summary:
- The US has lost payroll jobs (people employed by companies) but has gained jobs overal if you count the self-employed, consultants, contractors and people who work on commission (using a household job survey).
- Applications for unemployment are well below the 25 year average.
- Manufacturing was hit hardest with job losses, however this is a world-wide phenomenon. The cause is higher productivity and computerization.
- Insourcing: Today, more than 5.4 million jobs in America are the result of insourcing—that is, they have been outsourced from abroad into the United States.
- The poverty rate is slightly lower today than it was in 1998
- About 38% of those in poverty in one year have moved up to middle-class earnings within three years. A slightly lower rate move from upper-class earnings to middle-class earnings within three years.
Letter from an Iowa soldier
This letter was sent out by Ray Reynolds, a medic in the Iowa Army National Guard, serving in Iraq:
As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a
very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home.
And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper is producing.)
* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US oldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years.
Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about, but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, e-mail this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.
Read more...
On Pregnancy and other topics
Up until now I have maintained that pregnancy has been a breeze. And, really, it has. I didn't any have morning sickness to speak of. No crazy midnight cravings. Not really any mood swings. Honest.
There was the bout of PUPPPS. Now that sucked. Luckily it came on around week 26 and was only extremely itchy and annoying for 2 1/2 weeks. I slept with ice packs to numb the worst areas, woke up every night at 2am & soaked in an oatmeal bath while my ice packs refroze. Now I have some dry skin patches and still feel a bit of itchy tingling but nothing awful.
It is only in the past week that I have really become ready to be DONE with this whole pregnancy thing. It all started when I lost my ankels. Yep, I had them one day & they were gone the next. And with them went my ability to wear shoes. I have one pair of very stretchy shoes and my slippers. They don't even feel tight and my feet swell up around them like a Dubuque Plumper.
And speaking of water retention: fingers. I knew I probably wouldn't be wearing my rings at the end of the pregnancy. I wasn't prepared for my fingers to become so fluid filled at night that they would actually become stiff & agonizingly sore- enough to wake me up.
And the exhaustion. I feel like I can't carry a basket of clothes up the stairs without needing a rest. A 30 lb weight gain makes such an impact.
2 weeks out. Right now it feels like forever.
On another aspect of baby stuff, all large items have been relocated to Doug's new office. We painted the trim that couldn't be removed & the doors white. Sometime this week we will get the walls painted. (I highly suggest the Wagner Power Roller. Makes painting a breeze.) That will leave only trim & crown molding to be placed. Yippee!! The room may actually be complete before Brenna arrives!
I've been having some contractions the past few days that have a bit of bite to them. Just enough to make me catch my breath. No rhyme or reason to them yet... but I put my mom on notice as she's agreed to puppy sit while we're at the hospital. Maybe she'll even freeze a lasagna...
The Breast Touch
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Now, before you guys all groan and skip this post I want to lead you astray and over to Boudicca's Voice for her awareness post. Just GO!! You might learn something.
Read more...Presidential Debate II
>> Friday, October 08, 2004
I know a lot of you may have already caught the debate of some of the replays, so I'll keep it short. Big Bush win in my view. Bush was confident and had more interaction from the audience. Kerry was called an undertaker by many pundits. The spin now begins as each side will challenge the facts of the other. Bush has the facts on his side. The economy is strong, the job scene is growing and every challenge in Iraq has either been overcome or is close, Afghanistan will elect a national leader today. Bush deserves 4 more years. No surprise there, if you read my blog you would have already known that I thought that.
Here's a roundup of conservative punditry:
- Hugh Hewitt - questions and answers in a grid
- Roger L Simon
- The Kerry Spot
- The Corner on NRO
- Iowa Libertarian
- Pastabagel
- American Daughter does a great job in several posts. Search for "October 08, 2004"
Here's a roundup of liberal punditry:
- Josh Marshall
- CNN
- Associated Press
- Democratic Underground (get your shots first)
- Daily Kos (flu shots required here too)
- Andres Sullivan
Baby Notes
Thanks to everyone who made suggestions for a middle name. We've got a list and will let you all know after the joyous event.
We had an OB appointment this morning and it looks as though Doug's wish will not be granted. No baby today. Maybe next week...
In addition to all the October birthdays the month between October 6 and November 7th is a very busy one in our little family. As I mentioned, Doug's birthday is October 6. Mine is November 7. Almost directly in between, on October 24, is our anniversary. And Brenna's birthday will fall in between as well. Which makes me wonder: if we have another child should we time it so that birthday falls in between ours as well?
Lessons Learned from the Iraq War
From the Strategy Page
Summary:
- No M-1 Abrams were taken out by direct enemy contact. Though some were destroyed by American forces to prevent disabled equipment from being captured.
- In a friendly fire incident, depleted uranium shells from a Bradley Fighting Vehicle penetrated the engine compartment of an M-1, but didn't penetrate to the crew area.
- The most useful weapons on an Abrams on an urban battlefield are the machine guns.
- As Alexander the Great learned, an Army is only as good as it's supply system. The initial attacks outpaced the supply line quickly. New armored supply vehicles need to be developed as the thin skinned HMMWV's and 5 ton trucks are vulnerable to ambush. During Desert Storm, the biggest concern for supply vehicles was not running over Iraqis wishing to surrender.
- The aircraft carrier deployment system will be revamped to be able to surge many more carrier groups to hot spots in the future.
- With Net Centric Warfare US units communicate much better, but that doesn't translate well in mountainous or jungle terrain. More satellites need to be launched to increase communications ability as the Information Age has reached the battlefield.
- Snipers. This skill is being used at lower levels. In WWII, snipers were usually attached at the company level. Now, each squad should have a designated sniper, even if he hasn't gone to an official sniper course, but just has a natural shooting skill. Weapons training is critical in close combat situations.
- KC-135 fueling aircraft usually loiter over a battlefield. Each has been retrofitted to be another node in the Net Centric web linking up aircraft that cannot communicate directly with ground units due to line-of-site communication technology.
- Infantry Training. When I was in, the motto was train as you would fight. The goal was to make the training as realistic as possible, maybe even more difficult than an actual battlefield. The problem is that that goal isn't always achieved. Troops on the ground are calling for more realistic training once they get home.
- Mob control tactics that worked well in the Balkins, work well in Iraq. Identify the leaders/agitators/most vocal and engage them in talk if possible or tackle them if not. A helocopter hovering over a crowd in a dusty environment does wonders.
- Highly concentrated air-to-ground bombing and strafing deflate moral and lead to desertion in poorly trained and led troops.
- Local interpreters need to be attached to every squad or every platoon, at a minimum.
- A surprise to me is that the new Interceptor vest is indeed bullet proof for military rounds. Older vests were not. At 16 pounds, it's still heavy though. It's a classic trade off, speed for armor. My long range survellance experience tell me that speed and stealth are superior, but I've never had to operate in an urban warfare environment.
- The springs in the Barreta 9mm are still weak and prone to failure.
- Identifying your friends. Thanks to cell phone technology, most units were given a unit that broadcasted a GPS signal. Unit commanders could identify friendly units on-screen and deploy them much more easily. A side benefit is that each unit could text message to each other, increasing the level of communication.
- The Iraq War was too fast moving for division command. Brigade and battalion commanders assumed much more battlefield control aided by Internet and cell phone technology.
Read more...
Democratic Underground
A commenter on Moxie's Blog linked to the real reason the on-line polls showed Edwards won. The Democratic Underground had links to most of the on-line polls [warning, the viewpoints expressed on the DU are extreme. I go there if I really want to be PO'ed at Kerry supporters] and told people to delete their cookies so they could vote multiple times. This is why Bush is losing the media war. Journalists on Kerry's side and provide activist sites with all the info needed to game the system. I don't know if an equivalent Republican version exists. I would hope our guys are as organized, but sometimes I wonder. We need to help.
The best thing I pulled off of has to be this super long list of contacts in the media. It has names, emails and places to leave letters to the editor. Write a letter to the editor today! Send an email to someone in the media. What's it going to hurt? And it helps to get your viewpoint out there. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Opinion Paper
Brett at Opinion Paper is signing out for now. I appreciate his recommendation and think his summary of this Presidential race is dead on. Since I was unable to leave a comment on his site I thought I would thank him here.
Good luck with the family and work load, but stay politically active Brett. We need to keep talking about the issues and working out problems in the open. Lets make sure that the country we hand off to our children is worth living in.
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