Last Grandparent

My grandma (mom's mom) died yesterday after a several month downward spiral. She was my last grandparent (my grandfather is still alive, but I haven't seen him since I was too young to remember). It is always a wake up call to mortality whenever you lose someone close.

I'm headed down to LA tomorrow morning for the funeral on Friday. Please keep my family in your prayers!

A Good Quote to Live By

"(I)f the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. . . . There can be no divided allegiances here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. . . . (W)e have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

- Teddy Roosevelt, 1907

One Win to Go

With LSU beating Ole Miss 40-7, a win over Arkansas next week locks up the SEC West title and a trip to Atlanta to play Georgia (get ready Dukes!!!)

With Miami's loss to Georgia Tech 14-10 (sorry Dup) LSU will move up to #3 in the polls and better move to at least #4 in the BCS. Also almost had a very good night of upsets with USC barely surviving Fresno 50-42.

She Said YES!!!

I left this post up for a timestamp as a reference to other posts to know when I proposed to Cheryl, but took the content of post down as it no longer applies.

Calling Their Bluff!!!

It has just been reported that the Republican leadership will force the Dems to put up or shut up. They are going to force them to vote on whether or not we should pull out the troops now. As will surely be the case it will fail overwhelmingly. This will be cause much embarrassment for the Dems and also point out the true loons who will vote in favor, as a couple surely will.

Caught on Tape

Here is a great video put out by the RNC that backs what President Bush has been saying about several Dems citing the dangers of Saddam all the way back to 1998. I guess that must be when President Bush started lying and manipulating intelligence..oh wait...he wasn't the President then...oops. BUSTED!!!

AWESOME GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a game!!! Once again the SEC shows why it is the best conference in the nation hands down!

LSU came back from a 10-0 halftime deficit to tie it 10-10 and go to overtime beating Bama 16-13 in overtime. While I would have much preferred a less nerve thrashing game, this one is definitely an instant classic.

Now we just have to not choke on the last two regular season games versus Ole Miss and Arkansas and we make it the SEC Championship game.

Also while it is getting less and less likely, there is still a slight chance of making it to the Rose Bowl if a few timely loses go our way, but we first have to keep taking care of our business and let the rest take care of itself.

Success Six

Don't start your day until you finish it!

I'm reading an online book, "Conversations with Millionaires" by Mike Litman. One thing I've picked up on that has already made an impact is the idea of planning your day before it starts.

He suggests each night before going to bed, list the top six things you need to do the next day to move your job/life forward. After you have them listed, you need to prioritize them in the order of importance.

Then the next day you start with #1 and move down the list. The key is that you don't move to #2 until #1 is finished and on down the list. Obviously you have to be flexible, but as you get better at planning, the less obstacles will take you off your path for the day.

You wouldn't start building a house until you finish it (have the plans and blueprints), so why do you start a day without finishing it first?

HUGE Game Day!!!

Today's game is for all the marbles in the SEC West! #5 LSU vs. #3 Bama should be a defensive battle. Hopefully it is a better game than last week's Miami/Tech game (however I wouldn't mind having a Miami-type win if it isn't a close game).

Bama's offense has been struggling, scoring only one offensive touchdown in the last 3 SEC games. Their defense has kept them in it, but LSU's offense, if it is clicking on all cylinders, is much better than the last three teams Bama has played. That stat is why I think LSU will win the game.

It will be a close one with LSU winning by 6-9 points.

Let Freedom Shine

Here is a picture that Rumsfeld has on his desk. It is a satellite image of North and South Korea. Definitely points out the stark contrast between freedom and communism. In the South, where freedom lives, lights shine bright. However, in the North the people are left in the dark. I look forward to seeing a satellite image of Iraq in 5 years!

Gotta Love Bashing the French

"AP and UPI reported today that the French government announced that it has raised its terror alert level from 'Run' to 'Hide.' The only two higher levels in France are 'Collaborate' and 'Surrender'. The raise was precipitated by a recent fire which destroyed France's white flag factory, thereby disabling its military."

- Author unknown

Thank You!!!

Thanks to everyone who has served and is serving in our armed forces!

Good Job Mr. President!!!

President Bush finally took on the Dems head on today. They have been spouting their propaganda unchallenged for over a year now, and it was well overdue for some perspective coming from the President.

The truth is that every intelligence agency in the world believed Saddam has WMDs. Nearly every Democrat, including Clinton, Kennedy, Kerry, Gore and Edwards made multiple statements that Saddam had WMDs. Yet, the liberal media and these same Dems now claim it was all Bush's fault and that he alone lied. The hypocrisy drives me nuts!!!

A new book is out that I look forward to reading soon called "Disinformation: 22 Media Myths that Undermine the War on Terror" by Richard Miniter. It is taking on the statements of no WMDs found and many other myths about the War on Terror spread by liberals. Here are just a couple of samples sited:

-1.77 metric tons of enriched uranium
-1,500 gallons of chemical weapons agents
-17 chemical warheads containing cyclosarin (a nerve agent five times more deadly than sarin gas)
-Over 1,000 radioactive materials in powdered form meant for dispersal over populated areas
Roadside bombs loaded with mustard and "conventional" sarin gas, assembled in binary chemical projectiles for maximum potency

I'm glad the President is finally going on the offensive and I hope the Congressional conservatives follow soon.

You Are Known By Your Heroes

If you want to get a sense of the people behind the riots in France, here is a quote from an article that paints the picture:

Mahmoud Khabou, 20, the jobless son of Algerian immigrants, knows little of the world beyond the concrete housing projects that rise in bleak rows barely an hour's subway ride from the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and other grand monuments of Paris.

But he knows who his heroes are. ''Osama bin Laden and Rodney King," he said, referring to the Al Qaeda leader and the African-American whose videotaped beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 spawned massive racial riots.

''One because he gives pride back to the Muslims," the young man asserted as he and a trio of friends stood near the charred ruins of a carpet shop. ''The other because he was just a poor man, a 'nobody man' of color, but he caused a great city to burn."

That just about says it all!

Look Ahead Win

LSU might have been looking ahead to next week's Bama game. While 24-0 is nothing to shake a stick at, it could have been more. Now everything is set for next week's SEC West showdown. It should be a great game!

Private Property Pillagers

The US House voted last night 376-38 on the Private Property Protection Rights Act. It is the first step towards reversing the Supreme Courts' Kelo decision that allows governments to take private property away from its owners and give to private companies.

This is blatantly against the Constitution which only allows for private property going to public use projects like bridges and roads, not hotels and condos for more taxes.

Take a look at the above link and see if you Congress critter is one of the 38 members who have no respect for private property or the Constitution. Maybe someone in their districts should petition the local government to seize their homes for a hotel like some did to the Supremes who ruled against the Kelo family.

Did We Learn Any Lessons From Rwanda?

I just finished watching the movie "Hotel Rwanda." It is based on what happened there in 1994 when in 3 months nearly one million people were slaughtered right under the nose of the UN and the rest of the world. The main character of the story saved over 1200 people.

If you don't like the UN, you will like them even less after this movie. Granted the US, under Clinton, did nothing either in part because of the Black Hawk Down incident, the UN showed how completely useless they are without the US.

It is a movie everyone needs to watch, including the bonus features! The interview with the real life person depicted in the movie is very moving, especially when he tries to explain the reasons the world didn't help. It just broke my heart.

I wish I could say something like this will never happen again, but unfortunately the same is happening in Sudan, the Congo and other countries today. I'm not sure of the details (I will call some friends and try to find out more) but one person killed is too many and many more than that have already died in those countries while the world does very little to stop it.

If we can't stop senseless killing like this, how can we continue to call ourselves a Christian nation. While I know our military is stretched in the war on terror and that effort is just as important, we must find a way to intervene.

Another good movie on the topic of what happened in Rwanda is "Sometimes in April."

Another Abortion Myth Shattered

Some abortion supporters have long held to the myth that if abortions were not as taboo, less unwanted children would be aborted instead of becoming abused children. They have even gone so far as to use the slogan, "Every Child a Wanted Child? Not Really!"

Well a new study has once again proved the abortion on demand crowd lacking. According to the study done at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, women who have had an abortion are 144% more likely to abuse their future children.

I surely hope President Bush has one or two more Supreme Court appointments before his term ends in order to get closer to ending abortion for good.