Random reflections and contemplative thoughts, spiritual insights and humorous anecdotes, fickle film reviews and rambling music musings, occasional (okay, more than occasional) societal and political rants, and a whole lot more... all from the point of view of a humble, constitutional, common sense, conservative, Catholic, work-in-progress kinda guy who never gives up hope, because to be without hope is to become selfish.
Father Corapi, one of my all-time favorite priests, has put up a full 30-minute video on the importance of this election. On the web page is the following text:
Fr. Corapi produced a half hour video today that all Catholics (and Americans) should see. It expounds upon what Bishop Rene H. Gracida just said boldly in a recent radio spot. (He is the Bishop that ordained Fr. Corapi a Deacon).
"This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate."
Below is the video broken up into three 10-minute segments via YouTube:
Via Ace, Debbie Schlussel has been digging into this story and has found out that the "dance troupe" at the event "has a history of simulating beheadings and stomping on American, Israeli, and British flags."
Meanwhile, here's an impressive Iraq War vet who wanted to send a message directly to Mr. Obama (this video has truly gone viral with over 12 million views to date):
UPDATE: Link here for more on the serviceman who made the video.
Oil prices have settle to $67.81/barrel after fluctuating in the 60s all week, and national gas prices dropped to $2.50/gallon (and will continue to drop). When oil gets under $40/barrel, and gas is under $2.00/gallon nationally, it will be back to normal. I predict this will occur before year's end.
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading Mt 5:43-46 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?”
Reflection Who are my enemies? How do I love them? How do I live up to the definition Jesus provides for living a Christian lifestyle, a life of Christian love?
Prayer God of peace, Give us the courage to be reconciled with our neighbors, our enemies. Give us the vision to truly see what it means to be a Christian so that peace and justice may rule in our world. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dim Bulb over at The Divine Lamp, he points out that Father Corapi has suggested another Novena for this election season, the Novena to Our Lady of Victory. The full set of prayers to this novena is here, and is to be followed by the praying of the rosary. This novena began on Oct 27 and is to continue through to Election Day (Nov. 4). The more prayers this election season the better.
In addition, below is the text of the 2008 Election Day Prayer from the following link(hat-tip to Jeff at The Curt Jester):
Election Day Prayer
Almighty God, all things are in your hands: our nation, our communities, our families, our lives.
In this time of great decision, bless our country and its people. Prosper the efforts of the just and true, and thwart the purposes of the unjust and dishonest. Preserve our land from violence and turmoil, and keep our relationships decent and respectful.
Inspire voters, legislators, executives, and judges so our country may be a land where morality is furthered by law and authority; where life is protected, marriage is respected, and family is supported; where the innocent are spared, and the guilty are punished; where justice is tempered by mercy, and mercy fortified by justice.
Help us to keep the United States of America a land where the rule of law and respect for individual dignity are the legal foundation of a just order.
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading 1 Cor 11:26-29 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Reflection How is the Eucharist central in my life? My community? Where do I reach out to the body of Christ in my community?
Prayer Lord, we come together at the Eucharist to celebrate your death and resurrection. Help us experience authentic worship. Help us grow in awareness of each person’s dignity, and increase our sensitivity to injustices. Guide us to seek ways to redress them. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dim Bulb over at The Divine Lamp, he points out that Father Corapi has suggested another Novena for this election season, the Novena to Our Lady of Victory. The full set of prayers to this novena is here, and is to be followed by the praying of the rosary. This novena began on Oct 27 and is to continue through to Election Day (Nov. 4). The more prayers this election season the better.
In addition, below is the text of the 2008 Election Day Prayer from the following link(hat-tip to Jeff at The Curt Jester):
Election Day Prayer
Almighty God, all things are in your hands: our nation, our communities, our families, our lives.
In this time of great decision, bless our country and its people. Prosper the efforts of the just and true, and thwart the purposes of the unjust and dishonest. Preserve our land from violence and turmoil, and keep our relationships decent and respectful.
Inspire voters, legislators, executives, and judges so our country may be a land where morality is furthered by law and authority; where life is protected, marriage is respected, and family is supported; where the innocent are spared, and the guilty are punished; where justice is tempered by mercy, and mercy fortified by justice.
Help us to keep the United States of America a land where the rule of law and respect for individual dignity are the legal foundation of a just order.
The first link is to a story that has a former Obama, Edwards and Clinton speechwriter voting for... McCain!(hahahahahaha)
More news and commentary of the L.A. Times suppression of the Obama/Khalidi/Ayers video over at NRO(by Andrew McCarthy) and RWN. RWN also has further analysis here. Flopping Aces has an interesting tidbit towards the end of his post.
Ace has the money offer up to $175,000(150k by one donor, another 25k by an anonymous donor). Ace thinks it's really up to 200k via his many readers kicking in. Then there's Newt offering 50k on Fox News. This doesn't even count the many individual donors who are offering to kick in. LGF has picked up on the whole investigation with a series of posts here, here, here and here.
Michelle Malkin has an article on the MSM tanking for The Obamessiah. But there is some good news that both CNN and ABC balked at the 30-minute InfObammerical media buy that was purchased on the cheap and aired at the exact same time earlier this evening. The One's campaign never bothered to ask Fox News. But it did air on CBS, NBC, MSNBC (no surprises there) and Fox (the primetime network, not the cable news division), as well as several smaller networks such as BET and Univision (again, no surprises there). And Fox chose to actually postpone the World Series game to accommodate The One. (?!?)
Then a little poll news. Not the normal poll stats (which I still don't trust, even though they are all suddenly swinging towards McCain these last two weeks). It's this one here that has Rasmussen showing that McCain (not The One) being more trusted on taxes and the economy. (heh heh heh)
And, finally, RedState finishes it's "Integrity Gap" series. Part I (on Palin) is here. Part II (on Obama) begins here. And Part III (on McCain) is now here.
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading Deut 30:15-20 Moses said to the people: “Today, I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Reflection How do I defend the right to life especially of the unborn and those near death? How am I tempted to turn away from the commandments and not support the right to life of all people? How can I overcome that temptation?
Prayer God of life, may we protect and defend the inviolable sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death with strong voices, gentle hands, and loving hearts. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dim Bulb over at The Divine Lamp, he points out that Father Corapi has suggested another Novena for this election season, the Novena to Our Lady of Victory. The full set of prayers to this novena is here, and is to be followed by the praying of the rosary. This novena began on Oct 27 and is to continue through to Election Day (Nov. 4). The more prayers this election season the better.
In addition, below is the text of the 2008 Election Day Prayer from the following link(hat-tip to Jeff at The Curt Jester):
Election Day Prayer
Almighty God, all things are in your hands: our nation, our communities, our families, our lives.
In this time of great decision, bless our country and its people. Prosper the efforts of the just and true, and thwart the purposes of the unjust and dishonest. Preserve our land from violence and turmoil, and keep our relationships decent and respectful.
Inspire voters, legislators, executives, and judges so our country may be a land where morality is furthered by law and authority; where life is protected, marriage is respected, and family is supported; where the innocent are spared, and the guilty are punished; where justice is tempered by mercy, and mercy fortified by justice.
Help us to keep the United States of America a land where the rule of law and respect for individual dignity are the legal foundation of a just order.
RWN has a nice little BINGO card for helping you to keep score of the Obama connections and rhetoric. Flopping Aces has another link to a funny editorial cartoon on the same subject.
If that's not enough news for the day, how about this... Colin Powell recently endorsed the Obamessiah, right. This is the same guy who went to the U.N. to claim that Iraq had WMDs - you know, the ones that the left repeated harped about not being there. And Powell is such an EXCELLENT judge of character, right? Hmmmmmm... maaaaaaaaybe not. Gee... did Powell recently vouch for the character and truthfulness of one convicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens (he of the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" fame)???
And, finally, your have Gianna Jensen responding directly to The Obamessiah regarding his votes against the Baby Born Alive Act as well as his personally calling her a liar.:
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading Is 58:2-3, 6-8 [The Lord said]: They seek me day after day, and desire to know my ways, Like a nation that has done what is just and not abandoned the law of their God; They ask me to declare what is due them, pleased to gain access to God. “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed.
Reflection What actions do I perform to please God? How am I healing the wounds of my community?
Prayer God of light, give us the freedom to walk in the footprints of your Son, Jesus. Let our light shine out for all to see by turning to those who call for our help. Heal our wounds, heal our community. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dim Bulb over at The Divine Lamp, he points out that Father Corapi has suggested another Novena for this election season, the Novena to Our Lady of Victory. The full set of prayers to this novena is here, and is to be followed by the praying of the rosary. This novena began on Oct 27 and is to continue through to Election Day (Nov. 4). The more prayers this election season the better.
In addition, below is the text of the 2008 Election Day Prayer from the following link(hat-tip to Jeff at The Curt Jester):
Election Day Prayer
Almighty God, all things are in your hands: our nation, our communities, our families, our lives.
In this time of great decision, bless our country and its people. Prosper the efforts of the just and true, and thwart the purposes of the unjust and dishonest. Preserve our land from violence and turmoil, and keep our relationships decent and respectful.
Inspire voters, legislators, executives, and judges so our country may be a land where morality is furthered by law and authority; where life is protected, marriage is respected, and family is supported; where the innocent are spared, and the guilty are punished; where justice is tempered by mercy, and mercy fortified by justice.
Help us to keep the United States of America a land where the rule of law and respect for individual dignity are the legal foundation of a just order.
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading Ps 146:1-8 Praise the LORD, my soul; I shall praise the LORD all my life, sing praise to my God while I live. Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing. Happy those whose help is Jacob’s God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God, The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, Who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free; the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
Reflection Who are the oppressed in your community? How am I helping them secure justice? How am I helping to feed and give sight to those most in need?
Prayer God of Jacob, strengthen our hope in the Lord. Help us to keep the faith by striving for justice in our land. Give us hearts, hands, and feet to truly reach out to those in need. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dim Bulb over at The Divine Lamp, he points out that Father Corapi has suggested another Novena for this election season, the Novena to Our Lady of Victory. The full set of prayers to this novena is here, and is to be followed by the praying of the rosary. This novena begins today and is to continue through to Election Day (Nov. 4). The more prayers this election season the better.
In addition, below is the text of the 2008 Election Day Prayer from the following link(hat-tip to Jeff at The Curt Jester):
Election Day Prayer
Almighty God, all things are in your hands: our nation, our communities, our families, our lives.
In this time of great decision, bless our country and its people. Prosper the efforts of the just and true, and thwart the purposes of the unjust and dishonest. Preserve our land from violence and turmoil, and keep our relationships decent and respectful.
Inspire voters, legislators, executives, and judges so our country may be a land where morality is furthered by law and authority; where life is protected, marriage is respected, and family is supported; where the innocent are spared, and the guilty are punished; where justice is tempered by mercy, and mercy fortified by justice.
Help us to keep the United States of America a land where the rule of law and respect for individual dignity are the legal foundation of a just order.
Opening Prayer Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.
Reading Ps 8:2, 4-10 O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! You have set your majesty above the heavens! When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place— What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them little less than a god, crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them rule over the works of your hands, put all things at their feet: All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!
Reflection How will I praise God today? How will I show respect for others, especially my neighbor or those in my community who are not like me?
Prayer God of love, may we grow in our love for you by respecting the dignity of all people we encounter. Amen.
Novena Prayer Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths toward the future. From famine and war, deliver us. From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us. From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us. From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us. From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us. From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us. From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us. From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us. From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us. Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the “sin of the world,” sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the power of merciful love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
Meanwhile, Ace reports that unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and his wife, fellow terrorist Bernardine Dohrn, are coming out with a new book to be published in June 2009. What's the title of this precious new book by these so-called "reformed" terrorists? "Race Course Against White Supremacy".
Things you do not know, thanks to the "unbiased" Mainstream Media.
Hat-tip to Alan Capasso over at Chesterton & Friends. He doesn't post often, but when he does it's always something really good. Today, he links to and quotes from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput's recent address on the "Little Murders".
This past weekend was the bi-annual ArtWalk in downtown Ventura, and like I always do I took a few hours in the afternoon and walked around the area to check out the latest that the local artists from the region had to display.
Gretchen Anne Martin and her fiance do modeling and sculpture work in the toy industry, but Gretchen is also an accomplished sculptor. Although nothing is on display on-line, I had the opportunity to see a few pieces at her studio and was blown away by the unquestionable talent and her sharp eye for detail and beauty in classical busts and figuratives.
Elizabeth Cawelti is another artist who is stationed at the Bell Arts Factory. The following piece ("Silent" - 2005) is a fine example of her work:
Irena Jablonski had her installation - Human Adventure - on display at the Buenaventura Gallery. The following piece ("Sisters at a Doorway") is absolutely stunning in person:
Virginia Beale was also on display at the BVG, as was Christine Beirne. Below is an example of Virginia Beale's work ("Mountain Trail Sulpher Mt. Rd"):
Jim Martin had his large scale photographs on display at the Red Brick Gallery. Just click here to view all of his vibrant photographs. Davey Miller is a large-scale painter who does some abstracts in the vein of Jackson Pollock. One piece that was on display outside on Main Street was his "12-Foot Wave" piece that is mighty impressive:
Finally, I happened to meet up again with Gerardo Segimundo who is always smiling and laughing whenever you see him. I was totally shocked and stunned when Gerard said that he had a little something for me, and he pulled out a small, original watercolor from his dancers series and gave it to me as a gift for "always being so supportive" of his work and coming down to these ArtWalks. Below is an example of some of his work ("Symphonic Movement"):
What always drew me into his paintings was an intuitive sense of lyricism and melody. It wasn't until afterwards that I found this descriptive from his website's "Artist Statement":
There are moments when music carries you to a scenery that you visualize in your mind. There are moments when a painting subconsciously evokes a melody from your heart. As a visual artist and a pianist, I strive for viewers to experience music within my art, and for listeners to perceive art within my music- that's my aspiration.
Thank you, Gerry! I'm humbled and honored by your gesture, and I will cherish the gift.
Major hat-tip to Flopping Aces, who linked to a post by Mark Steyn. Many people have considered this "adoration" of Obama as nothing more than a strange cult of personality. We've all seen the disturbing MSM news photos of "The One" with his head in backlight to give the impression of a halo. I've jokingly called him "The Obamessiah".
Well, Mark Steyn posted a photo that a reader of his took while in San Francisco (the city that rivals Las Vegas as the God-less capital of the country). This is not Photoshopped:
Just in case I haven't been clear in all of my previous posts about this guy,
"I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration."
In other words, Roberts and Alito, Thomas and Scalia are the four judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade. But we need at least five judges to be able to make that ruling. With Justice Stevens at age 87, and Justice Ginsburg with a history of cancer, Colin Powell (along with The Obamessiah) do not want potential replacement justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who would threaten the reversal of that fateful 1973 decision.
I've always known that Powell was pro-abortion. Now he's blatantly stated his love of the slaughter of over 50 million innocent and defenseless human beings (nearly 25% of whom are African-American, even though they only make up 12% of the population).
George Weigel, author of the comprehensive and steller biography of Pope John Paul II, wrote a long article in Newsweek on the issue of Catholics, abortion, and political candidates.
Jack Cashill wrote an absolutely fascinating book (now available in paperback) called, "What's the Matter With California?". I just finished reading it last month, and I highly recommend it to those of you who are interested. I may post a review of this book sometime in the future.
Anyway... Cashill had written a post last week over at American Thinker on the curious similarities between The Obamessiah's first autobiography, "Dreams From My Father" and the writings of one unrepentant domestic terrorist and Barack associate, Bill Ayers. Today, Cashill goes into much further detail on the comparisons.
As he says towards the end of the long investigative article:
Obama's handlers have "constructed" his persona around his presumably superior intelligence. Bill Buckley's son Christopher, smitten by Obama's literary skills, is among those who have yielded to this imagery and joined the Obama crusade. Even if someone benign had ghostwritten the book it would present a problem for Obama.
The question is often asked why Obama associated with Ayers. The more appropriate question is why the powerful Ayers would associate with the then obscure Obama. Before Obama's ascendancy, it was Ayers who had the connections, the clout, and the street cred. Ayers could also write and write very well. By the mid-1990s he had had several of his books published. What Ayers could never do, however, was run for office on his own.
My suspicion is that Ayers saw the potential in Obama, and chose to mold it. The calculation in Dreams is palpable. Nothing about the book would deny a black Democrat the White House. If it were revealed that the ghostwriter is Ayers, it would suggest that Ayers has played a major role all along in the shaping of Barack Obama. It is unlikely that the McCain camp would have invested so much energy in establishing the Ayers-Obama link if they did not think this was the case.
At the end of the day, the observer is left with only two conclusions: either Barack Obama experienced a quantum surge in his writing skills almost overnight; or someone made a major contribution to the rewriting of his book.
Gateway Pundit has a post here and here on the ACORN mess. Gay Patriot has an updated post on the 14+ states that have ACORN voter registration fraud issues, with tons of links to each instance of fraud.
Powerline has a video clip of a news investigation in which the first 2100 ACORN voter "registrations" in Lake County, Indiana were ALL fraudulent.
McCain broadcasts his latest ad here, featuring Joe:
And McCain's second, longer and more personal ad on the issues is here:
Meanwhile, RedState has an very interesting anecdotal story which spills the beans on the Obama campaign's worries:
As she was explaining her perspective it dawned on her to ask why he (the Obama internal pollster) was interested in her view of Palin. He replied that Obama's campaign is extremely nervous about the energized republican base and what he called the "unkown factor" regarding Palin's draw as a candidate.
In the polls they're conducting around the country, and my boss wasn't able to relay specific numbers, the Obama campaign is very, very worried about how Palin appears to be energizing whole groups of people who don't typically get energized about politics, precisely because she appeals so strongly to the middle class, as well as women and dissatisfied republicans that stayed home in 2006.
More than that, they don't know how to guage [sic] and predict the support of people typically turned off by politics, but that are enamored with her "up from the bootstraps" appeal.
I say all of this because this pollster conveyed strong concern about their standing going into the homestretch. They are very concerned about winning the vote of the middle class and whole swaths of the electorate they consider the "unkowns." In fact, and based on her conversation with this internal pollster for Obama, he's not ahead in the polls as we're being told. He's at best tied.
I told you to ignore the polls. Heck, the latest Gallup poll (you know, the one that's least reliable because they don't weigh the party registration, and have been publishing "registered" voters instead of likely voters so late in the season) has come out with their latest poll that finally uses the traditional "likely voters" and is within the margin of error.
Then, you can read Baseball Crank's series on "The Integrity Gap". Part I (on Sarah Palin) is here. Part II (on Obama) is here - it's a long, multi-part series so just follow the links at the bottom of the first post. Part III (which I assume will be on McCain) is not yet posted.
That scalpel that The Obamessiah kept talking about at the beginning of this third and final debate? Well McCain took it in hand like a surgeon and used it to carve up that empty suit and his radical leftist policy positions into tiny little pieces. It was a sight to behold. A thing of beauty.
Flopping Aces (not to be confused with Ace of Spades) has a video clip of a plumber who had the misfortune of having The Obamessiah explain his socialistic plan to him.
'Tis the season. Even though the winds are cold, they're dry, blustery and coming from the east. It's Santa Ana time!
Two brushfires have kicked up in the area. The Marek Fire started yesterday, claiming 3700+ acres. The Porter Ranch Fire just north of Chatsworth has shut down the 118. Thick smoke in the atmosphere, and the air is acrid. I'm about 25 miles from this fire (20 miles as the condor flies).
Nothin' like a little excitement to start your work week.
The ONLY thing a President can do re: abortion (aside from implementing some minor executive orders) is put the right kind of judges on the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Federal Appeals Courts. And the only way to guarantee that they actually get on the Courts is to have enough U.S. Senators to vote for the nominee to be appointed to those Courts.
The only other thing that can be done on abortion is a Constitutional Amendment (just like the 13th Amendment which ended slavery after the Civil War). This would require either the approval of 38 states (three-fourths), or a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Congress. Both of these options do not require a President. They require the election of like-minded U.S. Congressmen & Senators, or like-minded State Assemblymen & Senators.
Period.
With McCain, we have a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better chance of him appointing someone in the mold of Scalia, Alito, Roberts, Thomas, Rehnquist when someone like Stevens (age 87) and others currently on the Court are to be replaced.
So, ask yourself... "What are the chances that Obama would appoint those types of judges to those federal courts???"
Second question to ask yourself... "Why do I keep voting for pro-abortion candidates for state and federal legislative offices???"
I received a brief email from one of my brothers this morning, saying two things:
"Go Phillies!!!"... and, "I'm watching my 401k being wiped in half."
I haven’t even considered looking at mine. If I was in my 60s or older, and either close to or in retirement (and poorly invested), then I’d be worried. But, as long as it’s somewhat diversified, it’ll eventually bounce back. Remember, it was just seven short years ago, after the tech bubble burst and then 9/11 hit, that the economy tanked big-time. Then, in a matter of a few short years, it all came back to equilibrium.
This time around, it’s the housing bubble (which, in general, is still way too high, median price-wise – in relation to inflation over the same time period – thanks in part Fannie/Freddie and to Clinton’s Jan 31, 1995 executive order that forced this mess and started kicking in a few short years later) and the obscene oil price bubble that’s bursting. Oil is now down to under $80/barrel after it peaked at $147 in mid-July (thanks to speculators and OPEC/Russia/Iran/Venezuela market manipulation).
The whole world is in economic crisis, not just the U.S. And the world is finally realizing that if the U.S. goes down the whole globe goes down with it. They can’t afford to keep sticking their fingers in the eyes of America anymore. It’s when oil prices finally get back down to normal (within the $40-60/barrel range), and housing prices do the same (when median prices equal 1998 prices plus true inflation adjustments from 1998-2008), that the road to recovery will begin.
We're almost there. Eventually, it’ll all come out in the wash.
"We now see in the collapse of the great banks: money disappears, turns to nothing," B16 said in an impromptu meditation at the day's start. "And all these things, which seem like the true reality on which we can count, are realities of a second order.
"One who builds his life on these realities, on objects, success, on everything that's visible, builds on sand," the pontiff added, referring to options of sand or rock cited by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. "Only the Word of God is the foundation of every reality, fixed as the heavens and more than the heavens, is the reality."
"So we must change our concept of realism," he continued. "The realist is the one who recognizes in the Word of God, this reality apparently so weak, the foundation of everything. The realist is the one who builds his life on this foundation that remains permanently."
So, take heart everyone. And take stock... real stock... spiritual stock.
Creative Minority Report posted an excellent rundown of why I have been suspicious of election-year polling data.
He notes, in part:
"For example, according to The Politico, "Democrats picked up 31 seats in 2006 with an 11.5-point lead in generic ballot tests, and the party actually won 53.6% of the general election vote, a 7-point margin." So to put it plainly there was an 11.5 lead in the generic ballot polls but only a seven point margin on election day.
Now, an oddity is that just last month a USA Today/Gallup survey of the generic ballot had the Democrats leading the Republicans by just 3 percentage points, 48% to 45%, in voters' "generic ballot" preferences for Congress. Yet, some pollsters seem to still be polling more Democrats than Republicans at a difference of 5% or higher.
And get this, Gallup, in a poll done less than a month ago Republicans were more enthused about the 2008 election and outscoring Democrats in likelihood to vote in November. As a result, Republican candidates led Democratic candidates among likely voters by 5 percentage points, 50% to 45%.
So there were about 3% less Republicans than Democrats but they were more likely to vote by 5%. Seems almost a wash, right? But for some reason pollsters are still giving heavy preference to Democrats in their polls. Why?...
...Gallup, on the other hand, does not weight for party. And they're the ones right now with Obama up 11."
In these financially depressing times Julie over at Happy Catholic gave me a good laugh this morning:
If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago, you would have $49 left.
With Fannie Mae, you would have $2.50 left.
With AIG you would have less than $15 left.
But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drunk all the beer, then turned in the cans for aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214 cash.
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.
Going back a loooooong time ago, I was a physics major in college (that was before I hit the brick wall named "Calculus"), wanting to get into the field of Holography - specifically, R&D in Holographic Television. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a handle the math, so my university studies went in a different direction. But it was still my "first love" as a career choice and field of study.
Today, a report out of London reveals a major breakthrough in Holo-TV technology:
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Picture this: you're sat down for the Football World Cup final, or a long-awaited sequel to the "Sex and the City" movie and you're watching all the action unfold in 3-D on your coffee table.
It sounds a lot like a wacky dream, but don't be surprised if within our lifetime you find yourself discarding your plasma and LCD sets in exchange for a holographic 3-D television that can put Cristiano Ronaldo in your living room or bring you face-to-face with life-sized versions of your gaming heroes.
The reason for renewed optimism in three-dimensional technology is a breakthrough in rewritable and erasable holographic systems made earlier this year by researchers at the University of Arizona.
Dr Nasser Peyghambarian, chair of photonics and lasers at the university's Optical Sciences department, told CNN that scientists have broken a barrier by making the first updatable three-dimensional displays with memory.
The article continues:
Tung H. Jeong, a retired physics professor at Lake Forest College outside Chicago who had studied holography since the 1960s told NJ.com; "When we start talking about erasable and rewritable holograms, we are moving toward the possibility of holographic TV ... It has now been shown that physically, it's possible."
And what might these holographic televisions look like?
According to Peyghambarian, they could be constructed as a screen on the wall (like flat panel displays) that shows 3-D images, with all the image writing lasers behind the wall; or it could be like a horizontal panel on a table with holographic writing apparatus underneath.
So, if this project is realized, you really could have a football match on your coffee table, or horror-movie villains jumping out of your wall.
Peyghambarian is also optimistic that the technology could reach the market within five to ten years.
Dr. T. H. Jeong. Now there's a blast from the past. If I had been able to continue in physics, I would have gone to Lake Forest College for my Masters after getting my B.S. at Villanova. Who knows? I might even have been a member of the current team at U. of Arizona. Oh well... another life. At least it appears that I'll be able to see this technology within my lifetime.
I spent last weekend back in the Philadelphia area to attend a family wedding. While I was there I decided to pay some attention to the political winds that were swirling around the region, and I came away with some interesting impressions via some anecdotal evidence.
In my humble opinion, Barack Obama ain't gonna win PA. It's just not gonna happen.
Obama sunk a lot of time and money into PA during the primary, and lost to Hillary 55-45%. The only regions to swing his way were Philadelphia and some of it's suburban counties, and mid-state. He won Delaware and Chester Counties south and west of the city. But he lost Montgomery and Bucks Counties west and north of Philly and also lost all of western PA, including around Pittsburgh. In the primary!
Obama MUST win the four key counties around Philly, plus Pittsburgh in order to have a prayer of taking PA from McCain on November 4. Obama is pouring a ton of money into PA right now, running full one-minute ads constantly, almost all of them being the type where he is on camera doing all of the talking (trying to appear personable).
Now, out here in Californians we don't use yard signs as much as we use bumper stickers. Your vehicle is king; it's your extended domain. Obama stickers are EVERYWHERE, and have been for quite some time. It started in early 2007 with the ubiquitous "Gore/Obama - The Dream Team" stickers. You would be lucky if you could find a Hillary sticker anywhere over the last year and a half. Yet, when the California primary came and went last June, Hillary thumped Obama by 10% (just like PA), 52-42%. Usually, it's the radicals who are the most "vocal" with their bumper stickers. The rest of the citizens tend to keep their mouths shut (lest they be scolded and scorned, or your car be keyed), and make their voices heard at the ballot box (the surprising success of Prop 13 and Prop 187 being two such examples).
Now, in Pennsylvania (particularly the Philly area), yard signs are the way people express their opinions, and unlike CA, they are not shy about it. If anyone who knows anything about Philly sports fans, this should come as no surprise. So, during my stay in the what's known as the "Main Line" in suburban Philly this past weekend I paid particular attention to these yard signs (this being just five weeks away from election day). I had driven through areas such as Upper Darby, Drexel Hill, Media, Havertown, and places in between (all in Delaware County, which Obama won against Hillary in the primary). In the sea of McCain and McCain/Palin yard signs I saw an exact total of just ONE Obama yard sign.
Obama is screwed.
In PA, they take their guns & religion seriously, and don't particularly like their values being mocked behind closed doors in San Francisco (Pennsylvanians have long memories). They also take the pro-life issue seriously. It's the reason why they replaced Santorum in the Senate with someone else who at least claimed to also be pro-life, and who is the son of a popular former two-term governor who was also pro-life.
I would almost say that I'd be shocked if Obama wins PA. Almost. Because I know that we're dealing with the MSM (mainstream media) who are completely in the tank for The Obamessiah, and have been for quite some time... as evidenced by this post by Captain Ed:
A READER AT A MAJOR NEWSROOM EMAILS: "Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working."
I have a couple friends who work in the MSM, too, and one of them tells me the newsroom is (exact words) “unbelievably cavalier” about any complaints viewers register about their reports, what they ignore, their bias or the way they edit Republicans vs. the way the treat Dems. “Cavalier” as in the fix is in and they don’t even have to pretend to care what half the country thinks or wants.
Think about it. Compared to what has been written and how the MSM have gone after, vilified and/or dismissed Sarah Palin, have you read or heard ANYTHING of investigative substance from the MSM (ABC, NBC/MSNBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post, USA Today) going into Obama's background, friends, associates, dealings, affiliations, political record or lack of experience in depth? Aside from a glancing look into the Rev. Wright scandal, and the subsequent blanket dismissal of anything of the matter worthy of a fuller investigation, has the MSM done ANY true investigative journalism on The Obamessiah?
