Turkey tramplings

A light fresh snow this week showed the evidence of a good crop of turkeys using our farm for their winter activities. I had seen over 100 turkeys at one time while deer hunting on our land last fall. Spring turkey hunting season in Ohio runs April 24 - May 21 with a special youth season April 22-23. Hunting forecast looks good!

Hillary...hypocrisy

Why is everyone (danger: hyperbole alert) in the blogosphere upset or surprised that Hillary Clinton came out against school vouchers?

Do you really think she is worried that money given to the schools will be funneled to extremist religious organizations? I, of course, think her concern has more to do with catering to her National Education Association voter base than worrying what’s best for the future of our children and country.

It’s blatant pandering from a mother who sent her daughter, Chelsea, to private, not public, schools.

An excerpt from her speech:

“Suppose that you were meeting today to decide who got the vouchers. First parent comes and says 'I want to send my daughter to St. Peter's Roman Catholic School' and you say 'Great, wonderful school, here's your voucher. Next parent who comes says, 'I want to send, you know, my child to the Jewish Day School. Great here's your voucher! Next parent who comes says, "I want to send my child to the private school that I've already dreamed of sending my child to.' Fine. Here's your voucher.

Next parent who comes says, 'I want to send my child to the school of the Church of the White Supremacist.' You say, 'Wait a minute. You can't send...we're not giving a voucher for that.' And the parent says, 'Well, the way that I read Genesis, Cain was marked, therefore I believe in white supremacy. And therefore, you gave it to a Catholic parent, you gave it to a Jewish parent, gave it to a secular private parent. Under the Constitution, you can't discriminate against me.'

Suppose the next parent comes and says 'I want to send my child to the School of...the Jihad.' Wait a minute! We're not going to send a child with taxpayers dollars to the School of Jihad. 'Well, you gave it to the Catholics, gave it to the Jews, gave it to the private secular people. You're gonna tell me I can't? I'm a taxpayer. Under the Constitution.'

Now, tell me how we're going to make those choices.”

First, I think it’s a fallacy that lack of current federal funding is somehow controlling extremist schools. Clinton is absolutely right that you shouldn’t discriminate among schools based on their religious and/or cultural outlook. You can and must, however, require all institutions posing as schools to meet high standards of education for their students. Schools which do not meet these standards should then be unable to qualify for the voucher program and should not qualify as education for the purposes of child welfare.

See, when someone accepts federal money in the form of vouchers, they open themselves to federal regulation as to the use of that money.

Jihad or other forms of revolution taught in schools qualifies, I think, as sedition and is punishable under its own legislation. She also discounts the power of the free market to dictate the success of schools to which parents are taking their vouchers.

The argument by some taxpayers that they don’t want their tax dollars spent on something against their beliefs has also been less-than-successful in the past.

So what we really come down to is a desire to preserve the pre-eminence of our current system of public education and, with it, the power of the teacher’s union. I’m pretty sure the Catholic, White Supremacist and Jihad schools mentioned above would not feel constrained to hire NEA members as instructors and the substantial loss of its virtual monopoly would be the death knell for the union.

I’m all for the death of the teacher’s union which has, in my opinion, done more to harm public education than extremist schools could ever do. Heck, let’s encourage Wal-Mart to start offering schooling…maybe they can give a good education at a fair price. – they certainly know about economics.

The only negatives I see to the voucher system is the likely failure of neighborhood schools in inner city urban and economically depressed areas, as students flee those areas for greener pastures. Racial integrations efforts through schooling and busing would also be slowed and illegal aliens would likely see their free ride through the schools curtailed.

Problems? Yes. But let’s not take seriously the calculated warnings of a veteran campaigner like Hillary Clinton who needs the full support of the bloated and corrupt NEA to have any shot at the White House.

Parents to be...

Our very muddy soon-to-be parents enjoying some sunny turnout time. On the left is a mare, Levies Fancy Annie, and on the right is our sweetheart of a stallion, Talako Dreamin' Gold. Annie is due to give birth to her third foal in late May or early June. This will be Talako's first foal, with a couple others to follow shortly afterward.

Toledo Jihadists: More arrests may be coming

At a news conference yesterday regarding the arrests of three men in Toledo who allegedly planned attacks on U.S. military personnel here and in other countries, a U.S. attorney said the investigation is just getting started and more arrests could be coming.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez refused to say whether warrantless wiretaps were used in the investigation. I'm taking that to mean "yes." And I'd further advise the attorney general to be loud and proud about an apparent success generated through the wiretaps - the answer is going to come out in any trial anyway, and the practice could use some positive PR at the moment.

Greeks: "What have you done to our Olympics?"

The Olympics’ image as the pinnacle of amateur athletic competition has tarnished this month as omnipresent blood doping and performance enhancing drug scandals have dominated the news wires.

I think it’s been apparent for some time that the Olympics are not the pure amateur athletic gathering envisioned by the Greeks. There is too much at stake – millions of dollars in endorsements, international fame and national prestige hang in the balance. The Olympics have for some time been manipulated by governments (the Soviet/U.S. boycotts of the 1980s and Hitler’s hopes for the 1936 games come to mind) in their games of international intrigue. Winning the right to host an Olympics has become an international badge of prestige, and the more medals one racks up, the more bragging rights one accrues.

The lure of fame and money have also been too tempting for an increasing number of athletes, who turn to performance-enhancing drugs to gain an edge over their competitors. Sportsmanship and fair play? Forget it, that’s for losers. The real message of the Olympics is that “do anything to win” is the order of the day.

The reality is that there really are very few amateurs in the games; even the athletes who are not “paid” to compete spend the entire time training for competition. Even if they don’t derive a weekly check payable to Joe Athlete for Being Athletic, training and competition is still their job and provides their livelihood.

Call it a Combined World Athletic Championship or call it Athletipalooza, for all I care. Just don’t pretend it’s an amateur event embodying the pure spirit of athletic competition. The Olympics valid claim to that title has long expired, if it was ever accurate to begin with.

No planting today

A well-past-its-prime horse-drawn corn planter was one of the extras we got when we moved back to Ohio three years ago and bought our farm. It's content to rust peacefully on the edge of one of our fields, entertained by the legion of deer and turkeys in the area.

Reality check

J.D. Johannes has a cold cup of "shut the hell up, this isn't some game or intellectual exercise we're performing here" for the naysayers about troop conduct in Iraq.

An excerpt:

You see, it is easy condemn extremely tough interrogation techniques, rough handling of detainees and use of force exceeding the rules of engagement from 8,000 miles away where your decisions hold no weight and the responsibility for your decisions affect no lives.

Read the whole thing, it's well worth it. Hat tip: Instapundit.

Who knew?

Like ohmygod! I'm totally smart!

Dark secrets

Okay, time to ‘fess up…time to bring to light my deepest, darkest, most shameful secret.

Deep breath here…IVotedForJimmyCarterinthe1980election…There! I said (or at least typed) it! Whew! What a load off my chest!

This admission is particularly mortifying when you have to listen to the drek which has been spewing from Carter’s mouth nearly since he became “former President.” Yesterday, Carter said we have to keep funding the Palestinian government as it transitions from Fatah to Hamas control.

Yes, that would be the same Hamas which has “obliterate Israel” right at the top of its “to do” list. It would also be the same Hamas which, upon its ascendancy in the recent elections, declined to renounce its intention to drive Israel and all of its residents into the sea. It’s the same Hamas which has the stamp of approval from a majority of the Palestinian people, with some of the newly elected representatives still serving time in Israeli prisons.

To Carter, however, that is immaterial…a paper peace is most important.

An excerpt:

“It was under this umbrella and not the Palestinian Authority that Arafat negotiated with Israeli leaders to conclude the Oslo peace agreement. Abbas has sought peace talks with Israel since his election a year ago, and there is nothing to prevent direct talks with him, even if Hamas does not soon take the ultimately inevitable steps of renouncing violence and recognizing Israel's right to exist.”

So, according to Carter, Israel should take at face value a peace negotiated with someone who does not represent a majority of the Palestinian people? And the U.S. and Israel should let the money flow to Hamas because some of the money withheld probably makes it down to buy kufta for the average guy on the street?

You know, I used to think (at age 20) that Carter was smart. I even stuck with him through that whole “committed adultery in my heart” Playboy interview debacle. I still think it’s nice that he builds Habitat for Humanity homes. I guess you can be a damned fool and still swing a hammer…there’s probably legions of carpenters who will vouch for that.

And Carter has proven time and again lately that he’s a damned fool. He’s become a member of the “blame America first” crowd, which values cultural diversity (not AMERICAN culture, mind you) and appearance above all things. He hasn’t learned that diplomacy and appearance are not the same as reality – you’d think the Iran hostage crisis would have disabused him of that notion. He even managed to say with a straight face that Venezuela’s last elections, in which President Hugo Chavez airlifted in thousands of Cuban soldiers to vote and to “keep order,” were on the up and up. This despite the fact that every exit poll showed Chavez losing by double digits.

I can't tell whether he's a genuinely nice man who believes everything people tell him or is an evil and active enemy of America.

Thankfully, the government no longer runs according to “Cartervision.” And amusingly, the Israelis are free to tell him to go piss up a rope. Give your sworn and unrepentant enemy the means to undertake your destruction? Are you kidding me, Jimmy?

If I was religious, I know I’d still be in the confessional…”Father forgive me, for I have sinned…I voted for the biggest nitwit on the planet.” And I’d fully expect to be reciting “Our Fathers” until Judgment Day as penance.

A little help for Bin Hidin'

So Osama Bin Hidin' doesn't want to be taken alive, huh? Well, here's the solution. I figure William Munny, $200 and a bottle (or three) of whiskey ought to about take care of that little problem.

Flipping Robert "the Byrd"

During the seven years I lived in West Virginia, I voted against Sen. Robert Byrd. He's the embodiment of everything that's wrong with government: he's a well-heeled ex-Klansman who preaches concern for the rights of the little man while vacuuming up an inordinant amount of our tax dollars to be spent on state projects with his name on them.

He's a megalomaniac who achieves reelection because he brings huge sums of cash to his impoverished state. It doesn't help the average Joe, mind you, but the state sure has some damn fine parks, highways and bridges (all named Byrd, of course.)

It's nice to see that Byrd has achieved some notoriety for his Porkbarrel antics.

From the Porkbusters website:

Senator Byrd's diligence in bringing home taxpayer dollars to his home state earned him the title King of Pork from Citizens Against Government Waste, and we must humbly agree, and therefore grant the good Senator our Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hopefully, Mountain Staters will begin to see past the lavish parks and highways to the fact that Byrd is bad for the country. He's a well-positioned leech buying votes with the shiny new presents he brings home.

Apologies for meager posting

You have my apologies for the meager amount of (read non-existent) posting the last couple days. "Blithe Spirit" performances and a family health crisis have interfered.

Creating pets?

While waiting for one of this town’s ever-present trains to clear the tracks this week, Doc-wife and I were talking about the Russian silver fox domestication study. In the study, Russians at a fur farm decided to see if they could breed friendly, more dog-like foxes. The long and short of it was that in 30-35 generations, the Russians had a pack of tail-wagging, playful, dog-like foxes cavorting about their feet.

The selective breeding for “friendly” traits also resulted in a decline in the animal’s lustrous coat, most growing white “piebald” patches and a shortening of its nose. Some also developed floppy ears and rolled tails.

An excerpt:

Now, 40 years and 45,000 foxes after Belyaev began, our experiment has achieved an array of concrete results. The most obvious of them is a unique population of 100 foxes (at latest count), each of them the product of between 30 and 35 generations of selection. They are unusual animals, docile, eager to please and unmistakably domesticated. When tested in groups in an enclosure, pups compete for attention, snarling fiercely at one another as they seek the favor of their human handler. Over the years several of our domesticated foxes have escaped from the fur farm for days. All of them eventually returned. Probably they would have been unable to survive in the wild.

Doc-wife then postulated our own nanny-staters have been trying to turn the downtrodden among us into their “pets.” Nanny-staters provide food and housing, fuss over them occasionally and like knowing the downtrodden will occasionally come when called to support nanny-state candidates at the polls.

For several generations now, a segment of the population has depended largely on government handouts for food, clothing and shelter. And children born into this cycle of poverty often fall into the pattern of governmental dependence followed by their forebears. There have been recent efforts to break the cycle of dependence through curtailing of government benefits and emphasis on skills training to make able-bodied citizens largely self-sufficient, productive members of the workforce.

There’s been a great hue and cry as we try to introduce these “pets” back into the world of foraging for themselves. “It’s tough love, baby,” the conservative talk shows opine. Most advocate emergency and temporary aid to ease life’s unexpected pitfalls, but draw the line at continued no-strings assistance for the able-bodied.

They’re not pets, to have their material needs automatically and condescendingly satisfied through dignity-robbing handouts. They’re human beings, with dreams and aspirations and they must be released back into the wild to reach their potential. There’s a fine line between providing assistance and becoming the all-inclusive benefactor for successive generations of “Pets.”

We must not work to create a human subspecies delineated by their inability to fend for themselves.

Which are you?

Oh, no! Not another quiz!

My results:

INTP - "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.

Free Jung Word Test (similar to Myers-Briggs)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Cultural relativism watch

On the cultural relativism watch, another fine example of a "Superior Because It's Not American" culture demonstrating its superiority. Who are we to criticize this? We're just capitalist, imperialist, Bush lackeys who get an erotic thrill at the mention of the word oil.

The above is written tongue-in-cheek, of course; but then again, they ARE cheeleaders who, it seems to me, generally deserve what comes to them. I wonder if Google or Yahoo! had anything to do with this one?

Update: The American hegemonistic, elitist, imperialist, oil-burning-and-causing-global-warming war machine took a break from its oil-burning in games of naval domination to send a ship to help with the mudslide in the Phillipines. Heavy capitalist helicopters (probably black) are also on the way.

We're like the Ghostbusters. If somethin' bad happens...in your neighborHOOD...who ya gonna call?...The Great Satan and its intolerant imperialistic Bush-worshipping torture monkeys! It doesn't quite rhyme, but you get the idea...

Response from culturally-equivalent North Korea?

Chirp.....chirp.....chirp.

Canada decides criminals are the problem

Here's a lesson for those pushing for gun registries in this country - they don't work. Canada has found that out and the new Prime Minister has announced plans to scrap the long gun registry and instead spend the money on actually combatting street gangs causing problems in the large Canadian cities. Hmmmm...spending money effectively...fighting criminals instead of harassing law-abiding citizens...what a novel concept!

Now if only the U.S. proponents of a ballistic fingerprinting database would take a hint from our neighbors to the north and admit their efforts are futile. A ballistic fingerprinting database is useless, proven through use of actual databases in Maryland and New York which were unable to match a single bullet.

And, according to gun scholar John Lott, there are many factors rendering a database unrealistic.

An excerpt:

A recent study by the State of California points to further practical difficulties with ballistic fingerprinting. The study tested 790 pistols firing a total of 2,000 rounds. When the cartridges used with a particular gun came from the same manufacturer, computer matching failed 38 percent of the time. When the cartridges came from different manufacturers, the failure rate rose to 62 percent. And this study does not even begin to address problems caused by wear, so the real-world failure rate can be expected to be much higher. The California report warned that "firearms that generate markings on cartridge casings can change with use and can also be readily altered by the users." Further, it warned that the problems of matching would soar dramatically if more guns were included in the sample. The study's verdict: "Computer-matching systems do not provide conclusive results...potential candidates [for a match must] be manually reviewed."

Best advice? Let it go, gun control folks. Let's spend the money where it will do some good - combatting the actual criminals.

Ohio considers extending deer season

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is considering entending the state's deer gun season an extra weekend for the 2006-2007 season, according to an article in the Toledo Blade.

The season, which last year ran for a week during the first week of December, allows hunters to harvest either one, two or three deer depending on your location in the state. In addition, up to two extra permits are available for hunters shooting deer in areas designated as urban zones in need of herd reduction.

From my own experience, most hunters either get their deer or give up after the first few days of the season. I'm not sure adding additional hunting time is going to help check a growing deer herd. I have killed my maximum four deer each year since we returned to Ohio (two regular tags plus two urban tags) and I don't see any effect on the herd. If anything, it's increasing. As anecdotal evidence, last week I counted 17 deer in our main hay field one afternoon.

If Ohio is serious about trimming the herd, it needs to liberalize harvest numbers.

In a related matter, I was happy to see the state enact the Apprentice Hunting and Trapping Bill. This program allows very young hunters to enter the sport without a Hunter Education Certificate as long as they are under the immediate direction of a mentor.

Ronald McDonald takes one for the team

The more the Cartoon Wars nonsense goes on, the more cartoonish it gets.

Yesterday, Ronald McDonald entered the fray. Ronald, that well-known icon of Danish culture, was pummeled and set on fire in Pakistan by Muslims who are mad ostensibly because a Danish newspaper printed cartoons of Allah and Mohammed. Rioters also trashed Ronald’s home restaurant.

They’re lucky Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler weren’t in town…they’d have kicked those Muslims’ butts all the way back to the holes from which they crawled. And the Fry Guys? Forget it . The crowds would have run screaming in terror. I know they always made me a little nervous – they were spidery-looking, moved jerkily and always talked in gibberish.

Even better, let’s see the rioting Muslims take on a Wendys restaurant. The idea of that “Where’s the Beef” lady mowing them down like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando brings warmth to my heart. They’re pretty tough when taking on an insipid clown…let’s see how they stack up against the REAL fast food icon!

Of course the real question is: What does America have to do with any of this cartoon nonsense? I mean I’m proud to stand alongside Denmark as the object of Muslim outrage and all, but in this case I think we’re included just because we’re always on the Muslim Protest Dance Ticket. It’s sort of like the well-past-their-prime professional athletes who keep making the all-star teams…it just wouldn’t be the same without them.

And, of course, the famous Little Mermaid in Copenhagen wasn’t available for the Muslims to deface.

We can hardly get any of our mainstream media to even show the bland Danish cartoons which are being blamed for starting the “cartoonfada,” as some bloggers have termed it. When shown, media has gone so far as to pixelate the cartoon, like it’s porn or something, to spare the sensitivities of the poor Muslims. Yet it’s still Down with America…Death to the Great Satan…Behead Bush…yadda yadda yadda.

So Ronald took one for the team, the Muslim crowds (stirred by their religious leaders) seethe and rampage, and the “kinder, gentler” nations of the world look for some way to get along. Hey world? Your Muslim baby’s throwing a hissy fit…you don’t reward it by apologizing or giving in on free speech issues, that only encourages worse behavior in the future. Have you never had kids or pets? Don’t you know how to deal with bullies?

Sheesh! Grow up world and stop the sniveling. Realize what issues and fundamental liberties are at stake in appeasing this run on freedom of speech..

And hey, Muslims? Take it easy on Ronald, okay? If not, we’re going to unleash the “Where’s the Beef?” lady and, trust me, you don’t want to be around for that.

They can't take the sky from me!

Via Instapundit:


In which science fiction crew would you feel most at home?

Uncowed...and telling it like it is

I don't think I could say it any better than Per Nyholm, a journalist writing for Jyllands-Posten [The Jutland Post], the newspaper famous (or infamous) for setting off the Cartoon Wars. A translation of the article from its original Danish is available in The Brussels Journal.

An excerpt:

I feel that currently my beloved country is being pissed upon rather too much. Denmark has not been neglecting its duties on the international stage. We have supported poor people with acts and advice, we have worked for peace, we have sent soldiers, policemen and experts to all the far flung corners of the world. We have democracy, a rule of law and a welfare state. Not all is perfect, but we harbor no malice towards our fellow men.

And yet Denmark is being pissed upon. The spokesman of the US State Department is pissing on Denmark, the British Secretary of Foreign Affairs is pissing on Denmark, the President of Afghanistan is pissing on Denmark, the Government of Iraq is pissing on Denmark, other Muslim regimes are pissing on Denmark. In Gaza, where Danes for years have provided humanitarian aid, crazed Imams encourage people to cut off the hands and heads of the cartoonists who made the drawings of Mohammed for the Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

Excuse my choice of words, but all this pissing is pissing me off.

Read the whole thing...it's well worth it.

"Blithe Spirit" crash and burn?

I've got this feeling of impending (or perhaps progressing?) doom surrounding "Blithe Spirit."

Maybe it's because the cast is severely divided, with the male lead and female lead swapping words only while onstage. Maybe it's because the performance energy and audience has been dwindling with each show, with only 26 in attendance at Sunday's show. Maybe it's because of the fact the directing/producing team decided to further trim the dialogue rather than fix the underlying problems (the lead actors are overacting a light comedy, dragging out dialogue with unnecessary interpretation.)

Doom, doom, doom.

On the bright side: Just six more performances (Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the next two weekends) in the production run.

On hunter safety

I read this morning that Vice President Dick Cheney was involved in a hunting accident while quail hunting, accidentally shooting hunting partner Harry Whittington, an Austin, TX, lawyer. Cheney was using a 28 gauge shotgun and shot the man from about 30 yards. Whittington is apparently doing well after having the birdshot picked from his body.

All hunting, but particularly bird hunting, is dangerous because of the concentration needed to shoot a small, fast-moving object bent on escape. Quail hunting is even more dangerous because the birds gather in groups and flush in every direction. Trying to pick out one bird, follow it with the gun and shoot the bird while avoiding shooting the dog is a challenge.

That being said, Cheney and company weren't following the rules of hunter discipline as they were instilled in me by my father. From the accounts I've read, the hunting party had separated as Whittington went to pick up a bird he'd shot. I'm assuming all were attired in some hunter orange. Cheney continued hunting, more birds flushed and Cheney shot at one without seeing his hunting partner unexpectedly in the path of the shot. It was beaten into me (not literally) that members of the hunting party ALWAYS know the EXACT location of each member and hunting DOES NOT proceed until all members of the party are located and accounted for. If someone bags game, the others wait while he collects the animal.

I grew up hunting woodcock and grouse in some of the thickest vegetation on the planet, where you could be 20 feet from a fellow hunter and be invisible to them. So I learned the absolute necessity of KNOWING where my fellow hunters were - in the one or two seconds a gyrating woodcock was visible you had to identify the bird, sight and shoot...there was no time to look around and wonder as to the location of your comrades.

There is no excuse for lapses in safety, because the killing sports are for keeps. Unsafe hunters were not invited back for repeat outings in our family and I follow that tradition to this day. I'm sure Cheney feels remorse over this careless mistake, and it's good that the injury wasn't terribly serious, but he gets no pass from me. He should have known, and behaved, better.

Cartoon fantasy gun up for bids

Via The Gunrunner online gun auction starting tomorrow, a piece of firearms fantasy fluffery is offered for sale. From the description:

Winchester Model 42 Deluxe, .410 ga. pump action shotgun, highly engraved with Disney cartoon characters. Serial #164675. One of a kind Model 42 with extensive engraving by English artist M.Courtant (signed on the left receiver by him). Former owner reports that he paid $8,000 for the engraving alone! Very unique and exacting job of gold and silver inlays of Disney characters that include the Briar Hill Characters Briar Rabbit, Goofy, the French skunk and Donald Duck and that family of characters (see photos for details). A real conversation piece and outstanding display! Beautifully executed gold wire accents and scroll engraving. The stock is to die for - light colored with black burls and feathering - likewise a show stopper! Fine line checkering on pistol grip and forend. 26" sold rib barrel choked full. It is impossible to show this little .410 to someone and not have them break out in a smile and exclamation! Extremely pleasing and remarkable in every way! There won't be another one of these!

If I had several thousand extra dollars laying around, I'd be sorely tempted. As it is, kudos to the lucky gun enthusiast who gets it.

Note: Blogger picture posting is down...will post picture later.

Update: Picture posted.

10 Muslim commandments

The Big Pharoah recently received a mystical visit from the Big Islamic Guy himself, Allah, complete with burning computer and 10 commandments for Muslims.

My favorite:

1.Thou shall not have westophobia. The west is not plotting against Islam, they don’t give a hoot about your religion nor the religion of this old Hindu man walking in downtown Calcutta, India. The West is busy with far more important things.

Read it all.

Blithe (ha!) Spirit opens

This is the true opening night for Blithe Spirit at the Geauga Lyric Theater Guild.

I’m bored already.

Usually this doesn’t set in until the sixth or seventh performance of a show, but I’m ready to pack it in with this play and move on to the next one. We had a limited-audience dress rehearsal last night and I was ready to leave after the first act. There was no excitement and no butterflies…just sheer drudgery.

My son and our exchange student went to the show last night. Their reaction: “It was good, but it was soooooo long…I think my butt’s dead.” “Do you want to go see it again?” I asked. “NO!” was the simultaneous reaction. Reaction from fellow actors who came to the performance: “My, there are a lot of lines, aren’t there?” Glowing reviews, absolutely glowing.

I was bored backstage, too, so I started counting muffed lines. I started chuckling the fourth time the male lead repeated the same line (which is only actually supposed to be said once.) Of course, they made some cuts to other dialogue, so it worked out. In fairness, though, they got a pretty high percentage of the lines right.

The play runs weekends through the end of the month and you can bet I’ll be marking off the days with a glow-in-the-dark, neon glitter highlighter.

Tonight at least promises to be somewhat interesting. Apparently the local chamber of commerce buys all the tickets to the performance, liquors up the attendees and sends them to the thee-ate-er for a night of cultural fundraising. Note to self: play up the drinking humor…drunk audiences love that.

Another note to self: Read the play before auditioning and don’t let sympathy for family members persuade you to accept a part you don’t want.

Breakfast with Ann

Sometimes you've just gotta love Ann Coulter.

The belief that Islam forbids portrayals of Muhammad is recently acquired. Back when Muslims created things, rather than blowing them up, they made paintings, frescoes, miniatures and prints of Muhammad.

And:

Muslims are the only people who make feminists seem laid-back.

She certainly cuts to the heart of matters with some well-crafted vitriole thrown in. Read the whole thing.

Don't flee in NY!

Wow. I want to be a cop in New York.

There is something ironic about turning the Dukes of Hazzard vehicle model of choice into a police interceptor. If Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane had one of these, maybe he could have caught those Duke boys - assuming he could stop driving into ponds.

NSA: Poll numbers going up

Look for the Democrats to start beating a hasty retreat on the matter of the NSAs domestic surveillance program as poll numbers show support for the program on the rise. Who knew? Voters apparently want to keep an eye on people in this country who talk to terrorists overseas. The President has staunchly defended the program as a critical component in our national security efforts, has gotten backing from legal authorities over its constitutionality and has seen public support growing as the hyperbole of initial reporting has given way to more reasoned discourse.

The Democrats surely have learned by now that Bush is a careful counter-puncher. He endures the initial assault, lets the furor die down and then comes back with some precision jabs of his own. I'm not sure why they continue to throw undisciplined, wide-looping haymakers at him, only to see their efforts sidestepped. They need to pick their battles more carefully and shed their well-earned image as the "Party of No."

First they came for my neighbor...

Uh, oh. Here's some unsettling news from Europe concerning discussions to adopt a "Code of Media Conduct"...for the uninitiated among us, that means censorship. European bloggers, too, had better be wary - I would think censorship rules applying to major media are readily transferrable to the internet.

Table talk

I got into a discussion last night at the dinner table with our foreign exchange student about the uprising worldwide of Muslims in somewhat-belated anger over the publication of the 12 “blasphemous” cartoons in a Danish newspaper.

Our German family member, 17, is a pretty thoughtful boy. He was critical of the rage shown by the Muslims in burning flags and destroying embassies. He said the West, however, should be cognizant of Islamic sensitivities and should not have published the cartoons. He said that as Islam is a widely-pursued religion/culture on the world stage, its wishes must be respected when it comes to matters of public discourse.

This is where we differ sharply.

I disagree that topics of discussion in a free society must be unevenly censored in the interest of cultural sensitivity. I also disagree that every culture should unquestioningly have equal weight in determining mankind’s global evolution. I think rational human beings must stand for the continuing elevation of human understanding and achievement, and I think Islam, with its rigidly structured and proscribed society, is anathema to progress and change.

I’m an American, a proud resident of this country in which my ancestors arrived two generations ago – one small ingredient in this melting pot. My grandfathers came to this country from Denmark and England, sank their roots and contributed what they could to this country’s greatness. They eventually went into politics, farming, mining and, through successive generations, engineering, music art and literature. As a result of my origins, I value cultures for what they bring to the table of human understanding, knowledge and progress.

I think cultures which add to human understanding are to be valued, while those which seek to subjugate their adherents are to be shunned. I think multi-culturalism is an enemy of human progress because it divides rather than blends the best of human attributes.

Science fiction author Gordon Dickson, in his Dorsai books and particularly The Final Encyclopedia, postulates that humanity can be broken into three cultures which are separately pursuing human evolution. The Dorsai are the pragmatic warriors, the Exotics are the mystical philosophers and the Friendlies embody man’s fierce devotion to his faith. All three are necessary for true evolution.

Public debate and discussion are equally necessary for progression. Our philosophies are built and modified through exchange and comparison of ideas in public forums. Ideas which can not stand up to public debate are often relegated to the dustbin of history.

In the case of Islam, however, the rigidly faith-based culture seeks to protect and preserve itself from public comment by trying to silence the discourse. And by labeling as apostate anyone within the religion who is critical of its tenets, Islam seeks to put itself beyond discussion. It seeks to make legitimate public comment, especially including comment on the violence perpetrated by many Muslims in the name of Allah and Mohammed, off limits to discussion. Cultural leaders stoke the fires of rage within their followers, hoping the ensuing demonstrations will intimidate the world into silence.

The West must acknowledge these protests, but not censor itself in response. The free and open discussion of ideas is essential to progress. International decorum, if it means limiting topics available to debate, is unacceptable.

It would be easy to say “it’s their culture, they apparently like it, so let’s ignore them and let them be.” And that might actually work if Islam confined itself to its endemic countries and had no further impact on world affairs. We could probably ignore an isolated culture where, in many cases, women are subjugated, some mythical being is the source of law and discussion is silenced by leaders who interpret the directives from god in whichever manner they see fit.

It’s more difficult to ignore the culture, and its plusses and minuses, when it is expanding and coming into conflict with other ways of thinking. I hope the West will continue to discuss the merits of Islamic culture, and will sift out those elements it deems worthwhile for inclusion in our evolution.

Islam can either withdraw to its dark, stagnant corner and watch the world pass by, can embrace the chance to openly discuss its merits and contribute to the growth of man or will be consigned to eternity. The debate has begun and contrived protests are not going to silence it.

Line in the sand

And I'm going to keep saying it - there is no room for compromise in this battle for free speech. Obedience to Islam's tenets is NOT going to be the rule in my world.

No joy in Mudville: Levy failed.

The Madison (Ohio) Local School District's big levy went down to defeat for the second time yesterday, losing 2,960 to 2,722 with just 48 percent of the registered voters heading to the polls. It lost 52.09% to 47.91%. Absentee voters were also against it, 253-142.

Ironic moment: At the polls the pro-levy people were trying to encourage people to vote for the levy before they headed in to the polling station. One man ahead of us got into a shouting match with the levy supporters, claiming he supported the levy the first time around, but now that the school board announced it would have to make cuts in light of the looming deficit he was against the levy. "I don't like them taking the kids hostage," he said.

My response - huh? The school district has too little money, mandating cuts in services to the students and staff reductions, so this guy votes against giving the schools more money because the schools already don't have anough money to provide the extra services? I hope this guy is not a graduate of the local district.

Another interesting observation: the elderly poll worker demonstrating the new voting machines (with a real ballot) consistently punched the "against the levy" button during her demonstrations.

Barring a successful levy run before the start of the next school year (May election) , this means no exchange student for us next school year (interrupting our 11-student run) . We'll also be taking a harder look at our home and private schooling options. I am relieved this funding crisis is happening while our kids are in middle school/elementary rather than in high school, where the extra services are much more important. I also hope the funding crunch does not follow that of a neighboring district, which saw repeated levy failures, eventual insolvency and state intervention.

Happy hundred to me!

I just noticed that my last post was number 100. Happy birthday...or is it anniversary?...to me! My apologies for yesterday's light posting day - life and play rehearsals interfered.

Straight from Tom Clancy

I'm a rabid Tom Clancy fan...have read and re-read all of his solo-authored books...because I think he presents a credible simulation of the cause-and-effect of world events. My first reaction on hearing the breaking news about the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center on 9-11 was to wonder whether another one was on the way to Washington (a la Clancy’s Debt of Honor.)

That’s why some speculation posted by David Conway on Civitas has struck a chord with me.

Conway postulates the over-the-top Muslin outrage worldwide over the Danish-published Allah and Mohammed cartoons, which were published in September, is being choreographed by the Iranians. Their motivation: Iran is due before the United Nations Security Council to face possible sanctions over their dogged determination to process uranium. For the gullible, energy-rich Iran claims it needs the refined uranium for nuclear power plants to provide electricity. A more realistic view is that Iran is refining the material for use in nuclear weapons.

There is enough sense left in the world that most other countries see Iran’s true aims, and have supported bringing the country before the UN security council. On the council, Iran knows it can count on the ever-opportunistic Russia and China for support...but who else can it turn to?

From Civitas:

But who wanted or caused the heat to become so turned up and why at that this particular moment?

The clue to the answers to this second question lies in a second event almost certain to occur to today, if it has not already happened by the time this blog gets posted. This is the likely decision today in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency to report Iran to the UN Security Council for continuing with its programme of nuclear research. If that decision should occur, when the UN Security Council gets round to considering what form of sanctions to impose on Iran, guess to whom chairmanship of the Council will have passed? You’ve got it... plucky little Denmark.

Suddenly, the pieces fall into shape. The rumpus suddenly escalated, complete with fabricated offensive cartoons, to so enflame Muslim opinion that Denmark could be intimidated directly through a threatened Muslim boycott of its goods, or indirectly by the EU fearful of a wider boycott, into voting in favour of Iran.

It’s classic Tom Clancy. Iran conducts a proxy war against Denmark in hopes of intimidating the next chairman of the security council, trying to ensure that its race for nuclear weapons reaches fruition. The tactic is nothing new; Iran has been conducting a shadowy proxy war against the United States for years – supporting efforts by Muslim fundamentalists worldwide and, more recently, Iraqi insurgents, to harry American efforts.

I think, in the case of Iran and the entire Middle East, we continually make the mistake of equating technological and cultural stagnation with intelligence. Sure, the Iranians may not be the Silicon Valley of the world, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play a clever game of chess. And chess on the international level involves subterfuge, feints and distraction – something at which the Iranians have proven themselves adept.

I hope for our sakes we have the equivalent of Clancy’s Jack Ryan and John Clark on hand to guide us through the coming storm and thwart Iran’s ambitions.

Woodshed...stick...some assembly required

Wow. Arizona Sen. John McCain published a quite politely biting letter to Illinois Senator Barack Obama yesterday on his website.

An excerpt:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership’s preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I’m embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again.

Taken to the woodshed. Nice Job, Sen. McCain, you just scored some points for style in my book. Read it all.

Well said

Above added with thanks to DANEgerous weblog.

Where the h-h-heck is this global w-w-warming?

Don't tell this dinosaur about global warming...he looks like he's stuck squarely in the middle of the next ice age. Picture is from the side of our house - what a difference a day makes. We went from muddy grass to a foot of snow on the ground in a matter of hours. It's still not terribly cold...only about 30 degrees or so...but we just came home from rehearsal at 30 mph or less the whole way. The kids are betting (wisely I think) that there will be no school tomorrow.

Gunrunner auction Feb. 14

Just in time for Valentine's Day, beginning Feb. 14 Burton's The Gunrunner will have an online auction of 250+ high quality guns. I also think they give you one of their free controversial calendars with a gun purchase at auction.

I've already got my eye on oneof the offerings, a Charles Daly .410 over and under shotgun. I've got a collection of several Charles Daly over and unders in 12 and 20 gauge. That .410 would just feel at home...we'll see.

'Religion of Peace' indeed

Embassies and Danish flags are burning merrily worldwide as members of the “Religion of Peace” rampage through the streets to protest cartoons depicting their god and prophet as violent. As more Western publications print the bland caricatures of Mohammed and Allah, more Muslims have taken to the streets to try to quell this uncharacteristic burst of free expression.

The Danish consulate in Beirut, Lebanon was torched today, and, just to keep the whole Scandinavian theme going, the embassies of Norway and Sweden were also damaged. Unrest was also unleashed on locals, as a Catholic Church and property in a Christian area were pelted with rocks.

Predictably, the apologists were quick to respond.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora condemned the use of violence in the protests.
"This has nothing to do with Islam at all," he told Future television. "Destabilizing security and vandalism give a wrong image of Islam. Prophet Mohammad cannot be defended this way.

I’m tired of hearing that these violent acts “have nothing to do with Islam.” The people perpetrating the acts certainly use Islam as their inspiration. Islamic people certainly celebrate acts of violence against the West. Even relatively non-violent Islamic protests feature the threat from violent imagery. Remember the guy with the sign that said “Behead Those Who Say Islam is Violent?”

Once we get past this whole “Religion of Peace” masquerade, we’ll actually be able to begin to deal with the problem.

The sides in this conflagration are being chosen. Actually the sides have been chosen for some time, it’s just that the Western world didn’t realize the rumble was on. It’s the West’s enlightenment against Islam’s static barbarity. It’s like a no-contest matchup between Hulk Hogan and Barney Fife; from where I’m sitting, Islam won’t make it through the first round if the West decides not to pull its punches.

The hellish part of it is, the West must pull its punches. We’re very cognizant of the atrocities perpetrated in Communist Russia, Nazi Germany, Community China and Rwanda. We promised “never again” on our watch, and I think that’s a worthy goal, but it ties our hands and tethers our swords. We’re constrained to respond in measure to the assault on Western Civilization by Islam; never mind the fact that a measured response may be perceived as weakness by our antagonist. I fear it will take a knockdown sucker punch, even bigger than 9-11, before we shed our scruples and truly demonstrate to Islam the error of its ways.

I think it’s a good first step and bodes well for us that a majority of the West has decided to stand up for free expression, instead of again caving in to the rampant march of Islam to “preserve the peace.” The willful child has been thwarted – it’s been reminded the rest of the world does not operate under the Islamic gag. Hopefully Islam will get the message, see the resolve behind it, and largely mend its ways. Maybe then, we’ll never have to respond to a major attack by the “Religion of Peace” with our full might and fury.

That would be a black day indeed, both for Islam and the ideals of the West.

More shameless puppy pitching

Did I mention my sister, Jaye, has top-quality collie puppies for sale? This was the puppies' first foray into the great outdoors in Sunman, IN, last week. They were up to the task of defending the household from sticks in the lawn - Lassie would be so proud! My understanding is that three are sold, she's keeping two, and the rest are for sale to good, preferably show, homes. In interested, contact her through her website: Mandalay Collies.

Recipe blogging

Last night's offering to the bottomless maws of my household was chicken tenderloins in a olive oil/butter pesto sauce served over linguini. I decided I've got to write some of these down...I rarely cook from a recipe and get constant complaints from my family that I never make the same stuff twice. I sort of go with "Zen and the Art of Cooking."

Be the pasta...

The recipe (all measurements approximate) :

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 stick butter
2 medium onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 pounds chicken tenderloins
2 tbs basil (best fresh)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
Salt to taste

Sautee onions and garlic over low heat in oliva oil and melted butter. Add herbs and ground red pepper. Cover and let homogenize (sort of like McDonalds hamburgers under the heatlamps) for 15-20 minutes. Add chicken and bell pepper, stir it into the sauce and completely coat chicken with mixture. Cover and let cook over medium low heat for another 15 minutes. Break chicken into bite-sized pieces, stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper, cover and let cook another 5 minutes. Serve over favorite pasta.

I'm not a big fan of parmesan cheese, but this recipe would probably lend itself to some of that, if cooks were so inclined.

Big election Tuesday

Our local public school district has run headlong into the school funding crunch, and has a large operating levy on the ballot Tuesday. It’s asking for a 7.3-mill continuing operating levy (meaning a tax increase of $7.34 for every thousand dollars of property value). The same levy failed by a narrow measure on the November ballot.

Now this is a huge operating levy request by Ohio standards – usually when schools ask for that much, they’re doing some construction. I’m not sure why they didn’t reduce their requested amount the second time around. Most levies of this size also require several attempts before passage and the demographics of our community includes a lot of retired property owners who are most reluctant to loosen their purse strings. Failure to pass the levy this time, according to levy committee materials, will result in reorganization of the elementary schools (and resulting loss of jobs), larger classes, elimination of extracurricular activities, loss of non-core curricula, and cessation of the school cable channel. The November loss at the polls already resulted in the loss of high school busing. So, since January, we’ve been driving our foreign exchange student the six miles to and from school every morning and afternoon.

We’ve been pleased, overall, with the district’s performance. District schools are consistently ranked in the upper echelons of Ohio institutions. We voted for the levy last time and will vote for it again this time.

I hope it passes, because if it does not it will have some certain and other potential impacts on our family.

First, if the levy does not pass, we will not host an exchange student next year – the first time since 1998. The transportation cost ($30-$35 a week) and workload will make hosting impractical. Also, we will have to consider home schooling and/or private school for our children, ages 12 and 11. This last option would be an additional slap in the face of the schools, which lose $6,000 state funding for each child leaving enrollment.

The fine schools were one of the reasons we decided to locate in this community. Impoverished schools will certainly affect the community’s currently desirable status and thereby depress property values.

Ohio’s funding system is unfair: the neighboring Perry Local School District has very low taxes, but a nearly unlimited budget thanks to the property tax windfall it receives from the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. I think I still prefer local decision on school funding to turning all money over to the state to be divided evenly – this allows individual communities to decide how much of a priority they place on education.

In our community, I hope it’s priority number one.

Irony of the day

The irony of the day, via LGF:

A Muslim mob swarmed the Danish embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia today, rampaging and smashing things to show their anger over being portrayed as “violent:” Muslims attack Danish embassy building in Jakarta.

Gathering storm

We’re at a pivotal point in human history.

Our forces for change, knowledge and progress have run head-on into the unyielding anchor which would keep us trapped, stagnantly, in our dark beginnings. Western civilization and Islam are beginning an inevitable clash as the West finally draws its line in the sand.

This far and no farther.

Up to this point, the West has played the part of the rational adult, making allowances for the primitive tendencies and actions of Islamic culture. We thought their tribal allegiances quaint, their subjugation of women a private matter, their acceptance of terrorism an aberration and their utter lack of contribution to human evolution a matter that would be remedied as the culture matured. We watched as the Middle East grew tick-fat through the oil beneath its feet rather than through its contribution to global society.

We shrugged off honor killings, beheadings and suicide bombings worldwide, all the while being cautioned by our leaders and media that Islam is a “religion of peace.” We gave full weight to a religious culture mired in the dark ages, and in so doing devalued our own achievements. We have given much more than an inch and seen Islam demand the world be remade to its liking.

The West has seen an explosion of immigration from Islamic countries over the last 25 years. Most European countries have a sizeable Islamic population which, instead of blending in the melting pot of their new home, have more accurately been biding their time and marshalling their forces. It turns out the influx was less an immigration and more an invasion. Now Islam demands that the West, as a culture, adhere to its religious tenets. Islam demands a separate judicial process (sharia) for its members, so their enclave doesn’t have to become part of Western Culture, and freedom from criticism in the public eye.

Muslims this week have been belatedly marching in the streets in protest of some Danish cartoons, which were published in September. The 12 cartoons, featuring various bland depictions of Islamic religious figures Allah and Mohammed, have subsequently been picked up and published by non-mainstream newspapers throughout Europe and are plentiful on the internet. Some sites have even taken the depiction of Allah and Mohammed a step (or three) farther. The West appears to be waking to the realization that indulgence, as in children, more often creates a monster than a well-adjusted child.

The Muslims say depicting their religious figures is against Islam. They characterize it as hate speech that newspapers are printing these things which violate Islam.

Apparently in their haste to escape the melting pot, Muslims missed the bit about the West not being Islamic in nature. We publish pictures of whoever we wish, without regard to race, creed or color. We allow public commentary on every subject. That’s the baseline definition of a free society. Using threats and intimidation to try to force silence on a subject is not only antithetical to a free society, it’s bound to be counterproductive for the would-be censor.

Freedom of expression is key to our sharing of information in our continual quest for improvement and advancement. There is no room for growth or improvement in a society willingly mired in the dark ages. To slow the clash of cultures, Islam MUST modernize and realize the world does not run according to its whims.

If it does not, I fear a catastrophic backlash by the West.

Choosing the light

You know, a digitally-resurrected Rod Serling should be the public face of the internet.

Serling was the perfect quirky guy to take something ordinary and extrapolate it into a story of bleak darkness or, occasionally, into a tale of human triumph. His “Twilight Zone” TV series showcased humans at the best and their worst – just like the internet. Enlightened inspiration and lurid chaotic evil lurk in equal measures on the web as the virtual anonymity encourages people to shed the carefully crafted mask most of their neighbors see.

It would have provided no end of inspiration to an imagination like Serling’s. Perhaps most disturbing, the inspirations would have their basis in fact, not imagination. Sterling observed and provided conjecture about the highs and lows of the human creature – his did not pursue them.

Serling would represent the laconic and dry-humored sunny side of the internet.

The dark side neither wants nor needs a face: it prefers to conduct its business in the warm, moist, decaying corruption that occupies the shadowed corners of the web. Perhaps H.P. Lovecraft could put a face to that…I can’t.

This post was prompted by some idle link-surfing last night. As everyone knows, the farther you get from the mainstream, the weirder things get. It’s like a Seven Degrees of Separation thing: depending on your proclivities, you can get to the depravity du jour from any point on the internet in about seven clicks. Of course, you can get there more quickly through a directed search.

There are many people blogging who have apparently decided to forego reasoned content for titillation and hard-won respect for instant popularity. I think it’s a juvenile choice, which leaves some hope for them…maybe they’ll grow up. These people dedicate their web content to tales of their sexual antics, death videos and other assorted perversions. They get a lot of hits on their websites, growing rapidly from birth and apparently convincing themselves they’re part of a mainstream, not a gutter.

I decided when I started blogging in July that I would bypass that quick route to popularity. I’m not going to post any sex quizzes, naked pictures of myself or gory video of someone’s misfortune – I’m not interested in writing for the crowd that swarms over those posts. I think posts should be honest, from the heart and presented with fairness and a bit of decorum. Please don’t misunderstand me – I’m not a prude (very far from it), I just prefer to go with the good side of The Force and I’ll leave others to pursue the Dark Side.

The internet showcases all facets of the human existence, and that’s its real virtue. It’s all out there for people to see and the opportunities for learning are limitless.

But I’ll take Rod Serling as the face of the internet in which I’d like to dwell.

Horse and cat blogging

Miss Kitty and her horse. This is fluffy barn mascot Miss Kitty and one of her favorite horses, Sunny. Miss Kitty delights in rubbing herself on the horses (some of them take this better than others) and eating various parts of small rodents.

That's right woodchuck chuckers it's...Groundhog Day!

It's Groundhog Day here and in Punxsutawney, PA, and the forecast is for partly cloudy skies and a balmy 48 degrees. Even Bill Murray could predict the coming of an early Spring this year.

Update: I want to know who got to Phil! Six more weeks of winter, indeed! Was it Jack Abramoff, Phil, did he slip you a few hundred grand and promise you all the clover you can eat? Was it some fringe environmental group hoping to hold down global warming? Did Tony Soprano threaten your family?

I know! It was Halliburton and Big Oil looking to bleed dry the consumers by extending winter! Phil lied! Consumers cried!

Signs of sanity from...France?

French newspaper France Soir has jumped into the frying pan with the Danes, publishing the set of 12 cartoons depicting Allah and Mohammed which has inflamed the Islamic world. Boycotts have been threatened, ambassadors have been recalled and numerous fatwas have undoubtedly been issued.

From BBC News:

Under the headline "Yes, we have the right to caricature God", France Soir ran a front page cartoon of Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian gods floating on a cloud.

It shows the Christian deity saying: "Don't complain, Muhammad, we've all been caricatured here."

The full set of Danish drawings, some of which depict the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, were printed on the inside pages.

The biggest problem I have with Islam, other than it being a stagnant and barbaric religion/culture which stifles the human spirit, is the Muslims expect everyone to behave as though Islam is the universal basis for human interaction. Here's a clue Mohammed: I'm not a believer in the god of my friends and associates - why the hell should I care about kowtowing to your beliefs?

If I could draw, I'd publish a big old picture of Allah sitting on the celestrial toilet, defecating a missile into the toilet bowl which is the Middle East. Maybe Mohammed could be riding the missile, a la (not allah) Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove. That certainly would earn me at least a slimwa wouldn't it, if not a fatwa?

The point is, if you don't like the comics in the newspaper, don't buy it...no one's forcing you to. If you don't think Allah or his prophet should be drawn or depicted in print, then don't draw him or depict him. See, this is how differing cultures get along...they observe their beliefs within their culture, without trying to force them on others.

It may be a hard lesson for Islam to learn.

Update: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have also gotten into the act.

Update #2: I spoke too soon. Someone found out there was a French newspaper editor with balls and fired him. Whew! I thought I was going to have to change my perception of France!

Singing America's praise

Right Wing News recently slapped on its chest waders and slogged into the Democrat Underground cesspool and returned with comments from the moonbat "bash America first" crowd It seems the vitriol has overwhelmed the people to the point where singing the National Anthem is anathema to them.

To whit:

in_cog_ni_to: Has this ever happened to you? The Star Spangled Banner use to bring tears to my eyes. I would always choke up with pride when I heard the anthem. (before I learned how bad this freakin' country is) and last night at my son's wrestling meet, the school we were at played the Star Spangled Banner (that's never happened at any other meet) and I found myself.....ANGRY BEYOND BELIEF! I WAS P*SSED THAT THEY PLAYED IT. P*SSED THAT I HAD TO LISTEN TO IT AND P*SSED THAT THE SHEEPLE STOOD THERE WITH THEIR HANDS ON THEIR HEARTS as if this country is something to be proud of. I was SHOCKED by my gut reaction. I was FURIOUS. It was so unexpected. Have any of you ever experienced that? It's been YEARS since I've been at any event where the SSB was played and my reaction was so visceral. I-was-angry.

MADem: I am permanently sickened by GOD BLESS AMERICA, myself. I used to like it, the odd time I would hear it, in Kate Smith style. Now, it makes me physically ill, frankly.

Rabrrrrrr: I no longer sing it. I refuse to sing it. I will stand when it is played, but I will not join in. I will not say the pledge of allegiance, either.

BoneDaddy: I can definately relate. I work in a school and every morning we are "forced" to say the Pledge of Alligience. Back when I had some pride regarding being an American I would participate in the pledge with some gusto, now I find it empty and meaningless, some collection of impotent words with no real relationship to what is occuring in this country.

There is a right wing woman I work with who, like some kindergarten child who just proudly learned the words, stands up, hand over heart and loudly says the pledge like a good sheep should. It makes me sick.

My response:

I'm just not sure how someone can truly look at the information available today and judge the United States to be inferior to ANY other country. I don't care whether you compare countries based on contribution to global wellbeing, domestic freedoms or quality of life.

We've hosted 12 exchange students over the last few years from various countries including Russia, China, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Germany, and each will attest to the American quality of life. Most will also point out some things conveniently overlooked in the sophomoric thinking of America bashers: our "poor" are not poor compared to people from other countries; our civic freedoms are not enjoyed by other countries; social status here is limited only by talent and drive; corruption is the exception, not the rule.

And in the area of foreign relations, I'd like these Neville Chamberlains to tell me who is going to push for an orderly world if we do not? Russia? China? Perhaps the enlightened aristocracy of Iran? Should we withdraw to our borders and (again) let the world burn around us?

The United States is not perfect - no country comprised of human beings can be. It's just the best around. And no amount of hyperbole from our homegrown America-haters is going to change that.

Weekly gun bias check - Burton in the news!

Alphecca's weekly roundup of gun bias in the news is up and - wonder of wonders - it includes a semi-local entry.

Apparently some of the Burton, OH, locals have their pants in an bind (literally?) because The Gunrunner gun store has posters of women with guns in its front window. The posters are from the store's "Girls of the Gunrunner" calendars, which feature sexy women with guns. Apparently, girls with guns and historic small-town charm don't mix in the minds of the Burton hoi polloi. I've talked to (and bought guns from) Scott, the owner of the store, and he seems like a determined sort. He also gets points from me because he's a former journalism teacher.

It's probably the local Amish population driving this brouhaha. I mean, who's going to look at an Amish girl in her bonnet and somber blue when you can gander at bare bellies, bandoleros and single action Colt pistols?

When is a comedy not a comedy?

I missed the President's State of the Union speech last night because I was at rehearsal for the British comedy "Blithe Spirit," to open Feb. 10 at the Geauga Lyric Theater Guild. It's nine days until opening night and my confidence in this production took a huge dip last night.

My wife and I are only in two scenes of the play, and those scenes have been going nicely so I assumed the rest of the play was in similar shape.

WRONG!

This play involves an author who commissions a mystic to perform a seance so he'll be able to use some of her jargon in the book he's writing. The seance calls back the ghost of his first wife, whom only he can see, which complicates things and adds to the fun. The play is page after page of witty, snappy dialogue.

Other than the above-mentioned scenes, the play drags like the anchor of an ocean liner. The male lead could be excused somewhat last night because he was battling the aftereffects of food poisoning. The dead wife and current wife, however, had no clue as to their lines. The BEST thing that happened was when they skipped a page or more of dialogue in a couple places (and that was through the first act and first half of the second act - we didn't stay for the third act.) At least that picked up the dreary pace.

The mystic is another problem. She's playing the part to be believable when it should be played to flamboyant excess. It's the best part of the play - one of the classics of theater - and she's throwing it away. Naturally, the blog-wife and I are perfect in every way as the skeptical doctor and his ditzy wife.

Of course, there is usually some trepidation as opening approaches but things REALLY don't look good this time. The success of the play relies on zippy, snappy dialogue - something that's not forthcoming when actors are unsure of the lines. The current experience is like a 2-1/2 hour wait for an oil change. Fortunately, the blog-wife and I will probably be offstage if and when the train derails during the play's run.