stream of consciousness

MY BLOG HAS MOVED!!!!

2006-04-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

My blog is now being hosted at WordPress.

"Beautiful Scandalous Night"

2006-04-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the Holy mountian
Sinner, sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

On the hillside you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross, justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Saviours side

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

The four horsemen of the apocalypse have arrived

2006-04-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

click me!!!!

the big easy :: what i saw

2006-04-10T01:04:00.000-05:00

the big easy

2006-04-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here at Murky, 30 min before I have to start heading to the Metro and then on to the airport. Destination--the Big Easy. It will be my first trip to New Orleans, but it will be super quick. I am producing a hearing for my boss re: Hurricane Katrina recovery and contracting. My boss will be looking into reports of excessive layering of subcontracting, unreasonable overhead, and unacceptable price inflations---zeroing in on three programs: Blue Roof (putting tarps on roofs at the cost it takes to put new roof on), debris removal, and using travel trailers for temp housing.

We have 9 witnesses and 5 members of Congress participating. . .which means it will be a loooooong hearing (each witness gets 5 min for opening statement and each Congressperson gets 5 mins per panel for questioning. . .there are two panels. . .do the math).

Anyway, I will fly in tonite, go grab some food and check out the location we will be using for the hearing (making sure I can figure out how to drive there on Monday when I have to arrive on time!). . .and a local state representative who is one of our witnesses will take me and my staff director to a "New Orleans" restaurant and show us around. The hearing is in the place called "the French Quarter," which I hear is one of "the" places to visit when in town. We'll see. I am bringing my camera, so if there is anything worth seeing, I will post here.

My next hearing is only a couple of weeks away (no pressure) on the 25th---the topic is "North Korea: Illicit Activity Funding the Regime." The hearing will take place during North Korea Freedom week in DC. I am still sorting out witnesses and information to be presented and explored at the hearing. . .but it is already slated to be a fascinating look at the desperate and sinister methods of survival for one of the most evil regimes in the world--ie, look-up "evil" in the dictionary, and just below hitler, you will see a picture of Kim Jong-il.

I am hoping the result of these hearings will prod the debate closer to workable solutions and better policy. . .if all it turns out to be are echoless diatribes and soap-box-stands for November's elections, it will be quit a let down. But, such is the nature of politics--much nothing about ado.

insomnia

2006-04-02T10:24:00.000-05:00

Last night, around 3am--yet once again--Joe's television woke me up. Joe is my upstairs neigbor---nice old guy who works as a lawyer for the Dept of Ed. This has happened so many times, I lost count. Near the beginning of this scenario, I had made up my mind to write a nice note just letting him know his volume was keeping me up at night--I hear it when I try to drift off asleep. . .I hear it when I wake up at 3am. . .I hear it when I am getting ready for work at 6:30am. Usually, it takes me a good 20 min or more (just a guess since you really never know when you fall asleep---if you are counting, you probably won't be sleeping any time soon). . .it takes a while for my brain to stop anticipating the change in the voices--like if the characters on tv are having a conversation. Well, being the forgetful person that I am, once I am up and at work, my mind is so engaged, I forget to write the note---well forget until around 3am in the morning.

Well, now that spring is upon us, I have a new dilema. For the past six days, Joe's television has awoken me around 3am--the time in the early morning that the nightningale--or the Mocking Bird--is in the middle of it's overnight concierto. She is not directly outside my window, but very close---still loud enough for it echo in my room. So now, my brain has to get over the dull sound of Joe's television AND the winged diva.

Now, I really, really like Mocking Birds. They are my favorite---and not just because they are the Texas state bird. They are some fo the most unbird-like birds. They run around the ground--run not hop--hunting for their prey. In the heat of the hunt, they run in spirts, stopping to immediately raise their wings in jerky movements above their head, then running a few more steps to repeat the process. They do this to scare a grasshopper or some other bug into flight--and when this hapens, they chase it down with extreme prejudice and lightning accuracy.

But this past week, while my anger was perculating at the sound of Joe's television and the song of the bird, I tried to devise a plan where I could sneak into Joe's apartment, smash in his television with a bat, then run outside and shoot the mockingbird and return to my warm bed within 10 min--to facilitate my sleeping as fast as possible.

Well, that will never happen. So, a more realistic challenge is to figure out a way to remember to write Joe a note--preferably during a time of the day when my mind is not seriously considering how to vandelize his apartment. I think, if I am lucky, that I just migth do this today. . .Don't hold your breath, but maybe--just maybe--when I get home, I will remember, find a blank peice of paper (which is a challenge in and of itself), and write out a nice note to Joe--taping it to his front door.

In closing, and completely off topic, I have decided to describe a little what I do for work. . .I think the past 10 conversations I have had with old friends and acquantences have touched upon the question of "so, Trey, what do you do now again?" It is really quite simple. . .I work for a subcommittee in the United States Senate. I cover a set of issues for my boss, and if there is any need of oversight (ie, investigating cases of waste, fraud, abuse) in the federal government that touches upon those issues, I pitch a hearing idea to him, and if he bites, then I produce a hearing. A hearing is nothing more than a research paper that is acted out. You start with a thesis, you get a nice opening paragraph, you fill the middle with both sides of the argument (being sure to stack your side of the argument), you pose some prosecutorial style questions, and you throw in a nice conclusion. The only difference is that all the peices of your paper are acted out by people--many of whom whose vested interest is to win the argument. The goal for my boss at each hearing is to ultimately cut out the waste in government and save tax payers from having to foot the bill from overpayments, un- or misused unobligated funds, out-of-control programs with no acceptable mission, etc. . . My boss is there to ask the tough questions that are not politically correct to ask--why are we spending this money, what is the constitutional authority for this program, should we be redistributing other people's money in this fashion, is this agency necessary or behaving appropriately, etc. . .

What this means for me is that about every other week, I am having to dive headfirst into uncharted waters--to immerse my self and become an over-night expert in all sorts of varied topics--from modified water projects of the army corps of engineeers, to katrina recovery contracting, to illicit activities of north korea's kim jong-il, to formulas of the community development block grant program, to the capital master plan to rennovate the united nations, to the unclaimed poltical activites of unions (and their back taxes due to the IRS), to immigration/refugee assylum requirements of the new REAL ID Act passed last year-----the list goes on.

Suffice to say, my job is intense. . .I am constantly on the prowl, constantly reading, constantly trying to snoop around for new topics to fill my hearing schedule pipeline. It is what I came to DC to do. . .probably not too many other jobs would allow me to engage the issues like this. But it is also mentally and physically and spiritually draining. . .Which is why I tell people that when I am done in DC, I am soooo DONE. I have no long term aspirations, no desire to "advance" in this town (whatever that means and looks like). I have no idea how long this will last--a couple years, another decade. . who knows. But I do know one thing, this is not my end. . .it is only a means . .to something else--ANYTHING else.

Well, that's it. . the effects of my iced-chai-aguilera-style is running through my veins and I need to move around before my bobbing leg runs off without me.

PS--iced-chai-aguilera-style = an iced chai made with two shots and skinny milk. . .the aguilera refers to the fact that this chai is a "dirty cha" but also made with skim (skinny) milk. . .had I wanted a iced dirty chai with whole milk, I would have ordered it spears style (ie, fuller/fatter)

vs.

With nations as with people, love them or lose them.

2006-03-31T09:25:00.000-05:00

Peggy Noonan wrote probably the most thoughtful column on the root to the problem of not only immigration but also a whole host of other cultural and political ills plaguing our nation. Seriously, you really need to stop for a second and read her words.

Today, I feel like. . .

2006-03-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

this is not ok

2006-03-27T09:11:00.000-05:00

"Immigrants" protesting this past week/week-end are making two mistaktes. First, they support the undermining and breaking of US law. Second, they are frantically waiving Mexican flags.

On the first point, they will not recieve any sympathy from me nor most US citizens--we are a nation of laws and we do (well, we SHOULD) not tolerate lawbreakers.

On the second point, if they are trying to rally a case for letting lawbreakers receive citizenship or permanent status in the United States, they should have thought through the idea about waiving a freaking Mexican flag.

If Mexico is so great, why are they trying to break our laws to get in here? Why not reform their own country, clean up their corruption, establish individual rights and responsiblities? Mexico has been a den of corruption since they gained "independence." It's about time they cleaned up their act.

real-world entertainment

2006-03-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

La Fuga

europe vs usa

2006-03-20T07:44:00.000-05:00

For all the snobbery on the left/Europe that loves to undermine the US re: the War on Terror, here are some comparisons you will never hear admitted from their lips. . .(from NRO today:)

The prison at Guantanamo Bay was designed to interrogate terrorists and jihadists swept up from the battlefield: the idea was to keep them as prisoners of war in a war that was undeclared, and as enemy combatants without uniforms or officers. It had a no-win mandate, and will probably close soon due to international outcries about its supposed barbarity. Yet, for all the fury about its existence, not a single detainee has died there in over four years of operation.

In contrast, the European Milosevic just dropped dead while under custody of the U.N. at the postmodern tribunal at The Hague. This follows the recent suicide of Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, likewise an inmate in a European detention center.

Few in Europe said much about the deaths of such high-profile prisoners, whose barbarity differed from that of many of the killers in Guantanamo mostly in order of magnitude. If American Rambos can keep alive Muslim jihadists, with their radically different customs, religion, languages, and diets, why cannot the more sensitive Europeans ensure that fellow Europeans don't drop dead in their jails?
We often hear about how incompetent the Iraqis, under American tutelage, have been in trying Saddam Hussein. After all, his trial is only in its initial stages, two years after he was captured. But compared to the more illustrious court of The Hague, Saddam's trial is racing along at a rapid clip. Before his sudden death, Milosevic had been in court for four years without a verdict. In terms of utopian international jurisprudence, the reprobate Milosevic died a free man, at his last breath still innocent until proven guilty.

The public wonders why the incompetent Americans can't catch Osama bin Laden, or at least Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Few note that it has been over six years since the collapse of the Serbian rogue regime, and still no one seems to know where either Radovan Karadzic, or his military commander, Ratko Mladic, is hiding inside Europe — not exactly the Sunni Triangle or the borderlands of the Hindu Kush.

brutal honesty

2006-03-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

I recently put some new art up on my wall---the artists is a local named James. Before living where I am now, I was in a house with 4 other flatmates--and when I moved out, James moved in to take my spot in the house. I really enjoy Jame's work--I find the style extremely appealing but also the honesty which is conveyed in Jame's imagery.

It actually reminds me of the brutal honesty that is conveyed in the book of James. There is no painting over the grim reality--you are faced with the bare bones fundamentals of faith. In the both the book and the art of the James, the facade is stripped away. . .brutal honesty is all that is left standing. . .you are presented with a sense of "what is" and "what shoudl be."

chapter1 :: 9When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! 10And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. 11You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

James conveys a sense of reality to life and faith and god. . .something that is lacking on the televised, advertised and commercialized gospel. If you know anything about the reality that Christ preaches, you must know that the propserous life is something that transcends feeling good, amassing stuff, and being "successful." If it weren't so, Paul would have never preached the foolishness of the cross--to live is to die is to live is to die.

There are certain segments of the Christian culture that focuses so much on prospering, being the-head-not-the-tail, and other positive thinking that the sense of loss and death and humility are missing--the very things that one must be confronted with if one wants to gaze upon the cross.

chapter 1 :: 2Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

chapter 1 :: 26 Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. 27Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

chapter 2 :: 12Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. 13For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.

14Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? 15For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved 16and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup--where does that get you? 17Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

18I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

chapter 2 :: 19Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? 20Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

:: selah ::

Senate Increases the National Debt Limit to Nearly $9 Trillion and Then Keeps On Spending... for Polar Bears

2006-03-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

a colleague sent me this email:

Earlier today at 11:17am, the Senate voted to increase the federal debt limit to nearly $9 trillion. At 1:03pm, the Senate then “hotlined” – or attempted to approve without debate or a vote – the Russia Polar Bear Conservation and Management Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost nearly $20 million over the next five years.

Not even a passing moment of shame in the Senate as the IOUs continue to be piled onto the ever growing and insurmountable national debt.

This is a sad day for America.

Eternity

2006-03-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.
— Matthew 10: 28

All through his life, it was the comfort of Uncle Tom that he possessed a value that bore no relationship to the amount for which he was more than once sold on the auction-block. He was a child of God, an heir of heaven, a citizen of eternity. When he fell into the hands of the cruel Legree, he was thrashed within an inch of his life. He lay bleeding and writhing in mortal anguish in the old slave-shed. But his soul was not in the shed. For 'as the solemn light of dawn broke in through the rude window, Tom thought of the Bright and Morning Star. He pondered on the great White Throne, with its ever-radiant rainbow; the white-robed multitude with voices as of many waters; the crowns, the palms, the harps; these might all break upon his vision before that sun should set again.' And therefore, without shuddering or trembling, he heard the voice of his persecutor.

"How would ye like to be tied to a tree, and have a slow fire lit up around ye?" asked Legree. "Wouldn't that be pleasant, eh, Tom?"

"Mas'r," said Tom, "I know ye can do dreadful things, but" —he stretched himself upward and clasped his hands —"but after ye've killed the body, there ain't no more ye can do. And oh! there's eternity to come after that!"

'Eternity!' says Mrs Stowe, 'the word thrilled through the black man's soul with light and power as he spoke; it thrilled through the sinner's soul, too, like the bite of a scorpion.'

How can you advertise for sale a man who dwells among the eternities?

The Gospel of Uncle Tom's Cabin, pp 17-18
AW Tozer

You know you live in DC if.........

2006-03-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

You say you're from DC, but you actually live in VA or MD but are too tired to explain where.
You don't consider exploding man hole covers to be an unusual occurrence.
You know where the Pentagon really is but never bother to correct anyone about its location.
When it takes you 45 minutes to drive 3 miles on I-66, 95, 395, 495, 50, 123, 29, or 270, it's a pretty good day.
There are at least fifteen ways to get everywhere and you know which way to go based on the weather, time of day, current political climate, terrorism road closures, and whether you are coming or going.
You pay more money in parking tickets in a year than you do in medical bills, college costs and rent combined.
You know that driving through Georgetown, you will hear the music of the car next to you louder than you can hear your own.
"I got stuck behind a motorcade" is a common and real excuse for being late.
"Finding a parking space" actually becomes an appointment on your calendar. (E.g.. 7:00-8:00 Gym, 8:30-9:00PM - find a parking space, 9:00-10:30PM - Dinner reservations.)
You've never once been to Wal-Mart and don't even know if there is one.
When you say you're going to the mall and you don't mean shopping.
You never refer to the 'Metro' as the 'subway'.
You elbow tourists out of the way on the Metro escalators to "gently" remind them to WALK LEFT, STAND RIGHT.
You, or at least several people you know, have been put on Cipro at one time or another for possible anthrax exposure.
You've done the "dodge the sniper" walk down a sidewalk.
You don't bat an eye at 500 politicians and businessmen in suits running like their lives depended on it just to catch a Metro that will be followed by another in 90 seconds.
You've been to Dulles 100 times and still are not sure of the use for those alien people mover contraptions.
You can tell by people's cars where they live and maybe even what neighborhood.
You've hit happy hours at three different locations on a Tuesday night. And gotten leads for a new job at at least two of them.
You have the Metro map memorized, yet act like you don't know when someone asks you how to get to Metro Center.
You meet someone else who says they're from the DC area and you realize they live two hours away from you.
You notice that there's been construction on the same stretch of highway for the past 5 years and you've never see anyone working on it.
You know you've crossed into Northern Virginia, without ever seeing a sign, only because your speedometer goes from 60 to 0.
You know that Vietnam is no longer in the South Pacific, it's now been re-located to Seven Corners.
The few times you have gotten lost in DC you have somehow ALWAYS ended up in Anacostia and every road out somehow leads back to Anacostia.
You realize that I-395 is Northern Virginia's version of NASCAR.
There is no such thing as North, South, East, or West on the beltway, it's just go "that" way!(Inner circle / outer circle)
You go anywhere on the Eastern Shore, Rehoboth, Dewey, Ocean City, Skyline Drive, or the Outer Banks for vacation and everyone you meet is from DC
Snow means rain to you
You can see the national cathedral from almost anywhere
You know that Georgetown is NOT only a school
You consider Northern VA to be in no way similar to southern VA
You know which bridges to cross to get to Maryland or VA
You actually know what goes on in Dupont circle
You have several friends who can't tell you what they really do.
People don't ask you if Chevy Chase is named after the actor.
You can harmonize perfectly with the alert for "Doors Closing" on the Metro
You plan your vacations during senate recess
An email you've sent has ended up in the National Archives
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from DC.

pray for burma

2006-03-14T13:27:00.000-05:00

The people of Burma have been brutalized under their military regime for two decades. The helpless ethnic groups in the outlying jungle areas are being slowly but systematicaly wiped out either by gunfire, landmines, or the agony of starvation. Those who are captured are forced into slavery and then killed when they are of no use. Rape is often used as a weapon of these brutal thugs. Meanwhile, countries like France, India, Thailand, and China fund the regime with strong economic ties. . .and the UN has failed to act (like they have failed with every other significant human rights tragedy).

Right now, the best hope is re: Security Council action. . .but China and France are not playing nice. Pray that God is able to move hearts with conviction and people with the power to put an end to this do so. . .and quickly.

See recent article below that was reported by my heros, the free burma rangers:

(from http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=5557&z=154)

Thousands of Karen Flee to Jungle
By Shah Paung
March 14, 2006

Burmese army offensives in western Karen State have sent nearly 3,000 villagers fleeing into the jungle, according to a new report from relief organization Free Burma Rangers.

The report, which will be officially released tomorrow, says that recent attacks in Nyaunglebin district’s Mon and Ler Doh (aka Kyauk Gyi) townships had forced more than 2,200 villagers from their homes. In addition, the general secretary of resistance group the Karen National Union, Mahn Shah, today confirmed the existence of up to 700 more Internally Displaced People from Taungoo Township, Pegu division, bringing the total number of new Karen IDPs to almost 3,000.

According to FBR, three Burmese army battalions (Light Infantry battalions 366, 368 and 364) launched attacks on the western Karen villages of Klaw Kee and Saw Ka Der in Mon Township, on March 9. A 38-year-old Karen man, Saw Maw Sae Kya, was killed during the attacks and paddy fields and rice stocks were destroyed. Soldiers then continued to nearby Maw La Kee village, where they burned down another seven houses.

“A total of 1140 people from Mon Township have now fled and are currently hiding in the jungle,” the report says. “These people cannot return home due to constant army patrols in the area.”

Meanwhile, Light Infantry battalions 362 and 363 marched into Kwey Der village in Ler Doh Township, forcing more than 1,100 villagers into hiding.

The FBR told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the group was already working on getting aid to the new IDPs: “We have already sent one team with medicine to help them and will be sending another team next week—after that we will send another team together with some money to buy food.”

(landmine victim at age of 13)

(KNU freedom fighter protecting the IDPs in the jungle)

(orphans at a refugee camp in thailand :: parents murderd by regime)

gummy

2006-03-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

I am getting addicted to gummy bears. Before my office reconfiguration a couple of weeks ago, I had a stack of a dozen or so of these mini-plastic-tubs that the gummy bears come in at the store downstairs. I threw them out when I was packing up, but I have slowly begun to renew my stash of empty gummy bear tubs. I use one as my buisness card holder and one as my pen holder. I have just started on my third tub.

What shall I do with this one?!?!

Q and A's

2006-03-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

I started running again on Friday. It has been a long time coming, and it makes me very happy. I love running--it not only gets my body in shape but also my mind. I tend to think clearer while running. The weather is finally warm enough and my schedule is finally getting a little more consistency to allow this to happen.

Something else that returned to my life on Friday was the first three mosquito bites of the year. It made me sad. The joys of warmer weather means the joys of grilling in the bbq grill behind my apartment, but it also means fighting the dreaded mosquitos--bugs of no mercy. You either get eaten, or you drench your body in gross mosquito repelant---there is not middle ground. And if you miss the smallest of patches on your body, those demons of the air exploit the whole in your defenses and you get sacked.

Yesterday was my good and old friend, Diana's, Bday. She had people over her new apartment in the Heights, set up candle-lit tables out on her back deck, ordered a ton of Chinese and Thai food, and ate together to celebrate Diana. I think there were a dozen or so people there. It sounded like a nice evening, and one of the many reasons why I miss Houston.

Something I read today:

Teachers can only be teachers when there are students who want to be students. Without a question, an answer is experienced as manipulation; without a struggle, help is conisdered interference; and without the desire to learn, the offer to teach is easily felt as oppression. Therefore, our first task is not to offer information, adivce or even guidance, but to allow others to come into touch wiht their own struggles, pains, doubts, and insecurities--in short, to affirm their life as quest.

There is a such a strong desire for people who they have the answers to give it to those they think don't have the answers. But without having any significant interactions and relationship, how can you even tell where someone really is? There is more to giving an answer than doling it out like a fortune cookie. The answer is more than just raw facts to be memorized or a recipe to be followed. Human beings are not robots or part of a dog and pony show.

As long as a religions is perceived by the student and treated by the teacher as another feild to be mastered--with competition, grades, and rewards--only hostility and resentment can be expected. The main question of religion--Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going?--are not questions with an answer but questions that open us to new questions which lead us deeper into the unspeakable mystery of existence.

gi joe

2006-03-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

i want this game!

2006-03-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

spore video

spore article

well done

2006-03-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

Well done.

aaaaand. . .this is why i will never go back to PC/Microsoft.

ZOMG :: Like, it's global warming!!!!

2006-03-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Snow in the Sahara Desert ::: Yep, the planet is overheating.

Politics gets old fast. . .

2006-03-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

Politics gets old fast. . .If it weren't for the fact that I finally found a member of Congress that has principled goals and walks with integrity to meet those goals, I would have wanted to throw in the towel a long time ago. To be a sane Hill Staffer, you really can't be doing your job for its intrinsic value. You have one of several motivations:

You believe in a mission or a movement. . .and you have found the right Congressperson to make successful in order to progress the mission.
You want to make the big bucks and eventually move off the Hill to become an overpaid lobbiest or political consultant or legislation laison in a Fortune 500.
You are really, really bored.

Well, if you haven't guess already, I only fit one of the above scenarios. And the moment my experience here can't fulfill my motivation for being here, I don't have any qualms about packing up and moving out. . .but where, I do not know. I sometimes dream of doing something completely uninvolved with politics---living in Northern California operating a coffee shop and spending all my off hours enjoying the coast, living in Mae Sot, Thailand doing support work for the Thai-Burma Border Consortium helping the refugees and IDPs of Burma, opening up a bistro/artspace in Montrose (a community inside the loop of Houston), operating a non-proffit consulting firm that assists human rights organizations brand themselves and better communicate with legislatures of the world. . .

But, for the time being, I am doing exactly what I came to DC to do. In two and a half years of actually working on the Hill, I went from being a non-paid grub (for six months) doing intern work to a paid and slightly more empowered grub on a subcommitee. The issues I work are interesting to me and the policy goals I pursue for my boss need to be pursued. The pace here is so quick and so demanding that I am both fully engaged but slowly building the case for when my time is done here--I will be DONE.

Anyway, I was at a matte cutting class yesterday (I finally know how to do my own matte cutting for my fotos. . hip hurrah) and I was matting a panoramic picture I took while I was in Monterrey Cali. . and I really, really wanted to be there yesterday to just relax and purge my mind and pray and read and just chill. Which got me thinking on this stream of thought. . .Which confirms to me that I won't be in this town forever (at least not unless something changes drastically).

Real Politik of the Black Widow

2006-02-27T07:31:00.000-05:00

During the Cold War, when the halls of the State Department were under the domain of then Sec of State Henry Kissinger, American foreign policy took a decisively utilitarian bend---most people refer to as realpolitik. The spirit of realpolitik is that one makes a foriegn policy decision not based on what is the right thing to do---but based on the easiest way to get one's way. One of the examples of this in action that is still screwing people over today is Morrocco. Kissinger saw that Africa was up for grabs between the West and the Evil Empire (USSR), and Morocco seemed to cast its lot with the West--and it used the West's fear of Communism to get its way. This resulted in the USA backing the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara after the Spanish colonozing force fled in the 70's. Morocco still occupies Western Sahara which is now the last colony on the continent of Africa and most argue the world (unless you are a militant, native guam).

Today, the spirit of realpolitik still haunts the halls of the State Department--and our curret Administration has embraced it. Secretary Rice has been making foreign policy decisions that are not based on being the right thing to do but the surest path to getting her way in this War on Terror (and when I say her way, it includes the President's way who works through her). Case in point--Morocco. Morocco throws the West a bone or two with regards to the War on Terror. In return, the US still manages to look the other way while Morocco beats the Saharawi of Western Sahara to death, torture them and lock them away with no charges----all for asking to be treated fairly, be given basic human rights and to have the right to self-determination (the very things that our own Founding Fathers sought and won).

Another example of this is how Sec Rice has been approaching the UN. Instead of seeking out the RIGHT thing, it is my opinion that she is exploiting situations in order to get some sort of benefits for the War on Terror. This might sound like its ok since, after all, we are in a definite war with Islamofacism. But the UN is in desperate need of reform. . .and instead of insisting on real reform, we are looking the other way and on the verge of acceptig some "chages" that are worse than what we currently have--especially since this will be the last time significant reforms will be possible.

The Human Rights Commission is in shambles. . .you have the world's worst human rights abusers sitting judgement on this commission: Cuba, Sudan, China, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia. Anne Bayefsky who runs the Eye on the UN website (excellent resource) writes the following on NRO:

The heart of the problem with the commission lies with its membership. Current members include some of the world's worst human-rights violators: China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Throughout the months of negotiations over a new entity, such states vehemently opposed efforts to introduce criteria for membership on the council. They succeeded. Not one criterion is included. Instead, the draft merely suggests “when electing members” a state's human-rights record be "taken into account." Even states under Security Council sanction for human-rights violations (although this includes, at the moment, only Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire) would not be excluded automatically.

Other features of the proposal which reveal the failure to fix the membership problem, and the consequences, include:

There is a provision for suspending a Council member that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights. But the step can only be taken with the agreement of two thirds of the members of the General Assembly. Fifty percent of the General Assembly could not even agree that Sudan was guilty of human-rights violations in November of 2005.
The proposal significantly shifts the balance of power away from the Western regional group, including the United States. The African and Asian regional groups will hold 55 percent of the votes. The proportional representation of the Asian group will represent the greatest increase and the representation of the Western group the greatest decline.
States which are elected must rotate off every two terms. The United States has been a member of the Commission every year since 1947, with one exception, and has played a leadership role in efforts to promote human rights throughout the Commission’s history, not to mention paying for 22 percent of its costs.
While there is a plan to conduct a human rights review of all U.N. states, there is no guarantee that even those countries found complicit in massive and sustained human rights abuses would be censured. No outcome of the review process is specified and the review takes place only after the elections.
Instead of a much smaller body designed to attract the best states from each regional group, the proposal merely reduces the number of members from 53 to 47.
Special sessions of the commission can be called by just one third of the council's membership. Although this feature has been hailed as an improved capacity to deal with urgent human rights situations, the membership of the new council will make it more likely that special sessions will be about the United States and Israel rather than China or Sudan.
The council is given a mandate to pursue follow-up goals and commitments "emanating from U.N. conferences and summits" — many of which have been specifically rejected by the United States.
A last-minute addition in response to the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Danish cartoons affair, places the emphasis on roles or responsibilities rather than reinforcing freedom of speech.

It is pretty sad, but I don't believe there is the will at the State Department for insisting on REAL reform. From what I have seen, I am expecting there to be some sort of "compromise" where we are actually taking these terms while still trying to sound tough on Human Rights abusers. Just about every corner of the UN is saturated with scandals. . .and instead of using this to instigate meaningful reform that could save millions of lives (imagine if the UN were to ever take meaningful actions in Sudan, Somolia, Balkans, China, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burma, occuppied Western Sahara), we are capitulating for the easiest path on the War on Terror.

Joy

2006-02-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

I sold my old laptop and added some of the bonus I got last year to get a new MacBook Pro Laptop. It is super fast, super light, super slick. . .Plus. . .It has a built in webcam. Joy.

Port takeover :: Is the UAE a friend and ally?

2006-02-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

Do reliable friends and allies fund terrorist organizations and islamofacist ideology (from Alex Alexiev, of the Center for Security Policy):

From the very beginning in the 1970s, the UAE has been a key source of financial support for Saudi-controlled organizations like the Islamic Solidarity Fund, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), World Council of Mosques, and the Muslim World League (MWL) as documented in The Muslim World League Journal, an English-language monthly. The IDB alone, for instance, spent $10 billion between 1977 and 1990 for “Islamic activities” and at least $1 billion more recently to support terrorist activities by the Palestinian Al Aqsa and Intifada Funds.
One of the most successful Islamist operations in the U.S. involved the Wahhabi ideological takeover of the Nation of Islam after the death of its founder Elijah Muhammad. Of the $4.8 million “presented” to W. D. Muhammad, Elijah’s son and successor, in 1980 alone, one million came from UAE’s president Sheikh Zayad, according to the August 1980 issue of the MWL Journal. Zayad continued his “philanthropic” activities by donating $2.5 million for a Zayad Islamic Center at Harvard University’s divinity school of all places. The donation had to be returned after it became known that a similar Zayad Center in the UAE was closed because it had become a hotbed of Islamic extremism. And this is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Wahhabi Islam:

It is a religious obligation for Muslims to hate Christians and Jews and warn against imitating, befriending, or helping them in any way, or taking part in their festivities and celebrations;
Condemn democracy as un-Islamic; The documents promote contempt for the United States because it is ruled by legislated civil law rather than by totalitarian Wahhabi-style Islamic law.
The documents stress that when Muslims are in the lands of the unbelievers, they must behave as if on a mission behind enemy lines. Either they are there to acquire new knowledge and make money to be later employed in the jihad against the infidels, or they are there to proselytize the infidels until at least some convert to Islam. Any other reason for lingering among the unbelievers in their lands is illegitimate, and unless a Muslim leaves as quickly as possible, he or she is not a true Muslim and so too must be condemned.
For example, a document in the collection for the “Immigrant Muslim” bears the words “Greetings from the Cultural Attache in Washington, D.C.” of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, and is published by the government of Saudi Arabia. In an authoritative religious voice, it gives detailed instructions on how to “hate” the Christian and Jew: Never greet them first. Never congratulate the infidel on his holiday. Never imitate the infidel. Do not become a naturalized citizen of the United States. Do not wear a graduation gown because this imitates the infidel;
One insidious aspect of the Saudi propaganda examined is its aim to replace traditional and moderate interpretations of Islam with extremist Wahhabism, the officially-established religion of Saudi Arabia. In these documents, other Muslims, especially those who advocate tolerance, are condemned as infidels. The opening fatwa in one Saudi embassy-distributed book, published by the Saudi Air Force, responds to a question about a Muslim preacher in a European mosque who taught that it is not right to condemn Jews and Christians as infidels. The Saudi state cleric’s reply rebukes the Muslim cleric: “He who casts doubts about their infidelity leaves no doubt about his.” Since, under Saudi law, “apostates” from Islam can be sentenced to death, this is an implied death threat against the tolerant Muslim imam, as well as an incitement to vigilante violence;
Sufi and Shiite Muslims are viciously condemned;
For a Muslim who fails to uphold the Saudi Wahhabi sect’s sexual mores (i.e. through homosexual activity or heterosexual activity outside of marriage), the edicts published by the Saudi government’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, and found in American mosques advise, “it would be lawful for Muslims to spill his blood and to take his money;”
Regarding those who convert out of Islam, the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs explicitly asserts, they “should be killed;”
Saudi textbooks and other publications in the collection, propagate a Nazi-like hatred for Jews, treat the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion as historical fact, and avow that the Muslim’s duty is to eliminate the state of Israel;
Regarding women, the Saudi publications instruct that they should be veiled, segregated from men and barred from certain employment and roles;

(Center for Religious Freedom study of government publications in Saudi Arabia’s embassy, libraries and mosques in the USA)

Watch out Cheney!

2006-02-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

My nephew Cole is on the hunt. Here is is about to skin the wild dog he shot. City Beef anyone?

UN Farce

2006-02-16T17:07:00.000-05:00

If you are following the news today, you know that the scandelous United Nations Human Rights Commission released a report on the “Situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay.” It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the report and know it is unsubstantiated bloviating and should be discounted entirely. It is also examlpe #48 of the top 100 reasons why the UN is broken. (Note: this report comes from a body that has Sudan, Cuba, China, Zimbabwe and other gross human rights abusers sitting as judge and jury--the same body that has all the time in the world to offer up condemnation after condemnation against Isreal but not one report on China, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Russia, Morroco, etc)

Anyways, here are the reasons for discounting the report--spelled out for you since the media is unlikely to do it for you:

None of the writers of the traveled to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. They rejected an invitation to visit the facility because they claimed that their access at the facility would be insufficient. The access they demanded was greater than the access provided to visiting Members of Congress. Note: The International Committee for the Red Cross (“ICRC”) has direct access to the detainees at the facility.
Much of the report is based on the testimony of former detainees who, for the most part, were caught red handed trying to kill United States troops, are terrorists, are terrorist sympathisizers, or some combination. It was also largely based on second-hand testimony from attorneys acting on behalf of detainees, otherwise known as hearsay. NOTE: It is crucial to remember that these al Qaeda operatives have been specifically trained to allege torture upon capture. The Al Qaeda Training Manual (commonly referred to as the Manchester Manual), lesson 18, available here.
One of the UN report’s most obvious failures is its recommendation that the terrorists be detained in accordance with accepted “criminal procedure” and be brought to trial. The UN is clueless that international law dealing with armed conflict recognizes by universal agreement and practice that the primary purpose behind the capture and detention of enemy combatants is to prevent their return to combat to take up arms once again. The purpose of the detention is not to serve as a precursor to criminal trial. This is a national security paradigm, not a criminal law enforcement paradigm.
Moreover, the detainees receive all the legal process they are due under international law. They have an opportunity to challenge their designation as an enemy combatant through the Combatant Status Review Tribunals (“CSRT”), and their detention is reviewed on an annual basis by the Annual Review Board (“ARB”).
The UN report says that the United States is engaged in torture at the facility. The President himself has personally promulgated the policy to treat enemy combatants “humanely and . . . in a manner consistent with the principles of international law.” Memo from President to Vice President, et al. regarding Humane Treatment of Al Qaeda and Taliban Detainees ¶ 3 (Feb. 7, 2002). Moreover, an independent panel led by former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger specifically found that “there is no evidence of a policy of abuse promulgated by senior officials or military authorities.” The Honorable James R. Schlesinger, et al., Final Report of the Independent Panel to Review DoD Detention Operations, August 24, 2004, available here. Again, the basis for the UN’s conclusion is most likely interviews with detainees trained to allege torture upon capture.
The report claims that the detainees were deprived of their right to freedom of religion. If the authors had bothered to visit the facility, they would find that every terrorist detained at the facility is permitted every opportunity to practice their faith, including a call to prayer five times a day in accordance with the beliefs of Islam. U.S. troops receive special training on how to treat the Koran reverently and consistently with the Muslim faith. Every detainee has a prayer cup, prayer beads, and prayer oil.
The report concludes that the conditions at the facility constitute a right-to-health violation. Again, if the authors had bothered to visit the facility, they would find that every terrorist detained at the facility has clothing, shelter, and basic hygiene items. The detainees have the ability to send and receive mail and the opportunity to exercise.

The United Nations is hopeless and its "Human Rights Commission" is being run by thugs and dictators--which ought to be enough to discount this ridiculous report. But from all the press this reoprt is getting, aparently it's not.

Under the Radar

2006-02-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

My friend Thena Dare has released a new album, "Under the Radar" that I want each of you to check out. She is uber talented and this latest project is fantastic. For those of you who are needing some new muzak, you can pick up this project and enjoy some chill tunes.

Thena is married to my old 'trose buddy, Ted Beam. Ted, on his way to LA, drove through DC (ok, so he didn't drive in a straight line from point A to point B---but where's the fun in that?). Ted, like Thena, is dripping with the muscial skillz to pay the billz. When he was in DC, he participatedin one of my "El Concierto de la Noche" concert series. Be sure to check out the swallowtail video on the link. . .it is one of the classic Ted Songs. . .Other Ted classics are Lost Summer and La Mano Mas Poderosa.

choice

2006-02-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was at a friend's house to discuss an up-coming hearing I am working on. . .and since I was the only conservative in the room surrounded by four liberals (and I mean the activist kind), the conversation eventually came around to topics we didn't agree on and whether or not they could woo me to their side of the ideological divide. Of course, the first issue off their lips was abortion and every time the abortion topic is invoked, the word "choice" is not far behind. . .After their tirade of reasons why they were right on this isue (among other things, one of them said she was right because she was a girl and I was a guy--yeah that's fair), I allowed for a dramatic pause and said I am extremely supportive of the pro-choice ideology. Their jaws dropped, and then I followed up with--"I think the baby should decide if it wants to be killed or not."

I managed to get a chuckle, but they didn't have anything else to say--probably because they were being polite and held back curse words. But then I brought up other choice issues--that I thought it was inappropriate for government to tell me what I can and can't do with my own money-in-the-form-of retirement. I told them I thought it was scandelous that the government has a monopoly on most people's choices for educating their kids--even in places where there are magnet schools and one or two alternatives, you are still stuck in the system dictated by the government. I went on through other examples of the government intruding on our lives and making decisions for us and etc. . .And the response I got to each of my concerns: "Most people are not smart enough to make these decisions on their own." It was a stunning admission of elitism. . .and apparently, I was the only one who recognized it.

This statement, to me, sums up the liberal ideology for me--intrinsicly elitist and pessimistic. Sure it might be a gross over-exageration and unfair to the nuances in ideology that individuals can have. . .but the essence of liberal ideology is based upon assuming the worst in people--they are too dumb, too poor, to oppressed to make anything of themselves or have responbility over their lives. . .so let's allow the behemouth Big-Brother-Government take over their lives and make life changing decisions for everyone. I just don't understand how this way of thinking could fester in a cultural ethos that was built upon rugged individualism, personal freedoms and personal responsiblity. It' not ok. . .and it really is offensive. But enough people in DC have latched onto this pessimistic view of the poor, the minority, the working American. . .and the monopoly over our lives continues.

Armageddon sounds like fun. . .and it is!

2006-02-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a great op-ed that is a good snap-shot of the political philosophy that guides my new boss

When Coburn disparaged an earmark for Seattle -- $500,000 for a sculpture garden -- Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was scandalized: ``We are not going to watch the senator pick out one project and make it into a whipping boy.'' She invoked the code of comity: ``I hope we do not go down the road deciding we know better than home state senators about the merits of the projects they bring to us.'' And she warned of Armageddon: ``I tell my colleagues, if we start cutting funding for individual projects, your project may be next.'' But Coburn, who does not do earmarks, thinks Armageddon sounds like fun.

He came to Congress with the 73 House Republican freshmen of 1994. A fervent believer in term limits, he said he would leave after three terms, and did. He says he will serve at most one more Senate term. Of the 535 House and Senate seats, he says, ``There's 200,000 -- 300,000 -- people can do these jobs.'' How many? ``Millions,'' he revises.

``I'm not liked very well,'' he says serenely, ``but I'm like the gopher that's going to keep on digging until someone spears me or traps me. I'm going to keep on digging the tunnel under spending.'' Because, he says, large deficits reverse the American tradition of making sacrifices for the benefit of rising generations: ``I'm an American long before I'm a Republican, and I'm a granddad before I'm either one of them.''

``If I don't get re-elected? Great. The Republic will live on.'' Meanwhile, his mission is the soul of simplicity: ``stopping bad things.'' For five more years -- 11 at the most -- Coburn will be the Senate's stoplight.

Dissidents beware--Yahoo is not your friend

2006-02-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Google is not alone in their selling out to the ChiComs--enter Yahoo, stage left. Shame, shame, shame.

Yahoo Inc. provided evidence to Chinese authorities that led to the imprisonment of an Internet writer, lawyers and activists said on Thursday, the second such case involving the U.S. Internet giant.

The latest storm over Western Internet companies in China comes just weeks after Web search giant Google Inc. came under fire for saying it would block politically sensitive terms on its new China site, bowing to conditions set by Beijing.

Writer and veteran activist Liu Xiaobo said Yahoo had co-operated with Chinese police in a case that led to the 2003 arrest of Li Zhi, who was charged with subverting state power and sentenced to eight years in prison after trying to join the dissident China Democracy Party.

Yahoo gave public security agents details of Li's registration as a Yahoo user, Liu said in an article posted on U.S.-based Chinese-language news portal Boxun, citing a defense statement from Li's lawyers.

Yahoo needs to go back and read more about their core "values."

We're not just committed to providing great products and services! Yahoo! is also committed to empowering its users and employees through programs, products, and services that inspire people to make a positive impact on their communities.

HEY YAHOO! Tell that to the dissidents you are helping the Communists gag, jail, torture, and worse!

Pop's cycle

2006-02-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

My old man is doing something insanely crazy for an important effort:

I know you have heard the old saying, “You can't teach an old dog new tricks”!

Well, I want to tell you what this old dog is going to attempt. I have decided to enter the BPMS15. No, that is not a mental institution or a monastery. It is a 160 mile, plus bike ride from Houston to Austin (In two days? I have never in my life done anything so insane but there’s no time like the present to prove my insanity. Here’s the ‘skinny’.

I want to help raise $10M for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. They are doing a magnificent job in the pursuit of wiping out this terrible disease. On April 22 and 23 I will be peddling my heart out (and a few more body parts that I shall not mention at this time) towards Austin, Texas. I am on a team composed of wonderful people who are employed Administaff, Inc., who’s national headquarters are located in Kingwood, Texas. This outstanding HR Company is one of the proud sponsors of this great event. Since I am a client of Administaff they graciously allowed me to ride with them. Here’s what I have to do to participate.

Each contestant is required to raise $400 plus a $75 entrance fee. The money goes to a good cause and I want you to, if you can, help me raise the money. Even if you can only send in a dollar, that will help. Actually if you can contribute something you are entering into my pain! So, if you can do a little or a lot, just make your check to Buddy Hicks Ministries as an un designated gift. As a ministry we want to contribute also. Together we can reach my goal.

The bottom line is two pronged: First, I am going to be so sore I won't be able to sit down for a month and secondly, together we will join in the fight against multiple sclerosis.

Whether you can donate or not, please, please X 1000 pray for me! Also, if you know where I can find a pair of shorts with ‘gel’ at the appropriate spot please call me.

Thanks to all of you for your support, Your ‘old dog’ friend, Buddy

Hypocrits

2006-02-08T09:42:00.000-05:00

Muslim cartoons:

Al-Watan, June 11, 2003 (Qatar)
The big word with the Star of David: "Terror;" below, on the hand: "The assassination policy."

Al-Watan, May 13, 2003 (Qatar)
In the middle: "the Arab states".

Al-Watan, May 8, 2003 (Qatar)
The Jew is pointing at "Syria".

Al-Watan, May 6, 2003 (Qatar)

Al-Watan, April 19, 2003 (Qatar)
In Arabic, on the Jew: "Weapons of mass destruction". In Arabic, on the left: "Syria".

Al-Watan, April 17, 2003 (Qatar)
The Jew is representing "the big Israel", which pushes the US towards "Syria".

Al-Watan, April 16, 2003 (Qatar)
The Jew is writing "the sanctions on Syria".

Al-Watan, April 6, 2003 (Qatar)
Powell is pointing at "Syria" and "Iran".

Al-Watan, March 6, 2003

Western Cartoons:

published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005

It has nothing to do with the cartoons. . .

2006-02-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Reporter Claudia Rosette has a great article on the Muslim rioters:

This is more of the same rage that for years — decades, actually — has brought us parades of masked gunmen, along with bombings, beheadings, the murder of aid workers, tourists, and journalists, the assaults on resorts in Kenya and Bali, on the trains and subways of Madrid and London, on the weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies of Israel and post-Baathist Iraq. This is more of the same rage — inspired one may presume by factors other than Danish political satire — that produced that act of war known as September 11.

With each step, we have looked for ways to defuse the anger by understanding the grievances. Bookshops have filled with volumes on the history of Islam, the wounded pride, the regional distinctions, the contending forces within Islam itself. Our political leaders, who have relatively little to say — and just as well — about Buddhism, Hinduism, or for that matter Animism, have taken to celebrating the end of Ramadan, invited Islamic moderates to their state dinner tables and told us over and over that Islam is a religion of peace. We have debated whether to describe those who deviate from this serene vision as Islamic radicals, Islamo-fascists, militant Islamists, or plain old evil-doers, terrorists, fascists, and thugs who happen to be Muslims.

And as the Danish drawings have made world headlines in recent days, our statesman have given every sign of being more disturbed by the contents of the cartoons than by the grotesque and bullying violence of the response. From many quarters, we have been warned that we must above all exercise that Christian virtue of turning the other cheek — if not positively feeling the rioters’ pain. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, self-described chief diplomat of the world, has stepped into the cartoon fray, taking the time — while accepting a $500,000 environmental prize in the United Arab Emirates — to say he shares the “anguish” of Muslims over the cartoons, but urges them to “forgive the wrong they have suffered.” Bill Clinton has condemned the cartoons as “totally outrageous.” The Bush White House has agreed with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen that all sides should move ahead “through dialogue and tolerance, not violence” — as if all sides had committed acts of equal gravity. The State Department has trotted out a spokesman to pronounce the cartoons “offensive” and a spokeswoman to scold that “Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable” — a reprimand presumably meant not for the gunmen and arsonists but for the press that dared publish the cartoons.

Also, from today's op-ed by Jonah Goldberg:

Overreactions are usually about something bigger. The whole point of the "last straw" metaphor is that small things can set off disproportionate reactions. One Muslim protestor in Britain held up a sign saying "Freedom Go To Hell!" Do we really think that a handful of cartoons in Denmark transformed him from a Jeffersonian democrat into a jihadi? Was the holder of the sign "Behead Those Who Insult Islam" a pacifist until recently?

Maybe, just maybe, these guys brought some issues to the table long before they ever heard of these cartoons.

It seems obvious, to me at least, that this is clang and clatter that comes with a clash of civilizations. Last year the (false) Newsweek story that American interrogators were flushing Korans down the toilet caused lethal riots in Afghanistan. In Paris, Muslims riot or threaten to riot about everything from schoolgirls without headscarves to the lack of halal Brie. Around the world, Muslims suffer from a mixture of legitimate grievances and an enormous inferiority complex. Muslim, and particularly Arab, governments have a vested interest in stirring up this sort of thing because it distracts from their own corrupt regimes. And the Muslim "street" seems to fall for it every time.

And so does much of the Western press. Sure, this is about freedom of expression, but it's also about so much more. Journalists just love to talk about freedom of the press. But they don't like to talk about that enormous chip on the shoulder of the Muslim world, and they really hate to say anything offensive to "oppressed" peoples.

Islamatists :: fringe? or the 600lb gorilla people desperately try to ignore?

2006-02-06T07:59:00.000-05:00

I'm still looking for the "muslim-moderate-middle" that is a good reflection of the "religion of peace." All I am finding in the "middle" are intolerant biggots who would rather kill you than allow you to be a critic of their philosophy and lifestyle. Could it be that "peace-loving" muslims in comparison may not be the "middle" but the exception? Maybe I am wrong--I have not polled the world of Muslims. . .but the problem, that further illustrates my point, is that in most muslim countries, if you were to go around asking polling questions, you would probably be beaten, stoned, kidnapped or killed for daring to exercise freedom of speech and ask critical questions regarding their cosmology.

Can you imagine if this behavior was the knee-jerk reaction of Christians or Jews who are constantly being criticized, blasphemed, and made the butt of jokes in Western Culture? There would be very few museums left in big cities, there woudld be almost no theatres or libraries or university complexes. They would have been burned a long time ago. . .and the actors, teachers, comedians, writers, etc would have gone into hiding a long time ago. Mainstream islam needs to grow up and take it on the chin. They are ripe for scrutiny just like any other religion, philosophy and cosmology. Frankly, this PC tip-toeing the enlightened West is doing around an actual critic of Islam is embarrassing and ridiculous. If they want to play with the big dogs, then they need to learn to pee in the high grass.

Do you ever have one of those days where. . .

2006-02-03T17:42:00.000-05:00

North Korea Freedom Week

2006-02-02T17:56:00.000-05:00

For those of you coming to DC or in the DC area, here is a letter from a friend and collegue regarding a very important human rights event here in DC:

Dear Friends:

Please mark your calendar for the dates of April 22-30, 2006 for North Korea Freedom Week for events we will be planning to support freedom and human rights for the North Korean people in the Capital of the Free World, Washington, D.C. In addition to a major rally on Capitol Hill April 28 for the anniversary of North Korea Freedom Day, an all night prayer vigil at the Embassy of China, and the continuing World Tour of the North Korea Genocide Exhibit, we plan to host the largest delegation of North Korean defectors ever to visit the USA and are working with other NGOs to sponsor activities throughout the week.

As always, events will be open to the public and everyone is invited to participate. We promise to make the week worthwhile for anyone traveling to Washington, D.C. for these events. So far, these major events are confirmed, and we will advise as more special programs and activities are confirmed:

News cutaway mini-plays

2006-01-30T15:47:00.000-05:00

I was watching Cable News today and I realized something that happens almost in every report, but no one really pays attention to. There are these mini-theatrical productions lasting 5-10 seconds tops where people enact whatever the news report happens to be. There were two back to back just now---one on the possible corelation between alchohol and cancer. . .the other on loans and banking habits. For the first, they showd people sitting around a dimly lit bar, but there were camera lights added--it almost looked like a spotlight during a night safari. The people were either all real estate agents or they were faking conversations. The other showed this couple walk up to a bank official and shake hands. Then they walked into a conference room, and then we saw them in a deep and meaingful conversation (nodding heads and looking all serious).

It made me wonder where these actors were chosen. Is there a talent pool in New York of out-of-work actors that are so desparate, they are willing to start in 15 second plays? Were these people friends of the camera crew that are always suckered into helping their pals out with work projects? I wonder if any of these actors will put their news segment on their resume.

It would be cool to get a collection of all the mini-news-plays on a DVD. . .and have an awards ceremony for categories like "Most Believable Mamogram Patient" or "Best Dog Walker" or "Best Young Couple Buying a Car."

Crashing Bigotry

2006-01-27T11:51:00.000-05:00

My pal Nick FINALLY started blogging again, and I commented on one of his recent posts regarding the movie "Crash." I thought you would enjoy seeing my comment on the race issue that the movie brings up (and Nick's comment re: the lack of Asian represntation).

my theory on why "asians" are not considered when mainstream discusses race is this. . .The Father of modern Anthropology, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, first gave categories and diliniated the lines separating "races" as separate species. . .And the name he wanted for the whities needed to reflect his belief that whities were the superior, most beautiful of all races. . .so, naturally, he named the white race after the volumptious (and rather large) women in the Caucus Mountains--since they were the most beautiful creatures Johan had ever laid eyes upon. And everyone knows The Caucus Mountains are in Russia. . .which is in ASIA.

Soooo, “CaucASIANS” are merely a subset of ASIANS. . .So we are all one, brother!

(This is why I don't recognize Europe as a Continent. . .to dilineate TWO continents out of one landmass is a reflection of the innate bigotry that "Race" intrinsically embodies.)

new employee

2006-01-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

I wish I had 10 tates as interns. . .

Don't be evil. . .

2006-01-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

In honor of Google aiding and abeiting the massive human rights abusing machine we lovingly refer to as the "ChiComs," I offer you this:

stosselizing

2006-01-25T07:59:00.000-05:00

ps . . . i love john stossel. . .i hate socialized education. . .discuss. . .

. . .

2006-01-25T07:18:00.000-05:00

Don't really have much to say other than recant two things from yesterday:

Was in a meeting where a Lithuanian had to speak German to one guy who then spoke Portuguese to another guy who then translated it into English.
I got a file folder cut. . .think paper cut but deep and wide. . .

That is all.

Culture of corruption. . .its a two way street.

2006-01-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Next time the media wants to paint the picture of the Republican's Culture of Corruption, keep in mind a few things they are failing to give wall-to-wall coverage:

Jan. 12, the New York Times burried in the back corners a story about a former aide to Rep. William Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, who pleaded guilty the day before to bribing the congressman. The aide, Brett Pfeffer, said that his former boss had demanded a stake in Pfeffer’s business in return for his support. He also alleged that Jefferson had insisted that two of his relatives be put on Pfeffer’s payroll. Apparently, the FBI has been investigating Jefferson for some time. It has raided his home and wired conversations with him in a sting operation.
Also on Jan. 12 the Times burried a story that a state assemblyman who had formerly headed the Brooklyn Democratic Party was sentenced to jail a day earlier for receiving illegal contributions. The assemblyman, Clarence Norman Jr., faces other charges as well.
On Jan. 23, the Times burried the story that former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell is on trial for receiving payoffs of $150,000 from companies doing business with the city, as well as $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions and other gratuities. This article appeared on page 12. Nowhere in the article was Mr. Campbell’s political affiliation mentioned. I had to do an Internet search to discover that he is a Democrat. Yet the article had plenty of space to discuss at some length what a great mayor Campbell had been.
Go to the web site of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, popularly known as the House Ethics Committee. Click on “historical documents” and go to a publication called “Historical Summary of Conduct Cases in the House of Representatives.” The document was last updated on November 9, 2004 and lists every ethics case since 1798, when Rep. Roger Griswold of Connecticut attacked Rep. Matthew Lyon of Vermont with a “stout cane” and Lyon responded with a pair of fireplace tongs. By my count, there have been 70 different members of the House who have been investigated for serious offenses over the last 30 years, including many involving actual criminality and jail time. Of these, only 15 involved Republicans, with the remaining 55 involving Democrats.

Both the Dems and the Reps need to clean up their act. But it is actually quite hilarious to see the Democrat leadership get on their highhorse while their face is coverd in mud of their own making. Anyway, I am convinced more than ever to cling to my identity as a conservative and NOT as a republican. . .I just happen to be voting republican until something better comes along . .a party is an empty shell that both good and bad people can use to operate their politics. . .but it is still about the ideas, goals, and vision of the indiviual that drives me. . .not the party.

They found me

2006-01-24T07:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I did the deed and got the annoying Best Buy nightmare over. . .When I returned to the store, the lying manager was there and was visiblly avoiding coming near my register or looking me in the eye---he knew I caught him red handed. Nothing really happened other than him doing what he should have done in the first place. . .it was really quite ridiculous.

This morning, I think a black helicopter landed on my roof. There was a helicopter hovering somewhere nearby, and if it got any closer, the blades would go through my window. Maybe "they" are onto me. . .but it's not like I am a cool as Jack Baur.

Today is the first hearing I am staffing for my new boss. . .It is the first in a seriese of hearings that the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee is doing to look into the disasterous disaster recovery activities of FEMA after Katrina and Rita. Today's hearing covers an exercise called "Hurricane Pam" where federal, state, and local FEMA officials and government officials simulated a massive hurricane that hit New Orleans. They used the simulation to figure out how to handle a massive evacuation and recovery effort in the off chance a huge hurricane hit New Orleans. . .They even had some nifty action plans drawn up. Too bad for the people of New Orleans whose tax dollars paid for their officials to attend this exercise that the planning went down the drain quite literally a year later when Katrina hit land.

anti-dc rant

2006-01-23T07:39:00.000-05:00

At the end of last year, I recieved a significant bonus (don't worry, my regular salary was so pitiful that this didn't come close to making up for the relative pay gap compared to the private sector). With part of it, I decided to purchase a new TV---the one I have has been in the family since the early 80s. I purchased a nice TV, but they were out of stock so I ordered it for delivery. . .4 weeks later. Well the deliver date is this Saturday. . .but I decided not to spend so much on a new TV since the one I currently have (small and unimpressive as it is) still works and doesn't HAVE to be replaced.

Yesterday, I went to the Best Buy I ordered it from to cancel the purchase. . .and I caught the manager in the middle of a big, fat lie. Basically, he told me that you can't cancel an order within 7 days of delivery--that I had to recive the TV then return it. I called another store to verify this, and the other store gave me the skinny--you can cancel 2 days in advance. I still have 4 days. He was more interested in his sales figure for the day or getting home or farting around than processing my cancelation. When I called back to tell him that I found out the real policy for canceling orders, he hung up on me. Yeaaaaa!

I tell you this because it is symptamatic of overall customer service in the DC area. You don't matter. . just your sale. It is one of the many depressing things about DC. Others include:

the fact the dc police cannot be relied upon or trusted to save the day [former flatmate is a dc cop and gives me the skinny],
people get mugged by gun/knife point all over town---no where is safe,
your car will be broken into at least once,
people with apartments/cars pretend to be homless on streetcorners to nab money from tourists or guilt-ridden rich people,
people care more about politics than even religion [more likely for a liberl jew to date a liberal catholic than a conservative anything to date a liberal anything]

Another thing that really rubs me the wrong way is the number of white pastors in town that are infatuated with the reparations for slavery idea. . .my pator included. It is one thing to jump on the racial reconciliation bandwagon and have anual "please forgive me for the sins of people long dead against people that are long dead" meetings. It is important to break down walls of bigotry. . .yes. . .but you can only take upon some dead guy's sin so many times before it starts to get old. Besides, I am not mormon, so I don't really get into the whole "atoning for someone else's horrible choices and lifestlye" routine (ie, mormons practice getting baptised for dead people---even taking the dead person's name on for themsleves). If you are a bigot, then die to your self, take up your cross, and stop being a bigot. But bigotry can be found in ALL people with EVERY shade of brown.

What these people don't ever explain are the complicated and sticky questions that surround the idea of redistributing wealth to black americans:

If we have been redistributing wealth for decades to low-income people (welfare)---with absoltuely no systematic results in the "war on poverty," how will redistributing wealth to a select few people (regardless of their income level) solve anything?
How do you determine who gets the money and who doesn't? Do we bring back the abhorrant "% blood" practice used in eugenics and slavary days? What if someone you label as being "white" had 1/2 their ancestry in the line of former slaves? 1/3 of their ancestry? a 1/4?
How do you quantify and qualify one's claims to be decendents of slaves? How do weed out African immigrants? What if 1/2 were slaves and 1/2 imigrant? 1/3? 1/4? 1/5? 1/6?. . .
What about decendents of abolitionists or those who never owned slaves? Do they get a discount or targeted tax-cut? What about "white" or "asian" or "latino" or etc. immigrants that came AFTER slavery was abolished? Do African immigrants have to pay too? Does anyone get a tax-cut exemption?
How many generations of qualifying black people with enough % slavery in their blood gets to have otherpeople's money? (do we make one payment at one time or is this an entitlement from now on? If it is an entitlement, what qualifying indicators will be set to determine when we dont have to give other people's money to qualifying black people?)
If a qualifying black american is--ooo lets say--a justice on the supreme court, secretary of state, representative, senator, one of the richest americans, has one of the most watched tv shows of all time, makes 100s of k per basektball game, has a best selling book, etc. . .do they get someone else's money too?

But it isn't PC to actually think about the ramifications of reparations. In the name of trying to reach out to a blighted community here in DC (ie, the projects, neighborhoods with crack-sellers on most corners, places most likely to have a police shootout on a saturday night), these pastors are putting forth silly ideas that will actually make things worse instead of putting forth ideas that would really make a positive impact: supporting personal responsiblity, stronger family units, ownership over one's destiny, etc.

But it is easier to throw money at something. . .and as we have seen with decades of the welfare program--this never works. It wasn't until there was a work requirement and a graduation program from welfare (renamed TANIF once the Congress reformed in the wake of the '94 Republican Revolution) that we saw poverty levels among black children drop dramatically. . .(we use black children as an indicator since they are the most vulnerable in low-income, welfare dependent communities). We also found that low-income people dramatically left low-income categories and vastly improved their standards of living---once they started to work (brilliant concept).

Sunday a week ago, my pastor preached up a storm regarding Martin Luther King and raparations and etc. . .Yesterday, I visited a church with a friend and the pastor there was pushing the same concepts and a new sunday school class on race that they were offering. . to "teach people a common vocabulary; how to recognize institutional racism" and etc. . .

Again, I agree that bigots exist. . .they will always exist until we shed this stupid, fallen world. . but it is not all about "race". . .one can be a bigot regarding anything. . .in fact, by definition, we are all bigots about something. . .we prejudge and we come to conclusions based on some characteristic we think is meaningful. . .

anyway, time for work. . .

ps--today is the march for life. . .

Top Ten Ways The House Of Representatives Is Like "A Plantation"

2006-01-19T07:59:00.000-05:00

(I stole this)

10. Just like on a plantation, it's still all about the cotton, sugar & tobacco

9. The most junior slaves on a plantation were invariably assigned the least desirable offices, often in the basement of the [Longworth] Building

8. Congressmen are paid over $170,000 per year, just a fraction more than what slaves were paid; plus, slaves had to pay for their own stamps, if you can imagine such barbarism

7. Slaves were often subject to the indignity of being jetted off to Boca Raton golf courses to be lobbied on okra subsidies

6. Two words: "Majority Whip." Do I have to spell it out for you?

5. Slave-masters were notoriously cruel and arbitrary about allowing their slaves to "extend and revise" their remarks for the Congressional Record

4. Whether it's the "manacles" of having one's amendments voted down or actual, literal manacles holding your body as you bake in the punishing noontime sun, hey, it's all still basically just "chains of oppression," right?

3. Slaves were often looked down upon as the lowest rung of society, hardly fit to acknowledge even as human beings; Congressmen... well, more or less the same

2. Just like slaves did after a backbreaking day's toil in the fields, Congressmen end their days by heading over to Ted Kennedy's Georgetown bachelor pad for hookers & foosball

... and the Number One Way In Which The House of Representatives Is Like a Plantation...

1. Like slaves, Congressmen are openly bought and traded

'nuff said

2006-01-18T15:40:00.000-05:00

Crazy Connection

2006-01-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

In the duties of my new job, I have to talk to all sorts of people. Yesterday, while doing some oversight research, I was speaking to a mid-level political appointee in a particular office in the Administration. When he found out I was a Texan, he asked me where I was from. I told him I was a Houstonian--that I went to Kingwood High growing up but lived in Montrose before I moved to DC.

He quickly pointed out that his great grandfather was the mastermind behind the original Montrose neighborhood. I had lived on Audubon Place--the street named after the original hood. . .and I had attended a few of the Audubon Historical Society neighborhood meetings (their goal was to preserve the original homes). The Link Mansion (now owned by St. Thomas University) was only 3 blocks or so from my old place.

Link was an interesting fellow. From what I can remember from the Audubon Hist. Society presentation, Link developed the neighborhood and invited renowned architects from all over the states to design and build mostly bungalow styled houses. Before Link would allow anyone to purchase a home, he wanted to to completely finish the project--including all the streets, streetlamps, a trolly connecting the hood to downtown, parks, drainage, etc.

The original homes are amazing and are exactly what homes shoudl be---most of them have portches, they are not extravagantly designed but they are not cookie cutter, they feel warm and inviting. If I were to buy a home, I would want it to be in the spirit of Link's homes. In fact, if I ever moved back to Houston, I would want to buy a Link home.

The great grandson of Link is going to let me borrow a book that tells the full story of his great grandfather and his Audubon creation.

FINAL BREAKDOWN OF JUDGE SAMUEL A. ALITO’S QUESTIONS & ANSWERS DURING THE HEARING

2006-01-13T16:19:00.000-05:00

Judge Samuel A. Alito Answered A Higher Percentage (94%) Of Questions During His Confirmation Hearing Than Either Chief Justice John Roberts (89%) Or Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (79%) Did During Their Confirmation Hearings.

Judge Samuel A. Alito Breakdown:

Throughout His Supreme Court Nomination Hearings, Judge Samuel A. Alito Was Asked At Least 759 Questions By Members Of The Judiciary Committee. (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Samuel Alito, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/12/06)
Of Those 759 Questions, Judge Alito Answered At Least 716 Of Those Questions (94%). (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Samuel Alito, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/12/06)
Of Those 759 Questions, Judge Alito Declined To Answer Only 43 Of Those Questions (6%). (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Samuel Alito, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 1/12/06)

Judge John Roberts Breakdown:

Throughout His Supreme Court Nomination Hearings, Judge John G. Roberts Was Asked At Least 574 Questions By Members Of The Judiciary Committee. (Transcript Of Fourth Day Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge John Roberts, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/15/05)
Of Those 574 Questions, Judge Roberts Only Answered 510 Of Those Questions (89%). (Transcript Of Fourth Day Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge John Roberts, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/15/05)
Of Those 574 Questions, Judge Roberts Declined To Answer 64 Of Those Questions (11%). (Transcript Of Fourth Day Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge John Roberts, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/15/05)

Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg Breakdown:

Throughout Her Supreme Court Nomination Hearings, Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg Was Asked At Least 275 Questions By Members Of The Judiciary Committee. (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/20/93 – 7/22/93)
Of Those 275 Questions, Judge Ginsburg Only Answered 216 Of Those Questions (79%). (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/20/93 – 7/22/93)
Of Those 275 Questions, Judge Ginsburg Declined To Answer 59 Of Those Questions (21%). (Transcript Of Hearings On The Nomination Of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Committee On The Judiciary, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 7/20/93 – 7/22/93)

Plants Produce "Greenhouse Gas" - duh

2006-01-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

Another "no duh" moment in the scientific community. This is a close second to the report that said that the sun is likely cause for the "global warming."

Interesting that just a few years ago, the scientific community were freaking out about global cooling. Hmmm. . .maybe--just maybe--tempatures are cyclical?

Interesting Exchange in yesterday's Alito hearing

2006-01-12T10:59:00.000-05:00

SESSIONS: I'll just ask you to comment on this thought. Chief Justice Roberts in his hearings, and I asked him some questions similar to this, indicated that he was concerned about activism by the court, overreaching by the court, and he felt that this overreaching created a danger that it could undermine respect for law in our country.

SESSIONS: Do you share that view?

ALITO: I agree that overreaching by the courts can undermine respect for law. Our authority is based on the belief that what we are doing is different from what Congress is doing, because otherwise why would people tolerate our functioning? Nobody elects us. And we have a system of government that is fundamentally democratic. It's based on the sovereignty of the people. So how do you explain an unelected branch of government making decisions?

So all of our authority is based on the idea which was expressed in Marbury v. Madison that the Constitution is law. It's not conceptually different from statutory law. And our job is to interpret the Constitution, it has a meaning, and you apply it to the situations that come up.

SESSIONS: Well, right now there is a strong feeling, that I share, that the court on some very important issues that people care deeply about is exceeding its authority. They're calling on me and those of us in Congress to do something about it. I got a lot of letters saying, "Withdraw jurisdiction? Why aren't you supporting legislation to do that?"

And Congress, I think, has shown restraint. But I hope that when you become a member of this august body, the Supreme Court, and I believe you will, that you will take those concerns with you and share with the members of the court that their views on policy issues are of no greater value than mine, frankly, at least in my opinion they're not, and that the Congress has been showing some restraint here. But we really want the court to be more modest and to draw back from some of its intervention and policy issues that are causing much angst around the country.

You want to comment on that?

Otherwise, Mr. Chairman, I would yield my time.

ALITO: Well, Senator, I think your policy views are much more legitimate than the policy views of the judiciary because members of Congress are elected for the purpose of formulating and implementing public policy and members of the judiciary are appointed for the purpose of interpreting and applying the law.

SESSIONS: Thank you very much.

SPECTER: Thank you, Senator Sessions.

Interesting Exchange in yesterday's Alito hearing

2006-01-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

:: from the transcript ::

SCHUMER: Let me just say, though, you have ruled on certain cases, many of them were on technicalities, and in all of them, as a 3rd Circuit judge, you were bound by Supreme Court precedent.

You never in the 3rd Circuit were squarely presented with the question that I asked, which is a decisive question, which is whether the Constitution protects a woman's right to choose.

You were never asked in the court. You were never asked to overturn Roe v. Wade. And even if you were in the 3rd Circuit, you couldn't, because you were bound by the precedent of the court.

I do not think your 3rd Circuit rulings are dispositive on what you would do should you become a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

ALITO: If the matter were to come up before me on the Supreme Court, I would consider the issue of stare decisis. And if the case got beyond that, I would go through that entire judicial decision- making process that I described.

ALITO: That's not a formality to me, that's the way in which I think a judge or a justice has to address legal issues. And I think that is very important. And I don't know a way to answer a question about how I would decide a constitutional question that might come up in the future, other than to say I would go through that whole process. I don't agree with the idea that the Constitution always trumps stare decisis.

SCHUMER: It doesn't always, but sometimes...

SPECTER: Let him finish his answer, Senator Schumer.

ALITO: I don't agree with the theory that the Constitution always trumps stare decisis. There would be no room for the doctrine of stare decisis in constitutional law if that were the case.

SCHUMER: But, sir, it can trump stare decisis. It doesn't always, but can. Is that correct?

ALITO: It certainly can. And I think that's a good thing, because otherwise Plessy v. Ferguson would still be on the books.

SCHUMER: Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SPECTER: Thank you, Senator Schumer.

Senator Cornyn?

CORNYN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Judge Alito, are you familiar with the -- I guess the question that lawyers sometimes pose to demonstrate how unfair a question can be -- when did you stop beating your wife?

ALITO: I'm familiar with that question.

CORNYN: I suppose the reason why...

(LAUGHTER)

Since someone was picking on your mother-in-law, I thought I would inject your wife into this.

The point is this: It's an unfair question because it implies, regardless of what your response has been, that at one time you did, when in fact you have not.

And I just want to explore, to start with, Senator Schumer's questions about what is written in this Constitution about abortion. Does the word abortion appear anywhere in the Constitution?

ALITO: No. The word that appears in the Constitution is liberty.

CORNYN: And outside of let's say the Fourth Amendment, perhaps, does the right to privacy appear explicitly stated in the Constitution?

ALITO: There is no express reference to privacy in the Constitution. But it is protected by the Fourth Amendment and in certain circumstances by the First Amendment and in certain circumstances by the Fifth and the 14th Amendments.

CORNYN: And the reason it's protected is because the Supreme Court has so interpreted the Constitution. Isn't that correct, sir?

ALITO: That's correct. It's a question of interpretation rather than simply looking at what is in the text of the document.

CORNYN: So to ask you whether the right to free speech, which is explicitly protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution, ask you whether that's in there, and then to ask you in the same question or at least same series of questions whether the right to abortion on demand is in the Constitution, one is explicitly stated in the First Amendment. The other is the product of court interpretation.

Isn't that accurate, sir?

ALITO: Yes. That's my view of it.

CORNYN: And it is, to be more specific, it is what the courts have called penumbral rights. In other words, the old -- I can't remember whether it's Griswold or what case -- no doubt you can -- that talked about this being the emanations at the penumbra -- of the emanations from stated rights in the Constitution.

CORNYN: Can you clarify that for us so we get it correct?

ALITO: Yes.

Griswold talked about emanations and penumbras. And Griswold has later been understood by the Supreme Court as being based on the protection of liberty under the Fifth Amendment and the 14th Amendment.

CORNYN: Well, I was particularly troubled by the exchange of questions and answers, because the suggestion is that you have somehow been unresponsive.

And as I said in my opening statement, I do think that there are those who have already decided to vote against your nomination and are looking for some reason to do so. And I think one of the reasons that they may claim is that you've been nonresponsive.

But I was -- I thought it was telling that Senator Schumer said he didn't expect you to answer that question.

I would like to refer back to Senator Biden's comments where he praised you at the close of his remarks. He said: I appreciate you for being responsive. He said: I cannot remember a nominee being this forthcoming. I appreciate that you've answered nearly every question put to you. Thank you for being so responsive.

And indeed, according to one count, you've answered more than 250 questions thus far today.

So I think in all fairness the question is not a fair one to ask you whether the right to an abortion is written in this document. The fact is and the reason why you applied the doctrine of stare decisis is because you recognize the precedential effect, the authoritative effect of the Supreme Court's interpretation of this document as the law of the land, do you not, sir?

ALITO: That's correct.

CORNYN: And you mentioned Plessy v. Ferguson. I think it was Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat senator from Senator Schumer's state, who said if it weren't for the ability of the courts to go back and revisit these decisions, how would you ever correct a mistake?

And I think the fact is you've mentioned one of the instances where, thank goodness, the court has gone back and revisited a terrible decision which has been a scar on our country and on our jurisprudence, Plessy v. Ferguson.

And if the court had, in Brown v. Board of Education, had felt prohibited from revisiting that mistake, then we would still be living under that scar.

CORNYN: And I think we can all agree that that would be a terrible thing, and thank goodness we have a Supreme Court that has had the courage to go back in accordance with the principles of stare decisis and revisit terribly wrong decisions and to correct them and to bring us where we are today.

my nephew cole. . .guess who gave him the shirt

2006-01-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

Some things you need to know about the Abramoff buzz

2006-01-06T08:25:00.000-05:00

Something to keep in mind while the media is frothing at the mouth with the Abramoff/Republican-culture-of-corruption stories we have seen wall-to-wall for some time now.

(1) Senate democracy who received a large chunk of change from Abramofff and STILL deny ever meeting the guy and STILL refuse to return the money:

Max Baucus: $22,500
Evan Bayh: $6,500
Joe Biden: $1,250
Jeff Bingaman $2,000
Barbara Boxer: $20,000
Maria Cantwell: $21,765
Tom Carper (He's from Delaware): $7,500
Hillary Clinton: $12,950
Christopher Dodd: $14,792
Byron Dorgan: $79,300
Dick Durbin: (at least) $14,000
Russ Feingold: $1,250
Tom Harkin: $45,750
Senator Inouye: $9,000.
Tim Johnson: $14,250
John Kerry, $98,550
Barbara Mikulski: $10,000
Blanche Lincoln: $14,891
Patty Murray, Washington: $78,991
Harry Reid: at least $68,94
Debbie Stabenow: $6,250
Chuck Schumer: $29,550
Jay Rockefeller: $4,000

And that is just the list from the senate.

(2) Campaign Finance nonsense DOESN'T work! John McCain's dastardly "Campaign Finance Reform" that the media was quick to tout during the Abramoff story breaking---saying that it was McCain's "reform" that made nabbing Abramoff possible. . .well, not too many lefties are reporting that McCain's soul-saving reforms EXEMPT Indian tribes from McCain's political speech limitations--the tribes are not limited to $25,000 per candidate. . .Indian tribes can make aggregate annual hard money contributions in excess of $500,000. Everybody else's limit is $25,000. Abramoff and the Indian tribes were gaming the system that John McCain created. If you want to thank anyone for this scandal, thank John McCain, the Democrats and the RINOs who made it possible.

Basic rule of thumb, restricting political speech is not a good idea. It only makes the money harder to track, and it smears the Constitution. There was a day when such an act was enuff to tar and feather a man--politically speaking. The Founding Fathers didn't give their lives for a freedom just to let a RINO sap the life from it by allowing Abramoff cases to flourish--delegitimizing the government in the eyes of her people.

scorpion is as scorpion does. . .

2006-01-05T07:52:00.000-05:00

This is why I will not see Munich.

selah

pipe dreams

2006-01-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

I found this while rummaging through old links I threw up on my website a while back. . .great picture that is just brilliant. When I was in highschool, my computer class was pretty rambunctious. They used to tease me and call me names (and not let me play reindeer games). . ."platter". . . yes they called me platter. 3rd = trey = tray = platter

Then, one day, this really annoying girl had an epiphany--PLATTERpus!!! And for the rest of the semester, during 3rd period, I was referred to as Platterpus. But I was ok---I knew that on the inside, I was really a mallard. I could take solace in the fact that being an ugly duckling is way better than being a fake, ugly-duckling wannabe.

ps--be sure to check out these two great artist websites: robots will kill and design is kinky

ramblings of an out of work fed

2006-01-02T12:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, yesterday and today, I am officially unemployed. I am in the two day in-between before I start my new job. I am spending the day going through Inspector General reports, op-eds, committee synopsi (is that the plural of "synopsis?") hunting around for good hearing ideas. Top three picks so far:

uncovering the major health scams of 2005 and their cost on the economy and the government's budgets--ie, avian flu, unfounded claims of cancer causing agents in toothpaste, trumped up lawsuit abuses, etc
the cost (opportunity and real dollars) of the congressional reports mandated every year--when a Congressperson can't get their way with special-interest* pork, they usually revert to some dumb study that a Department is mandated to do within an arbitrary deadline. . .this usually appeases the said special-interest that didn't get redistributed American-worker-earned money to play with. . .
figuring out how much money the tax-payer dishes out to train and equip severe human rights abusers--everywhere from Indonesia, to Thailand, to morocco, to Egypt, etc. . .this funding is all in the name of either US security assistance (on the rise in the shadows of 911) and US military assistance

Anyway, I just downed my first chai (Aguilera-style of course) at Murky and planning my next order of business--getting new work clothes at Hetch's and/or Men's warehouses---whatever is cheaper with their post holiday sales. But before I run off to the most dreaded activity imaginable (shopping--for work clothes even!), I need to tell you about the most ridiculous and annoying conversation I have heard in a long time--definitely the most ridiculous of the year (all two days of it).

There was this older man and older woman---probably in their 50s--that were sitting right next to me. They sounded like old friends or maybe secret lovers trying to catch up after parting their separate ways for Christmas/New Years.

old woman: so how is she
old man: [rubs coffee cop, looks distantly out window, pause, pause, pause] she is doing ok. . .[pause]. . .i think she is dealing with some bad karma. . .[pause, pause, rubs coffee cup]
old woman: how is she physically?. . .[rubs coffee cup]
old man: [pause, rubs coffee cup, pause, pause, rearrange newspaper beside him, pause] she is actually fine, besides being bedridden and immobile. . .[rubs coffee cup]
old woman: [rubs coffee cup] well that doesn't sound like she is doing ok physically
[long pause, distant stares outside window, simultaneous rubbing of coffee cup]
old woman: how was your holiday? did you cook?
old man: [rubbing coffee cup, sighs, looking down-collecting thoughts] yeah, i made brazed lamb [pause, pause, pause, cough] i made clam chowder Christmas eve. . .
old woman: [pause, pause, while looking distantly out window and rubbing coffee cup] o that's nice. . .
[pause, pause, pause, simultaneous rubbing coffee cups]

Yes, it was just as annoying as it was to read all of that. . .I think I will cringe forever-more anytime someone rubs a paper-coffee-cup. I wanted to shake them and yell, "Wake up! Wake up, I tell you! Just LISTEN to yourselves! Mad, you are both MAD!"

And yes, the caffeine is firmly rooted in my system. I think I must depart and go on my dreaded shopping expedition. It is nice and cold and rainy outside. Perfect cafe, public transportation, shopping, back to cafe weather.

*I don't necessarily have any problem with special-interest being in politics since every single voting American is a special interest. . .I am using the term here in the jaded, stereotypical fashion to denote individuals and corporations that directly benefit from ridiculous pork-projects and grants. John McCain's use of this term is ridiculous and reminds me of something from a Arthur Miller propaganda play (McCain runs around accusing everyone else of being a witch while he is the one pointing and cackling around the black kettle--warts and all).

resolution :: to live the life worthy of my calling

2005-12-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

well, i am back in the hood. . .this last trip was great. . .got to spend family time with my padres, hermanas, abuelitos, and even mis tios. . .parent's new home is the shiznitz (SOFT water---that's always hot---WITH pressure), the weather was perfect, and even got some downtown time in the 'trose (although brasil didn't have my favorite chorizo breakfast weekend special---it was monday, but STILL!). . .

i start my new job on tuesday. . .sooo, i am gonna spend the next few days spring cleaning, doing a little pre-werk investigating for some new hearing ideas, and just relax before i jump into the blender of my new world. . .chop! chop!

i need to get a new pair of black work slacks and some new work collared shirts. . .i dread the idea of having to shop--especially for work clothes. . .but at least i have a few free days to muster up the courage to venture out. . .

this year has been hectic, but good. . .since taking the step of faith to move up here with no connections and not too many clues other than what was burning in my heart, god has taken care of me. . .i am about to venture into yet another "great unkown" and i am a little freaked out. . .but it is all part of the plan and purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. . .i am just glad i have been able to walk the walk thus far. . .now i pray that i have the grace to live the life worthy of my calling. . .

something to rememer this holy of weeks

2005-12-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

Not everyone will be coming home for the holidays. Say a prayer for the families of American heroes killed in the line of duty.

A very Sufjan Christmas

2005-12-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

Sufjan Stevens is one of my all time favorite artists. Last year, Christmas songs he recorded were floating around the internet. I searched dilligently on his website and on Amazon to ensure these songs were not being sold on an album--the blogs I found referring to the songs imply they are free to share.

Vol 1

Vol2

Vol 3

These songs are awesome and would compliment any Christmas party/gathering where you just wanna be chill and enjoy your company. . .

chronicles

2005-12-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

I saw the Chronicles of Narnia movie on opening weekend. It was a big deal for me--like it was for so many people around the world who have been touched by the seriese. The Chronicles were some of the very first books I read when I really started reading. Starting in first grade, I was a ferocious reader--read everything from the Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis' Space Trilogy, George MacDonald's fantasy seriese, Hardy Boys, Reader's Digest Condense Books, and on and on and on. . .I remember getting a volume set of MacDonald's books when I was in 1st grade--I got them because my mom said if I was good in church, she would let me pick out anything I wanted from the Church bookstore. So naturally, I went for the 5 volume set of George MacDonald fantasy books (The Golden Key, The Wise Woman or the Obstinate Princess, Grey Woman, etc).

What I find kind of wierd is that fact that I had been diagnosed with a severe learning disability. While my parents decided not to tell me until much later in life, I still remember some of the symptoms (ie, being punished by being held back from recess for not memorizing the ABCs or doing some other sort of lesson), and I remember going to the office where the doctor had me work puzzles and do other tests designed to diagnos kids. My condition was so severe that I couldn't even put simple, 5-peice puzzles together.

Well, my parents didn't accept that the doctor had the final word and began to pray. On my second visit to the doctor, my whacked out brain received a clean bill of health--to the amazement of all. God obviously had other plans for my noggin. My mom emailed me over the weekend when she and my dad went to see Chronicles:

I remember you reading it when you were in elementary school. I can't remember how long after God healed you that you read it. I couldn't believe that when you read it you understood all the symbolism, you were so young. Tonight dad said he wondered how many of the young children understood it all. I think the spirit of the movie reached them.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I thought of you tonight while I was watching. . .

I emailed back asking her if she knew what it was I was diagnosed with or had any paperwork or etc. . .

They said you had a learning disability, you didn't have eye and hand coordination. You couldn't put together simple things, which made it impossible for you to read, etc. Anyway, as soon as we left the doctor's office on the second trip (after he said you were ok, he couldn't understand it), you started reading immediately after we left, but you couldn't before we went in. You were able to memorize everything you read, retained what you read, etc.

We all said that God overhealed you. I never told you about it while you had the condition, I didn't want you to be discouraged, I acted like you were normal and treated that way. After you were healed I forgot to tell you.

When you started reading C.S. Lewis I was totally shocked that you could read it and understand all the metaphors.

Some would still say I am loopy, but the fact remains that God healed me noggin'. I wish I could hunt that doctor down and ask him what he diagnosed me with. . and then show him my two college diplomas and say "SNAP!" to his face or at least write it really big on a piece of paper, light it on fire, put it on his doorstep, ring his doorbell and run.

So, yeah, the movie did have a few things that movie critics could pick apart, but I didn't care. The actors on the screen were acting out more than just a book-turned-screenplay. They were acting out childhood daydreams and fantasies--people and places that kids of all sorts of ages escaped to in between classes and on the way to church and on rainy Saturdays and during sick days while confined to bed and at boring family reunions and etc.

announcement

2005-12-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I quit my job today. Mere hours ago, I emailed my Chief of Staff to inform her that I was offered a job today and I accepted the offer. While I have my episodes in very special circumstances, confrontation and I do not really get a long. Translation :: I am a big, fat wimp. It was so difficult to figure out how to break the news to my boss---in person, via email, via written letter? But circumstances choice for me since my boss took off early for a Christmas reception-netoworking-thing :: hence the email. Not to worry--I am meeting face to face in the morning, so I will be reclaiming my manhood in the morrow.

The new position is on a subcommittee staff on the Senate side. My job will now entail thinking up, reasearching, and producing Senate hearinngs re: Congresional oversite on everything from USAID grants, UN contributions, and all sorts of wasteful government spending. I am pretty freaked out right now--this is quite a jump from my current job. This next year will certainly be challenging.

The good thing is that the Staff Director of the Committee and a fellow professional staffer are both good friends (from church). Plus, almost the whole staff are believers and regularly pray together re: their work and lives. It will be a nice environment to work within.

Anyway, the shop is about to close and a buddy from church just came in that I want to speak with. . .

PS--Zach, a barrista at Murky, is a great artist. . .check out a sample of his work:

sheep

2005-12-14T17:29:00.000-05:00

Today at lunch, some friends and I walked to Subway. . .and when I crossed over New Jersey Ave, I looked over and saw a ton of police cars, paddywagons, and all sorts of comotion surrounding a protest of some sort. It's always fun to watch protestors clash with Capitol Police, but my friends and I were too hungry to be diverted.

However, on the way back, we took a route that would lead us right through the protestor area. It turns out that some misguided "religous protestors" (I belive they were connected with Soujourners, go figure). Apparently someone told them the Evil Republicans were back to their old schemes of forcing elderly to eat dog food and throwing kids out on the streets.

Their signs read "Budget Bills are moral bills" or something similar. That is 100% accurate--every bill that is passed is a moral bill--because bills make a statement of what is right at the expense of what is wrong. In fact, just about everything (if not everything) humans do is moral since it involved decisions/judgements.

Anyway, while their signs were technically correct, the rest of their message was embarrassingly incorrect. They claimed that the Budget bill that is being passed this week actuall cuts money going to the poor and the needy. Anyone who actually looks at the numbers ($ we spent this year versus what we propose to spend next year) knows there are absolutely no cuts. . .we are spending MORE money. Yes, you read it correctly----we are spending MORE money. . .

The contention between the Conservatives and Liberals is .1%. The Conservatives want the total mandetory spending to INCREASE by 6.3%. . .Liberals want it to INCREASE 6.4%. Just as one example, looking at Medicare alone, this would be the difference between INCREASING the growth of Medicare by 7.5% instead of increasing it by 7.7% over the next decade. I hope for the sake of this flock that they were led astray and weren't deliberately "misleading" whoever their target audience is.

Back to the narative. . .As I approached the area, I noticed that most of the people were already handcuffed and rounded up into the paddywagon (they were barring the entrance to one of the House Office buildings). It's a shame too---I was hoping to be deputized by the Cap Police so I could help round them up and send them to jail--where at least they could be warm.

Its good for Christians to try to stand up for the needy. . .but getting the facts right before opening your big mouth, even bettter.

commies aren't cool

2005-12-13T08:04:00.000-05:00

I want to be a part of this new monument. . .so I can tell my hypothetical kids that their hypothetical dad helped build this important reminder of the evils of state control over destiny, coerced benevolence, and guaranteed results (versus guaranteed opportunity). . .

donate by clicking here. . .

December 12, 2005, 8:46 a.m.
Memorial Day
Honoring the victims of Communism.

"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin," said Ronald Reagan. "And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."

In the future, understanding Communism may not require dusting off an old copy of Das Kapital, but instead merely visiting the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C. That's because this memorial, in the works for more than a decade, is on the verge of being built a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

"We hope to have it dedicated in the fall of 2006," says Lee Edwards, chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, which was established by an act of Congress in 1993. "But there's still a little more work to do."

It has been a long march. Building a memorial on federal land in D.C. involves a mind-boggling journey through a wilderness of government bureaucracy: various approvals must be gained from the National Capital Memorial Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission. Authorization for the memorial's site and design are normally separate procedures.

Suffice it to say, the experience demands forests of paperwork and mountains of patience. "It's all on behalf of the 100 million people who were killed in Communism's wars, revolutions, and purges," says Edwards.

Edwards, who doubles as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, has shepherded the project through various incarnations and locations. The current plan calls for a 10-foot-tall bronze statue based on the "Goddess of Liberty" figure erected by the martyred Chinese students of Tiananmen Square. After years of getting moved from potential site to potential site, everyone finally has agreed that the replica should stand at the intersection of Massachusetts and New Jersey Avenues, N.W., on a little triangle of property near Union Station and within view of the Capitol's dome. When it is done, the Victims of Communism Memorial will become a must-see stop on the conservative tour of Washington.

Although the memorial has not yet broken ground, a sculptor is already at work and Edwards is scrambling to raise the last few dollars his organization needs. "Our total budget is for about $650,000," he says. "We've received $500,000 so far and now we're galloping down the last lap. I'd love to collect the rest in the next 90 days." If the money arrives by March, Edwards foresees a dedication ceremony next November, around the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Every penny for the memorial has come from private sources; the government's only gift is the land. Major donors to the project so far have included Thomas L. Phillips, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Earhart Foundation. Edwards also credits Vietnamese Americans in northern Virginia for contributing heavily, as well as associations of Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians. "And make sure you mention the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy," he added when we talked last week. "They've helped out, too, and if you mention them it will irritate the ChiComs."

The final fundraising push begins this week. In the title of one of his most famous essays, Vladimir Lenin asked "What Is To Be Done?" You can help build the Victims of Communism Memorial by making a donation. You can also attend the foundation's annual Truman-Reagan Freedom Awards ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday night at the Polish Embassy in Washington. This year, the winners are retired general Edward Rowny, a Polish-American arms negotiator during the Reagan-Bush era; Pope John Paul II, whose award will be accepted by Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo of the Apostolic Nuncio; and the Solidarity Free Trade Union of 1980, which is Lech Walesa's old group. The event is open to the public, but a donation of $100 is requested. You know what it will go toward.

"The Communists," wrote Marx and Engels, "disdain to conceal their views and aims." It is now time to lay bare their sins and crimes, in a memorial that stands in the political capital of the free world.

— John J. Miller is national political reporter for National Review and the co-author, most recently, of Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America's Disastrous Relationship with France He is author of the upcoming A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America..

Now where did I put that scapegoat?

2005-12-12T17:26:00.000-05:00

Yea for "Islam is a relgion of peace"

Yea for "Sharia Law"

Yea for "Nation Building"

music genome project

2005-12-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me this. I am still exploring this, but the initial findings are extremely positive.

100% fruit juice. . .from concentrate. . .with other ingredients. . .

2005-12-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

So I came to work today---after the snow storm last night and the threat of icy conditions this morning. I was the only one here for the first hour. My roommate came in the second hour. Our Leg Director (DC boss) isn't even in yet----and he was the one who said that weather delays for the rest of the federal government doesn't' count for us--"be there on time". Did I ever tell you how much I love "do as I say not as I do" scenarios?

It is actually one of my pet peeves. Kinda like when I got a $50 parking ticket from flashy parking in front of my apartment while I ran in real fast. It was especially frustrating due to the fact that on ever single corner within a 3 or so block radius, cops illegally parked their personal cars. I am not exaggerating. There is a police substation a block away from my apartment (which was of no use to me when someone attempted to steal my car while it was parked under a street light and directly in front of my place). And to make matters worse, their trucks/suvs/cars make it almost impossible to go through an intersection the normal way--because we can't see if cars are coming, you are forced to slowly inch your way until you are in the middle of the internsection before you can go all the way through with a little bit of confidence.

Another pet peeve is misleading advertising. Why does gas have to cost 2.7999? Why not 2.80? Why does my apple juice that I had for breakfast say "100% fruit juice, from concentrate, plus other ingredients"? What the heck does that mean? 100% is rendered meaningless. I can never trust Dole again.

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

2005-12-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

This is the winter storm warning for DC. . .yeaaaah for the east coast. . .yeah for sucky weather. . .yeah for not being in my beloved Houston!

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM EST FRIDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM EST FRIDAY.

A WINTER STORM IS CURRENTLY TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY...AND IS FORECAST TO ADVANCE INTO OUR REGION THIS EVENING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREAS LATE THIS EVENING BETWEEN 10 PM AND MIDNIGHT. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT...HEAVY AT TIMES. STEADY ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF BETWEEN 10 AM AND NOON FRIDAY.

A TOTAL OF 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

PERIODS OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN ARE ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR. ANY ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS.

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

great commentary

2005-12-06T17:31:00.000-05:00

This is a great commentary for a party that has lost its way:

Potter versus Pevensie

2005-12-06T15:06:00.000-05:00

My friend, Daniel, IM'ed me today about the upcoming first-installation Narnia movie:

Harry Potter saved himself while Edmund Pevensie could not. That is the difference between the two.

What a beautiful thought. I want to be an Edmund for sure, but I think I behave like a Potter-wanna-be more often than not.

the 1,000th victim :: every 7 hours

2005-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

The other day, the news was filled with the buzz surrounding the 1,00th person to be executed on death row. Due to the attention, the person slated to go had his sentence stayed for a bit--some other convited murder will get the honor of the 1,000th execution. Nikolas Nikas, president of the Bioethics Defense Fund, made an important point (I posted on my stuff to read section) that puts this 1,000th death in perspective:

For as bad as the execution of a convicted murderer may be, (and I realize that to many there is a fundamental difference between the destruction of the innocent unborn and the putting to death, after trial and appeal, of a convicted killer), the stark, almost-too-horrible-to-contemplate, reality is that, if averaged out over a 24-hour period, the 1,000th victim of abortion occurs approximately every 7 hours, of every day, 365 times a year.

The math, a terrible calculation, is simple. Assume, conservatively that 1,300,000 abortions occur every year. (We don't really know for sure what the total number is because of the lack of mandatory reporting requirements in many states, but even the pro-abortion side of this most important of all issues seems to accept that this number is not an exaggeration).

If one divides that number by 365 days a year, the result is that everyday approximately 3,500 unborn children are killed.

Divide further the 3,500 abortions a day by 24 hours and the result is that every hour approximately 146 unborn boys and girls are deprived of the most basic of all human rights: the right to exist. And dividing 1,000 by 146, gives the ghastly statistic that the 1,000th victim of abortion is reached every 6.8 hours of every single day.

Every single day of the year, the 1,000th victim of abortion (whether it be burning the kid alive with chemicals or ripping the kid apart peice by peice before crushing her skull) happens every 7 hours. And this is in the United States---the place where we are supposed to recognize the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we are all created with--not born with.

If we can't recognize the basic and intrinsic value of human life, it renders our moral authority for other issues meaningless. We are left with the arbitrary and shifting opinions of humanity in lieu of something absolute and unchanging. This unsurity is the very reason why our Founding Fathers were so opposed to democracy--rule of the mob. They knew that there are certain values that are true no matter what laws are passed and no matter what opions are (even majority opinion). The Bill of Rights is an example of these values--no matter what public opinion is and no matter what laws John McCain tries to pass to limit it, we will always have the right to free speech. Of all the aboslutes that our political system is built upon, the sanctity of human life is supreme.

That's why one can never trust a politician that fudges on this issue--even if they throw out the "rape/incest" red herring. It really is a slippery slope--if (s)he is able to find some case where the absolute value of human life somehow loses that value, then one has to wonder where said politician is willing to compromise with some other critical building block of American law.

great news re: burma

2005-12-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent development re: Burma and the UN. . .many people doubted the Security Council (with China and Russia putting up roadblocks as they usually do) would take any action on the junta of Burma. . .but events and political manueverings have been mounting for some time, and it look s like the strategy of the US and human rights groups has finally paid off.

For Immediate Release: December 2nd, 2005, Contact: Jeremy Woodrum (202) 223-0300

Activists Welcome First-Ever UN Security Council Action on Burma

Consensus Decision Represents "Major Step Forward"

(New York and Washington, DC) The US Campaign for Burma today welcomed a consensus decision by the United Nations Security Council to study the situation in Burma for the first time in history, minutes after the Council agreed to ask UN Secretary General Kofi Annan or his representative to brief the Council on his efforts to promote national reconciliation in Burma. The United States led the effort.

The decision is especially significant not only because it is the first time in history the Council has agreed to a briefing on Burma, but because it had been widely presumed that China and Russia would refuse to participate. Instead, all 15 members of the Council agreed by consensus.

The move puts Burma's military junta in an awkward position, as it has refused to work with the Secretary General and other UN envoys.

The decision by the Council came just over two months after the release of a major report by former Czech president Vaclav Havel and South Africa's 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu, which proposed a UN Security Council resolution requiring Burma's ruling military junta to work with the United Nations on a plan for national reconciliation. Hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens around the world sent letters and emails to UN Secretary General asking him to take action at the Security Council, including 120,000 email organized by MTV through its website www.mtvburmaaction.com Additionally, activists rallied on October 24thin eight countries around the world calling for the UN Security Council to take action. The date corresponded with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, as well as the culmination of 10 years of house arrest spent by the leader of Burma's democracy movement, Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We are grateful that for the first time in history the UN Security Council has decided to be briefed on the situation in Burma," said Aung Din, a former Burmese political prisoner and policy director at US Campaign for Burma. "This is a major step forward, and the Council and its members should do everything in their power to support the Secretary General's efforts."

Less than one week ago Burma's military junta extended the house arrest of the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi.

At the prompting of the United States, the Security Council decided to ask the Secretary General to provide a briefing in a format known as a 'consultation of the whole'. The briefing, which is likely to proceed in the coming days, will be held in private. This style of briefing is generally used to allow for candid discussion.

The UN Security Council is the only body within the UN system that can pass and enforce binding action on a member country. A total of 28 non-binding UN General Assembly and UN Commission on Human Rights resolutions passed on Burma have been uniformly ignored by the regime over the past 15 years.

The US Campaign for Burma is a grassroots org.

do you ever have one of those days when you feel like. . .

2005-12-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

yeah. . .i am having one of those days. . .maybe weeks. . no months. . .shoot, i am having one of those quarters. . .

victory is MINE!

2005-11-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

when it's my time to go. . .

2005-11-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

. . .this is the way i want it to play out. . .i detest the idea of open casket anything. . .i detest the idea of some mopey service in a cold and uninviting cemetary. . .i want to be planted with a tree in a garden somewhere. . .marker not necessary. . .something relaxing and something that takes one's mind off the morbidity of death. . .and to thoughts that we don't really stop existing when we die. . .

super sweet

2005-11-21T15:58:00.000-05:00

yes, there's gold at the end of the rainbow, but sometimes it is molten hot and the natives make you drink it. . .

2005-11-21T07:50:00.000-05:00

My Flapper friend recently complained I don't really talk enough about me in my blog. . .But who really writes about themselves in a blog anyway. Isn't it usually what the blogger wants people to know about them? How much of it is a window into the blogger's life and how much of it is propaganda, in the benign sense of the word?

Anyway, in an attempt to provide the snapshot of what I want you to see of my life right now, there go I.

Most of you know that I am following my passions right now in DC. . .I picked up and moved to this town not knowing a soul but eager for the adventure of figuring it out as I went along. Most of you hear all the positive things and see "progress," and some of you know the flipside of the story with some of the frustrating challenges I have had to slog through.

Well, it seems like frustrating challenges are cyclical up here. I find myself in the situation of knowing I am where I need to be (in a general sense) but also not very happy with the particulars of my current experience. Things beyond credulity have befallen my current scene, and if it weren't for friends up here that see what's going on and flip out on my behalf, I would certainly go mad. But I take heart. . .The fact that I am never really alone when I face challenges is part of the solace I find in knowing I am where I need to be.

So why am I writing this? Well, I guess I just get frustrated when well intentioned people paint my life up here in a state of perfection--where I took the leap of faith and--boy---has it paid off or what! Granted, most of the reason for this is my own dang fault: "Soo, Trey, how are things going up in DC?". . ."Oh, they're greeeeeeaaaaat." While my reply is true in the broader picture, it is important that people who know me realize that sometimes the pay off sucks--during certain moments and episodes. If I didn't have some sort of long-term, end-game vision of life. . .I think I would have thrown in the towel long ago.

Now, I know why I am not writing this. . .I am not soliciting sympathy points and consolation posts in my comments with well intentioned verses of encouragement, etc. . .Just wanted to make sure the record stands that I am a normal person with normal problems and normal challenges. No one--myself included--has everything all figured out nor do they have everything handed to them on a platter. We are all shortsighted at times, we are all dumbfounded at times, we are all challenged at times, we are all finite all the times.

Barristapalooza

2005-11-18T07:49:00.000-05:00

My friend and former boss, Nick Cho, who owns Murky Coffee was in the New York Times two days ago. My favorite quote from the article that is soooo "Nick"----"It's true," he said, "restaurant coffee is swill. People just don't know what good coffee even tastes like, but guys like me are going to teach them." Here is some more extract:

"We're talking true craftsmanship," he said, describing a latte-making process that is as complicated as a Japanese tea ceremony. Approximate time of execution for this foamed wonder is one minute. But the $4 price is too little, said Mr. Cho, who dreams of opening an ultrastylish space where great coffees "hacked out of the jungle with a machete" will be as revered as fine wine and cost just as much.

"Coffee has so much more to give," said Mr. Cho. . .

In the meantime, Mr. Cho's business is growing. The host of an Internet podcast (Portafilter.net) devoted to coffee, Mr. Cho is known in the blogosphere as the guy who made famous chefs angry when he described restaurant coffee as appalling.

"It's true," he said, "restaurant coffee is swill. People just don't know what good coffee even tastes like, but guys like me are going to teach them."

If you are a barrista, former barrista or just an espresso enthusiast, you really must check out Nick's podcast. It is perfect for the coffee nerd and actually quite informative.

Abortions and Google

2005-11-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

I love how Google’s automated ad campaign software scanned the Alito article and put up an ad promoting abortions.

Classic.

Dear friend

2005-11-15T09:16:00.000-05:00

Dear friend,

My name is Miss Maggreat Hogan, the daugther of Mr. Behki hogan of blessed memory from Zimbabwe, During the current crises against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supports of President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his party members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender all farms to his party members and his followers. My father is One of the most successful multy farmers in our country and because he did not support Mugabe`s ideas, Mugabes supporters invaded his farm and burnt everything in the farm, killing him and made away with a lot of items in my fathers farm. Before his death, my father had deposited with BANK IN EUROPE the sum of (USD $ 8.5 MILLION).but I can't transfer it to where I live because I'm Asylum seeker,not allowed to operate bank account I want to go into arrangement by which I can live in your country and get my money back. I have agreed to offer you 10% of the total sum for your assistance as soon as the money gets into your account.

I want truth and honest to be our watch word in this transaction and please treat this transaction with strictly confidential for the successful out come of it. All I want you to do is to furnish me with your personal phone and fax numbers and also your private e-mail address for easy and urgent communication. Note that this transaction is 100% Risk free and absolutely confidential.

Pls.if you are honest and could be trusted then do help me, contact me.

Thanks.
Miss Maggreat Hogan.

Spin

2005-11-15T07:59:00.000-05:00

I love the fact that the President isn't taking the bull-crap from the opposition party trying to re-write the histroy of an event that is not only recent enough for us to call them on the carpet from our own memory banks--but an event that is recorded in speeches, news articles, and official comments--fully available for anyone to check for themselves.

Last week, on the 11th, the President shot back and made some important points. Here is a sliver of what he said:

THE PRESIDENT: Our debate at home must also be fair-minded. One of the hallmarks of a free society and what makes our country strong is that our political leaders can discuss their differences openly, even in times of war. When I made the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Congress approved it with strong bipartisan support. I also recognize that some of our fellow citizens and elected officials didn't support the liberation of Iraq. And that is their right, and I respect it. As president and commander-in-chief, I accept the responsibilities and the criticisms and the consequences that come with such a solemn decision. While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began.

Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. These critic's are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community's judgments related to Iraq's weapons programs. They also know that intelligence agencies from around the world agreed with our assessment of Saddam Hussein. They know the United Nations passed more than a dozen resolutions citing his development and possession of weapons of mass destruction. And many of these critics supported my opponent during the last election, who explained his position to support the resolution in the Congress this way: When I vote to give the president of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat and a grave threat to our security. That's why more than a hundred Democrats in the House and the Senate who had access to the same intelligence voted to support removing Saddam Hussein from power

If you learn anything about politics, I hope it is the concept of spin. Everyone does it in politics. What is excellent about this speech by the Prez is that he pulls back the covers that his opposition is hiding under and exposes the unbelievable spin that some people--who should know better--have reverted to. And the cool thing about it is that we have the public record to back up every bit of what the Prez is saying.

No matter what one thinks about this one battle (in Iraq) in the greater War on Terror, there is no case for deception or "wagging the dog" when it comes to the reasons for going to War--an event that was overwhelmingly approved by Congress. And it is funny to watch the opposition try to create the fairytale and see it miserably fail. Even with access to all the intelligence reports and employees and analysts, the opposition on the Intelligence Committees can't come up with a single example of the "fudging" of facts or coercion to "fix" the data. Their darling, Joe Wilson is a proven fraud who not only lied in his Iraq report but is responsible for "outing" his wife in public long before the press ran with a story highlighting the fact that the only way Joe was able to lie in his report from Nigeria is due to the fact his wife is a lifer (career ee) at the CIA. The opposition plays embarrasing games on the Senate floor and makes embarrassing speeches outside the House floor. . .and even pull embarrassing stunts in committees (some of which i have to sit through--zzzzzzz). . .they dish it out. . .and the Prez crams it back down their throats.

Note to self: next time I spin something, make sure the facts and the public record are on my side.

do good :: see god

2005-11-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

People in my line of work, make a lot of decisions every day that make an impact on so many people's lives. . .That was my thought after reading 3 Jn 1:11. . .But then I thought how elitist that sounded--that everyone's decisions impacts lives (think about that cheesy "Pay it Forward" flick). . .

I pray today that the decisions I make today enable me to continue seeing God. . .

3 Jn 1:11

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Changes on D st SE

2005-11-06T11:11:00.000-05:00

21 things you should know about Houston

2005-11-05T04:24:00.000-05:00

On my way to a conference in New Mexico, I had a layover in Houston. . .so I was picked up by my fam and we had lunch. Got to see my nephew Cole:

I am missing Houston right now. . .and my pal, dirty sent me the following:

From the Chicago Tribune:

21 things you should know about Houston*

*the fourth largest city in the nation and the other host to the World Series

Published October 25, 2005

1. Houston is the only major American city that doesn't have land-use
zoning laws. That means anything can be built anywhere, taxidermy shops
next to Italian restaurants next to hospitals next to gun shops next to
schools. "Every time someone says San Jose is spread out and haphazardly
planned," a Mercury-News columnist wrote last year, "I tell them to visit
Houston. ... It's like driving through a city designed by the stoner teens
in 'That '70s Show.'"

2. Houston is known as the world capital of space exploration, the world
capital of air conditioning, the world capital of the international energy
industry, the world capital of petroleum exploration and the world capital
of capital punishment. What it isn't the capital of is Texas; that's
Austin.

3. A 2001 survey found that Houstonians ate out more than residents of the
other 39 major cities surveyed. Houston reportedly also has more than
11,000 restaurants. (See next item.)

4. Since Men's Fitness Magazine started listing the nation's "Fat-test
Cities" in 1999, Houston has topped the list each year except 1999
(Philadelphia) and 2004 (Detroit). This year, with Houston on top again,
Chicago finished fifth.

5. The song "Going Back to Houston" (with the memorable lyrics: Well it's
lonesome in this old town/ Everybody is putting me down/ I'm a face
without a name/ Just walking in the rain) was made famous by Dean Martin,
who grew up in Steubenville, Ohio.

6. The city is named for Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic
of Texas. He was nick-named "the Raven" by the Cherokee tribe with whom he
lived for three years and went on to become governor of Tennessee,
president of Texas (twice), member of the Texas House of Representatives,
U.S. senator from the state of Texas and governor of Texas.

7. According to the city's Web site, Houston has "a Theater District
second only to New York City in terms of a concentration of seats (more
than 12,000) in a single (17-block) geographic area." No mention of the
quality of its theater, but it's comforting to know that there sure are
lots of places to sit.

8. About the city, Hunter Thompson wrote in 2004: "Houston is a cruel,
crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a
culture of sex, money and violence. It's a shabby, sprawling metropolis
ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who
live by the code of the West -- which can mean just about anything you
need it to mean, in a pinch."

9. The original home of the Houston Colt .45s was Colt Stadium, a
much-maligned, open-air park and haven for mosquitoes. The team,
rechristened the Astros, moved to the Astrodome in 1965. Colt Stadium
stood for a year, used mostly for storage; Astros owner Judge Roy Hofheinz
painted the stadium gray so that it could not be seen in aerial photos of
the Astrodome. It was dismantled and sold to the Mexican league Torrean
Cotton Pickers for $100,000. It later was moved to Tampico, where it was
home to the Mexican league Tampico Stevedores. It was eventually torn
down, but some of its seats went to a factory workers' league near Pasteje
and the rest to a public playground in Tampico.

10. The home of the Astros is Minute Maid Park, the former Enron Field.
Though known now for fresh and frozen orange juice, the foundations of
Minute Maid, a division of Coca-Cola, were in powdered juice. In the
mid-1940s, a dehydration process was developed for prolonging the life of
such substances as blood plasma. The realization that dehydration could
also be applied to orange juice came just in time for an order of 500,000
pounds of the stuff from the U.S. Army.

11. Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale's Gallery Furniture reportedly sells
more furniture per square foot than any store in the world.

12. Houston's two major airports are Bush Intercontinental and William P.
Hobby. Hobby was lieutenant governor of Texas from 1973 to 1991 and was
president of the Houston Post newspaper. George H.W. Bush was president of
the United States from 1989 to 1993.

13. A partial list of famous people born and raised in Houston includes
football player Lance Alworth; heart surgeon Denton Cooley; golfer Jimmy
Demaret; novelist Allen Drury; auto racer A.J. Foyt; educator and
politician Barbara C. Jordan; singer Barbara Mandrell; brothers Dennis and
Randy Quaid; poker player Kenny Rogers; dancer Patrick Swayze;
actress/singer Hilary Duff; singer Beyonce Knowles; actress Phylicia
Rashad; and perhaps the most eccentric rich person ever, Howard Robard
Hughes, who is buried there in a huge mausoleum.

14. Houston's climate is humid sub-tropical. Anyone who has ever been
there in summer knows that translates into hot. A Houston summer makes a
Chicago summer feel like Alaska. It's not the heat; it's not the humidity;
it's both.

15. The Astros' Class A team, the Tri-City Valley Cats, has a promotion
each night, including Teenie Weenie Wednesdays. No, it's little hot dogs.

16. Houston's Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the world
(1.8 million visitors).

17. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston, reportedly once requested
that a corridor in her Washington office building be closed off for eight
hours so that she could meet privately with singer Michael Jackson.

18. Houston has the lowest housing cost among 27 major U.S. cities with
populations of more than 1.7 million. Of course, the odds that your home
might one day be sitting in the shadow of a commercial skyscraper (see:
Item No. 1) might have something to do with that. Or not. We're just
saying ...

19. One hundred years ago this month Houston commissioners began enforcing
a city ordinance that forbids men "to make goo-goo-eyes" at ladies. Take
that Ald. Natarus.

20. Houston has an impressive array of attractions, including the National
Museum of Funeral History. Current displays include a re-creation of a
1900s casket factory and a diorama illustrating embalming techniques used
on Civil War battlefields.

21. Have we mentioned Enron?

30 years E. Timor :: 30 years Western Sahara :: Have we learned our lessons?

2005-11-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Yester day marked the 30 year anniversary for the struggle of the Saharawi of Western Sahara under the colononizing and oppressive pressence of Morocco. Spain had colonized Western Sahara, and when Spain left, Morocco invaded and continued on the colonization tradition. Today, Western Sahara is the last colony left in Africa and one of the last in the world. Many of you know that a few weeks ago, I was a petitioner, on behalf of my boss, at the UN's 4th Committee for Decolonization.

On Sunday, the Moroccan authorities did yet another crackdown on peaceful protestors and pro-democracy Saharawis in the occuppied terroritories of Western Sahara. My sources reported to me that one of the Saharawi, LEMBARKI HAMDI SALEK MAHAYUB, was actually murdered by the Moroccan authorities. We already knew the Moroccans tortured and beat their Saharawi prisoners, but this is just an example of how the Moroccans have ramped up their opressive hold on the Saharawi people.

What's interesting is that this is also the 30th anniversay of the tragedies surrounding East Timor and their own struggle for self-determination. Unfortunately, the UN has not learned its lesson from that bloody and violent tragedy, and it looks like history is repeating itself yet again.

I tell you, for all the good things the UN is able to do, they are pretty much useless when it comes to these sorts of conflicts. I need only point to the Sudan (still going on), the Balkans, Rawanda, East Timor, Burma, etc. . . It is not that there is lack of political will--that may be true. . .But the real problem is that there is lack of political leadership---which is why I am somewhat disappointed with the Western powers as well---the USA and EU in particular.

I am hoping with John Bolton in the drivers seat at our UN mission, things will change. He has a good track record, and I hope he is able to move forward and lobby the UN Seucrity Council to do something meaningful and save live for once---before it is too late.

Why can't Winter be more like Fall?

2005-10-31T15:46:00.000-05:00

So I know I already complained about winter. . .but hey, it was around 40 degrees that day---WAY too cold for Fall. I actually like Fall---it is nice and cool but not unpleasant.

Anyways, one of my moms--er sister. . .is coming to DC to chill at the Texas Embassy--ie mi casa. . .And I think I am going to drag her to this apple farm in Virginia. I went a few years ago and picked a buttload of apples. . .then some friends and I made pies, apple crisps, and apple bettys.

I snapped this pic while I was a-pickin' and a-grinnin'. . .it took me FORVER to get it just right since the moth landed so high up in the tree. I had to stand on my tip-toes to get the camera high enough. To make matters worse, I couldn't see to aim, so I had to take somewhere around 20 or so picutres until I was pleased (ie, didn't cut the moth out of the pic, got it even, etc). Thankfully, the moth was lazy or really sick.

Not Against Flesh and Blood

2005-10-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

Right now, there are people being hunted down, slaughtered, tortured, and persecuted in the most horrific and extreme ways--just for their religious beliefs. As I sit here sipping my mocha and getting started with my day, the parents of 3 children are mourning the loss of their little ones. It is reports like these that makes it hard to keep in mind that our battle is not against flesh and blood.

Three Teenage Girls Beheaded in Terror Campaign Against Central Sulawesi Christians

Ibrahim B, IndonesiaWatch

Poso, Saturday, October 29, 2005

In an ongoing terror campaign against the Christians of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, three young teenage girls were sadistically beheaded this morning by Muslims determined to exterminate the Christian community in this region.

Since Christmas 1998 the Christians of Central Sulawesi have been subjected to numerous attacks, Christian villages burned down, many churches destroyed, Christian leaders, pastors and community leaders assassinated.

This past year a lady pastor was executed while preaching in the city of Palu, the Chief Prosecutor was gunned down on the way home from church, a village chief was kidnapped and murdered, farmers were killed by snipers, a bus was bombed, the Tentena market was bombed killing 24 and now three young girls have been beheaded.

This is not the first time Christian children have been specifically targeted for assassination by the Muslim community. In August 2003, six children were shot at from a passing motorcycle in front of the Poso Presbyterian Church (GKI). Two were hit but fortunately both survived. In Duma, Halmahera, on June 19, 2000, 45 children were among 211 massacred in the Evangelical Church (GMIH). Some were just babies not even 2 years old. Cicilia was 18 months; Fina was 23 months. One young girl, Elva, was killed on her fifth birthday. How long do we have to live with this murderous brutality in a country the world says is a picture of moderate Islam? If this is moderate, what is radical?

Today, several young girls had just completed a Girl Guides Camp (Pramuka) and were on their way to school at 7.00 am. They never arrived. They were walking through a cacao plantation on the way to school when a group of men with murderous intentions attacked them. Three were caught and beheaded. They were all girls in Junior High School. Theresia Murangke (14), Ida Lambuaga (15) and Alfina Yarni Sambue (15).

The attack took place among the cacao trees just 1 mile from the village of Sayo at the intersection with the road to Buyumboyo. Police spokesman, Rais Adam, confirmed the discovery of the headless bodies at 7.30 am this morning. At 9.00 am, one of their heads was found in front of the Pentecostal Church (GPdI) in the village of Kasiguncu, 8 miles, from where the bodies were found. Then the remaining two heads were found soon afterward near the police station at Kilo 9 (5 miles from Poso).

When they were attacked, one young girl, Noviana Malewa (14), escaped from her would be assassins with severe machete slash wounds to her face and is being treated, under heavy guard, at the Poso General Hospital.

Upon hearing this news at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airforce Airport in Jakarta, the President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, condemned this sadistic attack and immediately called a Cabinet meeting at the airport. As a result the Indonesian Chief of Police, General Sutanto and the Deputy Head of the Indonesian Intelligence Agency, Mr. AsÂad, were immediately dispatched to Poso. The President also called upon the security forces to hunt down the perpetrators of this heinous crime and to process them according to the laws of the land.

But honestly, how many times have we heard this rhetoric and nothing happens! The people of Poso have suffered many brutal attacks but havenÂt the perpetrators been arrested and punished? No! Where are the leaders of the attacks against the Christians of Christmas 1998, the attacks of Easter 2000, the assassination of the Christian mediator, Mr. Lateka, seeking to bring peace to Poso, the assassination of the Treasurer of the Presbyterian Synod (GKST), Rev. Tadjoja, the assassination of Rev. Susanti while preaching in Palu, the assassination of Chief Justice Silalahi, the bombing of the Omega bus, the bombing of the Antariksa bus, the slaying of many Christians and burning down of over 20 Christian villages, the bombing of the Tentena market that killed 24 Christians etc., etc.

We are forever hearing that the perpetrators will be hunted down, but where are they? Why are they not found? The flags are flying at half mast as the District of Poso mourns the lost in another savage tragedy.

Three Christians were accused of retaliating in 2000 and leading attacks against the perpetrators of this violence. They turned themselves in believing they were only defending the community against brutal attacks. Attacks in which the police and the military did nothing to prevent. The Christians had begged for Government intervention, begged the police and military and the police to protect them, only to be told that they had not been given orders to act. So some of the Christians decided to protect themselves and their families and to resist.

When the three men, Tibo, Dominggus and Marinus, heard of the charges against them they surrendered themselves. They believed that they would be found not guilty, but everyday during their trial, hundreds of chanting Muslims shouted their venom at the court and the accused and threatened more violence if they were not convicted and executed. The court duly convicted them and sentenced them to death. Is this the justice that we in Indonesia are to accept? How long must we suffer this tyrannical treatment? Must we wait until there is no voice left to cry for help?

When the current Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, was still a Cabinet Minister, in 2002, he came to Tentena in the District of Poso by helicopter with the then National Chief of Police, DaÂi Bakhtiar. The community gathered to hear these national leaders. Just that week five Christian villages had been attacked and pillaged. Many houses were burned down and a number of Christians slain. The community was anxious to hear what these national leaders would say to them. Would there finally be a resolution? No!

Shock! Horror! They stood up and told the people they should be thankful for the great job the Government was doing and for the protection they were providing for the people. This was a public relations disaster! Many in the crowd were refugees who just that week had fled the jihad attacks, had their houses burned down and had loved ones killed. They booed the visitors until Rev. Damanik stood up and took the microphone and explained to Mr. Jusuf Kalla and Mr. DaÂi Bakhtiar why the people were booing them. Rev. Damanik challenged them to be real. Arrest the perpetrators of these violent attacks, he charged, and then the people would believe that they were serious.

Two days later, while another Christian village, Mayumba, was under attack, Rev. Damanik went with vehicles to pick up the fleeing Christians and bring them to safety but the police were waiting and Rev. Damanik was arrested and spent the next couple of years in prison.

Where is justice? Why must the people of Poso continue to suffer like this? Why must innocent children, young, defenseless girls, like what happened today, be beheaded in the name of Allah?

When will the world wake up to what is happening? We are living in a world so full of lies and deception that people would rather believe a lie, be oblivious to the truth and just hope that it will just go away.

I know it is a self-imposed-taboo--especially for the media--for most people (including the current Admin) to admit this, but the world really is at war not so much with terrorism but with islamicism that uses terrorism among its many tools.

I really wish the mantra of "Islam is a religion of peace" would catch on to the Muslim world at large. I really wish the moderate Muslims would do some housekeeping and excommunicate their terror-mongering brothers and sisters. I really wish our Saudi Arabian "allies" would put a stop to their exporting and funding of the most extreme sect of Islam--Wahabism--to the rest of the world including Europe and the United States. I really wish they would make it easier for me to believe that this battle is not against flesh and blood.

John Wayne Gacy, Jr

2005-10-27T14:53:00.000-05:00

I have been listening to Sufjan Steven's Come on feel the Illinoise project lately. Sufjan is probably one of my top 5 favorite artists of all time--he is brilliant and you really should at least buy this latest project.

One song in particular really sticks out---"John Wayne Gacy, Jr." Gacy was convicted a few decades ago for several murders. 32 to be exact. . .He was a serial killer who hid the bodies of most of his victims (27) underneath the floorboards of his home.

The song is beautiful and real and sad and horrific as it recounts the story of Gacy. And the most powerful part of the song is at the end. If you have iTunes, stop reading this right now, go to the iTunes store, and at the very least purchase the "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." song.

For the rest of you slackers, I have reprinted the lyrics to the song:

His father was a drinker and his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Oh the dead
27 people
Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a slight of his hand, running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid

"And in my best behavior, I am really just like him. . .Look beneath the floor boards for the secrets I have hid."

The wages of sin--in all its forms--really is death. Even though different selfish decisions we make have different repercussions in the world, the moral value of each of them is exactly the same. They all kill the part of us that makes us truly human. . .they all change us from what we ought to be--were created to be--into what we ought to run far away from as possible.

Meirs :: 86'ed :: Sweet

2005-10-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

This is soooo good. Miers was NOT the best choice for the highest court of the land, imho.

Harriet Miers withdraws her nomination
By TERENCE HUNT
AP White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to be a Supreme Court justice Thursday in the face of stiff opposition and mounting criticism about her qualifications.

President Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege.

"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House _ disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said. "Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the constitutional separation of powers _ and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her."

Miers' surprise withdrawal stunned Washington on a day when the capital was awaiting news on another front _ the possible indictment of senior White House aides in the CIA leak case.

Miers notified Bush of her decision at 8:30 p.m., according to a senior White House official who said the president will move quickly to find a new nominee.

In her letter dated Thursday, Miers said she was concerned that the confirmation process "would create a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interest of the country."

She noted that members of the Senate had indicated their intention to seek documents about her service in the White House in order to judge whether to support her nomination to the Supreme Court. "I have been informed repeatedly that in lieu of records, I would be expected to testify about my service in the White House to demonstrate my experience and judicial philosophy," she wrote.

"While I believe that my lengthy career provides sufficient evidence for consideration of my nomination, I am convinced the efforts to obtain Executive Branch materials and information will continue."

Miers' nomination has been under withering criticism ever since Bush announced her selection on Oct. 3. There were widespread complaints about her lack of legal credentials, doubts about her ability and assertions of cronyism because of her longtime association with Bush.

Most recently she has been Bush's White House counsel. Bush said that with her withdrawal, she would remain as counsel. He did not indicate when he would name a successor.

"My responsibility to fill this vacancy remains," Bush said in a statement. "I will do so in a timely manner."

Before Bush chose Miers on Oct. 3, speculation focused on Miers and two other Bush loyalists: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Bush's longtime friend who would be the first Hispanic on the court; and corporate lawyer Larry Thompson, who was the government's highest ranking black law enforcement official as deputy attorney general during Bush's first term.

Other candidates mentioned frequently included conservative federal appeals court judges J. Michael Luttig, Priscilla Owen, Karen Williams, Alice Batchelder and Samuel Alito; Michigan Supreme Court justice Maura Corrigan; and Maureen Mahoney, a well-respected litigator before the high court.

Elderly People Recognition Day

2005-10-26T07:55:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to two elderly people today. . .today is Irene's bday and tomorrow is Tophers. Have a good one you old farts!

UN and Motha' Rrrrrussia!

2005-10-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Here is the Kruschev reinaction picture I promised. I was at the UN again last Thursday and Friday. It was a trip for mostly freshman House and Senate offices sponsored by a group whose mission is to bridge the gap between the UN and Congress. It was actually interesting--I got to meet some of the main US reps to the UN, the UN's top person in their peacekeeping office (UN is the second largest deployer of military after the US), and reps from UNICEF (booo--they equip and fund China to enact their forced abortion policy) and other humanitarian arms of the UN.

There was a heavy emphasis on reforms that I think was legitimate--but come on, you would be into reforms too if someone uncovered the largest financial scam in human history and your fingerprints were all over it (hello UN-blood-for-oil-for-stashing-away-billions scandal). It was a great opportunity because I was able to raise the issue of Western Sahara and Burma--two of the forgoten tragedies that not too many people pay attention to. In both situations, you have the UN's lack of resolve to actually act on its own principles being responsible for refugee warehousing for nearly 30 years in both cases. The amount of human anguish and hopelessness in both cases is overwhelming. Shame on Thailand, shame on France, shame on Morocco, shame on the Burmese junta, shame on China, shame on India, shame on the USA, shame on those who play games to gain economic advantages at the expense of people's lives.

I think I found my Halloween costume

2005-10-25T07:05:00.000-05:00

Winter approaches

2005-10-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

Winter is approaching us. . .I am not sure how I feel about it. Part of me is perky. . .part of me is sad. . .part of me is loathing.

The perky part thinks of nights sipping a steaming, dirty chai while working on my apple. . .wearing a longjohns underneath my witty t-shirt.

The sad part thinks of the astronomical gas bills that eat up every spare penny from my monthly budget

The loathing part thinks of the dirty aftermath of the snow--the brown and black slush that puts a film of filthe over everything---your car, your shoes, your clothes, EVERYTHING.

Anyway, it is coming, and there is not much I can do about it.

Ironic Anniversaries

2005-10-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

A friend reminded me of two anniversaries today:

today aung san suu kyi has spent a cumulative of 10 years under house arrest. not 10 years in a row, but 10 years total since 1989.
today is the 60th anniversary of the united nations.

Somewhat ironic seeing how the UN has failed miserably to adequately respond to the tragedy in Burma---one of the outposts of evil in the world today.

Squirrels go nuts on crack :: digging up stashes

2005-10-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

This just in:

Squirrels go nuts on crack
Squirrels ... digging up stashes

By VIRGINIA WHEELER

SQUIRRELS are getting hooked on crack cocaine — hidden by addicts in gardens.

They are digging up the stashes and eating the mega-addictive drug, which comes in small chunks.

Several have been spotted behaving bizarrely in Brixton, South London, since a police blitz against pushers and users.

One resident said: “My neighbour said dealers had used my garden to hide crack.

“Just an hour earlier I’d seen a squirrel digging in the flower-beds.

“It was ill-looking and its eyes looked bloodshot, but it kept on desperately digging. It seems a strange thing to say, but it seemed to know what it was looking for.”

Other residents have seen squirrels become unusually aggressive.

The RSPCA said: “These animals are big foragers. They are attracted by smell and will dig up what they fancy.
“If a squirrel did open a bag of crack and start consuming it there is no doubt it would die pretty quickly.”

Crack squirrels are a recognised problem in America. They are common in parks used by addicts in New York and Washington DC.

They have been known to attack park visitors in their search for a fix.

Jobs bank programs -- 12,000 paid not to work

2005-10-18T10:24:00.000-05:00

Forget Burger King in the Katrina Zone (giving a signing bonus of $6k for burger flippers), I want to be an auto worker with a union card!

GO UNIONS!

I LOVE this country!

Jobs bank programs -- 12,000 paid not to work

Big 3 and suppliers pay billions to keep downsized UAW members on payroll in decades-long deal.

By Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

WAYNE -- Ken Pool is making good money. On weekdays, he shows up at 7 a.m. at Ford Motor Co.'s Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, signs in, and then starts working -- on a crossword puzzle. Pool hates the monotony, but the pay is good: more than $31 an hour, plus benefits.

"We just go in and play crossword puzzles, watch videos that someone brings in or read the newspaper," he says. "Otherwise, I've just sat."

Pool is one of more than 12,000 American autoworkers who, instead of installing windshields or bending sheet metal, spend their days counting the hours in a jobs bank set up by Detroit automakers and Delphi Corp. as part of an extraordinary job security agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

read more

Evacuees binge on Cape: Spend fed cash on booze, strippers

2005-10-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Yea for Government handouts! Hip hip hurrah!

This is a great example of why it is never a good idea for big brother to pass out cash. Services, yes :: Cash, no.

Evacuees binge on Cape: Spend fed cash on booze, strippers
By Maggie Mulvihill and Dave Wedge
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - Updated: 12:17 AM EST

BOURNE – Hurricane Katrina evacuees hastily handed $2,000 in federal relief money last month have been living it up on Cape Cod, blowing cash on booze and strippers, a Herald investigation has found.

Herald reporters witnessed blatant public drinking at a Falmouth strip mall by Katrina victims living at taxpayer expense at Camp Edwards on Otis Air Force Base. And strippers at Zachary's nightclub in Mashpee, a few miles from the Bourne base, report giving lap dances to several evacuees.

``They were tipping me $5 a pop,'' said a Zachary's dancer named Angel. ``I told them I felt bad taking their money. But I still took it.''

Another dancer said a large group from the military base was in Zachary's recently and she gave lap dances to several of the victims.

``Some spend good money, but others don't,'' she said.

An assistant club manager, who gave his name only as Michael, acknowledged yesterday that the strip joint is popular with people from Camp Edwards.

``It's no different for someone who lives at Camp Edwards or is stationed at Camp Edwards. As long as they have the proper ID they can go in,'' he said.

On Oct. 5, the Herald observed a virtual parade of evacuees from a bus stop in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Falmouth to nearby liquor stores. Some emerged and openly swilled from brown-bagged containers, while others poured booze into jugs or plastic cups and casually sipped drinks at the Wal-Mart bus stop.

The refugees have access to daily trolley service from Camp Edwards to the Falmouth Mall.

One elderly man poured a bottle of Ruble vodka into a water bottle and spent the afternoon sipping the liquor outside the Wal-Mart. Two other men were seen buying 32-ounce Coors Light cans at George's Liquors and drinking at the bus stop.

Last Tuesday, one 52-year-old evacuee, who told a reporter he was originally from Cuba, stood in the rain outside Wal-Mart for several hours drinking gin and orange juice from a thermos. The same day, a female evacuee bought ice at a supermarket and roughly $30 worth of hard liquor before being driven in a car back to Camp Edwards. Evacuees are banned from bringing booze onto the base.

One Camp Edwards source said evacuees swiped liquor off shelves at the U.S. Coast Guard store on the base and drank it in the aisles.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued more than $1.5 billion to 607,000 Katrina victims in the form of individual cash handouts of $2,000. There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent, FEMA officials said.

Gov. Mitt Romney and the Legislature approved a $25 million emergency aid package to feed and house 235 of the evacuees at Camp Edwards. As of mid-September, the Red Cross had doled out another $25,000 in debit cards for victims sent to the Bay State.

The Camp Edwards residents have been treated to Red Sox and New Orleans Saints games, Boston Duck Tours, a chowder fest, concerts, and free cell phone and Internet service, as well as cookouts sponsored by Romney and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Since the Sept. 8 arrival of the original 235 evacuees, a handful of unruly drunks have been taken into protective custody, according to law enforcement officials.

More than half the evacuees have left Camp Edwards for other housing, and 114 refugees remain at the encampment, which is slated for shutdown Thursday.

Falmouth police Chief David Cusolita said police cracked down on public drinking at the Wal-Mart after complaints last month but he reported no recent incidents.

Barnstable Sheriff Jim Cummings said some of the intoxicated refugees were taken into custody by state police, while others were escorted to their dorms.

people that should be in a box

2005-10-18T07:22:00.000-05:00

I know it's usually not good to put people in a box, but oh how I want to put these people in one. . .I mean, COME ON--is nothing sacred??!?!?