We're still waiting to find out when surgery will be and what it will encompass, but Dad's doing well. After a bout with some unruly electrolytes, he's back to his normal self. Now it's a matter of scheduling surgery and keeping strong until the surgery. After that, recovery and return to work.
Thanks to you all for the prayers, calls and e-mails!
At a campaign appearance in Columbus, Ohio, John Kerry made the audacious claim that there are more blacks in prison than in college in the U.S.
"That's unacceptable," Kerry said. "But it's not their fault."
Rather than the inmates, the former Boston prosecutor blamed poverty, poor schools, a dearth of after-school programs and "all of us as adults not doing what we need to do."
Unfortunately, Kerry has the facts wrong...
The US Department of Justice tells us the number of blacks incarcerated at mid-year 2002 (page 11, Table 13): 818,900 black men; 65,600 black women; total 884,500 blacks.
The US Census Bureau tells us the number of blacks in college during 2002: 802,000 black men; 1,476,000 black women; total 2,278,000 blacks.
So, Kerry says the 884,500 blacks in prison outnumber the 2,278,000 blacks in college.
Sadly, the media will never call Kerry on his lies. Yep, I said lies. This information is so easy to verify (we did it), that one can only deduce that Kerry intended to mislead people with this misinformation.
Also, what's this about those in prison not being responsible for their crimes?
Apparently Al Gore is afraid he'll be forgotten, as so many former vice-presidents have been. He feels the need to keep shoving his mug in front of TV cameras. Now, the Drudge Report is reporting that, on Thursday, Gore will accuse the Bush Administration of intentionally misleading the American people by continuing to falsely claim a connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.
Sorry, but it just ain't so. From Kerry, Dean and Kucinich down through Michael Moore and all the other Bush-hating leftists, this lie has been told and retold to the point that many people believe it. There's only one problem... Bush never claimed a connection between Saddam and 9/11. Not once. Ever. Period.
Now they are using the September 11th Investigative Commission's report, which stated no Saddam connection to 9/11, as their proof. The commission actually did say that, but they did not say there was no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. In fact, we know there indisputable ties (read this if you dare).
The 9/11 Commission has received new information indicating that a senior officer in an elite unit of Saddam's security services may have been a member of Al-Qaeda. Not just a member of Al-Qaeda, but one involved in the planning of the 9/11 hijackings. This is another in a long line of contacts and cooperation between the Al-Qaeda terror network and the government of Saddam Hussein.
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin let it be known that he warned the U.S. after 9/11 but before the invasion of Iraq that Saddam Hussein was preparing terrorist attacks on America and its interests abroad. Apparently the Russian intelligence community has very deep operatives in the terrorist communities.
When you look at the facts (not fear-mongering) with a clear mind and without bias, the truth is clear. The left is spreading lies, the media seems to be all too happy to spread them, and so many Americans are too dumb, lazy or indifferent to care.
As for Gore... just think of him for what he seems - the biggest sore loser around.
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As I've written before, there have been some family medical situations that have prevented me from updating this blog lately. I've avoided giving details until we knew some particulars. Now I can explain a bit of what we're facing.
For the past few months, my Dad has, little by little, been getting sicker. This is a man who hasn't been in a hospital as a patient since Eisenhower was President. We now know he has a small cancerous tumor on his pancreas. The doctors and the family are all upbeat, but it's still scary. Hopefully, the doctors will perform surgery this week to remove the main tumor, and check on any spread. I will let you all know how things go.
Thank you for your prayers and concerns!
There's a national movement I'm taking part in and I want to make you all aware of. In memory of President Reagan, and in tribute to his "shining city on a hill" speech, drivers across America are asked to turn their headlights on when and where ever they drive between now and July 4th.
It's such a simple way to help pay tribute to and honor the memory of a great American and beloved president.
Republicans & Democrats
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The woman replied, "Your are in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be a Republican," said the balloonist.
"I am," said the woman. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far."
The woman below responded. "You must be a Democrat."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air.
You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
I hope you had the opportunity to watch the state funeral for President Reagan last night. The solemnity and grandeur of the event, along with the incredible outpouring of love from the hundreds of thousands who lined the procession route, was unforgettable.
Being a TV geek (I work in the business, whadda 'ya expect?), I checked out the coverage on all the cable news networks. My channel of choice for most of the event was Fox News. Not because their funeral coverage was "fair and balanced", but because they let the ceremony speak for itself. As the caisson carrying the casket moved slowly through the streets, Fox News let the sound of the horses, the crowd and the soldiers tell the story. There were times when five to ten minutes would pass between people speaking.
One of the best comments I heard last night, oddly enough, came on CNN. I'm not entirely sure who the two gentlemen were, but the conversation went something like this...
Person #1: Is there anything we need to explain to our viewers around the world to help them understand what they're seeing here, this truly American event?
Person #2: Actually, I think they understand it quite well. In many nations around the world, people are accustomed to seeing funerals similar to this when monarchs or other royals die. The President of the United States is the closest thing we have to royalty, so this compares to what we might see, for example, in Britain.
Here's a scary story from New Mexico... Chad Taylor, the father of a child who had been prescribed Ritalin for Attention Deficit Disorder, may be prosecuted for child abuse for taking his son off the drug. Taylor said he was afraid of the side-effects his son was showing.
"He was losing weight, wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating," Taylor told ABC News affiliate KOAT-TV in New Mexico. "[He] just wasn't Daniel."
When the boy's teachers found out he was no longer taking Ritalin, the school district notified New Mexico's Department of Children, Youth and Families. Then a detective and social worker made a home visit.
"The detective told me if I did not medicate my son, I would be arrested for child abuse and neglect," Taylor said.
Now, Taylor faces jail time for child abuse. Child abuse? For choosing not to use a mind-altering medication on his child? When did parents lose the right to determine what's best for their children?
Incidentally, this isn't the first time the Rio Rancho school system has been the center of controversy. Here are other instances, courtesy OpinionJournal.com
May 2001: A 16-year-old freshman at Rio Rancho High was kicked out of school for possessing a tiny penknife.
May 2001: A senior at the same school was jailed for five days after a security guard found a hunting knife in his brother's car, which he had driven to school.
November 2003: A 12-year-old Rio Rancho student got an "in-school suspension" because a vending machine gave him two drinks when he paid for only one.
January 2004: A teenager at Rio Rancho Mid-High School was suspended for five days for bringing Gas-X, an over-the-counter drug, to school.
As the nation remembers President Reagan, we think about the legacy he leaves behind. It's a chance to see just how important the man was in so many lives. Sadly, even in a time like this, the hate speech from so many in the "compassionate" left continues...
Liberal columnist Greg Palast said, "Ronald Reagan was a conman. Reagan was a coward. Reagan was a killer... Well, my friends, you can rest easier tonight, the Rat is dead. Ronald Reagan, good-bye and good riddance."
Vanity Fair columnist Christopher Hitchens, writing in the online Slate, said "He was as dumb as a stump... a cruel and stupid lizard."
UK singer Morrissey told a concert crown in Dublin, Ireland, that President George W. Bush should have died instead or Reagan.
To get a true picture of how many liberals think, take a look at some of the postings on their message board at DemocraticUnderground.com (WARNING - Terrible graphic, vulgar language! These are cut and pasted as they were posted.)
"It's people like him that make me hope there's a hell in the afterlife."
"he was so charming and grandfatherly for a nazi"
"F--- Ronald Reagan. He spent the entire 80s dancing on the graves of third world countries - about time someone danced on his."
"...worthless piece of s--t."
"Adios motherf-----r... blubbering about that worthless piece of s---, f--- them and the f---ing elephant they rode in on.
Good riddance to bad rubbish."
This is what passes for compassionate liberal thought on their main Democratic forum. These people have no idea what compassion means.
Speaking of which, staffers at the Democratic National Committee offices in Washington refused to lower their American flag to half mast. They only lowered it later when President Bush ordered all flags lowered. In the same story, we learn that Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi's office refused until late in the day West Coast time to prepare any remarks by the leader on the passing of the President or to send flowers to the funeral home.
After thinking about the DemocraticUnderground.com postings listed above, and wanting to show that similar minds think alike, here's another link I'd like to present. The Communist government-run Cuban state radio, Radio Reloj, said Reagan "never should have been born."
Isn't it amazing how much the vocal libs on the message board sound as bad, if not worse, than the voice of Cuban Communism?
We hit the road early this morning with the intention of shooting two stories for out TV program. The first in Reynolds (Taylor County) on the peach harvest, and the second was near Montezuma (Macon County), where we were scheduled to see sweet corn being harvested.
But today turned out to be your typical bad Monday. Not for myself or Rick, mind you, but for those we were planning to visit. At the peach packing house in Reynolds, a mechanical breakdown caused the packing line to shut down. At the corn field later, we learned strong winds had leveled a portion of the field a few days ago.
It's always frustrating when things go wrong at the beginning of the week. And so often we complain that we're "having a Monday." But it was somewhat refreshing today to see that other people have Mondays too.
What a week! Heck, what a couple of weeks. As I mentioned in my last entry, there's been a family medical situation lately. Very scary. But we've gotten some encouraging news, and things seem to be a bit better. We've all finally been able to stop, take a deep breath, and realize there are other things do deal with. The situation goes on, but prayers and support have really helped. Thank you.
On with the "other stuff..."
There are 150 days until the general election. Have you decided on a presidential choice yet?
Before you cast your vote, think about the answer to these two questions. What is the most serious issue facing this nation right now? Which of the two candidates would most diligently address that issue? I put to you that the gravest threat to this nation, the biggest issue that we must face, is Islamic terrorism. The militants in this so-called "religion of peace" are the primary threat to life and liberty in the world today. According to NATO, in the year 2000, there were 22 major armed conflicts around the world. Of those, 20 involved Muslims.
We all saw what Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates did to American Nick Berg. There are no morals, no scruples, no conscience to this bunch. There is no reasoning with them. Their only goal in life is the killing of infidels. You, my friend, are an infidel in their eyes. These animals would have no more problem sawing off YOUR head than they did Nick Berg's. They would take great pleasure in killing you, me and everyone we know. What makes them that way? Does it really matter?
Imagine someone is planning to attack your home and kill your family. You don't know what their plans are, when or how they will attack, or who specifically to watch out for. The only thing you know is that they want you and your family dead, and they are working toward that end right this moment. What do you do?
That's the situation this country is in. The attacks on September 11 were just preliminaries. The terrorists want to kill tens of thousands. Even hundreds of thousands. Who do you want leading this nation?
The man who vows to root the terrorists out and destroy them wherever they are, or the man who says he would only go after the terrorists with the United Nations' approval?
The man who is dedicated to making this nation stronger and safer, or the one who would have our military only get involved when other nations say it's alright?
The man the terrorists fear most, or the man they know won't continue the war on terror?
You know which of these men is which. Ask yourself which of these choices is the best for America?
Oh, if you're one of those who believe the economy is the biggest problem facing this country, I beg you to read this column. The Democrats tried like mad to use the economy as a campaign issue, but even with their fabrications and twisting of numbers, they couldn't make our economy look bad. They only made themselves look stupid.
Our national economy is stronger and growing faster than it has in twenty years. Unemployment is down, and continues to drop. There are more jobs in this country than there have ever been, and it looks like there will be nearly 3 million new ones created this year. The stock markets are back to near record levels. Home ownership is at record levels. Estimates on the national deficit are dropping. More people than ever are saving money for retirement. Gas prices are up, but the average person's higher gas bills are offset by President Bush's tax rebate checks last year. The tax cuts the President pushed through Congress are spurring this economy, and it only looks to get better.
The biggest threat to the economic growth we are seeing is John Kerry and the Democrats' proposals to roll back President Bush's tax cuts. They can't stand the fact that the economy is strong and getting even stronger.
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Quote Of The Day
"If you go back and read what he said in the campaign, he's just doing what he'd said he'd do. You've got to give him credit for that."
Former President Bill Clinton, launching his book tour in Chicago, speaking of President George W. Bush and his handling of the War On Terror.
I realize I haven't filed many entries here lately. A family medical emergency has required a lot of my time, and may continue to do so for some time to come. The particulars aren't important. But it is something that's come on quickly, and we're still learning what and why.
Please continue to check in here, as I will share more information at the appropriate time. Please offer up a quick prayer for my family, especially for God's healing mercy.
Thank you,
Michael
'Spanky' the Clown Arrested on Child Porn Charges.
Porsche drivers have most affairs.
"Killer" swans attacking, drowning dogs in England.
The lead singer for the band "The Darkness"mistakes a 17 year-old fan for a music critic and verbally assaults her.
Italy passes laws protecting how "real" pizzas are to be made.
Media around the world reported Donald Rumsfeld banned camera phone use by soldiers in Iraq. One problem: it was a hoax!
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Picture Of The Day
Distant galaxies form a dramatic backdrop for Arp 188, "The Tadpole Galaxy".
Perhaps I've been too hard, albeit unintended, on public schools and educators. I know so many people who work in public education, most as teachers. If any of my comments in this blog appear to show contempt for the work they do, I apologize. I will strive to be as fair as possible in any comments I make about public (government) education. However, I will continue to present stories of zero-tolerance inanity and other education-related issues, public school or otherwise. I shall do my best to let the stories speak for themselves. But you know me, I have little tolerance for stupid people. I will also endeavor to present stories that put schools and educators in a positive light. There are some really great schools and teachers out there.
Elementary school students in Ohio write letters to U.S. troops in Iraq, inspired by a local soldier who has been held captive there for over a month.
Teachers and parents at Rupert Elementary School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania collaborated on a plan to boost student achievement. They are focusing first on reading, which will make advancement in other subjects easier. Their plan has brought the school system a state grant to fund the project.
Last week, I told you about two columns Walter Williams wrote on educational ineptitude. Walter has another column this week, proposing what he calls "educational triage", allocating resources based on need as well as likelihood of success.
In Michigan, as many as 100,000 children are being home schooled. The kids are scoring quite high on standardized tests, and it it saving the state an estimated $600 million. An interesting read...
President Bush addressed the nation last night, laying out in fine detail his plans for the immediate future of Iraq. The full speech can be read here. His plan was well-presented and complete. As you should know, on June 30 the coalition will transfer full sovereignty to a government of Iraqi citizens who will prepare the way for national elections. In 36 days, we will become guests in that nation, with no governing authority. The final step, free national elections, will be held no later than January. Our military will remain in Iraq for some time, offering protection, training and leadership to the growing Iraqi military. Our time in Iraq is limited, but we're setting up a future of freedom for the Iraqi people that is permanent.
Incidentally, the Democrats last night insisted that Bush still needs to lay out a plan for the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq. Go figure...
A lot of people are talking about the new movie The Day After Tomorrow. Former V.P. and enviro-hack Al Gore is promoting the validity of the film's premise. Unfortunately, it just ain't so. While the film might make for good escapist fare, it certainly has no basis in scientific fact. Patrick J. Michaels is senior fellow in environmental studies at the Cato Institute. He solidly refutes any claims that the book is based on science. Read it before you see the film. By the way, the film is based on a book by Art Bell (a black helicopter, alien abduction and Loch Ness Monster conspiracy theorist) and Whitley Strieber. In Strieber's previous work, Communion, he explained that he was told of the Earth's upcoming apocalypse by aliens. Yeah, they're reliable...
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Is the media biased? A new study by the Pew Research Center says... maybe so. The study polled 547 national and local reporters, producers, editors, and executives across the country. This study followed a Pew study of opinions of the general public.
In the study, only 7% of national journalists described themselves as "conservative," compared with 33% of the public. Thirty-four percent of national journalists called themselves "liberal," vs. just 20% of the public. A majority of national journalists (54%) called themselves "moderate," while 41% of the public did. So, while roughly 1 out of every 3 people considers themselves to be a conservative, only 1 out of 14 journalists is a conservative.
Asked about the media's treatment of President Bush, 34% of the general public said the media has been "too critical", 35% said "fair", and only 24% said the media isn't critical enough. Only 8% of the national press responded with "too critical", while 55% said the media was giving the president a pass.
The studies also questioned the general public and the media about moral issues. About 58% of the general public believes that a belief in God is essential to being a moral person. Of conservative journalists, 26% agreed. Of so-called moderate journalists, only 12% agreed. 85% of moderate journalists said belief in God isn't necessary for being a moral person. Asked if homosexuality should be accepted or discouraged by society, the responses from conservative journalists mirrored the general public. Among non-conservative journalists, however, about 90% overall were in favor of accepting homosexual lifestyles.
The report makes a thought-provoking read.
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Thought Of The Day
"Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Blaming a gun for killing someone is like blaming a pencil when you misspell a word."
Walter Williams has written a pair of columns about the current state of the education system in this country, including a look at the educators whose responsibility it is to teach our youing people. I'd strongly recommend you read them. The first column is here, and the second here. Williams doesn't make blanket judgements against all teachers. But he does present statistics that show concerns, and needs for improvement, in some areas. Some of the highlights...
In Tennessee, the success of some students has made other students feel badly about themselves. What're the schools' responses? Public schools in Nashville have stopped posting honor rolls. Some are considering a ban on posting exemplary schoolwork on bulletin boards. Others have canceled academic pep rallies, while others might eliminate spelling bees. Nashville's Julia Green Elementary School principal, Steven Baum, agrees, thinking that spelling bees and publicly graded events are leftovers from the days of ranking and sorting students. He says: "I discourage competitive games at school. They just don't fit my worldview of what a school should be."
Teachers have recruited students to write letters to the president protesting the war and participate in demonstrations against school budget cuts.
Very often, good teachers and principal are faced with the impossible task of having to deal with administrators and school boards who are intellectual inferiors and motivated by political considerations rather than what's best for children.
Retired Indiana University (of Pennsylvania) physics professor Donald E. Simanek says that "most teachers have learned 'methods and skills' of teaching, but don't have a solid understanding of the subject they teach. So they end up 'teaching' trivia, misinformation and intellectual garbage, but doing it with 'professional' polish.
A National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) publication shows average SAT scores by student characteristics for 2001. Students who selected education as their major have the lowest SAT scores of any major (964). Math majors had the highest (1174).
It's the same story when education majors finish college and take tests for admission to graduate schools. In the case of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), education majors have an average score that's the lowest (467) of all majors except for sociology majors (434). Putting this in perspective, math majors score the highest (720), followed closely by economics in third place (625).
Maybe I should start a book club, like Oprah. Maybe this should be my first book...
Find Walter, The Farting Dog at Amazon.com...
It was announced yesterday that an artillery shell containing sarin nerve gas exploded in Iraq recently. Fortunately, US military bomb squad members who were there received only "minor exposure" to the chemical agent. We've also learned that mustard gas was found by US inspectors. Two banned chemical weapons... sounds like enough to warrant continued searching.
Funny how this news is being handled by the cable news outlets. The two stories linked above are from MSNBC and FOXNews. On FOXNews the story is linked on the main page, along with two other major Iraq stories. On the MSNBC site, you have to go to their News page, then find the link to their story under "International News". I've made quick searches of the ABC and CBS web sites and found the story, although neither thought it important enough to mention on their main pages. Even the BBC has a story, although it also took saerching to find it.
But the fine, respected journalists at CNN have almost no mention of this on their site. It is referenced in one sentence, buried in a story about the slain Iraqi Council chief who was killed in a car bombing. Possible signs of WMD, and they bury it. Isn'tthat interesting...
