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A vehicle for venting on philosophy, religion, and the general state of things. Proprietor: C. W. Powell

Friday, February 13, 2004

Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Website Links Democrat Kerry to 'Runaway Trainee': "The scandal of Kerry and the intern was conspicuous by its absence in the New York Times and Washington Post this morning."
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Oh, that's a surprise!!
Yahoo! News - Ex-Guardsman Says Bush Served in Ala.: "'I saw him each drill period,' retired Lt. Col. John 'Bill' Calhoun said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Daytona Beach, Fla., where he is preparing to watch this weekend's big NASCAR (news - web sites) race.
'He was very aggressive about doing his duty there. He never complained about it. ... He was very dedicated to what he was doing in the Guard. He showed up on time and he left at the end of the day.' "
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A non-story. But, hey, the liberals have to try something.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

A debacle for jihadists? - The Washington Times: Editorials/OP-ED: "Al Qaeda is making little progress in its efforts to recruit Iraqis to wage a jihad against America, according to a letter seized from a courier for the terrorist organization in Iraq. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that the 17-page letter was written by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian terrorist linked to al Qaeda and believed to be operating in Iraq. "
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Yep, they tend to end up dead.
Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / John Kerry's shifting stands: "IN THE 2004 presidential field, there is a candidate for nearly every point of view. His name is John Kerry."
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"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less." [from Through the Looking Glass]

Well, why not? If all contradictions are reconciled in God, or if there are contradictions in God, then why cannot I be all over the place on every issue. The only fools are those who think that words mean things and that God has spoken in words that cannot lie. But if He can't get it done, why should we expect our political leaders to make any sense, and why bother talking at all?

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

FOXNews.com - You Decide 2004 - Cuomo: Don't Call Bush 'Liar': "According to Cuomo, candidates who supported the war should tell the public: 'We looked at the same intelligence (President Bush) did, and it fooled us the way it fooled (him). Shame on us. We should have looked harder. We're sorry. We'll get rid of the old intelligence team and put in a new one and do what we have to do.' "
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At least there is some bit of integrity in some democrats. Thank God for that.

Monday, February 09, 2004

Yahoo! News - CNN Says It Overplayed Dean's Iowa Scream: "It probably means little now to Howard Dean (news - web sites), but CNN's top executive believes his network overplayed the infamous clip of Dean's 'scream' after the Iowa caucuses."
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No kidding.

Sunday, February 08, 2004

U.S. News: Michael Barone: But what would Kerry do?(2/16/04): "
Did he manipulate the intelligence? No. U.S. intelligence concluded that Iraq has had WMD since the 1990s, when Bush was governor of Texas. The major foreign intelligence services all agreed. Did Bush lie about it? No. He reported accurately what the agencies said. Did he base his case for war solely on WMD? No. He also argued that military action would oust a regime that supported terrorism and that a free Iraq would make the Middle East less dangerous.

"Nor is it clear that this is an intelligence failure that could have been prevented. Saddam Hussein acted as if he had WMD, violating United Nations resolutions seeking disclosure of his weapons. Kay now theorizes that Saddam's scientists may have deceived him by telling him they were working on WMD when they weren't. If so, how was U.S. intelligence to know that? And would it have been prudent to rely on such reports? The fear of Bush's opponents is that overestimates of an evil regime's capacity will lead to unnecessary wars. But the more characteristic failure of intelligence has been to underestimate evil regimes' progress toward WMD, as in the cases of Iran, North Korea, and Iraq itself in 1991. In the post-September 11 world, underestimates are surely more dangerous than overestimates. "
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Tempest in a Teapot. See Psalm 62:3_4 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
RAZORMOUTH.COM | cutting-edge christian news, reviews and punditry: "Since many Roman Catholics and non-Catholics, aren't familiar with 'un-churches' and their lingo, I thought I'd provide a short, but hopefully helpful, lexicon of 'un-church-ese.' Here we go.

'A sign from God'
I have a good feeling about this un-church. Plus, the refreshments after the worship service were tasty.
'Anointing'
I cried during the worship service for no reason.
'Authentic'
I don't feel compelled to wear nice clothes.
'Communion'
Crackers or pizza. Add soda or juice. Read John 6:63. Celebrate at the end of the service, taking more than seven minutes.
'Contemporary'
Lots of lights, loud music, t-shirts, and a sixteen-year-old pastor.
'Dynamic'
Killer bass and guitar riffs during the 'Mosh With the Messiah!' worship service.
'Freedom'
The pastor doesn't wear a tie, and he doesn't use notes or a pulpit when he shares the special word that God has laid on his heart.
'God told me'
I'm more spiritual than you.
'No structure'
Nobody appears to be in charge or know what's going on. Ain't that great!?
'Non-conventional'
My parents don't attend with me. Ain't that even greater?!
'Non-denominational'
My un-church was established three years ago. We're just like the first Christians.
'Minister' (n.)
The sixteen-year-old up front.
'minister' (v.)
I talk one-on-one to people about myself, my feelings, my needs, etc.
'Personal lord and savior'
You know, Jesus. Sheez, are you Catholic?
'Religion'
The evil attempt of man to reach God. Invented by the Vatican in 325 A.D.
'Spiritual'
Good. I'm very spiritual, by the way.
"Testimony"
I talk in front of the entire group about myself, my feelings, my needs, etc.
"Theology"
Boring. Invented by sadistic monks during the Dark Ages, which was a long time ago, even before MTV.
"Tradition"
Very, very bad. Invented by a Pope in 666 A.D.
"Word of God"
The Bible. I read it and the Left Behind books everyday.
"Worship"
Jesus meets rock n¹ roll.
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Just start your own church. Why not? You don't have to rise up from the dead to do that nowadays. Some of the new "un-churches" in Denver are called: The Journey, Pathways, The Next Level, Connected Life Church, The Crossing, New Life Church, Pierced Chapel, and -- I'm not making this up -- Scum of the Earth Church. This according to Carl Olsen who authors a Roman Catholic publication called Razorback. Some of us think that the disease is malignant, but returning to Rome is like shooting the patient in order to stop his suffering.

What do you do when you become so "connected" to your generation that you can't get connected to God. How do you connect to God anyway? What if what you are connected to isn't God? If you are not 'into" theology, history, and religion what ARE you "into." Crack and sex?

This is the problem: what are YOU doing about it?
Social Studies (02/06/2004): "A policeman shoots a robber who has killed in the past and who brandishes what seems to be a gun. The gun turns out to be a cellphone. The policeman expects a thorough investigation (and ought to cooperate). In the end, if he is exonerated, it is not because he made no mistake but because his mistake was justified. Reasonable people, facing uncertainty, would have thought they saw a gun.

"George W. Bush and the CIA thought they saw a gun. So did French President Jacques Chirac, who last February warned of Iraq's 'probable possession of weapons of mass destruction.' So did Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor, who last February said, 'My personal belief is that Saddam may well possess anthrax and chemical weapons. That being the case, he must be disarmed.' "
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This guy has it right, of course. But the people who would howl for the policeman's skull are also howling for President Bush's. They guy who points a plastic toy gun at a policeman in such circumstances is responsible for what happens to him. So Saddam is responsible for his own disaster and the disaster of his country. Case closed.

Part of our problem is that we are dealinig with the boomers of the Viet Nam era. Somehow it was the fault of the U.S. military when bombs were strapped unto the bodies on young children and sent toward the U. S. lines. Our GI's were the immoral ones for not allowing themselves to be blown up. It never occurred to Jane Fonda and her buddies like John Kerry and others that our enemies were desperately depraved people who wanted us dead.

The world needs to know that Hanoi Jane and her buddies are not, and will not be, in charge of the security of the U.S. We are a very patient people, but you can not tweak our tail forever. One source for the financing of terror has been eliminated. There will be no more checks for the families of sucicide bombers in Israel from Saddam Hussein. That, itself, is worth the war. Let the other two-bit rogue states of the world take notice. We are strong enough to take down Hussein, and open and moral enough to have a debate about it, strong enough to endure partisan and blind quibbling about what is obvious. The two-bit nations should not take that as weakness.
Op-Ed Contributor: The Nixon Recovery: "Boomers do not take rejection with good grace, and their tolerance will not improve as they get older. From the perspective of 2010 or so, citizens may look back on the post-Nixon 1970's as halcyon days. "
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Yes, and boomers--like those who write for the Times have a hard time enduring hard times and keeping on course for the long term good. After all, they rejected the discipline and restraint of the last generation, so why should they see reality now? Everytime a Republican is elected they start singing, "Gloomy days are here again." History means whatever they want it to mean.
The Miami Herald | 01/11/2004 | Guys: It's time to turn over a new leaf blower
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Your chuckle for this week.
Bush strikes back with defense of war - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics: "'We had a choice: either take the word of a madman or take action to defend America,' he said. 'Knowing what I knew then, and knowing what I know today, America did the right thing in Iraq. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time.' "
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We welcome your words, Mr. President, and hope you will stay on message.
City Journal Winter 2004 | The Curse of the Creative Class by Steven Malanga: "

Professor Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon, says that cities "must become trendy, happening places in order to compete in the twenty-first-century economy is sweeping urban America. In his popular book The Rise of the Creative Class, which just appeared in paperback after going through multiple hardcover editions, Florida argues that cities that attract gays, bohemians, and ethnic minorities are the new economic powerhouses because they are also the places where creative workers--the kind who start and staff innovative, fast-growing companies--want to live. To lure this workforce, Florida argues, cities must dispense with stuffy old theories of economic development--like the notion that low taxes are what draw in companies and workers--and instead must spend heavily on cultural amenities and pursue progressive social legislation."
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This provocative article challenges the notion, with hard facts and sensible reasonings, the idea that making economic decisions based on artsy theories of cultural diversity will produce economic advantages for a city. Just the opposite.

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