Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween! Amazing Pumpkin Carvings

I am always impressed by the creative and artistic talents some people possess.  (Particularly because I don't have any such talents.)  That being said, I thought I would post some of what I thought were the most impressive pumpkin carvings I came across on the Internet.  Happy Halloween everybody!

I thought the intricacies of this one were amazing.


I thought that this might be what Harry Reid feels like come this Wednesday morning!


Not a typical Halloween motif, but I found it to be very clever and well done.


The force was strong with this carver!


This one just made me chuckle.  Sometimes I feel like that little jack-o-lantern!


This one of the Predator is amazing in its detailed work!


Beautiful!  Here kitty kitty!


Exceptional!

Here's hoping you all have a scary, fun, and safe Halloween!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Down the Homestretch

Left Versus Right; 11 Contrasts in Thinking

1. Obama vs. Thatcher
"Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared, and the country is scared."
- Barack Obama

"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."
- Margaret Thatcher


2. Pelosi vs. Franklin
"Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance."
- Nancy Pelosi

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid."
- Benjamin Franklin


3. Obama vs. T. Roosevelt
"I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Britts believe in British exceptionalism, and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
- Barack Obama

"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife."
- Teddy Roosevelt


4. Biden vs. Reagan
"Every single great idea that has marked the 21st century, the 20th century and the 19th century has required government vision and government incentive."
- Joe Biden

"Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States."
- Ronald Reagan


5. Obama vs. Reagan
"Political discussions, the kind at Occidental had once seemed so intense and purposeful, came to take on the flavor of the socialist conferences I sometimes attended at Cooper Union"
- Barack Obama

"How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
- Ronald Reagan


6. Obama vs. Reagan
"I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."
- Barack Obama

"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life."
- Ronald Reagan


7. Obama vs. Thatcher
"I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
- Barack Obama

"The trouble with socialism is, sooner or later you run out of other peoples' money."
- Margaret Thatcher


8. Obama vs. Reagan
"In America, there's a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world."
- Barack Obama

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children (America), the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done."
- Ronald Reagan


9. Obama vs. Wayne
"I've now been in 57 states? I think one left to go?"
- Barack Obama

"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid."
- John Wayne


10. Kerry vs. Paine
"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
- John Kerry

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
- Thomas Paine

11. Brown vs. Reagan
"The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs."
- Jerry Brown

"Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence."
- Ronald Reagan

When You're Holding a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail

A friend sent this catchy little song to me and I caught myself humming it last night after watching the short video.  And even though my friend is a lawyer, he does seem to "get it".  (Thanks Randy!)  Enjoy!

Rick Santorum: Finish Strong!

This is a great ad and quite appropriate with the coming ultimate Tea Party this next Tuesday!

Friday, October 29, 2010

A Joke Before the Weekend Begins

A friend sent me this joke and I thought sharing it and a chuckle would be a good way to start the weekend.

Question:  How do you starve a liberal Democrat to death?

Answer:  Hide his food stamps under his work boots!

Have a great weekend!

(H/T: Mike)

It Is Criminal to Doubt Global Warming Says James Cameron & Google CEO

Google's CEO and movie director James Cameron both say it is "criminal" to doubt the "science" of global warming.  I guess the thought police will be funded with the next stimulus bill accordingly to prosecute such heresies.  Never mind the fact that man-caused global warming is very much an uncertainty, at best, according to thousands of expert scientists.

Instead, many ignorant people would rather take the words of Hollywood types, debunked former VP's, and large numbers of environmental agenda-driven extremists as the definitive authorities on the subject. I think I will continue to withhold judgement as real scientists work to find fact-based answers on the subject.

Mr. Cameron, might I suggest that you stick to making movies in the meantime, sir.

Dr. David Janda Explains Perils of Obamacare and Why Dr. Rob Steele Must Defeat Dingel

Dr. David Janda does an excellent job in this six minute video of explaining the great and impending perils that will decimate our health care system if Obamacare is not repealed.  He gave his speech here in support of Republican Dr. Rob Steele in the hope that Steele will unseat Democratic Congressman Dingel.  (Dingel,  by the way, between him and his father whom he succeeded in congress, have held this seat since 1933!)

Dr. Janda goes on to cite a survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and also in Investors Business Daily saying, "We're going to lose 46% of physicians, including me. I cannot walk into a room Jan. 1st 2013 and lie to the very people I've been helping for the last 30 years. I won't do it." 

With America basically losing nearly half of it physicians while adding over 30 million more patients to the health care rolls, Dr. Janda confirms what we who have been paying attention all along already knew. Rationing and costs for health care will both increase exponentially. The only solution to this problem is to not fund Obamacare and to repeal it in its entirety as soon as possible. Then, new legislation can be enacted that will actually remove the impediments to our health care system and thus allow free market solutions to reduce costs and improve the quality of our health care system.

Johnny Carson: Politician Hooked Up to a Lie Detector Sketch

Dang!  I really miss Johnny Carson.  This sketch he did is a classic and seems apropos in light of our current political campaign season.  Too bad that they cannot incorporate one of those lie detector machines into the presidential teleprompter.  (Of course that would make each state of the union speech sound like just one long beep.)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Biden Says That Every Great Idea Is Due to "Government Vision"

On Tuesday, Vice President Biden attended and spoke at a fundraiser for incumbent Democratic Congressman Tim Bishop of New York at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South.

Nestled within the comments that the gaffe-prone and often factually-challenged VP stated was this doosey: "Every single great idea that has marked the 21st century, the 20th century and the 19th century has required government vision and government incentive.”

WOW!  And that folks is something that Biden, Obama, and many progressives actually do believe, I fear.  The absurdity and utter fallacy of this statement doesn't even seem to occur to Biden. 

And that is precisely one of the main reasons that the American people have had enough with this out-of-touch group of people supposedly governing us.  They assume that nothing can be done in this greatest of all nations without the explicit help or incentivizing of the federal government.  On the contrary, my progressive friends, many of the greatest inventions and most prosperous companies in the country (and thus the world) were done despite the intrusion, interference, regulation, and disincentives created by the federal government.

I think inventors as diverse as Wilbur and Orville Wright, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Eli Whitney, Alexander Graham Bell, Samuel Colt, and Thomas Edison would all vehemently disagree with Vice President Biden's asinine statement.  Indeed I don't recall ever hearing about the Franklin Stove federal research and development grant program.  Have you?

Perhaps Vice President Biden was referring to his earlier predecessor's inventing of the Internet.  Perhaps a follow up question for our VP is in order here...

The Mormon Church and Being Gay

I came across this story (read it at this link) regarding a subject that has garnered much attention around the state of Utah where I now live and I found it rather interesting. 

Twice a year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons) hold what they call General Conference Weekends where there are many speeches and sermons given by church elders and various leaders on any number of subjects dealing with Mormon theology, culture, and other issues relevant to the church and its members.

Well on October 3rd, during the latest General Conference, the second highest ranking member of the Mormon Church hierarchy, Boyd K. Packer, gave a sermon affirming the Christian and Mormon teaching that the practice of homosexuality is immoral and a sin.  Needless to say, this caused a huge uproar in Salt Lake's fairly sizable gay community, and indeed throughout the nation.  Many folks have decried and protested the sermon and have asked the Mormon Church for a retraction of Elder Packer's comments accordingly.

Now as any of you know that have read my blog, I am definitely not Mormon but rather am devout in my Catholic faith.  That being said, I admire and share many of the same moral beliefs and teachings that my Mormon brothers and sisters espouse.  Scripturally, the Bible is clear that homosexual acts are immoral and sinful.  There is no room for debate on this fact.  That the Mormon faith or any other religious faith based on the Bible would thus unequivocally affirm and state this truth should not be surprising to anyone accordingly.

That being said, having proclivities towards same sex attraction is not the sin.  It is acting upon those urges that brings us out of communion with God, just as knowingly turning away from His wishes in any matter is sinful and similarly disconnects us from communion with Christ. 

My personal opinion is that there is likely a genetic or biological component in many gay folks that fosters this same sex attraction.  I will leave the "normalization" of the gay lifestyle in current American culture that almost encourages confused or troubled teens and young adults to explore if they are "gay" as a separate issue for future discussion.  What I am speaking of is those people that have had this attraction since they first became aware of their own sexuality.

Acting out on these urges is typically quite self destructive and often leads to a lifestyle that finds much discontent and lack of harmony.  I would submit that this is because one has turned his back on God's admonition against homosexuality.  One has committed sin.

If one had a predilection towards alcoholism in one's family, would it not be best to simply avoid alcohol if one finds that the consumption of such in moderation is just not possible?  Just as someone that has such a biological component towards alcoholism knows this is true deep inside, they are often in denial and partake of that which ultimately causes them conflict and trouble in their lives.  Similarly, I suspect such is typically the case for many of our gay brothers and sisters that act out on their homosexual attractions as well, despite the ultimate sorrow and discontent that doing so causes them.

Now I absolutely condemn those that would ostracize, ridicule, or engage in hateful speech or actions towards gay people, or indeed towards any person that is "different" from what we think the norm should be.  Indeed, Christ tells us to hate the sin, but love the sinner.  And we are ALL sinners in some form or the other. 

Far better to reach out in love and compassion towards our fellow man and woman that are burdened with gay proclivities than to persecute them.  That is not what Christ would do and although I am certainly unworthy and fall far short of His will quite often, that is nevertheless what I try to do as well.

Marco Rubio "Gets It"

Marco Rubio, Republican candidate for Florida Senator is one of the few politicians that seems to "get it".  He understands America's greatness... it's exceptionalism.  He understands that this exceptionalism is not a result of our government, rather it is the result of our reliance upon God and the inalienable rights and liberties He has bestowed upon us that make America great.  It is these divinely gifted freedoms that has allowed America, through the power of individuals dreaming, working, and creating in the free market, to become the wealthiest and most generous nation on the face of the planet.

That is the reason why he will be elected to represent Florida in just five more days. That, and the fact that Charlie Crist cannot accept his defeat in the primaries to Rubio and feels that he is entitled to public office.  His "third party" candidacy is a cynical attempt to grasp at and hold on to power and is precisely the kind of nonsense that most Americans are sick and tired of and are thus rejecting accordingly.

Marco Rubio, I strongly suspect, will serve Florida and America very well indeed.

Pope Benedict XVI on Immigration

I found Pope Benedict's comments on immigration to be very interesting and enlightening and should be required reading for all Catholics, particularly for Salt Lake Diocese Bishop John Wester who leads the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration in America. 

While I genuinely like Bishop Wester and consider him to be a very good man, some of his policies seem to be out of sync with that of the Holy See as articulated by our Bishop of Rome.  I am sure the Pope's comments will not end debate on the issue, but it should help clarify Catholic thought on policy regarding immigration.  (Emphasis in the speech below are mine.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The World Day of Migrants and Refugees offers the whole Church an opportunity to reflect on a theme linked to the growing phenomenon of migration, to pray that hearts may open to Christian welcome and to the effort to increase in the world justice and charity, pillars on which to build an authentic and lasting peace. "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34), is the invitation that the Lord forcefully addresses to us and renews us constantly: if the Father calls us to be beloved children in his dearly beloved Son, he also calls us to recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

This profound link between all human beings is the origin of the theme that I have chosen for our reflection this year: "One human family", one family of brothers and sisters in societies that are becoming ever more multiethnic and intercultural, where also people of various religions are urged to take part in dialogue, so that a serene and fruitful coexistence with respect for legitimate differences may be found. The Second Vatican Council affirms that "All peoples are one community and have one origin, because God caused the whole human race to dwell on the face of the earth (cf. Acts 17:26); they also have one final end, God" (Message for the World Day of Peace, 2008, 1). "His providence, His manifestations of goodness, His saving design extend to all men" (Declaration Nostra aetate, 1). Thus, "We do not live alongside one another purely by chance; all of us are progressing along a common path as men and women, and thus as brothers and sisters" (Message for the World Day of Peace, 2008, 6).

The road is the same, that of life, but the situations that we pass through on this route are different: many people have to face the difficult experience of migration in its various forms: internal or international, permanent or seasonal, economic or political, voluntary or forced. In various cases the departure from their Country is motivated by different forms of persecution, so that escape becomes necessary. Moreover, the phenomenon of globalization itself, characteristic of our epoch, is not only a social and economic process, but also entails "humanity itself [that] is becoming increasingly interconnected", crossing geographical and cultural boundaries. In this regard, the Church does not cease to recall that the deep sense of this epochal process and its fundamental ethical criterion are given by the unity of the human family and its development towards what is good (cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Caritas in veritate, 42). All, therefore, belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches. It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded.

"In an increasingly globalized society, the common good and the effort to obtain it cannot fail to assume the dimensions of the whole human family, that is to say, the community of peoples and nations, in such a way as to shape the earthly city in unity and peace, rendering it to some degree an anticipation and a prefiguration of the undivided city of God" (Benedict XVI, Encyclical Caritas in veritate, 7). This is also the perspective with which to look at the reality of migration. In fact, as the Servant of God Paul VI formerly noted, "the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations" (Encyclical Populorum progressio, 66), is a profound cause of underdevelopment and – we may add – has a major impact on the migration phenomenon. Human brotherhood is the, at times surprising, experience of a relationship that unites, of a profound bond with the other, different from me, based on the simple fact of being human beings. Assumed and lived responsibly, it fosters a life of communion and sharing with all and in particular with migrants; it supports the gift of self to others, for their good, for the good of all, in the local, national and world political communities.

Venerable John Paul II, on the occasion of this same Day celebrated in 2001, emphasized that "[the universal common good] includes the whole family of peoples, beyond every nationalistic egoism. The right to emigrate must be considered in this context. The Church recognizes this right in every human person, in its dual aspect of the possibility to leave one’s country and the possibility to enter another country to look for better conditions of life" (Message for World Day of Migration 2001, 3; cf. John XXIII, Encyclical Mater et Magistra, 30; Paul VI, Encyclical Octogesima adveniens, 17). At the same time, States have the right to regulate migration flows and to defend their own frontiers, always guaranteeing the respect due to the dignity of each and every human person. Immigrants, moreover, have the duty to integrate into the host Country, respecting its laws and its national identity. "The challenge is to combine the welcome due to every human being, especially when in need, with a reckoning of what is necessary for both the local inhabitants and the new arrivals to live a dignified and peaceful life" (World Day of Peace 2001, 13).

In this context, the presence of the Church, as the People of God journeying through history among all the other peoples, is a source of trust and hope. Indeed the Church is "in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race" (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 1); and through the action within her of the Holy Spirit, "the effort to establish a universal brotherhood is not a hopeless one" (Idem, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 38). It is the Holy Eucharist in particular that constitutes, in the heart of the Church, an inexhaustible source of communion for the whole of humanity. It is thanks to this that the People of God includes "every nation, race, people, and tongue" (Rev 7:9), not with a sort of sacred power but with the superior service of charity. In fact the exercise of charity, especially for the poorest and weakest, is the criterion that proves the authenticity of the Eucharistic celebration (cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine, 28).

The situation of refugees and of the other forced migrants, who are an important part of the migration phenomenon, should be specifically considered in the light of the theme "One human family". For these people who flee from violence and persecution the International Community has taken on precise commitments. Respect of their rights, as well as the legitimate concern for security and social coherence, foster a stable and harmonious coexistence.

Also in the case of those who are forced to migrate, solidarity is nourished by the "reserve" of love that is born from considering ourselves a single human family and, for the Catholic faithful, members of the Mystical Body of Christ: in fact we find ourselves depending on each other, all responsible for our brothers and sisters in humanity and, for those who believe, in the faith. As I have already had the opportunity to say, "Welcoming refugees and giving them hospitality is for everyone an imperative gesture of human solidarity, so that they may not feel isolated because of intolerance and disinterest" (General Audience, 20 June 2007: Insegnamenti II, 1 [2007], 1158). This means that those who are forced to leave their homes or their country will be helped to find a place where they may live in peace and safety, where they may work and take on the rights and duties that exist in the Country that welcomes them, contributing to the common good and without forgetting the religious dimension of life.

Lastly, I would like to address a special thought, again accompanied by prayer, to the foreign and international students who are also a growing reality within the great migration phenomenon. This, as well, is a socially important category with a view to their return, as future leaders, to their Countries of origin. They constitute cultural and economic "bridges" between these Countries and the host Countries, and all this goes precisely in the direction of forming "one human family". This is the conviction that must support the commitment to foreign students and must accompany attention to their practical problems, such as financial difficulties or the hardship of feeling alone in facing a very different social and university context, as well as the difficulties of integration. In this regard, I would like to recall that "to belong to a university community… is to stand at the crossroads of the cultures that have formed the modern world" (John Paul II, To the Bishops of the United States of America of the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Chicago, Indianapolis and Milwaukee on their ad limina visit, 30 May 1998, 6: Insegnamenti XXI, 1 [1998] 1116). At school and at university the culture of the new generations is formed: their capacity to see humanity as a family called to be united in diversity largely depends on these institutions.

Dear brothers and sisters, the world of migrants is vast and diversified. It knows wonderful and promising experiences, as well as, unfortunately, so many others that are tragic and unworthy of the human being and of societies that claim to be civil. For the Church this reality constitutes an eloquent sign of our times which further highlights humanity’s vocation to form one family, and, at the same time, the difficulties which, instead of uniting it, divide it and tear it apart. Let us not lose hope and let us together pray God, the Father of all, to help us – each in the first person – to be men and women capable of brotherly relationships and, at the social, political and institutional levels, so that understanding and reciprocal esteem among peoples and cultures may increase. With these hopes, as I invoke the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Stella Maris, I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing to all and, especially, to migrants and refugees and to everyone who works in this important field.

From Castel Gandolfo, 27 September 2010
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Climate Fools Day

The Carbon Sense Coalition today called on Americans to join the world in celebrating Climate Fools Day on October 27th.  The Chairman of “Carbon Sense”, Mr Viv Forbes, said that Climate Fools Day was dubbed as such by protesters outside the British House of Commons on 27th October 2008 when the house was debating the Climate Bill.  It was on that day that a large part of Europe, including London, was blanketed in the first October snowfall in over seventy years while members of British Parliament chattered on about the need to fight global warming.

I find this rather ironic as when I opened my garage door to leave to work today I found that a six inch blanket of snow covered my front yard... and drive way.  I guess I should have gotten the snow blower out of the shed in the backyard a little sooner instead of waiting until this weekend as I had planned.  (After all, I was sure that I wouldn't be in need of it so soon...)  It is still October for crying out loud!

As of today, I am definitely in favor of global warming.  In the summer time... not so much.

Archbishop Chaput: A New Knighthood

Archbishop Chaput of the Denver arch-diocese made these excellent remarks at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on 10/25/2010.  I found his comments to be excellent and worthy of re-posting here.  Archbishop Chaput is rapidly becoming one of my favorite bishops as he insists on playing it straight with adhering to the beauty of Catholic orthodoxy.  A watered down faith, like watered down wine, is not appealing to those that love and appreciate the real thing. 

A New Knighthood
The world is full of talented failures -- people who either didn't live up to their abilities, or who did, but in a way that diminished their humanity and their character.

God made us to be better than that. And our nation and our Church need His people to be better than that. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10). Wisdom -- not merely the knowledge of facts or a mastery of skills, but wisdom about ourselves, other people, and the terrain of human life -- this is the mark of a whole person. We already have too many clever leaders. We need wise leaders. And the wisest leaders ground themselves in humility before God and the demands of God's justice.

People my age would do well to remember that. The reason is pretty simple: The older we get, the more clearly we see -- or think we see -- what's wrong with the world. It also gets harder to admit our own role in making it that way.

Over my lifetime, I've had the privilege of working with many good religious men and women, and many good lay Christian friends. Many of them have been heroic in their generosity, faith, and service. Many have helped to make our country a better place. And yet I think it's true -- I know it's true -- that my generation has, in some ways, been among the most foolish in American history. We've been absorbed in our appetites, naïve about the consequences of our actions, overconfident in our power, and unwilling to submit ourselves to the obligations that come with the greatest ideals of our own heritage.

Most generations of Americans have inherited a nation different in degree from the generations that preceded them. Our young people will inherit an America that is different in kind -- a nation different from anything in our past in its attitudes toward sexuality, family, religion, law, and the nature of the human person; in other words, different and more troubling in the basic things that define a society. My generation created this new kind of America. Soon we will leave the consequences to our children. Where the leadership and moral character of my generation failed, the next generation needs to succeed.

The task of Christian moral leadership that will occupy much of their lives in the future will not be easy. Guarantees of religious freedom are only as strong as the social consensus that supports them, but Americans often take their religious freedom for granted. Religious faith has always played a major role in our public life, including debate about public policy and law. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly guarantees this freedom. But that guarantee and its application are subject to lawmakers and the interpretation of courts. And lawmakers and courts increasingly attack religious liberty, undermine rights of conscience, and force references to God out of our public square.

This shift in our culture is made worse by mass media that, in general, have little understanding of religious faith and are often openly hostile. As religious practice softens in the United States over the next few decades, the consensus for religious freedom may easily decline. And that has very big implications for the life of faithful Catholics in this country.

Given all that, how do we live faithfully as Catholics going forward in a culture that's skeptical, and even hostile, toward what we believe?

Knighthood is an institution with very deep roots in the memory of the Church. Nearly 900 years ago, one of the great monastic reformers of the Church, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, described the ideal Christian knights as Godly men who shun every excess in clothing and food. They live as brothers in joyful and sober company [with] one heart and one soul. . . . There is no distinction of persons among them, and deference is shown to merit rather than to noble blood. They rival one another in mutual consideration, and they carry one another's burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ.

Bernard had few illusions about human nature, and he was anything but naïve. Writing at the dawn of the crusading era, in the early 12th century, he was well aware of the greed, vanity, ambition, and violence that too often motivated Europe's warrior class, even in the name of religious faith.

Most of the men who took up the cause of aiding eastern Christians and liberating the Holy Land in the early decades of crusading did so out of genuine zeal for the Cross. But Bernard also knew that many others had mixed or even corrupt and evil motives. In his great essay "In Praise of the New Knighthood," he outlined the virtues that should shape the vocation of every truly "Christian" knight: humility, austerity, justice, obedience, unselfishness, and a single-minded zeal for Jesus Christ in defending the poor, the weak, the Church, and persecuted Christians.

Our life today may seem very different from life in the 12th century. The Church today asks us to seek mutual respect with people of other religious traditions and to build common ground for cooperation wherever possible.

But human nature -- our basic hopes, dreams, anxieties, and sufferings -- hasn't really changed. The Christian vocation remains the same: to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and, in following Him, to defend His Church and to serve her people zealously, unselfishly, and with all our skill. As St. Ignatius Loyola wrote in his "Spiritual Exercises" -- and remember that Ignatius himself was a former soldier -- each of us must choose between two battle standards: the standard of Jesus Christ, humanity's true King, or the standard of His impostor, the Prince of This World.

There is no neutral ground. C. S. Lewis once said that Christianity is a "fighting religion." He meant that Christian discipleship has always been -- and remains -- a struggle against the evil within and outside ourselves. This is why the early Church Fathers described Christian life as "spiritual combat." It's why they called faithful Christians the "Church Militant" and "soldiers of Christ" in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The Church needs men and women of courage and Godliness today more than at any time in her history. So does this extraordinary country we call home in this world; a nation that still has an immense reservoir of virtue, decency, and people of good will. This is why the Catholic ideal of knighthood, with its demands of radical discipleship, is still alive and still needed. The essence of Christian knighthood remains the same: sacrificial service rooted in a living Catholic faith.

A new "spirit of knighthood" is what we need now -- unselfish, tireless, devoted disciples willing to face derision and persecution for Jesus Christ. We serve our nation best by serving God first, and by proving our faith with the example of our lives.

Woman Claims Voter Fraud Favoring Harry Reid in Nevada's Clark County

In the very tight senatorial race in Nevada between current Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican challenger Sharon Angle, every vote will be critical come next Tuesday. Evidently, according to one early voter, perhaps Harry Reid is getting a little extra unlawful help in the vote count.



Despite Mr. Lomax blaming the problems on likely "voter error" one has to wonder about the veracity of the vote count when all is said and done.  Evidently the maintenance contract for these voting machines has been given to SEIU, a HUGE Democratic contributor.  This is one race that needs to be watched exceptionally close accordingly.  Oh, and at the risk of appearing even more cynical, the Chairman of the Clark County Commission is Rory Reid... son of Senator Harry Reid.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

"Marxism in America" by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) W.G. Boykin

General Boykin nails it squarely on the head in this excellent video.  If we keep ignoring all of the warning signs, we will wake up one day in an America that our parents and grandparents would not recognize and definitely would not have sacrificed so much for in order to preserve.

Obama Tells Latinos to ‘Punish Our Enemies’ on Election Day

This statement from President Obama is both quite illuminating into his mindset and stunningly incredible as far as his audacity.  In this audio clip Obama tries to persuade Latinos in a Univision appearance to get out and vote for Democrats so that they can retain control of congress and continue his socialistic agenda. 

That in itself is fine and expected for a politician.  What is amazing is his characterization of those that disagree with his agenda.  In other words, conservatives.  Obama says, "If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, 'We're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends...' " then he will not be able to continue on his path towards Marxism.

President Obama evidently sees a huge portion of the American populace not as those that simply have a different political philosophy but as "enemies" that must be thwarted and overcome.  It almost seems that there is a tone of regret in his voice in this clip when he says he is not a king, as then he really could rule with impudent dictate and not need congressional approval for his dangerously un-American policies that we "enemies" refuse to endorse.

Again, I find this attitude to be incongruent with Obama's campaign rhetoric where he promised to be a President for "all Americans" and would be post-racial and post-partisan.  Instead he seems to have inflamed tensions and has proven to be hyper-racial and uber-partisan throughout his first two years in office, as indicated yet again by his characterization of half of the country as "enemies".  Shame on you, Mr. President!  You are our President for all Americans and you should start behaving as such!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Tea Party Video: I'm Voting for Liberty!



Enough said there!

Speaker Pelosi: Democrats "Haven't Gotten the Credit For What We Have Done"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi granted an interview with Politics Daily that was posted today.  In this interview she claims that the 111th Congress under her leadership has been very effective and that the seeming anger from a large swath of voters in the country is due to a campaign of misinformation regarding their accomplishments and a lack of understanding on behalf of voters regarding what the Democrats have done for America. 

Pelosi said that Democrats, "haven’t really gotten the credit for what we have done, but we will take it to the voters and have a Democratic majority to follow through on it."  Despite her intimating that the public is just not aware of the ramifications of what the Democrats have accomplished, the irony seems to suggest that the public is indeed quite aware of what this latest congress has enacted into law and that is precisely why they are furious. 

The controversial financial reform act, the gargantuan deficits racked up, the trillion dollar stimulus package spent, and a widely and ever-growing-in-unpopularity health care law are precisely why a large percentage of Americans are angry and ready to take away the reigns of control of the House of Representatives from Pelosi.

In 2007 when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker, she had promised to enact "no new deficit spending".  Under her tenure, nearly $5 Trillion in new debt has been amassed.  Nancy Pelosi is the 60th Speaker of the House and has added more debt to the nation than the first 57 Speakers combined.

“There are forces at work, special corporate interests who aren’t happy,” says Pelosi, and those interests are “pouring millions of millions of dollars into the media and now into the campaigns to mischaracterize everything that we did....So that’s that. It’s up to us to go out there. I’m very confident; our members know why they voted for what they did.”

I imagine that the Democratic members of the House do indeed know why they voted for what they did.  They simply have no way to justify their votes now to an angry populace though.  Far better to distance themselves from their votes and avoid the issues when at all possible.  If these laws enacted were to the betterment of America, I guarantee you they would be trumpeting their votes and running on their records.  Instead, despite Speaker Pelosi's comments to the contrary, Democrats are running away from their records... and understandably so.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Barbara Boxer: Don't Call Me Ma'am... The Story Continues

SENATOR Barbara Boxer had a fit awhile back about being addressed as "ma'am" by Brigadier General Michael Walsh and snootily requested that he address her as "Senator".  See my previous post on this subject here This ad below does a great job of putting things into proper perspective.  Here's hoping Carly Fiorina will be the next SENATOR from the state of California so that we can then call Barbara Boxer "ex-senator".


Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

The Fall of America and the Chinese Professor

This is an exceptionally frightening video clip because the possibility of it becoming reality is very likely if we continue down the course we are currently following.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Another Look at Chris Christie for President

There is not any real candidate to date that I would feel confident giving my vote for president in 2012 for certain, but the more I hear and see of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the more convinced I become that this may very well be the man that the nation will come to thank in future decades for pulling us back from the very brink of national extinction... assuming he can be convinced to run for president.  Time will tell, but so far this is who I am praying for to be sitting in the oval office starting in January of 2013.

Union Man Fired for Wearing a George H.W. Bush Shirt and Hat



So much for freedom of speech and tolerance that the left purportedly espouses...

Can you imagine CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, etc. with their lead off stories on the nightly news if this had been a corporation firing a worker for wearing an Obama shirt and hat?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011

Proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below:
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.  Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators.  Serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

I won't hold my breath on either party putting forth this legislation for a vote though.

H/T: Carrie

The Barber and the Community

      One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.        

      Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.        

      Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I can not accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and left the shop. The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.        

      And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it. 

Obama's Work at it's Completion


















And this, while amusing, is exactly the reason why he will be a
one term president... Thank God and the American people!

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Passing of My Uncle Bill

My Uncle Bill passed away last Sunday after suffering a fall and breaking his hip that previous Thursday.  His funeral was yesterday and to my greatest regret I was unable to attend it and honor him.  I shall make amends for this, along with my wife and youngest daughter this next week as we travel back to our old home in Oregon to pay our final respects to Uncle Bill.

My Uncle was an amazing man in so many ways.  To those that didn't know him well, he often came across as a gruff no-nonsense kind of guy, and indeed to a certain extent he was definitely that!  But Uncle Bill was also a man with a very big heart and a great sense of humor, albeit a very dry one.

His eyes would always light up when he saw our little daughter Brittany.  He called her his baby goat, because she was just a "kid".  Of course, Brittany thus called him Grandpa Goat in return.  He adored his "kid" and she dearly loved him back, regardless of the fact that she could always expect him to tease her mercilessly whenever they were together.

I always knew him as a man that spoke his mind clearly, concisely, and without equivocation.  He had no problem telling you or anyone what was wrong from right.  He was a very very good and decent man accordingly and insisted on doing the right thing always.  There was refreshingly little gray area in his world where everything becomes relative and something wrong is thus justified accordingly.

He was an uncompromising man determined to do the right thing and he was the very personification of the poster boy for the greatest generation.  His patriotism and service to our country began in World War II where he once told me the story of how he was one of the first American soldiers to enter a German concentration camp.  He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and never lost that military bearing after his retiring from the Army Reserves and then going on to work for the power company for the next forty years. 

He will be missed dearly and loved always.  The world is a little sadder place today because of his leaving but a far better place today because of the life he lived and the lives he touched!  I love you Uncle Bill!

My Uncle's obituary from the local Medford, Oregon paper is posted below:

William C. "Bill" Tycer, 91, died peacefully Sunday, October 10, 2010, at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Ore. Bill was born in Grants Pass, Ore., the son of Herb and Ruth Tycer. He was a longtime resident of Medford.

After graduating from Medford High School in 1937, he joined the U.S. Army in 1943, where he served in World War II. After completing active duty, he later served as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserves.

After serving with the Army, Bill had the opportunity to join Copco, then Pacific Power and Light, where he worked as the warehouse manager until he retired after four decades of service.

Bill had a passion for public service and government and served as a Medford City Councilman. An avid golfer, he was a longtime member of Rogue Valley Country Club, and for much of his life enjoyed his weekly Saturday foursome. Bill also enjoyed hunting, fishing and yard work. His honesty, dry sense of humor, and "creative" renaming of people will be fondly remembered by those who loved him.

Bill is survived by his wife of 19 years, Julie; his two sisters, Norma Frost and Faye Dalton; daughters, Debby Endicott and Trudy Boteilho; his son, Bill Noel; stepsons, Mike Tycer and Jim Tycer; four grandchildren, Heather Endicott, Brady Boteilho, Erica Gottula, and Brittany Tycer; and his dog, Ruby. He was preceded in death by two brothers.

A memorial service celebrating Bill's life will be held Thursday, October 14, 2010, at 1:00 p.m., at the Eagle Point National Cemetery Committal Shelter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Southern Oregon.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Abruptly Ended by Federal Judge for the Time Being

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that abruptly ending the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy as a federal judge has ordered would have enormous consequences.

A day after a judge in California ordered the Pentagon to cease enforcement of its policy barring gays from openly serving in the military, Gates told reporters traveling with him to Brussels that the question of whether to repeal the law should be decided by Congress, and done only after the Pentagon completes its study of the issue.

“I feel strongly this is an action that needs to be taken by the Congress and that it is an action that requires careful preparation, and a lot of training,” said Gates. “It has enormous consequences for our troops.”

The defense secretary said that besides the changes in training, regulations will need revisions and changes may be necessary to benefits and Defense Department buildings.

The White House said time is running out for the ban on gays serving openly. “This is a policy that is going to end,” spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.

Yet, the battle in the courts over gays in the military may not be over. The Justice Department is considering whether to appeal the court ruling and its first response may well be another trip to the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips in Riverside, Calif., to seek a stay, or temporary freeze, of her ruling. If Phillips turns down the request, the Justice Department would likely turn to the federal appeals court in California.

It was unclear whether Phillips’ injunction against the 17-year-old policy on gays in the military would affect any ongoing cases.

If the government does appeal, that would put the Obama administration in the position of continuing to defend a law it opposes.

Gay rights groups warned gay troops not to disclose their identity for now. Aaron Tax, the legal director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said he expects the Justice Department to appeal the case to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Service members must proceed safely and should not come out at this time,” Tax said in a statement.

Gates, a Republican, and Mullen face disagreement among some senior general officers on whether lifting the ban would cause serious disruption at a time when troops are fighting in Afghanistan and winding down a long war in Iraq.

For example, the incoming Marine commandant, Gen. James Amos, and his predecessor, Gen. James Conway, both have told Congress that they think most Marines would be uncomfortable with the change and that the current policy works.

In part to resolve the question of how the troops feel, Gates has ordered a study due Dec. 1 that includes a survey of troops and their families.

Obama agreed to the Pentagon study. Obama also worked with Democrats to write a bill that would have lifted the ban, pending completion of the Defense Department review and certification from the military that troop morale wouldn’t suffer. That legislation passed the House but was blocked in the Senate by Republicans.

Democrats could revive the legislation in Congress’ lame-duck session after the midterm election.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins accused Phillips of “playing politics” with national defense.

“Once again, an activist federal judge is using the military to advance a liberal social agenda, disregarding the views of all four military service chiefs and the constitutional role of Congress,” he said.

Perkins urged the Justice Department “to fulfill its obligation to defend the law vigorously through the appeals process.”

Gates has said the purpose of his study isn’t to determine whether to change the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which is something he says is probably inevitable but for Congress to decide. Instead, the study is intended to determine how to end the policy without causing serious disruption.

Coming just three weeks before voters go to the polls, Tuesday‘s ruling seemed unlikely to force a final weeks’ change of strategy or message as candidates pounded home their plans to help put back to work the 15 million Americans lacking jobs.

Polls suggest the economy is driving voters’ choices, pushing national security and social issues down on their list of concerns.

AP writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.

My only comments regarding this story are that it is unfortunate that President Obama and the Democrats have rushed to try and pass legislation to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell prior to the DOD study being completed by December 1st.  Evidently, they do not know nor do they care about the results of what that study may show.  Special interests and social engineering experiments trump military readiness and effectiveness in progressives' eyes evidently.  Lastly, I would concur with Secretary Gates that this is indeed an issue that needs to be decided by congress and not via the dictates of a single judge.

This story can be found at the following link here.

Democratic National Committe Releases Slanderous Ad Against the US Chamber of Commerce

The Democratic National Committee's latest ad that they will be running this week tries to tie the Bush Administration via "Bush Cronies" Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie to completely unsubstantiated and seemingly DNC-created allegations of wrong-doing by the United States Chamber of Commerce.


The DNC ad claims that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "appears they're even taking secret foreign money to influence our elections".  This falsification of the truth is a message that the Democrats and other progressive groups have kept promulgating despite the fact that even the New York Times investigated and debunked this un-substantiated allegation last Saturday.


One finds this ad distressing because of the complete lack of even trying to be factually accurate.  For instance, the primary purpose of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is to represent the small businesses which create nearly three quarters of our nation's jobs.  It is a coalition for the support of these small businesses and not for giant corporations that constitutes its primary mission.  It certainly was not created with the purpose of being a partisan political action committee, but rather to help the interest of those small businesses in our country.


Further, I find it ironic that this ad is making the false claim of influence from foreign donor sources, despite the fact that to this date President Obama has not made public some of the unknown sources of his campaign contributions that are potentially suspect of the very allegation of which the DNC is making towards the Chamber of Commerce.  And this is done despite the fact that he is legally bound to do so by federal election campaign law. 


Again this would suggest to me that the Democrats are at the height of desperation.  They have completely lost in the arena of ideas and governance.  Their platform has been soundly rejected by a strong majority of conservatives and independents and they seemingly are headed for a thrashing in the voting booth in less than three weeks.  With such being the case, it would seem that such desperate times call for desperate measures for the Democrats, and the truth be damned if it stands in their way.

Chris Matthews: Chilean Miners Would Be Dead if They Followed Tea Party Philosophy

Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC's "Hardball", was so egregiously inaccurate with his mis-characterization of the Tea Party and its platform on his show the other day that one has to assume that he really is a Democrat shill.  Matthews, in his discussing with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, made the asinine comment that if the trapped Chilean miners had followed the tea party’s “every man for himself” philosophy, there would have been no survivors. 

He then goes on to articulate a grossly distorted and inaccurate view of the Tea Party platform saying that they are for "No more taxes, no more government, no more everything.  No more safety net.  No more health care for everybody.  Everybody just get out there, make your buck, save it, screw the government, move on." 

Now I have to assume that Chris Matthews, being the intelligent guy that he is, knows that is NOT the platform of the Tea Party.  The Tea Party does not want to eliminate taxes or government, rather they want to eliminate un-Constitutional and wasteful spending that necessitates higher taxes.  They want a smaller, more limited government that governs via the consent of the governed by Constitutional restrictions upon the federal government's scope of power. 

Chris Matthews surely must know this, and yet he chose to characterize the Tea Party in a manner in which Robert Gibbs or David Axelrod would be proud.  It amazes me that anyone affiliated with MSNBC, and Chris Matthews in particular, can claim to be honest reporters of fact while still keeping a straight face.  As has been said before, you are entitled to your own opinions, Mr. Matthews, but not your own self-created "facts".  You owe an apology to the millions of Americans that support the Tea Party's platform, accordingly.  I won't be holding my breath, though.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Obama at Bat

The Barack Obama Collector's Doll

I came across this ad the other day and thought that someone had done this as a spoof or parody at first.  Evidently, in doing a little searching, this is a real collector's doll in commemoration of the "Birth of Hope" as personified in the election of President Barack Hussein Obama. 

Now I am aware, and indeed even appreciative, of the historical facts of the election of President Obama.  That being said, nearly two years into his presidency and in accordance with the theme of this commemorative doll, I think that the "change we can believe in" might be in reference to this little guy's diapers.  Evidently the load in there is similar to the load that has been given to the American people over the course of the last 22 months.  A "change" is indeed in order posthaste!  I hate to say it, but in this case, I think it is best if we DO throw out the baby with the bath water...


Monday, October 11, 2010

Why Don't The Democrats Run on Their Record?

With the mid-term congressional elections only three weeks away from tomorrow, it would seem that by nearly all even semi-objective accounts and polling sources that the Democrats are due for a huge comeuppance where they will almost assuredly lose control of the House of Representatives and may even lose control of the Senate before the polls close on the evening of November 2nd.

Now the Democratic spin-doctors and their willing accomplices in the main stream media are trying mightily to do whatever they can to alleviate the damage to their cause, but the fact remains that most of the tactics they are now employing in the final few weeks of this contest amount to little more than personal attacks and an avoidance of the main issues at all costs.

And that is what strikes me as peculiar.  Why would the Democrats not be touting their overwhelming partisan vote for Obamacare?  How about the stimulus package?  How about the financial reform legislation?  How about the yet-to-pass cap & trade legislation that they are championing?  How about cash for clunkers?  How about any number of irresponsible spending bills they passed into law?

If the public truly had wanted these things and elected the Democrats to office in order to enact legislation to bring us all of the fruits of these disastrous laws, why are the Democrats not yelling from the rooftops about what they have accomplished in our name?  How come you don't see anyone even MENTIONING Obamacare except in the case where a given politician states that he or she voted AGAINST it? 

Is it possibly because of the fact that the Democrats were indeed hijacked by the far left progressives of their party and failed to listen to the vast majority of Americans and their opinions and pass these unwanted, irresponsible, and often un-Constitutional laws in spite of the peoples' will?  I have a rather gargantuan hunch that is precisely the case.

November 2nd will indeed be the ultimate Tea Party to date and the Democrats have absolutely nobody to blame but themselves for listening to the far left fringes of their party at the expense of the opinions of We The People.  Really... what did they think would happen as a result of their arrogance?

Sister Strikes Again!: Late Nite Catechism 2

My wonderful and very Catholic mother-in-law forwarded this to me.  As the weekend was not a good one for me and our family, to say the least, a little humor seemed to be just what was needed.  Enjoy!

Bob Munden; Fastest Gun in the World

Bob Munden is the fastest gun in the world.  In fact he is the fastest gun that every lived. There are eighteen different records that can be held in the Guinness Book of World Records.  Munden holds all eighteen of them and has since 1960.  This is pretty impressive.

Even with my extraordinary ninja-like abilities, I would be hard pressed to beat this guy!  :)


Friday, October 8, 2010

Last Month's Vacation to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

I figured I'd post a few of the pictures that my wife took on our vacation last month to end this week's postings.  We went with my sister and brother-in-law to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah in early September.  The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, although I would recommend going in the Spring or Autumn when it isn't so blazing hot there.  Bring plenty of water if you wish to do any hiking on the myriads of fantastic trails there.

Although a little expensive, I would further recommend staying at the beautiful Red Cliffs Lodge while staying there.  It is several miles off of the main highway up the Colorado River in a small valley lined with majestic red canyon cliffs.  The trip is definitely worth your time.  I could easily have spent a week there.  Put this one on your bucket list, friends!
























My wife and I standing with a huge rocky monolith in the background at Canyonlands National Park.