Article Clearly, $26,500,000,000 will fix the horrific emotional distress inflicted on 26.5 million veterans whose information was stolen from a suburban Maryland home. The federal lawsuit asks a court to order Veterans Affairs to pay damages of about $1,000 per veteran and to cover the cost of credit monitoring services. But Paul, it was discovered that the information was stolen BEFORE it was used! Doesn't that mean the system worked this time? Do all veterans really need credit monitoring services? How much are you getting for this (aside from obvious free publicity) Mr. Hackett? "We're not looking for big emotional distress damages," he said. "We're looking for these people to be made whole." Wow. I wish $1,000 would make me whole. Instead, I choose to lead a fulfilling life... I know, it's no $1,000, but it works for me. Update 06/03/06: From a comment on Bizzy's post on this issue: Hey genius: Hackett is the CLIENT, not the attorney. If you knew anything about class action law, you’d know that an attorney cannot be a class representative - and cannot collect any attorney fees awarded to the class. Maybe you should do a little research before you go around making baseless allegations. Paul Hackett is representing this class because it’s the right thing to do. I don't know much about class action law, but I DO know this unecessary suit, if won, will cost the federal government a VERY LARGE amount of cash better spent elsewhere, or better given back to the people. This is not the "right" thing to do, unless you're a lawyer/politician interested in scoring expensive political points.

Algore, apparently bored of belching toxic fumes into the atmosphere via jet as he cruises around the world plugging his new film (which is about as factually accurate as the DaVinci Code) has switched gears to belch toxic fumes from his mouth into our ears. The Algore has declared that GW Bush is a "renegade rightwing extremist," which is particularly odd seeing as Bush has been losing his renegade rightwing extremist base with a string of "compromise" positions on border security among other things. Is the "renegade rightwing extremist" a derivative of the "vast rightwing conspiracy?" Poor Algore, always second fiddle to a party boy hillbilly. In a recent news article, the description of Algore was as follows: "ran against George W. Bush in 2000." If that's the best thing that can be written about you after having been Vice President of the United States for 8 years, well... I don't know what to say. Once the epitome of calm, intelligent debate Algore has become increasingly unhinged in recent years. I fear for his (and our) safety.

I recently finished the game Far Cry on my PC. Rife with a light plot and bad voice acting, the game itself played spectacularly and the graphics were hard to beat. With the exception of one particular incident, playing it on the normal level was challenging and fun. I would highly recommend it. Since I have finished Far Cry, F.E.A.R. has become my current game of choice. This is the first system I've really had a chance to test my new graphics card on, and it really looks great. Everything in the game points to a theme, from the lighting and shadows, to grisly cut scenes, to a very spooky soundtrack and background voices. It's all about atmosphere, and the controls are great on top of that. Aside from the initial 450mb patch to kick off the game, I've had no problems with bugs. Also, I can appreciate that Sierra unlike some of the other game companies has taken ownership of their product and fixed what went wrong in the initial release. For those seeking a deep one player FPS experience, F.E.A.R. should fit those needs in a way no game has since the Half Life series. Just make sure your system has the muscle to keep up.

While I find many animals delicious, I have always been averse to inhumane treatment of said animals as they are raised for food. Foie Gras was something that seemed to be a moral absolute for many who oppose animal cruelty. On its face, it does appear to be pretty terrible: force feeding ducks until their liver swells to a very large size and is high in fat content. If you want to see what it looks like, check out the original Iron Chef (or look it up on the internet, but that's much less fun). While I'll probably not be trying this delicacy anytime soon (it's usually quite expensive), here's another view from the Spectator.

Once again, Congress feels it is their right to flout the law. Anrew McCarthy sets them straight. I hate to keep criticizing the legislative branch, which is supposedly controlled by the conservative party, but I refuse to ignore the elephant in the room. I didn't vote for these guys to have them snoot at me and turn their backs. It is both parties, but the Republicans obviously disappoint me more heavily. Whether it's Cynthia McKinney punching an officer, several Democrats insulting our troops, or the Republican majority refusing to dam the river of illegal immigrants Congress seems to have completely and absolutely lost its moorings, particularly the Senate.

Anyone whom this shocks simply hasn't been paying attention. Soon we'll be applying Six Sigma and ISO 9000 to babies. I'd say it's a safe bet that many who are "shocked" by this would support abortion under any other circumstances. That this position is purely hypocritical does not seem to register. It's either a human life or it's not, right?

As usual, Victor Davis Hanson writes beautifully on what the Operation Iraqi Freedom has gained for us. Some believe that the odyssey of jihadists to Iraq means we created terrorists, but again, it is far more likely, as al Qaeda communiqués attest, that we drew those with such propensities into Iraq. Once there, they have finally shown the world that they hate democracy, but love to kill and behead — and that has brought a great deal of moral clarity to the struggle. After Iraq, the reputation of bin Laden and radical Islam has not been enhanced as alleged, but has plummeted. For all the propaganda on al Jazeera, the chattering classes in the Arab coffeehouses still watch Americans fighting to give Arabs the vote, and radical Islamists in turn beheading men and women to stop it. Indeed, moral clarity is what the world seems to be severely lacking at this time. Some people oppose the war on well thought out, factually justifiable grounds. Others are so blinded by their hatred of America and self they can't see past their nose. The latter can be found holding signs in rallies such as these (WARNING: VERY foul photos here). We should remember the achievement this Memorial Day of those in the field who alone crushed the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, stayed on to offer a new alternative other than autocracy and theocracy, and kept a targeted United States safe from attack for over four years. Read it all. God Bless America. God Bless the fighting men and women of this great nation. Hat Tip: Little Green Footballs

Article Nintendo is by far my favorite console gaming company. The Super Mario and Zelda franchises are rivaled by no other character specific gaming genre. Ever single time I've played a game from either franchise it has always been a thoroughly excellent experience, from when I was 12 until now. The Gamecube is the least powerful console of that generation, but the games look great and are more fun than any others on the market. Now that I've given the appropriate well deserved props to the big N, onward to the main point of this post. Nintendo will once again barely survive a console battle through pricing. The GCN was priced lower than the PS2 and the Xbox when it came out by about $50. It has continued to drop in price, and now stands at an incredible $99 for what is, in my opinion, the best gaming console on the market currently (including the Xbox 360). I own a PS2 and a GCN, and play the cube much more frequently. The next console war was launched with the Xbox 360 during the last holiday season. Spurred by an intentionally short supply, demand increased for this system to the point of insane frenzy. Now that the holidays have passed, I barely hear it mentioned which is pretty much what I expected. The starting price for this game console? $299 to $399. That's WAY out of the range of what I'd like to pay for such a device. WAY OUT. Having made that point, the estimated starting price for the PS3 is $499 to $599. This would be laughable except it appears Sony is going for an entirely different market. Instead of buying a receiver, dvd player, cd player, TV, VCR, and DVR, why not buy our system, which does half of these tasks for twice the price? As an added bonus, there are rumors that Sony will implement a new technology to make games console-specific, thus taking away your ability to sell games you have stopped playing to resellers such as Gamestop and EBGames (which I've just remembered are now one company, thus their websites look nearly identical). I don't sell my games back, typically I hang onto them or give them to my niece and nephew but just the thought of this offends me. Then you have the Nintendo Revolution (I refuse to call it by its new moniker yet, and will refuse to do so until it stops sounding stupid). Priced at $250, this system will give you exactly what you intend to pay for: a game console. You'll have wifi access to every single game Nintendo has released since the first NES. Backward compatibility with the GCN is included. All this, and it has a very small shelf footprint. This will be the only system I buy on release. M$ and $ony, give me a call when your systems drop below $200 and we'll talk. Until then, I'll be happy playing the most fun games on the market at a much lower price.

Columbus has long been my 2nd favorite Ohio city, right after the greatest city in the world, Cincinnati. It's disturbing to see how The Ohio State University has sponsored pro-terrorism rallies in the past. Now the Columbus Dispatch has turned terrorist apologist, and Columbus is becoming a central front for guarding the homeland.

Denny Hastert has been libeled by ABC. Having been called on it, you would think the natural reaction would be to pull the story and offer a retraction (a regular gimmick by the MSM, probably a quick 5 second soundbite). Not ABC News, no SIR! They republished the erroneous story, and now Speaker Hastert is laying the smack down via his counsel: This statement is false, and your republication of it after actual knowledge of its falsity constitutes libel and defamation. ABC News’ continued publication of this false information, after having actual knowledge of its falsity, evidences a specific and malicious intent to injure and damage Speaker Hastert’s reputation by continued repetition of a known falsehood. We will take any and all actions necessary to rectify the harm ABC has caused and to hold those at ABC responsible for their conduct. Remember, it's not the evidence, it's the seriousness of the charge! Hat Tip: DrudgeReport

For the first time that I can remember, Microsoft is actually facing formidable competition in the form of Google. I didn't understand the scale of the battle until recently, and here's a great article to put it in perspective. What it boils down to is M$ demands dominance in their business model, but at the same time do not seem dynamic enough to keep up with the "new blood" in IT. The real winners here will be consumers, as Cringely points out. A potential merger between M$ and Y! would benefit neither, as both companies are more concerned with the bottom line and dominance than with pleasing their customers. Yahoo is fabulous at execution, which Microsoft generally isn't, but neither company is today a leader. They are quick and brutal followers. Keyword being brutal. Hat Tip: Pajamas Media

I wasn't going to post on his passing, but The Jawa Report (cross posted at Dread Pundit Bluto) makes a good point regarding the shallowness of the MSM. By nearly all acounts, Senator Bentsen was a gentleman and a scholar. He was (the better) half of the Democratic ticket in one of the earliest presidential election cycles that I can clearly remember. May he rest in peace.

Rich Lowry has a great article on commencement speeches and who gives them. Spot on with this comment: Apparently what they (the students) wanted to hear was: “I’m here to tell you that every unexamined prejudice you hold is absolutely correct. You represent the summit of human wisdom, and in all the years you have left on this Earth, you will never learn anything important that you don’t already know as a snotty 21-year-old. And don’t let anyone ever dare to tell you otherwise.” Regarding liberalism in education, I'd also recommend Evan Coyne Maloney's Brainwashing 101 if you can find it. Fortunately, I downloaded the file when it was available. I would imagine Evan took it down as he readies his new feature film, Indoctrinate U, for theatrical and DVD release. Hat Tip: Bonfire of the Vanities

OK... I've tried playing Dungeons and Dragons before, but never really found an interest. Still, this quiz was kind of fun as I used to play tabletop baseball and thus had a sizeable collection of treasured dice. I even had a 100 sided die, useless in tabletop baseball, but a status symbol nonetheless. Also found this link on that site. What self respecting individual with a dice collection wouldn't have one of those?

Do you think the writer of this article has a bias? Let's start with the title: Marry or get out, US town tells unwed parents. I suppose we're supposed to derive that this town, located in the free and liberal United States, is pressing the heel of their cowboy boot into the back of these parent's proverbial necks because of their backward beliefs regarding marriage. A few sample quotes: "seeking to drive unmarried couples with children out of town on grounds they do not fit the local definition of a family," "did not fit the town's definition of "family," "I think the city wants to send a clear message that they don't want children born out of wedlock, It has become a moral issue for them. They see family in a certain way and that's the only acceptable way," "an archaic law," "driven out of town," "I think this is all about the city trying to impose its moral values on its citizens." I suppose this begs quite a few questions. Given the tone of the article, it appears as though Black Jack is a horrifically oppressive place where only people living in the 15th century are allowed to live. The town claims the law is to help prevent overcrowding. It may or may not be, but what is so horrible about a town enforcing a law that would help reduce crime? Of course, what's the first thing you do when that annoying "law" thing gets in the way of your desires? Call the ACLU! This case will be fun to watch in the courts as the battle between "the way I want it to be" judicial activism and "it's the law" takes a front seat. Perhaps the couple should step back and ask themselves why they fight so hard to stay unmarried after having been together for 13 years.

Article Consistently over the past decade Cedar Point has FAR outdone King's Island regarding thrill ride attractions. Having sampled both parks' offerings, CPs roller coasters were easily more comfortable, more exciting, and generally a better experience. The park itself was more family-friendly. I suppose the divergence began when Paramount took over King's Island in the early nineties. They seemed to want to target teenagers at the expense of just about every other demographic. The Son of Beast stands as the final reason I ceased getting passes to the Cincinnati amusement park. When sitting in this brand new coaster, my knees bumped up against the seat in front of me with my back pushed all the way against the rear of the seat. I'm 6'4" and can comfortably sit (or stand, the Mantis is the best standup coaster I've been on) in any adult ride at Cedar Point. If Cedar Fair's acquisition of Paramount Parks means that a season pass will be good at both locations, then I'll be getting one next year. Update (Same Day): Another article. Don Helbig of ACE sums it up well: "Of all the prospective buyers that had been rumored, this was the group I wanted to see purchase the park," he said. "They do a phenomenal job with the guest experience, arguably the best in the country. I think that's good news for this area."

I recall this practice beginning briefly after the 9/11 attacks. Surprisingly, it has taken this long to make it anywhere in the courts. Unsurprisingly, the 9th Circuit has given its approval. How can one court be so consistently wrong, especially at such a high level? This court shows an incredible hypocrisy and elitism in too many of its decisions. Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin

Last week, I found myself short of time on several occasions. I try to update this blog every weekday, but was unable to on Monday and Friday of last week. If things calm down in the near future, the postings should occur more frequently. I look forward to replying to some of the comments from recent posts and will do so as soon as I find time. On another note, any idea why the "blog description" above would periodically read "undefined?" Probably something really simple, would appreciate it if anyone could help me out there.

I was listening to Laura Ingraham in between business stops today and she played a clip of McCain essentially calling those who want the border secured "heartless" in the most nuanced, indirect way possible (so as not to offend those who believe in border security, I suppose). If someone has a link, I'd appreciate it... in the meantime, I'll continue searching. McCain should stick to offering $50 an hour to pick lettuce.

In fact, I think she'll have a hard time winning the Dem nomination when the time comes, and ultimately will lose the general election by a decent margin. I thought I had linked to this before, but it really sums up how I feel about Bill Clinton's "better" half (if by better you mean smarter and more eeeeevil). GW Bush fumbles words, mispronounces, and sometimes makes them up. Hillary on the other hand pronounces perfectly, and is very good on the fly. Her problem is, as Morris puts it, she has two styles: shrill and bland. Her words tend to suck the life out of a room, and when she gets excited it sounds like she's about to pop a blood vessel in her head. But when she has something to say, the passion burns inside her and metastasizes into anger and thence to shrillness. Like Bella Abzug before her, Hillary can't speak about issues without coming across as harsh and angry. Mehlman captured that affect perfectly in his characterization of Hillary as "angry." While passion can be an asset, if you cannot convey the passion with not only words, but feeling (as Bill Clinton does to perfection despite not seeming to have any strong moorings) you cannot win an election. Despite his malapropisms and war on pronunciation, GW conveys a sort of "down home" sincerity. Hillary conveys a sense of condescension, and anger that some do not agree with her.

I heard an advertisement from some Democratic committee against Steve Chabot this morning. It used the usual sinister themes and declared that President Bush was going to privatize your social security, thus giving you less money than you deserve at retirement. While the add is intellectually dishonest, and contributes further to the misperception regarding the President's SS plan, it is the usual tripe from a party that is more interested in regaining power than the success and future of our union. It has me thinking, however... is Chabot really in that much trouble that the Dems are advertising against him? Or is it a similar situation to a few instances in the past where the Dems threw $100,000 here and there for futile causes? You'll find a shady picture of GW with an equally if not more sinister picture of Tom Delay here at the DCCC (not to be confused with the CCCP) website. Delay will not be convicted, and when he is found innocent I hope we can get the word through the thick layer of MSM coverage that will try to cover it up. I will provide a link to the radio ad when one becomes available.

Courtesy of RealClearPolitics, a great breakdown of why Ken Blackwell should win in November. Ken Blackwell, the Republican candidate for governor in Ohio, is fast becoming a Party superstar and a Democratic nightmare. While Republicans slowly dare to hope and Democrats feel their stomachs tighten, I think it is time for a reasoned prediction: Ken Blackwell will be Ohio's next governor. He's truly one of the few Republican candidates in Ohio that are worth getting excited about. Hat Tip: Redhawk Review

Well, I was going to write a jubilant post about the horrific reviews DaVinci received at Cannes even though it won't affect box office receipts, however, new S.O.B. Alliance member Redhawk Review has some really good links to go along with the review link here. Welcome to the Alliance!

The Senate yesterday joined the U.N. as a useless generator of blustery wind. Michelle has the details. The GOP Senators who oppose Enforcement First and sided with the open-borders Dems: Bennett (UT) Brownback (R-KS), Chafee (RI), Coleman (MN), Collins (ME), Craig (ID), DeWine (OH), Graham (SC), Hagel (NE), Lugar (IN), Martinez (FL), Murkowski (AK), Shelby (AL), Snow (ME), Specter (PA), Stevens (AK), Voinovich (OH), Warner (VA) Not voting: Cochran (R-MS) Gregg (R-NH) Lott (R-MS) McCain (R-AZ) Rockefeller (D-WV) There you go... thanks Ohio for choosing Dewine, and be sure to vote for that other clown next primary as well!

In an amazing release of power, the Minnesota Senate approved an emminent domain reform bill that "levels the playing field" between government and private landowners. This is also expected to be passed by the state house, and approved by the governor. Way to go Minnesota!

Link This is the single greatest resource I have found regarding the whole DaVinci situation. The Rev. Mark D. Roberts breaks it down bit by bit, piece by piece. If this "controversy" is something you find curious, please go here and investigate further. Hat Tip: Hugh Hewitt

If one single national issue could provoke revolution and unite individuals on both sides of the aisle it's the emminent domain fiasco. When I first heard of the SCOTUS ruling, I remember thinking "well, it certainly can't be THAT bad... not as bad as the critics say." Boy was I wrong... all across the nation now governments are grabbing land for their buddies. This is just the latest example. Hopefully, states will enact tough laws to combat this, but why would they fight giving themselves more power? Self fulfilling prophecy if you ask me. Hat Tip: Steven J. Kelso at S.O.B. HQ

Blog: The Indepundit Readership: 1,800+ Daily Genre: Milblog I can't recall what led me to Citizen Smash's blog (likely a link from LGF, as were most blog discoveries in my early years) but it's always a quality read. The name Citizen Smash alone is enough to pique my curiousity. He mostly covers military issues (milblog, duh!), and touches on political and religious issues as well. Check it out!

Griffey knocked one out last night to win the game. I like Ken Griffey Jr. He took a big pay cut to come to Cincinnati, and is a hometown boy from Big Moe no less. This season, I gave up on him as a Red... I wanted to see him succeed but injury after injury after injury caused me to lose faith. We need more headlines like this, superstar. Bring the heat and make Cincinnati proud. I suppose the real question is, can the Reds win for a whole season with sub-par pitching?

Huh! Just like everything else! So I guess this means I just need to roll back my intake from about 40 cups each morning to about 1-3. It'll be tough... especially since I've been drinking about that much coffee in the morning since high school. Used to be when I had a rare morning class in college, I'd go to the on campus coffee-gettin' place and fill up a 40oz styrofoam pop cup with said coffee. On REALLY bad days, that 40oz cup would get a refill... but that usually left me feeling not quite right. So to sum up: moderation is healthy.

FANTASTIC. A major problem with the administration's approval rating has been a decided lack of sounding like they actually support what they are doing. If this is their new approach, prepare for the polls to start turning. The public doesn't appreciate weak willed lukewarm explanations. Hopefully this Cincinnati boy will continue to make us proud (even if he WAS a Viking).

Regarding Catholism Well, it's not so much a debate anymore, but I did write a lengthy, involved reply that's worth reading. Of note, there is a fellow that has no problem using filthy language, so if that offends you please don't go.

Blog: Hugh Hewitt Readership: 35,000+ Daily Genre: Politics Why I love this blog: Hugh Hewitt has probably done more for the medium of blogging than any other individual person over the long haul. Other blogs have had their moment, but Hugh is endlessly plugging away in the MSM trying to popularize the format. Also, his blog is well written, provides many good links, and has been a boost to the S.O.B. Alliance on more than one occasion. His radio show is fantastic as well, but unfortunately not carried in my area anymore (the radio station changed formats). Also, he writes for the Daily Standard online. Check out his blog!

Below the radar that is... the MSM is simply ignoring her now, realizing that she does more to hurt their cause than help. "My country supported Osama bin Laden in the fight against Russia," she said. "And now they go in and tear down that country. It's back in the hands of the drug lords, it's producing more opium than ever, and it's not safe. There's not any rebuilding going on, because it's being occupied by occupying forces." This has to do with Casey how? I mean, weren't you doing the whole "grieving war mom" thing not too long ago? Speaking alongside Ms. Sheehan at yesterday's media briefing, War Resisters organizer Michelle Robidoux said about 20 more soldiers have since fled to Canada. "We estimate there may be several hundred more who are living clandestinely in Canada," she said. "This is an echo of what happened during the Vietnam War." Yes... now that you've mentioned them in the same sentence. Keep repeating it loudly, IRAQ=VIETNAM, and eventually you'll probably get some people to believe you. Nah. Probably not. However, Ms. Sheehan said, the soldiers are within their rights to desert because many are "lied to" by U.S. military recruiters who tell them they won't have to fight in Iraq. "My son was an honourable, honest person lied to by his recruiter," she said. Wow! He was promised that he wouldn't have to fight in Iraq? That's pretty impressive, but most likely just another unprovable lie from a pathological liar.

Apparently, Andrew Sullivan feels that the Christian right, or religious right do not represent him and are offensive enough as a concept to be compared with Islamists. What he may be surprised to find out is that a few years ago, tagging "Christian" to a movement was intended to smear and discredit it. A concentrated media effort to destroy the conservative cause focused around this during the Clinton administration. Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition were bombarded every day in talking points shows and in the MSM. But I digress. When the discourse about faith is dominated by political fundamentalists and social conservatives, many others begin to feel as if their religion has been taken away from them. With all the ballyhoo surrounding how Islam is a "Religion of Peace(TM)" hijacked by fundamentalists and extremists, he subtly hints here at where the article is ultimately going. The number of Christians misrepresented by the Christian right is many. As is the number of Christians misrepresented by the liberal media. There are evangelical Protestants who believe strongly that Christianity should not get too close to the corrupting allure of government power. Yes... there are many Christians and non Christians alike who feel this way Andrew. In your mind, are Christians who are involved in politics and government inherently corrupt by the nature of their office? Maybe some of them are trying to help clean things up? There are lay Catholics who, while personally devout, are socially liberal on issues like contraception, gay rights, women's equality and a multi-faith society. What exactly is the insinuation here? The Church respects life at all stages, including the contraceptive stage. Have we changed our target from Christians in politics to Catholicism as a theology? Regarding gay rights... please explain to me where the Church has made a statement advising homosexuals should not be allowed rights in society. This comment comes straight out of left field. The same goes for women's equality and a multi-faith society. I can find nowhere on the right that opposes such concepts. Sullivan is merely attempting to deride the right as sexist, bigoted homophobes who fear pleasure and whose conception of sexuality is simply to breed. They have no problem living next to an atheist or a gay couple or a single mother or people whose views on the meaning of life are utterly alien to them--and respecting their neighbors' choices. I am a devout Catholic who is also conservative. My two best friends are atheists. I have gay friends, and have worked with and for gay people. I also have more than one friend who happens to be a single mom. I respect everyone's choices, as long as they respect my own. Where does this leave me, Andy? That doubt (ed. - apparently doubting your faith is "interwoven" into good Christian thought) means having great humility in the face of God and an enormous reluctance to impose one's beliefs, through civil law, on anyone else. Read: If something falls under the category of Christian belief, it cannot make for good law. Of course, using this logic, murder, rape, and thievery would be legal. Yet the term "people of faith" has been co-opted almost entirely in our discourse by those who see Christianity as compatible with only one political party, the Republicans, and believe that their religious doctrines should determine public policy for everyone. Coopted by the media as a derogatory term in an attempt to intimidate voters into thinking the Rpublicans will impliment a totalitarian fundamentalist Christian government. Huh, kind of like you're doing right now, Andy boy! Rush Limbaugh recently called the Democrats the "party of death" because of many Democrats' view that some moral decisions, like the choice to have a first-trimester abortion, should be left to the individual, not the cops. Sullivan either shows a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the pro-life view here, or intentionally ignores it. Let me spell it out for you Andy... pro-lifers believe that a human life has begun at the moment a human egg has been fertilized. What they are attempting to stop is what they (and I) believe to be murder, not "individual decision making" by women. Oh hey, thou shalt not kill is a Judeo/Christian belief... so I guess I don't have any ground to stand on. So let me suggest that we take back the word Christian while giving the religious right a new adjective: Christianist. Badabing! We have the main point of the article. Christianity, in this view, is simply a faith. Christianism is an ideology, politics, an ism. The distinction between Christian and Christianist echoes the distinction we make between Muslim and Islamist. Muslims are those who follow Islam. Islamists are those who want to wield Islam as a political force and conflate state and mosque. Not all Islamists are violent. Only a tiny few are terrorists. Yet... earlier in this article, the people he is labeling as "Christianists" are a majority of our government! God help us all! He then attempts to redefine Islamist to fit his own needs... Not all Islamists are violent. Only a tiny few are terrorists. A tiny few? No my friend, whatever the carefully chosen definition may say, Islamist is generally synonymous with terrorist. In effect, your subtle article is comparing the government of the United States of America with the Taliban, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hamas, and other terrorist run regimes. "Oh, I'll insinuate they're all terrorist fundamentalists, then redefine terrorist" isn't going to cut it with me. I dissent from the political pollution of sincere, personal faith. My thoughts are, if you believe in something, you should work as hard as you can to support it. What is the point of saying you believe in anything if you're not willing to work to popularize your opinion? What's the difference if a large group supports a certain position, and a political party happens to have that position in their plank? The Democrats have Planned Parenthood, NARAL, unions, and a many others in their corner because their party platform is favorable to those groups. Should they not be allowed to participate because they fit one of the formal definitions of "religion," or is it just Christianity that bothers you?

Last month, the Feds bled an amazing $315,100,000,000.00 (rounded) out of the people. As the article mentions, this is the 2nd highest tax revenue total in history. That's right, 2nd highest in history, with the Bush tax cuts in place. Keep in mind that the Democrats unabashedly want to raise your taxes and increase this figure.

Blog: Michelle Malkin Readership: 100,000+ Daily Genre: Politics Why I love this blog: Michelle's blog is updated frequently, often providing good insight and informative links. The layout is simple, yet navigation friendly. She's done a lot for the blogging community, and really helped popularize the format. Also, Michelle has helped kick off a conservative media site, HotAir. For me, it's a daily read.

This is truly amazing. American public opinion is OVERWHELMINGLY against allowing our border to be breached daily by many, many intruders. If the federal government refuses to protect our borders, then they cannot have our faith. Thanks to Drudge for keeping the spotlight where it needs to be for now. Update (Same Day): Michelle has some more info.

Blog: The Cafeteria is Closed Readership: 2,000+ Daily Genre: Catholicism/Orthodoxy Why I Love This Blog: It wasn't long ago I discovered this blog, but that day was one in which I realized one of my online goals had already been achieved. I'm still toying with the idea of continuing the UnamSanctam and DominusIesus blogs, but Cafeteria has everything you'll need if you're an old school Catholic that loathes the "liberalization" of the Church. Lots of good pictures of beautiful churches, as well as contrasting before/after pictures regarding church renovations.

Heck, let's impeach 'em all! It'll be a good ole' impeachment fiesta. Check out this article. I'm not sure I've heard of anything quite so loony in my life. Of course, it would be great if they became more and more vocal about impeachement... at least from my perspective. We need as many people as possible – including those terrified by Cheney – to push for an impeachment investigation. Uhhh... terrified of a 65 year old man with a (albeit minor) heart condition? I suppose he COULD crush you with the power of his mind. That's pretty terrifying. Polls suggest it will be very difficult to win elections without demanding impeachment. Absolutely! So start chanting it now, loud and proud! Seriously! It's not just the loons, all the libs should start a nationwide chant for impeachment that gets louder leading up to election day! "…the next question [was] why Congressional Democrats have refused to introduce Articles of Impeachment. Luckily Rep. Maxine Waters was on the panel, and she described discussions we had earlier this year, which led her to propose impeaching Cheney first. That discussion was sidetracked when Sen. Russ Feingold introduced his Censure Resolution, but the refusal of most Senate Democrats to back Feingold appears to have convinced Waters to move ahead with her idea. And of course we will support Waters 1000% if she does." 1000 percent? Is that all? She'll be a national hero. No. Scratch that. She'll be an international hero. We'll need to add a Maxine Waters Day to our calendars, celebrating the day on which she placed the first stone in the edifice of a rebuilt democracy by introducing articles of impeachment against Richard Cheney. There they go again... drifting off into the land of flowery meadows, rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate. So there you have it, the Democrats plan for 2006 should be to focus on getting Maxine Waters Day added to our calendars. I wonder if they'll have the following quote from NRO on the calendar: There were a good number of “Say What” moments at the March this weekend. Some of the most telling were at the pre-rally the night before, filled with music and ranting aimed at modern-day bra-burner wannabe college students and their nostalgic feminist mothers. One of the most bizarre though, came from Maxine Waters. After sending a civil message to the president (George W Bush, go to hell! And while you’re at it, we want you to take Ashcroft with you. And don’t forget Rumsfeld. And please carry along Condi Rice.”), Waters told the rallied, “I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion.”

Some may have noticed a few changes around the blog lately. I finally figured out how to make the blog "description" change with each new visit. Also, found a way to allow Blogger comments with Haloscan trackback. This is a different link than the one I originally used, but it appears to be the same info. I've added the 101st Fighting Keyboardists logo/link in the right bar, and Wizbang as well as Captain's Quarters to the left. Thank you Cafeteria is Closed for the link.

Article If Ken Blackwell wins the governor's race later this year, there IS hope for conservatives in Ohio. Bob Taft has been a scourge to the party in the state, and to a lesser extent the nation. Ken can reform the Ohio Republican Party to its former greatness. He's a much better speaker than his opponent in the fall, and has strong grassroots support around the state.

It appears as though the Wal-Mart empire may be expanding to cover the famous smiley icon. This will undoubtedly be heralded as "the next step" of Wal-Mart's conquering the world, however I can sort of understand where they're coming from on this one. I think it's a bad PR move with a slim chance to succeed, but they want the smiley rights within corporate retail environments. Soon there will be a Wal-Mart Supercenter less than 2 miles from my house. Since there are virtually no grocery stores within a 3 mile radius, I can't wait! It will undoubtedly revitalize the Reading corridor in Evendale, and draw in other businesses making life cheaper and more convenient for me.

I've seen a few article headers today mentioning the Nazi sale of arms to the Palestinians. This may surprise some, but the connection between the Middle East and the National Socialist Party of Germany runs much deeper than that. Hitler's Mein Kampf currently ranks sixth on the best-seller list among Palestinian Arabs. Luis Al-Haj, translator of the Arabic edition, writes glowingly in the preface about how Hitler's "ideology" and his "theories of nationalism, dictatorship and race… are advancing especially within our Arabic States." When Palestinian police first greeted Arafat in the self-rule areas, they offered the infamous Nazi salute - the right arm raised straight and upward.

Blog: BizzyBlog Readership: Undocumented Genre: Politics Why I Love This Blog: Tom Blumer invited me into the S.O.B. Alliance, thus cementing my dedication to updating the blog and overhauling its format. BizzyBlog's main thrust is political and financial commentary. Bizzy's "AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links" are a daily read for me, providing a brief summary of interesting events, and do go well over a cup of coffee while gameplanning the day ahead. The Manifesto will tell you all about his blog's purpose, though I think "scope creep" has changed the fundamental purpose. Tom was a driving force behind Pierce for Senate, and was actively liveblogging the night of the primary election a week ago.

Link Bill lets his thanks be known. We are grateful to you for running sir, and best of luck to you in your endeavors.

The Kennedys sure are a lucky bunch... with the exception of being murdered so frequently that is. If they are anywhere in the land of Massachussetts, or the outlying county of Rhode Island (or for that matter, their 2nd home in Washington, D.C.), they have absolutely nothing to fear from breaking the laws of church or state. If you'll recall a little place named Chappaquiddick, and many of you will not, Ted Kennedy essentially committed manslaughter and made a teary eyed televised plea to forget about what happened. I'm not a big fan of Hannity constantly "hic"ing during his broadcast whenever he refers to Ted (who very clearly has a drinking problem), but one thing he has stated repeatedly after Kennedy soundbites is "Mary Jo Kopechne was not available for comment." In the age of the new media, not only would Ted's chances at becoming president have been dashed, but he would have recieved a much stiffer penalty. Seems America's "royal" family is at it again. "Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien," Kennedy said. Now I don't know a lot about Phenergan, but I have taken Ambien in the past. This drug is for those having issues with falling asleep, and is VERY powerful. In fact, it is so powerful that I stopped taking it as I began to fear addiction would set in. Anyway, if what Patrick says is true, he acted in a criminally irresponsible manner by taking the drugs, prescribed or not, and driving. Someone could have been killed, and he must be penalized for his actions. Just another example of politicians being above the law really. Why obey the law if it doesn't apply to you? Update (Same Day): Apparently, little Patrick is just a bad driver.

Blog: The World According to Oatney Readership: Undocumented Genre: Local Politics/Catholicism Why I love this blog: As a disclaimer, Dave is my friend. That being said, we were out of contact for quite some time, and seeking to find old friends after the passing of another, I found Oatneyworld. While the posts on Catholicism are always relevant and intriguing to me, Dave's devotion to politics local and statewide in Tennessee is hard to beat. He provided me the inspiration I needed to start posting on a daily basis about issues important to me. You'll notice in Chuckoblog there is a defining moment where the posts started flowing freely, mostly focusing on the WoT, politics, religion, and other things of interest to myself. If LGF provided the inspiration to start Chuckoblog, Oatneyworld provided the inspiration to maintain it on a daily basis.

I've not really been wanting to comment on the Zacarias Moussaoui case, but I might as well toss some musings out there since it's apparently the big issue today. What it boils down to is that the jury was inconsistent in their reasoning. Personally, I am opposed to the death penalty under most circumstances. This case presented us with perhaps the most justifiable reason to rule in favor of death in American history. I could care less what happens to Moussaoui, whose name is a burden to type. What I hope happens now, however, is that he is not specifically "protected" while in prison and is sent to a harsh federal penitentiary. If these things fall as they should, Moussaoui's (ahhh, thank goodness for ctrl-c/ctrl-v) fellow inmates will welcome him as they would a child molester, murderer, or rapist. This means until he has parted with this world, his life should be a living Hell. The verdict is disappointing, yet in some ways fitting and gratifying.

Just don't overdose on it. Actually, one of several positions I take that is closer to Libertarian than Republican is the legalization of currently illegal drugs. Research and common sense show that legalization and regulation would lead to a healthier society. This applies both to the personal and financial aspects of life. If someone wants to do the "bad drugs," such as PCP or coke, no big whoop! Just make it mandatory they rent a padded room and a straightjacket before indulging. Marijuana and ecstacy? Legalizing these would just be a formality. So much money is being dumped into this, and if it were legalized, the entire crime industry/network would fall apart overnight. I'm not saying using drugs is a good thing. Clearly, it is not. The harm you cause yourself by partaking is substantial and abusing should be heavily discouraged. The societal benefits of legalization, however, far outweigh continuing prohibition. Bizzy's got an article here. CATO has something to say.

I'm going to start a series (and see how long it lasts) dedicating posts to blogs I love to read, and giving reasons why. Today's kickoff post goes to Little Green Footballs. Blog: Little Green Footballs Readership: 100,000+ Daily Genre: Warblog Why I love this blog: I discovered LGF soon after the 9/11/01 attacks. If you go here, you'll see how Charles Johnson's worldview dramatically changed following this brazen assault on our homeland. Back in the early days, visitors to www.littlegreenfootballs.com would initially see a web designer page, with a link to the weblog. Subsequent, particularly informative posts regarding the ongoing War on Terror popularized the blog to where it is today. LGF certainly qualifies as a "warblog" by any standard definition of the word. Anybody remember "Rathergate?" LGF was the blog that broke the story and helped catapult the medium into the national spotlight. Not only are the posts informative, but the blog as a whole is rife with biting commentary and self-depreciating humor (regulars are referred to as "Lizardoids"). Many liberal blogs either attempt to ignore LGF or refer to it as "racist," "naziesque," "little green fascists," or something in kind. This despite absolutely no posts in the vein of racism or inequality. When attempting to make their case, these sites usually cite some of the largely unmoderated comments rather than attack the content of the blog itself. Here's the FAQ. I'd like to personally thank LGF for recently providing a link to Chuckoblog. Also, check out this post specifically. That hat tip is for ME! I also posted this, but the image links are broken. Will fix them later.

Voice of the Faithful is a thinly veiled attempt to take over the American Catholic Church by a small group of laypersons somewhere in New England. What this group lacks in size and brainpower however, it makes up for in pure comedic value. Here's a post by Closed Cafeteria on the issue. I'll write more later, work beckons. Update 05/05/06: Here's a good article on this group: Catholocity But make no mistake, VOTF is a wolf in sheep's clothing. And it's using this tragedy in our Church to advance its own political and theological agenda. Catholic Culture My initial thought was a question: Why did VOTF — a self-proclaimed non-ideological group — invite a liberation theologian to address and instruct its members? Diocese of Bridgeport From the VOTF site: Banned by Bishop Gerry in Portland, ME. Banned by Bishop Lori in Bridgeport, CT. Banned by Bishop Murphy in Rockville Centre, NY. Banned by Bishop Daly in Brooklyn, NY. Banned by Bishop Meyers in Newark, NJ. Banned by Bishop DiMarzio in Camden, NJ. Banned by Bishop Vasa in Baker, OR. And, frozen - meaning no new affiliates may be formed - in Boston, MA, by Cardinal Law. So I ask... why would this organization be banned by so many diocese? It's not because they seek to "reform" the church, it is because they seek to subvert the leadership and destroy the church from within. Allowing VOTF to continue becoming a more powerful force would be akin to electing several al Quaeda terrorists to the U.S. Congress. It's pointless and counterproductive.

Link Ahhhh... the sweet smell of victory is closing in. This article pretty much sums up my feelings regarding the 2006 draft. There are things to be excited about in the land of the Titans. They have always been great at drafting quality players, and the coaching staff does a fantastic job of ramping their picks up to the NFL level. I'd appreciate it if they'd keep the legendary Steve McNair around to help coach Young, but to be frank he is no longer worth the money he makes against the cap as a straight player.

Schmidt and Blackwell win, Pierce does not. Better luck next time Bill, I'll back you all the way! On another note, a quote from VDH: Our task—-ordeal if you will—-is that we must make war so godawfully terrible to our enemies, and the rewards of peace and reform so humanely sweet to our friends, that the vast middle in between will have no problem choosing sides. -- Victor Davis Hanson I originally saw this quote on Aaron's CC:, a blog recently hacked by Islamofascists.

The State of Ohio Blogger's Alliance is liveblogging the Ohio Primary Election throughout today and this evening. Unfortunately, due to my impressively busy yet incredibly unproductive schedule, I'll likely not be participating... but who knows? My goal is to be on the porch with a stogey and maybe some scotch by 6pm. I've changed that link to the supa-cool image provided by Brainshavings. Enjoy!

The Anchoress has an article on this report from Hotlineblog (which I am mostly unfamiliar with up to this point) regarding press reaction to Fox News on White House press corps televisions. I can sort of relate as when I watch CNN typically the need to vomit arises. The thing is... why should the White House not be able to have the channel on that they prefer? Rather than appeasing a childish press, force them to sit still and behave, and if they act up send them to the corner to think about things. Check out the link to Hotline... the comments are pricelessly pathetic.

It's time. Get out and vote!! Unless you're voting for McEwen or DeWine. YOU guys are supposed to vote tomorrow. ;) Seriously though, get out to the polls today and let's get Schmidt, Pierce, and Blackwell on the November ballot! Go! Now! Update (Same Day): By the way, if you live in Liberty Twp, or the vicinity, vote for this guy. Clever. Just voted. You should too.

There was a time when Family Guy was the only show I scheduled time around. That changed with the DVR revolution, but to make a point, I will now delete it from my weekly record list. Ever since it was cancelled and brought back, this show's political agenda has been increasing (while my interest in it has been decreasing). Unlike South Park, which makes its political biases known overtly and goes after its prey directly, Family Guy had always been more about pure offbeat non-related humor. Last night was the first night I actually started to dislike most of the characters in the show. Lois was clearly symbolic as someone who is quietly and respectfully opposed to gay marriage, but suddenly has a "revelation" which enables her to become "enlightened." It had a very "we're better than you if you disagree with us" feel to it. Also, it was the first I've clearly noticed as being written by manatees. Perhaps Seth is feeling the heat from South Park turning its guns on the show, and thus has created contrived "deeper" plot points and fundamentally changed his style of humor. It's a pity. I don't see Family Guy lasting much longer if this trend continues. In an interview, McFarlane mentioned that "the interference of family advocacy groups would only get worse." This is of course code for Christians standing up for what they believe. Yeah... at least Parker and Stone had the testicular fortitude to go after a really dangerous topic. Keep picking the easy targets Seth, and keep trying to tie deep plots into a show that provides about 5 minutes of actual "plot." Update (Same Day): Here's a well-aged link. This, from the JumpTheShark comments sums it up pretty well: Sadly it seems ever since Family Guy got back on the air all they do is keep on dragging out every single lame joke they find. The worst examples are when Peter visits the doctor. Every line leads up to another lame joke. Then the episode where Brian was on the reality show and stweie(sic) kept on ragging on him about the unfiinished book a couple times throughout the episode. If all else fails let's bring out The Greased up deaf guy, have Peter fight with the big evil chicken or The Evil Monkey comes out of Chris' closet. Family Guy is starting to become like that guy at the party who a couple people give him pity laughs for his stupid attempts to be funny so he does it over and over again.

OK, so I've become mildly obsessed with my status in the TTLB Ecosystem. Seriously, I never figured I'd crawl above Insignificant Microbe, but now that I'm buzzing around I crave status! So... if you have a blog, sign up at TTLB and link me up. :) Since this post is generally kind of pointless, I'll toss a few more non-politics/religion things out there: If you're into Anime, or if you are not and enjoy a great story, check out Naruto. I'd recommend against the bastardized edited English version, however. The storyline is terrific, and the animation quality is the best I've seen for this genre. If you liked DBZ (or even if you didn't), you'll like this show. Another great animated series is Clone High, but you'll have to make the long trip to Amazon: Canada to make the pickup. There's a bit of a non-PC history with this cartoon. In the article MTV defends the series... they pulled it after season 1. Go figure. Lately, I've been playing Far Cry (in between watching Narutos). This game is great, if you have a decent video card and like the FPS genre, get it. Also on my agenda are F.E.A.R., and playing through Half Life 2 again. For Real Time Strategy buffs, Dawn of War is unbeatable. I've found this replaces Starcraft more than adequately, and you can get the game + expansion for under $30 here.

Seems to me that PJM sounds rather jealous of the Roman practice for sending Christians against lions in the Coloseum. I would figure PJM is an acronym for the generic "Pajamas Media" service... if so, this is a huge disappointment. You really have to make a stretch, and dislike Catholicism to interpret the article linked this way. The lead in to the article is as follows, and pretty much sums up said interpretation: A Vatican official reportedly called for a boycott of the upcoming "The Da Vinci Code" film Friday, saying it contained "slanderous" offenses against Christianity that would have provoked a worldwide revolt had they been directed against Islam or the Holocaust. OK... let's see here. The film contains slanderous offenses against Christianity... this is fact. If this movie were denying the Holocaust it would have provoked worldwide outrage... while less likely today than it would have been 50 years ago, this statement is likely true. Filmakers fear making provacative films about Islam (as major American and other media corporations fear putting shows on the air that may "offend" Muslims) so it's hard to say exactly what might happen, though I'm sure it would involve much violence. So it appears as though Monsignor Angelo Amato is using the word "revolt" to describe 3 different scenarios in a way that does not indicate violence, but rather vocal opposition. Shame PJM for a quick, petty shot at Catholicism.

It is quite clear that college students aren't getting nearly enough homework these days. Perhaps ROTC should be a required course for students. They could be tought "manners" and "respect" that those who have guided them so far have apparently forgotten about. "They're exercising their rights. We knew they were coming," Bernat said, adding that campus police had alerted them days earlier. "However, we don't appreciate the vandalism." Of course, Army Capt. Val Bernat is much more gracious than I would have been. Must be that military discipline.