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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted Oct. 23, 2006 at 1:05 a.m.
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58 Comments
Group Controlled by George Soros’ “shadow puppeteers” Attacks Phill Kline
Why did the Topeka Capital-Journal fail to mention the George Soros connection?
http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/10-22.htm
HEY, All the people that believe that the CIA brought down the world trade center will also believe this:http://www.uncoveror.com/castro.htmFidel Castro died in 1981, and was replaced by a look-alike CIA plant. The dictator ate tainted shellfish and died. CIA infiltrators wasted no time in covering this up, and installing an agent named Alexis Papagos to impersonate Castro, and run the country. This information comes to THE UNCOVEROR via Cuban national, Igor Davidovich Martinez.Why, then, does the U.S. government maintain the embargo against Cuba? “The CIA is turning a great profit by selling contraband Cuban goods on the black market,” says Martinez, “and they don’t want to give that up.” The CIA sees to it that the embargo stays.What tipped Martinez off? Before 1981, the real Fidel Castro nearly always wore a military uniform. After that year, “Castro,” really Alexis Papagos, appeared more often in civilian clothing.This prompted Martinez, and several others to start digging. Of those who discovered this deception, only Martinez remains alive.The plot almost failed. A few people in 1981 heard of Castro’s death, and began a rumor that he had died of syphilis, but the CIA quickly made those people, some of them Americans, Disappear. They needed the world to think that Castro was still alive. They didn’t want you to know, but thanks to THE UNCOVEROR, now you do.
Something you probably won’t hear much but should-
“You’ve probably[havent] already heard that Byron Calame, the New York Times’s Public Editor, recanted this morning on the paper’s exposure of the SWIFT terrorist money tracking program. Shortly after the paper leaked the SWIFT program’s existence, Calame wrote a column backing the paper’s position. Now he says that the Times should not have exposed the SWIFT program.”http://www.powerlineblog.com/
“Un. Freaking. Believable. The NYTimes ombudsman, Byron Calame, buried a bombshell mea culpa in his column today–reversing his prior defense of the Times’ blabbermouth report on a once-secret terrorist banking data surveillance program and now admitting the paper was wrong to publish it:”
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/006173.htm
Here’s an interesting article describing presidential brother Neil Bush’s peddling a computerized learning device called COWS, to Title I schools. It’s raked in $23 million so far, of which a small percentage is federal No Child Left Behind Act dollars. Bush 41 and Barbara are investors in the company too. And who believes that we can’t get pork from cows?
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-ignite22oct22,1,5570829.story
A word from the immortal Jeff Cooper.
“Weapons are the tools of power. In the hands of the state, they can be the tools of decency or the tools of oppression, depending on the righteousness that state. In the hands of criminals, they are the tools of evil. In the hands of the free and decent citizen, they should be the tools of liberty. Weapons compound man’s power to achieve whatever purpose he may have. They amplify the capabilities of both the good man and the bad, and to exactly the same degree., having no will of their own. Thus, we must regard them as servants, not masters–and good servants of good men. Without them, man is diminished, and his opportunities to fulfill his destiny are lessened. An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.”
Here’s another interesting article, “One for the Books–Tutoring Gets Outsourced” about the free private market’s non-politically-connected contribution to children’s education.
Two American-based companies have contracted with thousands of Indian mathematics master’s degree holders to provide online tutoring to American students.
The article describes one Chinese-American and two Indian-American students, ages 11, 11 and 8. Think about this: elementary school students are receiving personal instruction from subject experts. The founders of the companies, and parent-customers realize that for bright, studious kids, conventional classroom education is inadequate.
Sorry, forgot to insert the link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/22/MNGTILTVRR1.DTL&hw=math+tutors+online&sn=001&sc=1000
Check this out–
BUSH: We will stay the course. [8/30/06]
BUSH: We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. [8/4/05]
BUSH: We will stay the course until the job is done, Steve. And the temptation is to try to get the President or somebody to put a timetable on the definition of getting the job done. We’re just going to stay the course. [12/15/03]
BUSH: And my message today to those in Iraq is: We’ll stay the course. [4/13/04]
BUSH: And that’s why we’re going to stay the course in Iraq. And that’s why when we say something in Iraq, we’re going to do it. [4/16/04]
BUSH: And so we’ve got tough action in Iraq. But we will stay the course. [4/5/04]
STEPHANOPOULOS: James Baker says that he’s looking for something between “cut and run” and “stay the course.”
SUNDAY, Oct. 22–
BUSH: Well, hey, listen, we’ve never been “stay the course,” George.
http://www.federalbudget.com/
In Fiscal Year 2006, the U. S. Government spent $406 Billion of your money on interest payments* to the holders of the National Debt. Compare that to NASA at $15 Billion, Education at $61 Billion, and Department of Transportation at $56 Billion.
This increases yearly. This is what happens when spending is not reduced to match tax cuts.
… and to who do we owe those interest payments? How much do we owe to who (whom?) What was the National debt before this corrupted administration took over? If we owe so much money, who will pay for it?
Is this the course we are staying?
In Balad, ties were ‘destroyed in a second’Sectarian battles drive out Sunnis as extremists gather influence
By Ellen Knickmeyer
Updated: 1 hour, 9 minutes agoOUTSIDE BALAD, Iraq – At midweek, Shiite Interior Ministry commandos and their Shiite militia allies cruised the four-lane hardtop outside the besieged city of Balad, trying to stave off retaliation for a deadly four-day rampage in which they had all but emptied Balad of Sunnis.
Sunni insurgents pouring in to take that revenge patrolled the same highway, driving battered white pickups and minivans, their guns stashed out of sight. Affecting casualness, more Sunni men gathered on rooftops or clustered on the reed-lined edge of the highway, keeping an eye on the Shiite forces and the few frightened civilians who dared to travel the highway past Balad.
What brought this Tigris River city north of Baghdad to this state of siege was a series of events that have displayed in miniature the factors drawing the entire country into a sectarian bloodbath: Retaliatory violence between Sunnis and Shiites has soared to its highest level of the war, increasingly forcing moderates on both sides to look to armed extremists for protection.
much more …
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15380065/
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/GE24Dj03.html
Political power rests on three determining factors: the productive capacity of that nation; its international trade relations; and its capability to defend itself
With the demise of the British empire, which went hand in hand with the outsourcing of its productive capacity to the colonies, where labor was cheap, the pound was replaced by the US dollar in the early 20th century, when the US ascended to the throne of the biggest economy in the world, a place it has held ever since.
After outsourcing American production, an outsourcing of control of international trade could well be on the way. The race for financial dominance is on. And it will be decided in favor of the country or region that manages to maintain a lead in production, which will inevitably be located in proximity to the world’s largest base of consumers.
Seeing as how everybody else is larding down the Open Thread, I would like to call you attention to Billmon: he’s on fire today about the Baker Comission and the attempts of the Bush “Administration” to change course in Iraq.
billmon.org
**********************************Babbling IdiotsBillmon
Up until now I’ve resolutely ignored the mindless media chatter about a possible “change of course” in Iraq, both because of the absurdity of the metaphor (sinking ships can have only one course — straight down) and because so much of it appears designed simply to take the heat off the Republicans in the run up to the election. It sometimes seems as if Lee Hamilton’s main purpose in life is to serve as the bipartisan front man for GOP political machinations.
But this article in yesterday’s New York Times was simply too ridiculous to let it pass in silence. Written by one of the stooges in the Times Washington bureau (the nerve center of the New Pravda) it touts the possibility that the Cheney administration might, just might, be prepared to set “deadlines” for the Iraqi government to meet various objectives, such as disarming the Shi’a sectarian militias.
This passage in particular had me shaking my head in bemusement:
Although the plan would not threaten Mr. Maliki with a withdrawal of American troops, several officials said the Bush administration would consider changes in military strategy and other penalties if Iraq balked at adopting it or failed to meet critical benchmarks within it. (emphasis added)What, exactly, is that last sentence supposed to mean? Does the writer even know? I doubt it. If a withdrawal is still off the table — as by all appearances it is, even for Jimmy Baker — then what sort of “change in military strategy” could possibly constitute a “penalty” severe enough to induce Maliki and his entire cabinet to commit political (and quite possibly physical) suicide?
Is Gen. Casey going to threaten to hold his breathe until his face turns blue?
The appropriate metaphor here is the scene from Blazing Saddles in which the new black sheriff, confronted by an angry mob of racially insensitive townfolk, grabs himself around the neck, points a pistol at his own head and yells: “Don’t make a move or the nigger gets it.” But, unlike the extras in Mel Brooks’s script, I don’t think the Maliki government is stupid enough to fall for it.”
***********************************For the rest of this exquisite posting, check http://www.billmon.org
Interesting discussion about translations of translations of copies …
Who changed the Bible and why? Bart Ehrman’s startling answersOctober 22nd, 2006 by Erich ViethHow often do we hear people “explaining” religious beliefs by stating ”The Bible says so,” as if the Bible fell out of the sky, pre-translated to English by God Himself? It’s not that simple, according to an impressive and clearly-written book that should be required reading for anyone who claims to know “what the Bible says.”
The 2005 bestseller, Misquoting Jesus, was not written by a raving atheist. Rather, it was written by a fellow who had a born-again experience in high school, then went on to attend the ultraconservative Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Bart Ehrman didn’t stop there, however. He wanted to become an evangelical voice with credentials that would enable him to teach in secular settings. It was for this reason that he continued his education at Wheaton and, eventually, Princeton, picking up the ability to read the New Testament in its original Greek in the process.
As a result of his disciplined study, Ehrman increasingly questioned the fundamentalist approach that the “Bible is the inerrant Word of God. It contains no mistakes.” To the contrary,
We have only error ridden copies, and the vast majority of these are centuries removed from the originals and different from them, evidently, in thousands of ways.
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/10/22/who-changed-the-bible-and-why/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdangerousintersection.org%2F%3Fp%3D668&frame=true
Good link, Ben; from my position of ignorance in things like Greek and Hebrew, I have often wondered about these issues. I am sure you will be subject to much criticism for posting the link, but for those who criticize, I again repeat what I have said on other threads; read the article; if you are knowledgeable of Greek and Hebrew, read the earliest existing texts, and make up your own mind. If you, like I, don’t know Greek and Hebrew, read the article and accept the fact that there are legitimate questions about the contents of many books in the Bible.
It was pointed out in the replies to the article posted that the original language of the Bible was Aramaic. That’s what I’ve understood, too.
So what does that mean? To me, it means just one more interpretation from language to language that could be mis-interpreted. I’m not an interpreter, but I know just enough of two other languages, besides my basic English, that I understand that nothing translates correctly word for word.
Take for instance the Spanish-Mexican greeting Hola. It’s like our slang Hi. But back in 1968 when I was in Mexico, near Auguascalientes and San Luis Potosi, there were some who had no idea what Hola meant. It’s obviously regional, just as we have our own regional slangs and terms.
I’ve heard that the word Virgin as used in the Bible in whatever “original” language, whether Greek or Aramaic, meant a woman who had never given birth. It didn’t mean a woman who had never copulated. That could change the story of the virgin birth of Jesus/Mary.
There are many reasons why I don’t take the Bible literally. It’s a great guidebook for how to be a good person, but other than that, literal interpretations, for me, are extremely questionable.
heckler, maybe you should read this about that so-called “secret program”.http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/06/28/terrorist_funds_tracking_no_secret_some_say/
or this:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/06/28/BL2006062801268.html
CF, good post.
This is exactly what I was thinking too when I heard the US was going to set “deadlines” for Al Maliki.
And when the deadlines aren’t met because they can’t be met, what happens then?
Yeah, great plan.
I think I’ll set a deadline for myself to nail Jessica and Ashley Simpson on the same night.
Let’s see how that works out.
exerpt-A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. I believe there should be a serious dialogue in our country about providing true security in every one of our schools. We think nothing of seeing armed guards in banks because we know they are there to protect something we value . . . our money. Are not our children infinitely more valuable than our money?
exerpt-As a military veteran who served 18 months in Vietnam, I despise violence, as any sane person should! However, I hate even more having to witness innocent teachers and children killed or injured because we as a society cannot find the courage to face the fact that evil actually exists, and evildoers find our “locked-down” classrooms within our “gun-free zones” a tempting, target-rich environment.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/speak_out/article/0,2777,DRMN_23970_5086342,00.html
This could be fun …
Bush faces political nightmare if Democrats win
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – If Democrats win control of the U.S. Congress in the November 7 election, it would turn the Capitol upside down and create a political nightmare for the already embattled President George W. Bush
If his Republicans lose the majority, Bush would hear newly empowered calls to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and would suddenly face promised Democratic-led congressional investigations with subpoena power into the unpopular war.
Bush, whose public approval ratings are below 40 percent, would also face Democratic demands he offer “mainstream” rather than “right-wing” judicial nominees if he wants them confirmed.
Bush’s fellow Republicans applied a rubber stamp to much of his conservative agenda the past six years, including tax cuts that went largely to the rich.
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/10/22/bush-faces-political-nightmare-if-democrats-win/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fs%2Fnm%2F20061022%2Fpl_nm%2Fcongress_dc&frame=true
Ben
Aside from the tax cuts and judicial picks what was on his Conservative agenda?
Actually the New Testement was originally in Arameic. The old testement was written in Hebrew.
dave s,Actually much of both were originally written in Greek.
Jed, I learned in my college religion class that the Old Testament was originally written primarily in Hebrew, with the New Testament primarily written originally in Aramaic. These were later translated into Greek, some of which were then translated into Latin. The later Greek and Latin translations, as I understand it, were the foundations for the King James version of the Bible.
Pat Tellman’s brother who joined the Military with him in 2002 speaks abot his brother and the war in Iraq. Every American should read it.
http://politicalheartland.blogspot.com/2006/10/pat-tillmans-brother-speaks-truth-to.html
heckler – how about his drive to militarily dominate the middle east? Pushing his so-called “moral agenda”
What’s Bush’s plan in Iraq?
We keep hearing that the Democrats “have no plan.”
I just wondered if anyone could explain what the Republican plan is?
Will someone please remind me why competitive athletics are so valuable?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/23/football.dad.reut/index.html
The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew–the authors were Israelites, not Greeks. In the 4th century BC, scholars began translating the Hebrew text into Greek, and this was called the Septuagint, refering to the ca. 70 writers who did the translation.
The main community of biblical scholars believe that although Aramaic was spoken in Israel at the time of Christ’s life, the New Testament was first written in Greek. This cannot disprove earlier Aramaic versions, but no pre-Greek Aramaic manuscripts have been discovered.
Competitive athletics are extremely important in an expansionary society whose wealth accrual depends on warfare. Competitive games are essentially surrogate warfare exercises. Consider football. The mission is to successfully invade the other team’s territory, and reach its capital. Failing this, one fires a long-distance cannon or rocket (field goal), before surrendering the ball.
Most competitive sports are based on trying to foil the efforts of one’s competitors. Golf is an exception, which is why it is a “gentleman’s sport” because gentlemen don’t beat each other up. The gentlemen let the plebians beat each other up.
The X-Games represent the plebians’ taking up the gentlemen’s modus operandi, because in X-Game sports you don’t score by ruining somebody else’s performance, you just try to better their performance. Most Olympic games do this too, and it’s too bad we don’t train African-American athletes to ski, because if we did they’d kick a** .
Thanks Ben
For a long time I’ve felt / known that the Bible as it is today was several centuries of differing political and moral agendas of mere mortals who choose to twist the words of the god / man Jesus. I remember hearing on the History channel that Jesus was just one of several anti-establishment types (the hippies of their day) that roamed the land back then. He just had better PR people — thus the Catholic Church. An example of the above is that celibacy and forbiding priests to marry was actually an economic decision by the early church (3rd – 4th century) because they couldn’t / didn’t want to pay for the upkeep of priests families.
Competitive sports are valuable because it sells shoes and sports paraphanalia. What would all those kids in China / Thailand / Philipines do if they couldn’t make shoes etc …. for Nike, Adidas etc …..
Vaughn,
Here’s my take on organized kids’ sports. I’m sure I’ll get blasted by some for it.
I didn’t pull a gun, but I did pull my daughter from a softball team after she spent the entire season mostly on the bench. If put in the game, she played defense in the last inning only.
Why? I paid the same amount of money for her to play that the other parents did. I did not expect her to play in the entire game all the time, but I did expect a little bit more that what she was allowed to play. Her dad put her back in after I pulled her out so she could sit on the bench during tournament games. I let him drive her to the games, since he hadn’t bothered to attend any all season, but was the one who was all gung-ho about them playing. Yeah, I’m a mean mom. I had 3 kids that summer, playing on 3 teams in 2 different rural communities, and I was responsible for getting them there and watching the games. This was a chance for my kids to learn to play softball and maybe make new friends. Sitting on the bench for 6 1/2 innings didn’t give my kid a chance to see if she might actually be able to hit the ball. Plenty of those regular players didn’t always make it on base, either.
And count me in on that 85% who have witnessed parents and coaches being verbally abusive. I cheered my kids’ teams on, but I didn’t abuse them, the umps, or the other team players of either team. Get me to a grown-ups game, and I was entirely different. *grin*
I remember Bill Cosby talking about kids sports, and I agreed with him 100%. We’ve spoiled all the fun for kids. Used to be, kids would play pick-up games in their neighborhoods. Nobody cared a lot who won. They were having fun and getting exercise. Sure, there were arguments and fights, but most were forgotten by the next day when they met to play again.
Now we have parents and coaches who run the teams and games. Winning is the only important thing. Forget about forging friendships. The other players on your team are now competitors. Forget about improving skills. Many never really get the chance. Forget about having fun. What’s fun when your parents are screaming at you from the stands about how bad that last play you made was? For me, middle school and high school are soon enough to begin running sports as mini-wars.
Vaughn,
That is silly to question competitive sports and athletics while linking to a gun nut story.
Criminal actions in sports are terrible examples. By parents, coach’s, programs on all levels.Participation in ANYTHING is not guareented. It takes coordination, quick reflex and stamina. Being unfraid to try.
Those are lessons about LIFE! Doing most jobs requires that.
People are left out at their jobs a lot, in the decesion making process. They ride the bench at work, figuratively.
Kids ride the bench one year, could be superstar the following years. Not every person’s body “matures” in sports and athletics at the right time.
Being good at sports and athletics sometimes doesn’t last a long time either. Not every athlete makes the next highest level. There are grade school athletic legends. High School athletic greats. In college but they can’t make it as a professional.
Athletes have to take their achievement greatness when it happens. May not happen forever.
The physical efforts, without injuries are good for bodies and minds.
America is getting fatter is why athletics need to happen. Fat coaches really bother me. They can coach others to struggle in practice in training, getting stronger, faster. That fat coach can’t script the same for themselves, change lifestyle plays to lose weight.
When a college town or any city can gather 100,000 people in a stadium cheering for sports, that’s a huge positive in that community.
Maybe in Wichita, what we lack in college football, seeing 50,000 people together constantly.
You want Wichita’s problems of partipation in other bigger communities?
This size community is not emphazing athletics enough, everything is negative. Why have sports facilites, they fall apart.
At the city league schools, all need upgrades in sports facilities. Lawrence-Dumont is losing the Wranglers because the old stadium needs updating.
Cessna Stadium sits unused for college football. Its time is done that way. Still useful field for high school football and the track.
We’re getting a downtown arena but people can’t figure what sports will bring them there to see an event.
Especially if the person rarely attended anything at the Coliseum. I blame location for that problem.
If a person is fat, they need to be athletic. Why not participate on team and win together. Its great that happens. Why doesn’t the winning really mean something at the same time. The Champions are crowned. It’s all worthwhile if the programs are done right.
Every outrage in bad parenting and coaching leads to examples how more protect kids.
Some people shouldn’t be parents or coach’s. They shouldn’t over boost programs where kids don’t learn enough lessons. They push a super star athlete and he or she doesn’t ever get an education.
I value athletics for all communities, get kids participating properly when they can deal it.
It’s just not paying for a kid to participate, they must want to do it and try hard accomplishing the tasks with some pride. Overcoming fear is a big thing in athletics.
Some parents over force their kids in sports at the wrong time in the child’s life.
And if the ARI fails to do the job?
U.S. challenges Iraqi governmentDEB RIECHMANNAssociated PressWASHINGTON – The White House said Monday that the fledgling Iraqi government must step up and take more responsibility for the country’s security, but said the United States is not issuing ultimatums to Baghdad.
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/breaking_news/15824304.htm
Well, I don’t disagree about the need for more exercise, etc. in light of the problem with obesity in our young’uns. One way to attack this is through greater Phys Ed requirements in schools. I also have no issues with competitive sports, so long as the same are not tied to schools, and the same do not begin until the youngster is 16. I believe, however, that the benefits which allegedly accrue from being involved with competitive sports can also accrue from being a member of an intramural team, for example.
The article I linked to wasn’t so much about the father pulling the gun, although that was the headline; it was about the fact that 6 and 7 year olds are already involved in competitive athletics; the per centage of folks reporting abuse, etc.
An old statistic which I believe still generally holds true: 1% of high school athletes participate in college athletics; 1% of college athletes end up playing professionally. The thing that worries me, Mrage, is that in many cases, the parents encourage participation in sports to the detriment of the education of their student, hoping for the magic “free ride” of an athletic scholarship.
While you appear to be knowledgeable about academic requirements for NCAA athletic scholarship eligibility, I constantly meet parents unaware of the need to register their student with the NCAA clearing house; the “core course” requirements of Prop 48 (or whatever its number is now); the grade point vs. standardized test requirements of said proposition; and other matters of like import.
I am, however, not naive enough to believe that competitive athletics, especially inter-scholatistic athletics, will disappear. ‘Tain’t gonna happen. What I would hope could happen is a review by KSHSAA of its eligibility requirements for participation in all activities it regulates, making a “C” grade in all courses as of the week before a criterion of eligibilty the next week; an elimination of athletic scholarships by NCAA D-I and D-II schools, placing all in the D-III world of no athletic scholarships, students participating in athletics as a true extra curricular activity for those otherwise academically qualified for admission to the institution; and placing the onus on the NFL and NBA to create a true minor league system for the athletically gifted but academically challenged to feed their need for athletes for the entertainment of the public. I’m not holding my breath.
If the ARI fails to do the job, see the example of Vietnam when the ARVN didn’t do the job.
This Just In!!
Jeff Skilling got 24 years and 4 months.
Guess he’ll be the brightest guy in his cell.
Quote of the Day:
‘We are going to impose our agenda on the coverage by dealing with issues and subjects that we choose to deal with.’-Richard M. Cohen, former Senior Producer of CBS political news
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Vaughn – absolutely. In fact, it has already begun:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15380065/
In Balad, ties were ‘destroyed in a second’Sectarian battles drive out Sunnis as extremists gather influence
OUTSIDE BALAD, Iraq – At midweek, Shiite Interior Ministry commandos and their Shiite militia allies cruised the four-lane hardtop outside the besieged city of Balad, trying to stave off retaliation for a deadly four-day rampage in which they had all but emptied Balad of Sunnis.
Sunni insurgents pouring in to take that revenge patrolled the same highway, driving battered white pickups and minivans, their guns stashed out of sight. Affecting casualness, more Sunni men gathered on rooftops or clustered on the reed-lined edge of the highway, keeping an eye on the Shiite forces and the few frightened civilians who dared to travel the highway past Balad
continued
Hey ben,
I’ve read the book, ‘Misquoting Jesus’. I’ve read at least another book by Ehrman too, I think. I’ll check when I get home.
Good author, able to present facts in a way the layman can understand. After reading his book though, there were more assumptions than facts.
There are some major discrepancies in the different modern translations of the bible, that’s why I tend to stick to the King James version.
All in all it’s a good read, however, it’s still one man’s opinion.
Hank
King James? From what I have read it is about the worst. In the later ones they went back to older texts; King James was a translation of a translation of a translation …
King James is what I was raised on …
RD,
Your story about your daughter reminds me of a joke.
Two brothers were eating their dessert when the little one noticed that his was smaller than his big brother’s.
“Mommy,” he complained my piece of pie is smaller than his.”
Mommy said, “That’s because your brother is bigger than you.”
“At this rate he always will be!”
Same thing with school sports. The object should be to have everyone get better and understand teamwork. If you only play the good players they get better and the not so good get discouraged.
Hank
The bible is a good collection of historical non-fiction stories…
Well Ben,
The King James version is the one that I’ve memorized all my favorite scriptures in!
It’s also the version that I trust.
Who knows? It suits me fine.
Hank
Hank – for the Psalms and the Song of Soloman there is nothing better than King James. For the rest I go to newer translations for two reasons:
a. Easier to read in today’s English and
b. They went back further to older texts. Translation should be more accurate as a result.
Now, for some fun – and to get me in trouble …
A blind man wanders into an all girls biker bar by mistake. He finds his way to a bar stool and orders some coffee. After sitting there for a while, he yells to the waiter, “Hey, you want to hear a blonde joke?”
The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, “Before you tell that joke, sir, I think it is only fair — given that you are blind — that you should know five things:1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.3. I’m a 6 foot tall, 175 lb. Blonde woman with a black belt in karate.4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional weightlifter.5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.
Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still want to tell that joke?”
The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters, “No…not if I’m going to have to explain it five times.”
Yet another poll, this one showing that most polled think no one is winning in Iraq:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/23/iraq.poll2/index.html
and on other matters, generally not so good news for the President and the Republicans (to the extent it means anything).
alQuada is winning in Iraq – just like in many ways they won in Lebanon. The reason: they were not directly involved. Their enemies cut each other up; which strenghens alQuada.
So, you dems want to be taken seriously, right? This ellison clown will lokk good sitting next to fat teddy, barney frank, hillary and baruch oboooma! lmosrfao
You leftists and your minority pets are going to destroy miltiracial democracy. Of course, I think that is great, so keep up the good work, coconuts! :)
Townhall.com, David Strom, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
In the United States, all of us have a right to be represented in government, right?
Until now, one group of Americans has been grossly underrepresented. Just who is this underrepresented group? Gang members and cop killers.
{snip}
Luckily, that is about to change. In their wisdom, the Democrat Party in Minnesota (known here as the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party, or DFL) has endorsed Keith Ellison as their candidate to replace 28-year incumbent Congressman Martin Sabo in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
Much attention has been lavished on Ellison for likely being the first Muslim elected to Congress, and much controversy has surrounded his ties to the Nation of Islam and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. {snip}
But almost nobody has focused on Ellison’s most interesting behavior and connections—to gang members and people who assassinate police officers in political violence. The first public discussion of Ellison’s ties to criminals finally made it into the mainstream media October 19th, in a column written by Katherine Kerstin in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
{snip}
According to Ellison, gang members, domestic terrorists like the Sybionese Liberation Army, and cop killers like Assata Shakur (one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists) and Kathleen Soliah (an SLA member who pleaded guilty to murder and robbery in recent years) are really “good people” and freedom fighters trying to keep the spirit of the ’60s alive and well in the midst of a repressive corporate culture. You can read a speech that Ellison gave at a fundraiser for the defense of admitted murderer Kathleen Soliah here.
A bit closer to home, Ellison has championed the cause of youth gang members here in Minneapolis. After the brutal execution of a police officer by four gang members, Ellison led a demonstration against Minneapolis police officers in which he charged that police were persecuting gang members merely to get more money for the union. He concluded his contribution to the rally by leading the crowd in a chant—at a rally defending those accused of the assassination of a Police officer—of “we don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace.”
Ellison’s warped notion of criminals and cop killers as freedom fighters might strike some as a disqualification for office, but apparently not here in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. The Star Tribune has generally treated Ellison with kid gloves, airing some of the stories of his questionable conduct (not focusing on the gang and domestic terrorist affiliations, though), but their columnists and Editorial writers have generally dismissed criticisms of Ellison as evidence of racism (Ellison is black) and religious bigotry (Ellison is Muslim).
{snip}http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2006/10/gang_members_so.php
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!
Vaughn,
I started playing baseball at age 8. Then basketball and wrestling at 10.
I didn’t play football until age 12.
Those were grade school athletics with a purpose. PE stunk! Useless activity that became dodge ball or kick ball.
PE in high school wasn’t much different. It wasn’t so sportish, I was having PE with girls because of weird class scheduling. We met in the girls locker room for class!Ten guys, 12 girls. Jumping jacks and sprints, that’s nothing but a waste of time.
I prefered the torture at real sports practice. It was hot, the ground and track hard, gatorade was chalky to drink because it was brand new stuff, warm! No thirst was satisfied!
I didn’t achieve sports greatest in high school to play in college with a scholarship. I had to work too much and missed practices a lot.
Coach’s had a very hard time when I missed practice, working was no excuse! I had to work as a necessity to have any money in high school. I was paying for a car, my clothes.
My experience in sports as a child is probably like majority of athletes. Did enough to participate but had no dreams of playing sports professionally.
Some people, the fewest percentage as you described, have legitimate professional dreams when those abilities show up.
Education has to be forced on the individual when that athlete is in college. Coach’s can’t let players have bad grades!
Yes, college is a training ground for some NBA and NFL players, but the process of paying players shouldn’t happen. Tuition should be dropping at some colleges because of the sports dollars generated. It’s a flawed process today and its not going to change soon either.
I don’t agree in college coach’s making Million dollar contracts. That’s money should be going to students from outside sources. Shoes, TV tournament appereances, increased boosters money when National Championships happen.
That’s where the professional dollars are messing up college athletics.
The labor, players and student fans of those sports aren’t being rewarded fairly. Increasing fees and tuition keeps happening at the best sports colleges Duke, North Carolina, USC, Oklahoma, Florida State, Miami. Something is wrong that way!
I accept C’s during the season of college sports. But B’s in the off season must happen. Some college athletes are taking basket weaving and story telling classes! Media training, that’s not going anywhere after college. Classes athletes can easily pass. It’s terrible, but that’s process today!
Players have to desire a real college education on their own too.Too many have only professional dreams and money to be made. That backfires on some players. Their inability to understand contracts and agents. But who can blame them when money and oppurtunity is thrown at them.
Reggie Bush parents benefitted from an over eager agent, he never signed with as a professional. That’s not the first time situation has happened. Weird payoffs at Alabama to a high school coach trying to get a player. $100,000 dollars! What is going on?
Grades mattered in High School especially passing tests. Failing a class, the player might not play in the game. That wasn’t enforced by some coaches. Those coaches weren’t highly thought of either.
I knew guys in High School didn’t do well in class at all. It’s just maturity why some don’t get good grades. Their allowed to fail and still play.
Some have legitimate reading and learning problems. A child’s home life really matters.
Some kids, its better off at sports practice than at home.
Coach’s help kids more than just practice, they help improve some life in the basic ways beyond athletics.
Sports organisations can only continue to try mandates, but no one has the complete answer. Costs to participate keep going up.
Facilities fall apart. Kids injuries go up, apathy in sports programs happens. But communities have to try. Provide enough resources for all children through athletics and give them an education in the process.
I’m gonna get in trouble for this, but check out one woman’s campaign strategy:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/23/ap/strange/mainD8KUIBMO0.shtml
Frankly, it makes more sense than many others…
Vaughn,I went to that candidate’s site and to get a flash, you have to make a contribution. Gives new meaning to the term “political prostitution”…
It has been revealed that Kansas 3rd district Representative to the United States Congress Jim Ryun lived right across the street from fellow arch conservative and resigned in disgrace Republican congressman AND child solicitor Mark Foley. One wonders how much of Foley’s sordid social life congressman Ryun may have been privy too. Certainly his constituents should be demanding answers.
My representative in the United States congress is Todd Tiahrt (4th district). Tiahrt belonged to various arch conservative organizations with Mark Foley. I continue to ask just how much Mr. Tiahrt knew about the social life of his friend Mark Foley.
I’m off now to Tiahrts congressional website to see if Todd Tiahrt has anything to say on the matter. I will report back.
From the Editors blog page:
A final word on Final SaluteLet me follow up on Theresa’s tip below about the Rocky Mountain News story Final Salute. I cried almost the entire time I read Jim Sheeler’s story, which follows a Marine who must tell families they’ve lost a son or daughter, husband or wife, to war.Regardless of how you feel about the war in Iraq, the story will move you.I met the subject of the story, Maj. Steve Beck, at KU Friday night and listened the next day as he talked about his life and his job.If we’re lucky, we occasionally cross paths with someone who causes us to reexamine our lives – to reassess whether the problems we’re preoccupied with really amount to all that much, and to wonder if we’re making enough of ourselves and our abilities. For me, Maj. Beck was one of those people.Two days later, I still hear his voice as he so eloquently explained his responsibility to fallen Marines’ families – he couldn’t remove their pain, he said, but he could take as much of it on himself as possible. He’s a fascinating person: a sensitive husband, father and friend, tucked inside a hard, tough Marine.Give the story a read (and look through Todd Heisler’s photos) and let me know what you think.SherryPosted on October 17, 2006 at 05:50 AM in Current Affairs | PermalinkTrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry:http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/6458320Listed below are links to weblogs that reference A final word on Final Salute:CommentsWhat a powerful and moving story. I, like Sherry, cried almost all the way through, but I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to finish it.My heart and prayers go out to these families that have lost their loved ones. May the memories comfort them in their grief.I am so thankful that my loved ones have come back to me after their service but I dred the day my children decide to serve.Posted by: Julie | Oct 17, 2006 12:11:36 PM
Julie, I’m glad you made time to read the story. Like you, I couldn’t stop reading. It’s such a compelling story, and certainly makes you feel grateful for what you have.Posted by: Sherry | Oct 17, 2006 9:30:40 PM
LadiesYou sound as if it’s the first story from Iraq you’ve ever read. Those stories have been happening every day — twenty -four hours a day since day one of the war — but you wouldn’t know that because the Beagle buries stories of the war in the middle of section one. Are you aware there is genocide happening in Darfur and the American government is not only doing nothing – they are in league with the Sudanese government, and are turning a blind eye to it? Ever hear of the holocaust — it’s happening again.
Curse webtv! I can’t read the link Ken.
I wonder if the “Julie” above is our own Julie?
Anyway I am back from Todd Tiahrts website. He STILL is not commenting further on what he knew and when he knew it about his colleague and child solicitor Mark Foley. In fact, he has not mentioned Foley by name AT ALL.
I wonder if this is part of the reason why Todd Tiahrt is hiding in Washington DC instead of returning home to address his constituents and debate his Democrat challenger Garth McGinn.
I wonder when the Eagle editors will call Mr Tiahrt on his seeming evasion.
I do NOT wonder who I will be voting for to represent me in the United States house of representatives. My vote will be for Garth McGinn. Maybe HE will respect his constituents. Clearly Todd Tiahrt takes them for granted.
From Websters: A member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes.”needs continued support by constituents to be re-elected”
Since you don’t support Tiahrt, you aren’t one of his constituents.
Thank you for the involutary support Kia.
I live in Mr.Tiahrts district. He is obliged to represent me whether I vote for him or not. He has failed in this obligation. He has failed to represent those who elected him to do so.