For those who are able, my church is one of the relief hubs in the Baton Rouge area. You can get info on what is needed from their website or Pastor Dino's blog, which is being updated frequently. Another way to help, if you are in Louisiana or the Gulf Coast region, is a new outreach, Share Your Home, started by some friends in LA.
It never ceases to amaze me how everyone does whatever is needed in the face of such tragic disasters.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Lunatic Left Rush to Blame Pres. Bush
I knew it wouldn't take long but I had hoped the Left would at least have the decency to wait until everyone was out of harm's way to blame Hurricane Katrina and the destruction on President Bush and his allies. To no one's surprise to how desperate and heartless they are, that wasn't the case as they are already casting ridiculous accusations with no compassion for the victims.
This is not only absolutely despicable, but just preposterous. For anyone to think that humans can affect the global climate is so laughable. It is called weather cycles (wow...did I just quote the NY Times in a positive manner...who would have thunk it =) ) and they have been happening since the beginning of the earth. Anyone remember the Ice Age!!! I bet if I look hard enough I can probably find someone blaming President Bush for that also.
I just spoke with a friend who evacuated to Houston and he said all he has is CNN in the hotel room and they are regurgitating the same junk blaming Bush for the hurricane and also the lack of National Guard troops (which is not even true) due to the Iraq war. He said he is so missing FoxNews.
This is not only absolutely despicable, but just preposterous. For anyone to think that humans can affect the global climate is so laughable. It is called weather cycles (wow...did I just quote the NY Times in a positive manner...who would have thunk it =) ) and they have been happening since the beginning of the earth. Anyone remember the Ice Age!!! I bet if I look hard enough I can probably find someone blaming President Bush for that also.
I just spoke with a friend who evacuated to Houston and he said all he has is CNN in the hotel room and they are regurgitating the same junk blaming Bush for the hurricane and also the lack of National Guard troops (which is not even true) due to the Iraq war. He said he is so missing FoxNews.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Prayers Answered
Thanks to everyone who has kept my family in your prayers. Everyone is safe and the damage was minimal (two small trees in the backyard are down).
Unfortunately everyone was not as fortunate. Please continue to pray for all those in the Gulf region affected by Katrina.
Unfortunately everyone was not as fortunate. Please continue to pray for all those in the Gulf region affected by Katrina.
Prayer Request
I know most of the people who read this are in a hotel somewhere in TX, stuck on the road still trying to get out of dodge, or sleeping soundly in their beds miles away in some other part of the country. If you do happen to read this before 5am Monday please say a prayer for my parents, brother and grandma who have foolishly decided to ride this one out even though they are in the direct path. Please also keep everyone who will be effected by this monster storm in your prayers as well. Thanks!!!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Absolutely Outrageous!!!
I'm not sure yet if this is true or not, but if it is, this is absolutely outrageous. Drudge is reporting:
ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS TARGET WOUNDED AT ARMY HOSPITAL
Wed Aug 2005 24 21:20:05 ET
Anti-war protestors besieged wounded and disabled soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C, a new web report will claim! CNSNews.com is planning to run an expose featuring interviews with both protestors and veterans, as well as shots of protest signs with slogans like “Maimed for a Lie.” The conservative outlet will post video evidence of the wounded veterans being taunted by protesters, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
If this turns out to be an accurate story...I'm already fuming just thinking about it...I'm really speechless that people would stoop to such a despicable level. I don't care what you think about the war. There is absolutely no justification for such horrible acts. These soldiers' lives are forever effected through no fault of their own except doing their job to keep us free and allow absolute idiots like this to do such insane and downright heartless things.
I was downtown today and ran across a Navy guy in full dress. I walked over to him and thanked him for his service and said I truly appreciate his sacrifice to protect us. It took him a few seconds to realize what I was doing and then he became very visibly thankful for my gesture.
I'm not saying that in any way to try and pat myself on the back. Just to show the striking difference between someone who truly appreciates the military and what they do for us and someone who hates the President so much that they will go to any level to make their statement even if that means hurting those who protect their very lives.
What a sad state of affairs that there are people that would ever consider an act as this much less actually carry it out.
ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS TARGET WOUNDED AT ARMY HOSPITAL
Wed Aug 2005 24 21:20:05 ET
Anti-war protestors besieged wounded and disabled soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C, a new web report will claim! CNSNews.com is planning to run an expose featuring interviews with both protestors and veterans, as well as shots of protest signs with slogans like “Maimed for a Lie.” The conservative outlet will post video evidence of the wounded veterans being taunted by protesters, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
If this turns out to be an accurate story...I'm already fuming just thinking about it...I'm really speechless that people would stoop to such a despicable level. I don't care what you think about the war. There is absolutely no justification for such horrible acts. These soldiers' lives are forever effected through no fault of their own except doing their job to keep us free and allow absolute idiots like this to do such insane and downright heartless things.
I was downtown today and ran across a Navy guy in full dress. I walked over to him and thanked him for his service and said I truly appreciate his sacrifice to protect us. It took him a few seconds to realize what I was doing and then he became very visibly thankful for my gesture.
I'm not saying that in any way to try and pat myself on the back. Just to show the striking difference between someone who truly appreciates the military and what they do for us and someone who hates the President so much that they will go to any level to make their statement even if that means hurting those who protect their very lives.
What a sad state of affairs that there are people that would ever consider an act as this much less actually carry it out.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
A New Low for Government Bureaucrats
It wasn't enough that the folks in the Kelo decision have been stripped of their rights to own property, now they are being slapped in the face and kicked in the teeth as well. The city is charging them RENT!
Bolton Already Kicking in Heads
"America's newly installed ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, labeled 'inappropriate and unacceptable' the United Nations Development Program financing of materials bearing the slogan 'Today Gaza, Tomorrow the West Bank and Jerusalem.' Mr. Bolton said yesterday that the UNDP had failed to explain why it funneled money to the Palestinian Authority to back the production of banners, bumper stickers, mugs, and T-shirts bearing the provocative slogan as well as UNDP logos."- New York Sun, 8/18/05
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Not Holding My Breath
Posted below is one of the post from Opinion Journal's Best of the Web. If you are only able to subscribe to one "current news/political" daily newsletter, I highly recommend Best of the Web.
Here is a post from the email today:
The Good News Is, the Good News May Get Reported
A heartening piece of metajournalism appeared in yesterday's New York Times. It seems the Associated Press has come under pressure from American editors about the negativity of its coverage from Iraq. Rosemary Goudreau, editorial page editor of the Tampa Tribune, received numerous copies of a mass e-mail listing accomplishments in Iraq, and this prompted her to contact the AP:
Ms. Goudreau's newspaper, like most dailies in America, relies largely on The Associated Press for its coverage of the Iraq war. So she finally forwarded the e-mail message to Mike Silverman, managing editor of The A.P., asking if there was a way to check these assertions and to put them into context. Like many other journalists, Mr. Silverman had also received a copy of the message.
Ms. Goudreau's query prompted an unusual discussion last month in New York at a regular meeting of editors whose newspapers are members of The Associated Press. Some editors expressed concern that a kind of bunker mentality was preventing reporters in Iraq from getting out and explaining the bigger picture beyond the daily death tolls.
"The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we're making progress in Iraq," Ms. Goudreau said, and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question.
"It was uncomfortable questioning The A.P., knowing that Iraq is such a dangerous place," she said. "But there's a perception that we're not telling the whole story."
The fault here, though, does not lie entirely with the AP. Silverman says he researched the e-mail and found that in the Times' words, "most of the information in the anonymous e-mail message had been reported by The A.P., but the details had been buried in articles or the articles had been overlooked." The Times piece concludes by noting that Goudreau conceded that by the end of the meeting, "editors were acknowledging that even in their own hometowns, 'we're more likely to focus on people who are killed than on the positive news out of a school.' "
And indeed, here's an AP Baghdad dispatch that moved yesterday on the AP wire:
The capital's Sadr City section was once a hotbed of Shiite Muslim unrest, but it has become one of the brightest successes for the U.S. security effort.
So far this year, there has been only one car bombing in the neighborhood, and only one American soldier has been killed.
A year ago, militiamen garbed in black and armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades roamed the streets in open revolt against the American presence. But U.S. troops quelled the uprising, and today calmly patrol the district, aided by loyalists of the radical cleric who spurred the violence.
A Google News search--which is wide-ranging but not comprehensive--turned up only two newspapers that have published the Sadr City story: the Chicago Sun-Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The story is not terribly time-sensitive, so let us hope that other papers will pick it up.
One additional bit of context: It was in Sadr City that Casey Sheehan was killed in action in April 2004. America's success there is further evidence that he did not die in vain.
Here is a post from the email today:
The Good News Is, the Good News May Get Reported
A heartening piece of metajournalism appeared in yesterday's New York Times. It seems the Associated Press has come under pressure from American editors about the negativity of its coverage from Iraq. Rosemary Goudreau, editorial page editor of the Tampa Tribune, received numerous copies of a mass e-mail listing accomplishments in Iraq, and this prompted her to contact the AP:
Ms. Goudreau's newspaper, like most dailies in America, relies largely on The Associated Press for its coverage of the Iraq war. So she finally forwarded the e-mail message to Mike Silverman, managing editor of The A.P., asking if there was a way to check these assertions and to put them into context. Like many other journalists, Mr. Silverman had also received a copy of the message.
Ms. Goudreau's query prompted an unusual discussion last month in New York at a regular meeting of editors whose newspapers are members of The Associated Press. Some editors expressed concern that a kind of bunker mentality was preventing reporters in Iraq from getting out and explaining the bigger picture beyond the daily death tolls.
"The bottom-line question was, people wanted to know if we're making progress in Iraq," Ms. Goudreau said, and the A.P. articles were not helping to answer that question.
"It was uncomfortable questioning The A.P., knowing that Iraq is such a dangerous place," she said. "But there's a perception that we're not telling the whole story."
The fault here, though, does not lie entirely with the AP. Silverman says he researched the e-mail and found that in the Times' words, "most of the information in the anonymous e-mail message had been reported by The A.P., but the details had been buried in articles or the articles had been overlooked." The Times piece concludes by noting that Goudreau conceded that by the end of the meeting, "editors were acknowledging that even in their own hometowns, 'we're more likely to focus on people who are killed than on the positive news out of a school.' "
And indeed, here's an AP Baghdad dispatch that moved yesterday on the AP wire:
The capital's Sadr City section was once a hotbed of Shiite Muslim unrest, but it has become one of the brightest successes for the U.S. security effort.
So far this year, there has been only one car bombing in the neighborhood, and only one American soldier has been killed.
A year ago, militiamen garbed in black and armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades roamed the streets in open revolt against the American presence. But U.S. troops quelled the uprising, and today calmly patrol the district, aided by loyalists of the radical cleric who spurred the violence.
A Google News search--which is wide-ranging but not comprehensive--turned up only two newspapers that have published the Sadr City story: the Chicago Sun-Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The story is not terribly time-sensitive, so let us hope that other papers will pick it up.
One additional bit of context: It was in Sadr City that Casey Sheehan was killed in action in April 2004. America's success there is further evidence that he did not die in vain.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
More Evidence of the Clinton Administration's Dereliction of Duty
Once again more proof is surfacing that the Clinton administration's complete incompetence and higher concern for self preservation over the protection of the nation may have led to 9-11 not being stopped.
Rep Curt Weldon (R-PA) is all over the place talking about new findings that show intelligence agents at the Pentagon knew of two of the 9-11 highjackers being part of al-Qaida and in the country a year prior to the attacks. However due to the Clinton administrations wall of separation that didn't allow agencies to share information, these agents were not allowed to share their intel with the FBI. Intel that very well might have stopped 9-11 from happening.
They were given two reasons for not being able to share the info. One was that Atta and the other guy were here legally meaning nothing could be done to them and the other was that the Clinton administration couldn't afford another public relations disaster like the Branch Davidian incident.
Rep. Weldon is rightfully trying to find out how high up in the administration this order to not share the info went up the chain of command. We hear over and over that we have to get over Clinton and move on. However that gets harder and harder to do when more and more proof keeps surfacing that continues to point to complete incompetence and dereliction of duty. Not that I'm surprised one bit...rather furious is closer to my current feelings.
Also upsetting about this story is that it wasn't mentioned at all by the 9-11 commission. Wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that the person in the Clinton administration that authored the wall of separation policy at the Justice Dept was a member of the 9-11 commission. Nah...I'm sure that had nothing to do with it.
Rep Curt Weldon (R-PA) is all over the place talking about new findings that show intelligence agents at the Pentagon knew of two of the 9-11 highjackers being part of al-Qaida and in the country a year prior to the attacks. However due to the Clinton administrations wall of separation that didn't allow agencies to share information, these agents were not allowed to share their intel with the FBI. Intel that very well might have stopped 9-11 from happening.
They were given two reasons for not being able to share the info. One was that Atta and the other guy were here legally meaning nothing could be done to them and the other was that the Clinton administration couldn't afford another public relations disaster like the Branch Davidian incident.
Rep. Weldon is rightfully trying to find out how high up in the administration this order to not share the info went up the chain of command. We hear over and over that we have to get over Clinton and move on. However that gets harder and harder to do when more and more proof keeps surfacing that continues to point to complete incompetence and dereliction of duty. Not that I'm surprised one bit...rather furious is closer to my current feelings.
Also upsetting about this story is that it wasn't mentioned at all by the 9-11 commission. Wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that the person in the Clinton administration that authored the wall of separation policy at the Justice Dept was a member of the 9-11 commission. Nah...I'm sure that had nothing to do with it.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
TransPORKation Bill
As much as I want President Bush to succeed, as a conservative I can't help but being disappointed in the $286 billion transportation bill he signed into law today. He originally said he would veto anything over $284 billion, but he didn't and is still the only President in history to not veto a single bill.
The biggest reason I'm so disappointed is because of all the waste in the bill. There are over 6000 projects that have no business being in the bill amounting to over $24 billion. That is the most member requested projects in the history of the Congress (aren't Republicans in charge of both the House and the Senate). I guess the saying that power corrupts is proving to be true for the class of '94 that came into power on a platform of cutting government waste.
Here is a press release from CAGW that gives a little taste of what is included in the bill. Hopefully Rep. Flake's bill will bring some sanity to the process, but I'm not holding my breath.
The biggest reason I'm so disappointed is because of all the waste in the bill. There are over 6000 projects that have no business being in the bill amounting to over $24 billion. That is the most member requested projects in the history of the Congress (aren't Republicans in charge of both the House and the Senate). I guess the saying that power corrupts is proving to be true for the class of '94 that came into power on a platform of cutting government waste.
Here is a press release from CAGW that gives a little taste of what is included in the bill. Hopefully Rep. Flake's bill will bring some sanity to the process, but I'm not holding my breath.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
People's Republic of Fairfax
Can someone please explain how funding "day laborer centers" so illegal aliens can have a common place to go in order to find work makes any sense whatsoever. Well that is exactly what Fairfax County is proposing. They are trying to get $400,000 approved to set up these centers.
Now if it was a ploy to have them all congregate in one area and then have ICE come in and arrest them all, I'd be all for it. Don't hold your breaths on that one.
Thankfully it is becoming a campaign issue in the governor's race. Kilgore spoke out against it today and called on Kaine to do the same. Kaine's spokesman said Kilgore's proposal to shut down the centers does nothing to address the illegal immigration problem. For those non-political folks, that means not only will he not call for them to be shut down, but he also supports them.
How hard of a concept is it for people to understand that the easier it is for illegal aliens to continue to break the law, the more incentive there is for more to come illegally.
Delay spoke in favor of a Tancredo bill that would cut federal funding for any locality that in any way encourages or gives incentives to illegal aliens. It is about time the Republican leadership starts taking a hard stand on this issue because if they don't the base will start to crack even worse than it already has on the issue.
Sorry if some of this sounds very jumbled...I'm working on not too much sleep...and just had to post something on this tonight =)
Now if it was a ploy to have them all congregate in one area and then have ICE come in and arrest them all, I'd be all for it. Don't hold your breaths on that one.
Thankfully it is becoming a campaign issue in the governor's race. Kilgore spoke out against it today and called on Kaine to do the same. Kaine's spokesman said Kilgore's proposal to shut down the centers does nothing to address the illegal immigration problem. For those non-political folks, that means not only will he not call for them to be shut down, but he also supports them.
How hard of a concept is it for people to understand that the easier it is for illegal aliens to continue to break the law, the more incentive there is for more to come illegally.
Delay spoke in favor of a Tancredo bill that would cut federal funding for any locality that in any way encourages or gives incentives to illegal aliens. It is about time the Republican leadership starts taking a hard stand on this issue because if they don't the base will start to crack even worse than it already has on the issue.
Sorry if some of this sounds very jumbled...I'm working on not too much sleep...and just had to post something on this tonight =)
Monday, August 08, 2005
In Jesus' Name
That was the title of Todd's message tonight at Frontline. He based his message on Acts 3 & 4 and the story of John and Peter healing the beggar at the gate. His four main points were:
- Godly acts should be attached to Jesus' name - Acts 3:1-10
- Godly acts should lead to our story of faith - Acts 3:11-16
- Our story of faith requires boldness in the face of opposition - Acts 4:1-3
- Our story of faith should result in new believers - Acts 4:4
This would create a cycle: Godly acts -> Story of Faith -> Salvation of Hearers -> More Godly acts.
However, he said the main problem is that most Christians are only have a secret love affair with Jesus, but instead He wants an overt marriage available for all to see. Todd challenged us to give a reply, whenever we are thanked for our Godly acts of kindness, that it is because I'm a follower of Jesus Christ is why I (fill in the blank). Not in a weird or holier than thou sort of way, just matter of fact sort of way.
This would definitely take a lot of people, including me, out of their comfort zones. But as Todd said, how are people to know why we do what we do if we don't tell them. Hopefully this blog is accomplishing some of that for me, but I definitely need to be a little more bold in face to face situations.
A guy I heard speak once said that every single person in his high school class of over 200 people heard his testimony at least once over his three years in high school and that not one of them could get away on judgment day with saying they never heard of Jesus' plan of salvation. That convicted me and still does because there are people I've known for the whole 10 years I've been a Christian and I've never once talked with them about Christ beyond maybe saying I'm a Christian.
I know this is an area God is really trying to work on in my life, especially since the Kazakhstan trip. As with everything, it is a process, but I need to really start stepping up to the plate and swinging otherwise I'll never get the ball moving.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
One Month To Go!!! GEAUX TIGERS!!!
For those who know me well, the title of my post is very self explanatory. For those who don't, one month from today is the kickoff of the LSU football season. It is shaping up to be another great season. With 10 offensive starters returning, 7 defensive starters returning and everyone on special teams returning, LSU is in great shape to improve upon its performance from last year and make another run for the National Championship. The only two question marks are QB, which hurt us last year, and a new coach.
They are ranked #6 in the USA Today preseason poll. However 5 of the teams we play this season (6 if we make it to the SEC Championship game) are ranked in the Top 25 including #3 Tennessee (thankfully 4 of the 5 are home games). There is no reason, with 6 SEC teams in the top 25, that if any SEC team goes undefeated, they should not be in the National Championship game like Auburn should have been last year.
I'm hoping to be able to make it down for either the Florida or Auburn game this season. I definitely can't go two seasons without making it to at least one game!!!
They are ranked #6 in the USA Today preseason poll. However 5 of the teams we play this season (6 if we make it to the SEC Championship game) are ranked in the Top 25 including #3 Tennessee (thankfully 4 of the 5 are home games). There is no reason, with 6 SEC teams in the top 25, that if any SEC team goes undefeated, they should not be in the National Championship game like Auburn should have been last year.
I'm hoping to be able to make it down for either the Florida or Auburn game this season. I definitely can't go two seasons without making it to at least one game!!!
Daybreak
Frontline has a ministry called Daybreak. It is based in Lincoln Heights, the largest DC inner city housing project, and provides activities and mentoring for at-risk children in the community. A group of us went out there today as well as 6 guys for the Nationals to hold sports clinics in baseball, basketball and soccer and also just play around with the kids. About 20 or so kids came out, and we all had lots of fun.
It was neat to be able to do the same type of activities that we did in Kazakhstan right here in my backyard. It definitely brought home the fact that you don't have to go halfway around the world to do ministry.
It was neat to be able to do the same type of activities that we did in Kazakhstan right here in my backyard. It definitely brought home the fact that you don't have to go halfway around the world to do ministry.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Roll Tide
Did I really title this post "Roll Tide"? Wow...Alabama must have really done something outstanding for such a treasonous comment from a Tiger fan.
Well you can rest a little in that I'm referring to the state of Alabama and not the university football team, ya'll know that I'd never take that plunge "around the bowl and down the hole."
However the state of Alabama yesterday became the first state after the Kelo decision to enact new laws protecting its citizens from government seizure of their private property. At least 31 other states are moving towards similar action. Judge Roberts can't be confirmed soon enough for my taste.
Well you can rest a little in that I'm referring to the state of Alabama and not the university football team, ya'll know that I'd never take that plunge "around the bowl and down the hole."
However the state of Alabama yesterday became the first state after the Kelo decision to enact new laws protecting its citizens from government seizure of their private property. At least 31 other states are moving towards similar action. Judge Roberts can't be confirmed soon enough for my taste.
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