Two years ago today is a date that will live for years in the hearts and minds of many people here in Henry and Patrick County Virginia. [Link]
Badrose has a post up commemorating the event. These mothers deserve our eternal gratitude and respect. Please remember them in your prayers. [Link]
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Roscoe Reynolds Doesn't Get It
One of the many reasons I'm endorsing Jeff Evans for the 20th Senate District over Roscoe Reynolds is right there in front of you. In July of 2005 I contacted Mr. Reynolds in order to ask his opinion of the Kelo v City of New London Supreme Court case and the issue of eminent domain in Virginia in general.
His response to me was either woefully ignorant of the law, or it was designed to patronize a constituent whom he thought to be ignorant and thus easily placated. Although I'm inclined to believe the latter to be true, either situation is unacceptable in a State Senator.
You will notice that Mr. Reynolds, who is a lawyer by the way, claims that since this was a Supreme Court decision and was based on the United States Constitution it could not affect Virginia at all. Now again remember that Mr. Reynolds is the lawyer, not me, so I could be wrong here. Could anyone tell me when and by what mechanism Virginia became immune to the requirements of the United States Constitution and or Supreme Court decisions?
As an enclosure with his letter Roscoe was thoughtful enough to include a copy of a document by Frank Munyan Senior Attorney for the Virginia Division of Legislative Services. The document, in PDF form can be downloaded here. [Link]
If you download Mr. Munyan's document you will find that he has decided that the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo does in fact apply to Virginia, with many of Virginia's provisions for condemnation bearing striking similarities to Justice Stevens' arguments. Once again I must ask; Is Roscoe Reynolds so dense that he would unknowingly include a document that refutes his own letter, or did he assume his corespondent would ignorantly not notice? Once again I have to conclude that either situation is unacceptable in a Virginia Senator.
A whole legislative session has since gone by with no action whatsoever from Mr. Reynolds. Now, just in time for the current legislative session there is a remarkably Kelo like situation occurring in the city of Staunton. Elle has more information on the case here. [Link]
Is Racial Discrimination By A Club Acceptable?
We've heard the story for years, a prospective member is denied admission to a club because of racial preferences. Most often to huge cries of outrage from the media and those on the left. It's true many on the right have argued in favor of such discrimination, including me when the situation is a strictly social club, but the club I'm about to speak of is hardly a social club.
"Mr. Johnson (name changed by editor) asked for admission, and he got his answer. ... It's time to move on," the long time member said. "It's an unwritten rule. It's understood. It's clear." That's true. The written bylaws of the club do not make race a prerequisite for membership, but the membership has remained racially pure since the club's inception. At least once before there has been a request for membership in this club that was turned down based solely on race.
No, I'm not talking about a Country Club, or prestigious downtown gym. This particular club operates within a Federal building, in our nation's Capital, and even under the auspices of Congress. Oh, and one more thing, the prospective members who were turned down are white.
The "Mr. Johnson" I mentioned in a previous paragraph is actually Tennessee Democrat Stephen I. Cohen, who succeeded Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., in the Memphis district. Mr. Cohen's constituency is mostly black, and he felt it would help him better represent those constituents if he could join the Congressional Black Caucus. A thought pretty much echoing the ideas behind a previously turned down prospective member's plans. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who is white, asked to join in 1975 when he was a sophomore representative and the group was only six years old.
"Half my Democratic constituents were African American. I felt we had interests in common as far as helping people in poverty," Rep. Stark said. "They had a vote, and I lost. They said the issue was that I was white, and they felt it was important that the group be limited to African Americans."
Democrats and their leftist friends are sometimes right when they complain about discrimination based on race, but in this case there are no complaints. No screams of outrage over discrimination. But if someone were to organize a Congressional White Caucus, just listen to them howl. Actually, who wants to bet that some leftist idiot will invade the comments and call me a bigot just for having the gall to broach the subject?
"Mr. Johnson (name changed by editor) asked for admission, and he got his answer. ... It's time to move on," the long time member said. "It's an unwritten rule. It's understood. It's clear." That's true. The written bylaws of the club do not make race a prerequisite for membership, but the membership has remained racially pure since the club's inception. At least once before there has been a request for membership in this club that was turned down based solely on race.
No, I'm not talking about a Country Club, or prestigious downtown gym. This particular club operates within a Federal building, in our nation's Capital, and even under the auspices of Congress. Oh, and one more thing, the prospective members who were turned down are white.
The "Mr. Johnson" I mentioned in a previous paragraph is actually Tennessee Democrat Stephen I. Cohen, who succeeded Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn., in the Memphis district. Mr. Cohen's constituency is mostly black, and he felt it would help him better represent those constituents if he could join the Congressional Black Caucus. A thought pretty much echoing the ideas behind a previously turned down prospective member's plans. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who is white, asked to join in 1975 when he was a sophomore representative and the group was only six years old.
"Half my Democratic constituents were African American. I felt we had interests in common as far as helping people in poverty," Rep. Stark said. "They had a vote, and I lost. They said the issue was that I was white, and they felt it was important that the group be limited to African Americans."
Democrats and their leftist friends are sometimes right when they complain about discrimination based on race, but in this case there are no complaints. No screams of outrage over discrimination. But if someone were to organize a Congressional White Caucus, just listen to them howl. Actually, who wants to bet that some leftist idiot will invade the comments and call me a bigot just for having the gall to broach the subject?
Where I've Been
Algebra. No, that's not a former French colony in Northern Africa, but with me it may as well be. Many of you know that I do somewhat technical work, and therefore I need to use quite a bit of math every day. Recently I assigned myself a project that was considerably more taxing than my limited math skills are used to dealing with.
The major process at our plant in Stuart depends upon a consistent ratio mixture of wood fiber to resin. In order to maintain that consistency I have a scale that constantly monitors the pounds per minute feedrate of wood fiber into the mixing process, that scale then sends a signal to the resin pump to regulate it's speed varying the volume of resin delivered accordingly. This very simple control loop has worked fairly well until now, but I wanted a more precise regulation of resin flow. Besides, each time the ratio needed to be changed it required me to manually make an adjustment on the pump's controller, then physically test the resulting mixture to see if the ratio was correct. That was not very convenient if it occurred at 2:00am.
I took a long hard look at the current installation, and what I wanted to accomplish. I soon realized that my goal could be achieved using the same equipment I already have on hand.
Currently all motors and hydraulic systems and even warning lights and bells are controlled by a PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller. A PLC is essentially a small, yet powerful computer that I program using basic Boolean logic. Boolean logic is logic in it's most basic form, if some certain set of conditions are currently true, then this must happen, if not true then another action must take place. The PLC also has some very strong math capabilities built in, so it's perfect for the calculations I need to perform.
I decided I wanted to read the signal from the scale and write it into the PLC, giving me a number representing the current wood fiber feedrate in pounds per minute. I can also create a fairly simple circuit that will send a variable voltage to the PLC that can be read as a number that represents the wood to resin ratio of the operator's choice. I can then use that information to determine what the resin flow from the pump should be and regulate it's speed accordingly.
That's where I ran smack dab into the algebra wall. For simplicity I'll use nice fat round numbers. Let's assume that wood is currently flowing into the system at 100 pounds per minute and the operator has chosen a ratio of 10:1, or 100 pounds per minute of wood fiber to 10 pounds per minute of resin. So far, it's very simple and any 5th grader can do the math. But. There always seems to be a but, doesn't there? But, only 65% of the resin mixture is resin, the remaining 35% that is water should not be used in calculating the 10:1 ratio.
In other words, if I use the simple formula of wood pounds per minute (WPPM) times 10% equals resin pounds per minute (RPPM), and again assuming that WPPM=100, then RPPM=10. But that's not right. Instead I have to calculate how much resin mixture I need to deliver so that 65% of the resin flow equals 10 pounds per minute.
One would at first assume that I should simply increase my initial calculation by 35% in order to discount the water. OK, that would give me a RPPM of 13.5 pounds per minute resin flow. But to double check that, let's take a look at 65% of 13.5 and we get 8.78 pounds per minute instead of the 10ppm that we need, much too low. So how does one calculate the required resin flow in order to achieve my goal of 65% of the final resin flow being equal to 10% of the wood flow? I have no idea. Thanks to Excel I am able to solve the problem by brute force, and I came up with the following algorithm that works.
RPPM=WPPM*1.5385
This works across the board for a resin with 35% water content. But what if we decide to further dilute the resin mixture and I need to adjust for that. Suppose the resin mixture was 60/40. I can again use Excel to force the answer, but I know there is an equation that will work in every case. I want to learn that equation so I can program it into the PLC and keep me from having to do math or play with Excel at 2:00am.
If you've made it this far into this post, you are either a total geek, or you have way too much time on your hands, or you will read almost anything. Either way that makes you a perfect candidate to help me with this problem. So help.
The major process at our plant in Stuart depends upon a consistent ratio mixture of wood fiber to resin. In order to maintain that consistency I have a scale that constantly monitors the pounds per minute feedrate of wood fiber into the mixing process, that scale then sends a signal to the resin pump to regulate it's speed varying the volume of resin delivered accordingly. This very simple control loop has worked fairly well until now, but I wanted a more precise regulation of resin flow. Besides, each time the ratio needed to be changed it required me to manually make an adjustment on the pump's controller, then physically test the resulting mixture to see if the ratio was correct. That was not very convenient if it occurred at 2:00am.
I took a long hard look at the current installation, and what I wanted to accomplish. I soon realized that my goal could be achieved using the same equipment I already have on hand.
Currently all motors and hydraulic systems and even warning lights and bells are controlled by a PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller. A PLC is essentially a small, yet powerful computer that I program using basic Boolean logic. Boolean logic is logic in it's most basic form, if some certain set of conditions are currently true, then this must happen, if not true then another action must take place. The PLC also has some very strong math capabilities built in, so it's perfect for the calculations I need to perform.
I decided I wanted to read the signal from the scale and write it into the PLC, giving me a number representing the current wood fiber feedrate in pounds per minute. I can also create a fairly simple circuit that will send a variable voltage to the PLC that can be read as a number that represents the wood to resin ratio of the operator's choice. I can then use that information to determine what the resin flow from the pump should be and regulate it's speed accordingly.
That's where I ran smack dab into the algebra wall. For simplicity I'll use nice fat round numbers. Let's assume that wood is currently flowing into the system at 100 pounds per minute and the operator has chosen a ratio of 10:1, or 100 pounds per minute of wood fiber to 10 pounds per minute of resin. So far, it's very simple and any 5th grader can do the math. But. There always seems to be a but, doesn't there? But, only 65% of the resin mixture is resin, the remaining 35% that is water should not be used in calculating the 10:1 ratio.
In other words, if I use the simple formula of wood pounds per minute (WPPM) times 10% equals resin pounds per minute (RPPM), and again assuming that WPPM=100, then RPPM=10. But that's not right. Instead I have to calculate how much resin mixture I need to deliver so that 65% of the resin flow equals 10 pounds per minute.
One would at first assume that I should simply increase my initial calculation by 35% in order to discount the water. OK, that would give me a RPPM of 13.5 pounds per minute resin flow. But to double check that, let's take a look at 65% of 13.5 and we get 8.78 pounds per minute instead of the 10ppm that we need, much too low. So how does one calculate the required resin flow in order to achieve my goal of 65% of the final resin flow being equal to 10% of the wood flow? I have no idea. Thanks to Excel I am able to solve the problem by brute force, and I came up with the following algorithm that works.
RPPM=WPPM*1.5385
This works across the board for a resin with 35% water content. But what if we decide to further dilute the resin mixture and I need to adjust for that. Suppose the resin mixture was 60/40. I can again use Excel to force the answer, but I know there is an equation that will work in every case. I want to learn that equation so I can program it into the PLC and keep me from having to do math or play with Excel at 2:00am.
If you've made it this far into this post, you are either a total geek, or you have way too much time on your hands, or you will read almost anything. Either way that makes you a perfect candidate to help me with this problem. So help.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Squeaky, Stick To Your Quick Draw
Recently, at Bearing Drift, Squeaky Wheel unleashed his thoughts on Global Warming. He was immediately called down by his compadre, Ragnar. I say you should stick to your guns Squeaky, as I said in my comment to Ragnar's post;
I think everyone pretty much agrees that we are in a warming trend. But are humans and our various enterprises truly to blame?
That is the sticky point that no one wants to investigate. There is very little consensus among non-governmental scientists that this is true.
It is also well known that there was a cooling trend during the mid to late 19th Century here in America. A couple of hundred years before that, in 1577, Spanish colonists in South Carolina were successfully growing oranges;
Bartolomé MartÃnez in a letter to the King dated at Havana, February 17, 1577, stated: "And what may be truthfully told to your Majesty is that in Santa Elena [Parris Island, South Carolina] I planted with my own hands grape vines, pomegranate trees, orange and fig trees; wheat, barley, onions, and garlic."
Orange groves continued to be a valuable asset to South Carolina until well after the Civil War. In a letter to the South Carolina Legislature dated 12-16-1861, Governor F.W. Pickens described the state this way, "… from the snowy crest of her rugged mountains, even to the orange groves that bloom over her sunny plains…"
Today however, even during what is alarmingly referred to as "An Inconvenient Truth", and a "disaster to mankind", there is no way to grow oranges very much further north than Gainesville FL.
Now obviously those Spanish Galleons were the SUVs of their day. But I don't think they burned gasoline and produced hydrocarbons. I know they didn't burn bio-diesel.
I think everyone pretty much agrees that we are in a warming trend. But are humans and our various enterprises truly to blame?
That is the sticky point that no one wants to investigate. There is very little consensus among non-governmental scientists that this is true.
It is also well known that there was a cooling trend during the mid to late 19th Century here in America. A couple of hundred years before that, in 1577, Spanish colonists in South Carolina were successfully growing oranges;
Bartolomé MartÃnez in a letter to the King dated at Havana, February 17, 1577, stated: "And what may be truthfully told to your Majesty is that in Santa Elena [Parris Island, South Carolina] I planted with my own hands grape vines, pomegranate trees, orange and fig trees; wheat, barley, onions, and garlic."
Orange groves continued to be a valuable asset to South Carolina until well after the Civil War. In a letter to the South Carolina Legislature dated 12-16-1861, Governor F.W. Pickens described the state this way, "… from the snowy crest of her rugged mountains, even to the orange groves that bloom over her sunny plains…"
Today however, even during what is alarmingly referred to as "An Inconvenient Truth", and a "disaster to mankind", there is no way to grow oranges very much further north than Gainesville FL.
Now obviously those Spanish Galleons were the SUVs of their day. But I don't think they burned gasoline and produced hydrocarbons. I know they didn't burn bio-diesel.
Say It Ain't So Ward, Even You Can't Be Such A Ninny
I've heard, but cannot confirm, that Henry County's own jackass in the House of Delegates, Ward Armstrong, is attempting to line up votes against a nominee for a judgeship in Wise County, VA.
Now, you may be asking yourself why would Ward care who is appointed a judgeship more than 4 hours west of any place Ward might ever hope to practice law?
It's party politics folks, pure and simple. Well maybe not quite pure, but at least like Ward, it's simple. He is holding a grudge. And he hopes to curry favor with local voters who may not fully understand what he's doing.
What sort of grudge could Ward have with someone way out in Wise County, you ask? I'll answer that. The nominee once published a blog. He was the "First elected blogger". Republican Commonwealth's Attorney Chad Dotson was the proprietor of Commonwealth Conservative, the blog Will Vehrs was writing for when he gained the attention of our local idiot, Ward.
If you will remember, Mr. Vehrs wrote some hilariously funny captions to go along with a photo of a local Chamber of Commerce contest winner. Ward, whose sense of humor is much more sophisticated (in his own mind) and runs more along the lines of sexual innuendo directed toward female delegates rather than music, failed to recognize satire when he was staring it in the face.
Ward did not get his "pound of flesh" after demanding Mr. Vehrs' firing, (actually, after serving a ten day suspension, Mr. Vehrs was completely exonerated in his grievance hearing), So now Ward is going after revenge against Chad Dotson. A man he has most likely never met, and could not hope to match in stature if he was atop a four foot stepladder.
The side benefit is, as it always is with Ward after a spectacular failure, he can go on the local cable access station, (think Wayne's World with lower production values and less professionlism), and proclaim how hard he was working to defend our area's reputation. Yeah, like he in any way actually adds to our reputation. He is and has been a bigger detriment to that reputation than ten Will Vehrs and Chad Dotsons could ever be.
Now, you may be asking yourself why would Ward care who is appointed a judgeship more than 4 hours west of any place Ward might ever hope to practice law?
It's party politics folks, pure and simple. Well maybe not quite pure, but at least like Ward, it's simple. He is holding a grudge. And he hopes to curry favor with local voters who may not fully understand what he's doing.
What sort of grudge could Ward have with someone way out in Wise County, you ask? I'll answer that. The nominee once published a blog. He was the "First elected blogger". Republican Commonwealth's Attorney Chad Dotson was the proprietor of Commonwealth Conservative, the blog Will Vehrs was writing for when he gained the attention of our local idiot, Ward.
If you will remember, Mr. Vehrs wrote some hilariously funny captions to go along with a photo of a local Chamber of Commerce contest winner. Ward, whose sense of humor is much more sophisticated (in his own mind) and runs more along the lines of sexual innuendo directed toward female delegates rather than music, failed to recognize satire when he was staring it in the face.
Ward did not get his "pound of flesh" after demanding Mr. Vehrs' firing, (actually, after serving a ten day suspension, Mr. Vehrs was completely exonerated in his grievance hearing), So now Ward is going after revenge against Chad Dotson. A man he has most likely never met, and could not hope to match in stature if he was atop a four foot stepladder.
The side benefit is, as it always is with Ward after a spectacular failure, he can go on the local cable access station, (think Wayne's World with lower production values and less professionlism), and proclaim how hard he was working to defend our area's reputation. Yeah, like he in any way actually adds to our reputation. He is and has been a bigger detriment to that reputation than ten Will Vehrs and Chad Dotsons could ever be.
Martinsville & Henry County Forum
I've been somewhat neglectful of this little blog for the past few days. During the past week Badrose and I have been busy setting up a discussion forum. If you've noticed the lack of blog activity either here or at Badrose blog, well, now you know the reason.
I encourage all of you to drop by the forum at http://www.martinsvilleforum.com/index.php. Although the new forum's primary focus is on Martinsville and Henry County; Virginia overall is also a high priority. We have topics ranging from politics (of course) to pet care to restaurant reviews. I am especially looking forward to seeing visits from some of my favorite comment contributors such as Tugboat Phil and Charles. Who knows Ron, we may even begin a weekly caption contest on there.
Oh, one more thing. You are required to register before posting a comment, but registration is quick and painless and you are not required to use your real name.
I encourage all of you to drop by the forum at http://www.martinsvilleforum.com/index.php. Although the new forum's primary focus is on Martinsville and Henry County; Virginia overall is also a high priority. We have topics ranging from politics (of course) to pet care to restaurant reviews. I am especially looking forward to seeing visits from some of my favorite comment contributors such as Tugboat Phil and Charles. Who knows Ron, we may even begin a weekly caption contest on there.
Oh, one more thing. You are required to register before posting a comment, but registration is quick and painless and you are not required to use your real name.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Spend 12 Minutes With Your Eyes (and mind) Wide Open
Set aside everything else. Take 12 minutes to watch this in its entirety. Too many of your fellow Americans do not fully understand that our nation, our way of life, the entire world is at war.
A war that has been declared on us, not we on them. A war with an enemy that will dwarf the threat we faced from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. A war with an enemy that does not distinguish between military and civilian targets. A war with an enemy that takes its orders not from some military commander, but from their sadistic version of a god. A god that they have twisted and distorted and fabricated from the God of Abraham. A god (yes, a small "g" god) that is in no way the one true God. A god that is more idol than god. A god that justifies killing innocent civilians in his pathetic glory.
Some "get it", and know that changes have to be made. Changes in how we deal with immigration. Changes in how we deal with airport security. Changes in how we deal with maritime port security, changes in how we deal with border security. And most importantly, changes in how we view ourselves militarily.
As Caroline Glick says in the video;
In fact, every time a Democrat in power at any level denounces the current administration, or claims that America is acting imperialistic. Or that we are fighting a war for oil, credence is given to the propaganda used to incite these terrorists and indoctrinate these children. The movie does mention that not all Muslims hold to these radical beliefs, but when you see the children being taught to hate like this, how long will it be before these guys are the majority of Muslims?
Now wait a while and watch it again. And again. Even better go to www.ObsessionTheMovie.com and buy a copy of the full length movie to share with your friends and family.
A war that has been declared on us, not we on them. A war with an enemy that will dwarf the threat we faced from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. A war with an enemy that does not distinguish between military and civilian targets. A war with an enemy that takes its orders not from some military commander, but from their sadistic version of a god. A god that they have twisted and distorted and fabricated from the God of Abraham. A god (yes, a small "g" god) that is in no way the one true God. A god that is more idol than god. A god that justifies killing innocent civilians in his pathetic glory.
Some "get it", and know that changes have to be made. Changes in how we deal with immigration. Changes in how we deal with airport security. Changes in how we deal with maritime port security, changes in how we deal with border security. And most importantly, changes in how we view ourselves militarily.
As Caroline Glick says in the video;
Every single country in the world is dealing with this right now. You see that the Thias are dealing with it, the Europeans are dealing with it in Madrid, the Russians are dealing with it in Chechnya, the British are dealing with it in London and in Manchester.Pay particular attention to the children. Children being taught hate at an extremely young and innocent age. There is simply no way to negotiate or even bargain, dicker or haggle with such an ideology. Typical Democrat political correctness will not work. "Tolerance" means nothing to these people, so if you purport to tolerate them, you do so at the cost of other American's safety.
In fact, every time a Democrat in power at any level denounces the current administration, or claims that America is acting imperialistic. Or that we are fighting a war for oil, credence is given to the propaganda used to incite these terrorists and indoctrinate these children. The movie does mention that not all Muslims hold to these radical beliefs, but when you see the children being taught to hate like this, how long will it be before these guys are the majority of Muslims?
Now wait a while and watch it again. And again. Even better go to www.ObsessionTheMovie.com and buy a copy of the full length movie to share with your friends and family.
Today Around Virginia
The first Virginia Blog Carnival of 2007 is now up at Cathouse Chat.
Ken has The Direction up and ready for this week. His production gets steadily better each week.
SWAC Girl reminds us that "It's the Jihad, Stupid"
Jerry Fuhrman underlines that thought here.
And Elle adds this.
Bearing Drift has a new look and a good guest post by JB.
NOVA Townhall will be hosting Lt. Governor Bill Bolling today at 3:00pm. Go submit a question now.
Ken has The Direction up and ready for this week. His production gets steadily better each week.
SWAC Girl reminds us that "It's the Jihad, Stupid"
Jerry Fuhrman underlines that thought here.
And Elle adds this.
Bearing Drift has a new look and a good guest post by JB.
NOVA Townhall will be hosting Lt. Governor Bill Bolling today at 3:00pm. Go submit a question now.
Monday, January 08, 2007
The Webb Quartet
"Sure, Jim. We're all on board the Jim Train. You call the tune, we'll play the fiddle!"
From left, Chap! Petersen, Greg Galligan, Don McEachin, and Janet Oleszek. Not pictured, but said to be the groups bow stringer and rosin supplier, Jim Webb.
HT/Badrose for the graphics work. (She has a Mac, I can't figure out Photoshop, what can I say?)
Let's See Just How Idiotic The Democrat Party Can Be
Some people think Quakers are the most "peaceful" of all religionists. But I nominate the Buddhists for that honor. After all, Richard Nixon (pbuh) was a Quaker, even though he escalated the war in VietNam, before he ended it.
Badrose shows us that the Islamic fanaticists can't even get along with the most peaceful religion on earth.
And still the Democrats, (the most idiotic religion on earth?), insist upon defending them.
Badrose shows us that the Islamic fanaticists can't even get along with the most peaceful religion on earth.
And still the Democrats, (the most idiotic religion on earth?), insist upon defending them.
Psychic Blogging
For a long time now I've been psychic blogging. I don't know how it worked, but whenever I posted a new item to this blog, it did not go on the top of the aggregators like everybody else's did. Not Dave's, not Waldo's. Instead I would find it way down the list, among blog items written by others about 4 hours earlier.
At first I was really excited by this. I could save myself lots of time and effort creating a blog entry if I could just go to the aggregator feed from 4 hours earlier and read what I was going to write.
But I could never quite make it work that way.
Today, Dave Mastio took away my psychic (almost) ability, and I want to publicly thank him here.
At first I was really excited by this. I could save myself lots of time and effort creating a blog entry if I could just go to the aggregator feed from 4 hours earlier and read what I was going to write.
But I could never quite make it work that way.
Today, Dave Mastio took away my psychic (almost) ability, and I want to publicly thank him here.
Great Orators Of The 21st Century
Hey, oratory skills like this have held John Kerry in good stead for years now, it might work just as well for you Joe.
This is going to be a fun ride into 2008.
"I am running for president," Biden said toward the end of an appearance on "Meet the Press" on NBC.Meanwhile, John Edwards has also announced his intentions to campaign for the Presidency, saying circumstances have changed, America has changed, and he has changed. He didn't say which America had changed, but I suppose he'll let us know that later.
"I'm going to be Joe Biden, and I'm going to try to be the best Biden I can be," he said. "If I can, I got a shot. If I can't, I lose."
"In 2004 I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could be the best candidate possible," he said in Buffalo Saturday. "Now I think about being the best president I could be."
He has taken his campaign to the next level, he said, by moving beyond identifying problems to identifying solutions.
"My thinking as a leader has evolved," he said. "Identifying a problem is not good enough, but taking action to solve it is key. [Link]
This is going to be a fun ride into 2008.
One More Question Mr. Georgiou
Or Mr. Stevens, or Mr. Islam, or whatever name you might be going by nowadays. OK, I understand it's now just "Yusef". One name, like "Madonna", or "Oprah", right? (What is it with American Muslims and their inability to pick a name and stick with it, anyway? Check out Keith Ellison's many aliases. Lew Alcindor didn't have that problem, nor did Cassius Clay. Come on guys, pick one you like and stick with it.)
The musician formerly known as Cat Stevens was recently interviewed by the New York Times Magazine. It's a typical "pop star" fluff piece, until it gets to the final question.
The musician formerly known as Cat Stevens was recently interviewed by the New York Times Magazine. It's a typical "pop star" fluff piece, until it gets to the final question.
For all your devotion to education and good deeds, government officials in various countries have tried to link you to extremist groups, including Hamas. What do you think of Hamas?One gets the distinct impression that Mr. Islam (or whatever) was very close to having to invoke his Koran given right to lie to the infidel, had the questioning gone one step further.
That’s an extremely loaded question.
Can you try to answer it?
I have never supported a terrorist group or any group that did other than charity and good to humankind.
O.K., but many of us here in the States would like to see moderate Muslims make more of an effort to denounce the extremist fringe of the faith. Very few mainstream Muslims have publicly criticized their radical brethren.
If I am not an example of that, then tell me, Who is?
So would you say you have contempt for a terrorist group like Hamas?
I wouldn’t put those words in my mouth. I wouldn’t say anything on that issue. I’m here to talk about peace. I’m a man who does want peace for this world, and I don’t think you will achieve that by putting people into corners and asking them very, very difficult questions about very contentious issues. [Link]
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Bobby Hamilton
As yet I have no confirmation, but I just heard by phone that Bobby Hamilton has passed away. Having fought cancer of the larynx for the past few years, Bobby has finally succumbed to the ravages of that disease.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family tonight.
UPDATE:
More here [Link]
UPDATE II:
I've received a couple of e-mails asking me how I could have posted this with no confirmation. I'll only say that the folks that initially informed me of the story are located in the Lake Norman area, and have always been reliable in the past.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Shhh. Don't Tell Anyone
Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, the SUNDAY TIMES of London is planning to report, British media sources tell DRUDGE... MORE...
Keith Ellison's True Agenda In America
Much has been said about Keith Ellison's use of the Koran during his ceremonial photo op with Nancy Pelosi upon being sworn in with the current class of freshman congressmen. I won't get into that, as I've said before his choice of photo props means less than nothing to me.
What does have meaning to me is his choice of groups and individuals with which he likes to hang around.
His earlier ties to Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam are fairly well known. At that time he went variously by the names of Keith X. Ellison, Keith Ellison-Muhammad, and Keith E. Hakim. Working as a spokesman and writer for the Nation of Islam, Ellison wrote an article defending Louis Farrakhan against charges of anti-Semitism, another condemning Affirmative Action and calling instead for reparations in the form of payments to blacks, and a third that called for a separate state for blacks residents.
During his most recent campaign, after the issue of his ties to the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan was raised, he did finally admit that Louis Farrakhan is an Anti-Semite, and he denied ever being a "member" of his organization. Was this just politically expedient, or does he truly believe these statements? Remember, a Muslim is not required to be truthful to us infidels if to do so would bring harm or shame to Islam.
One of the first speaking engagements the newly elected Mr. Hakim, or Ellison-Muhammad, or whatever alias he is going by these days accepted was at a convention of the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America.
A little background history on the Muslim American Society;
The Muslim American Society, according to September 19, 2004 article in the Chicago Tribune has deep roots into the international Muslim Brotherhood, the world's most influential Islamic fundamentalist group and an organization with a violent past in the Middle East.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a key to understanding the struggle for the control of Islam. The Brotherhood, formed in Egypt in 1928, spawned generations of Islamic activists, both peaceful and violent, around the globe. It is the often called the most influential Islamic fundamentalist organization in the world. The Brotherhood is outlawed in Egypt, but is generally tolerated.
In the U.S. it has operated mostly undercover, and primarily legally, mimicking clandestine fraternal organizations that operate on a nod and a secret handshake. Even today, few outside the Islamic inner circles from which it recruits know when, how often or where the Brothers meet to discuss the organization's abstract but pervasive goal: the creation of Islamic states throughout the world, including the U.S.
That strategy to make America more Islamic is reflected in a long-standing Brotherhood belief: First you change the person, then the family, then the community, then the nation.
By 1990, U.S. Brotherhood members had made headway on that plan by helping establish many mosques and Islamic organizations. Some of those efforts were backed financially by the ultraconservative Saudi Arabian government, which shared some of the Brotherhood's fundamentalist goals.
To further that goal, the Muslim Brotherhood founded the Muslim Students Association in 1963, a group intended to increase the depth of the Brotherhood's influience in American society.
More recently, the U.S. Brotherhood has operated under the name Muslim American Society. Yes, the same group Ellison addressed on Christmas Eve, after being elected to Congress. The Muslim American Society was incorporated in Illinois in 1993 after a long debate among Brotherhood members.
Some factions wanted the Brotherhood to remain covert, while others thought a more public face would make the group more influential. Former member Mustafa Saied recalls how he gathered with 40 others at a Days Inn on the Alabama-Tennessee border. Many members, he says, preferred secrecy, particularly in case U.S. authorities cracked down on Hamas supporters, including many Brotherhood members.
An undated internal memo, discovered by the Chicago Tribune, instructed MAS leaders on how to deal with inquiries about the new organization. If asked, "Are you the Muslim Brothers?" leaders should respond that they are an independent group called the Muslim American Society. "It is a self-explanatory name that does not need further explanation."
And if the topic of terrorism were raised, leaders were told to say that they were against terrorism but that jihad was among a Muslim's "divine legal rights" to be used to defend himself and his people and to spread Islam.
That is but a very brief background on the Muslim American Society, a group founded and dedicated on the ideals of an America governed under Sharia law. And a group from which Keith Ellison gladly accepted a speaking invitation. Among his remarks to that group on Christmas Eve was the following;
"Muslims, you're up to bat right now…” he said. "How do you know that you were not brought right here to this place to learn how to make this world better? How do you know that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, (meaning praised and exalted is he) did not bring you here so that you could understand how to teach people what tolerance was, what justice was? How do you know that you're not here to teach this country? You can’t back down, you can’t chicken out, you can’t be afraid, you got to have faith in Allah, and you got to stand up and be a real Muslim."
Is a person who places his first allegiance to the Constitution being a "real Muslim"? Or would a "real Muslim" first owe allegiance to the Koran and the racial and ethnic and religious intolerance taught by that book?
And if you do not believe that the Koran teaches intolerance, just listen again to our young friend from North Carlina. In the passage below his remarks bear a striking resemblance to those attitudes and ideas one would have heard from a KKK Grand Dragon in the early half of the 20th Century.
Coming soon: A look at the Islamic Circle of North America.
What does have meaning to me is his choice of groups and individuals with which he likes to hang around.
His earlier ties to Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam are fairly well known. At that time he went variously by the names of Keith X. Ellison, Keith Ellison-Muhammad, and Keith E. Hakim. Working as a spokesman and writer for the Nation of Islam, Ellison wrote an article defending Louis Farrakhan against charges of anti-Semitism, another condemning Affirmative Action and calling instead for reparations in the form of payments to blacks, and a third that called for a separate state for blacks residents.
During his most recent campaign, after the issue of his ties to the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan was raised, he did finally admit that Louis Farrakhan is an Anti-Semite, and he denied ever being a "member" of his organization. Was this just politically expedient, or does he truly believe these statements? Remember, a Muslim is not required to be truthful to us infidels if to do so would bring harm or shame to Islam.
One of the first speaking engagements the newly elected Mr. Hakim, or Ellison-Muhammad, or whatever alias he is going by these days accepted was at a convention of the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America.
A little background history on the Muslim American Society;
The Muslim American Society, according to September 19, 2004 article in the Chicago Tribune has deep roots into the international Muslim Brotherhood, the world's most influential Islamic fundamentalist group and an organization with a violent past in the Middle East.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a key to understanding the struggle for the control of Islam. The Brotherhood, formed in Egypt in 1928, spawned generations of Islamic activists, both peaceful and violent, around the globe. It is the often called the most influential Islamic fundamentalist organization in the world. The Brotherhood is outlawed in Egypt, but is generally tolerated.
In the U.S. it has operated mostly undercover, and primarily legally, mimicking clandestine fraternal organizations that operate on a nod and a secret handshake. Even today, few outside the Islamic inner circles from which it recruits know when, how often or where the Brothers meet to discuss the organization's abstract but pervasive goal: the creation of Islamic states throughout the world, including the U.S.
That strategy to make America more Islamic is reflected in a long-standing Brotherhood belief: First you change the person, then the family, then the community, then the nation.
By 1990, U.S. Brotherhood members had made headway on that plan by helping establish many mosques and Islamic organizations. Some of those efforts were backed financially by the ultraconservative Saudi Arabian government, which shared some of the Brotherhood's fundamentalist goals.
To further that goal, the Muslim Brotherhood founded the Muslim Students Association in 1963, a group intended to increase the depth of the Brotherhood's influience in American society.
More recently, the U.S. Brotherhood has operated under the name Muslim American Society. Yes, the same group Ellison addressed on Christmas Eve, after being elected to Congress. The Muslim American Society was incorporated in Illinois in 1993 after a long debate among Brotherhood members.
Some factions wanted the Brotherhood to remain covert, while others thought a more public face would make the group more influential. Former member Mustafa Saied recalls how he gathered with 40 others at a Days Inn on the Alabama-Tennessee border. Many members, he says, preferred secrecy, particularly in case U.S. authorities cracked down on Hamas supporters, including many Brotherhood members.
An undated internal memo, discovered by the Chicago Tribune, instructed MAS leaders on how to deal with inquiries about the new organization. If asked, "Are you the Muslim Brothers?" leaders should respond that they are an independent group called the Muslim American Society. "It is a self-explanatory name that does not need further explanation."
And if the topic of terrorism were raised, leaders were told to say that they were against terrorism but that jihad was among a Muslim's "divine legal rights" to be used to defend himself and his people and to spread Islam.
That is but a very brief background on the Muslim American Society, a group founded and dedicated on the ideals of an America governed under Sharia law. And a group from which Keith Ellison gladly accepted a speaking invitation. Among his remarks to that group on Christmas Eve was the following;
"Muslims, you're up to bat right now…” he said. "How do you know that you were not brought right here to this place to learn how to make this world better? How do you know that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, (meaning praised and exalted is he) did not bring you here so that you could understand how to teach people what tolerance was, what justice was? How do you know that you're not here to teach this country? You can’t back down, you can’t chicken out, you can’t be afraid, you got to have faith in Allah, and you got to stand up and be a real Muslim."
Is a person who places his first allegiance to the Constitution being a "real Muslim"? Or would a "real Muslim" first owe allegiance to the Koran and the racial and ethnic and religious intolerance taught by that book?
And if you do not believe that the Koran teaches intolerance, just listen again to our young friend from North Carlina. In the passage below his remarks bear a striking resemblance to those attitudes and ideas one would have heard from a KKK Grand Dragon in the early half of the 20th Century.
Coming soon: A look at the Islamic Circle of North America.
Friday, January 05, 2007
On CNN Tonight, January 5, 2007 A Tribute
UPDATE:
I've bumped this to the top because CNN will re-air "Ambush at the River of Secrets" tonight at 11:00pm. If you missed it Tuesday here is your chance to see it.
Someone once said, "A man lives as long as he is remembered", Socrates maybe, I don't know who to attribute it to. I do know who to apply it to, though. Marine Reservist Cpl. Jonathan Williams Bowling, a native of Patrick County and a Martinsville police officer. 23 year old Bowling was stationed in Haditha, in the Anbar province of Iraq, on the morning of January 26 two years ago. Before that day was ended, Jonathan had given his life in service to his country, and his fellow Marines.
Jonathan was and is remembered. According to a Martinsville Bulletin story dated Feb.3, 2005, five thousand or more attended his memorial service at Patrick County High School. There have been numerous memorial ceremonies held here since, ranging from a motorcycle ride each April dedicated to raising funds for the Cpl. Jonathan Bowling Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is administered by the Patrick County Education Foundation, to a memorial day ceremony at Carver Memorial Garden in 2005, and including a flagpole dedication at the local State Police Headquarters in Ridgeway.
Jonathan will also be remembered this evening, at 10:00pm, on CNN. A special episode of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 will feature Jonathan's unit, and that day in January of 2005, when their convoy was ambushed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Titled "Ambush at the River of Secrets", the show will detail the events that led to the death of not only Marine Reservist Cpl. Jonathan Williams Bowling, but also Lance Cpl. Karl R. Linn, 20, of Chesterfield, Cpl. Christopher L. Weaver, 24, of Fredericksburg, and Sgt. Jesse W. Strong, 24, of Irasburg, Vt., all members of the Marine Corps Reserves 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, headquartered in Lynchburg.
According to Darrell Bowling, VA State Trooper and father of Jonathan, the tribute will begin by focusing on the unit itself, where they were when activated, and other personal details.
Bowling tells Debbie Hall, a Martinsville Bulletin reporter that the midway point of the special will focus on the attack, and the remainder of the program concentrates on surviving family members. "I would like to caution people that in order to tell the story, they have to show the attack", Bowling tells Ms. Hall. "And there will be actual footage of the attack itself," he added, "It's just something you’ve got to do. If it gets Jon's name out there, it's worth it".
UPDATE:
As noted above, this tribute will contain actual footage of the attack on Bowling's unit. It is apparently graphic, but Jon's father suggests we all need to see it.
For those whose sensibilities are too delicate to witness such scenes, (Waldo), and for those who wept for Saddam Hussein upon the occasion of his execution, (Howling Latina) might I suggest this alternative programming?
The TVLand, 11:00pm. -- M*A*S*H Marathon
I've bumped this to the top because CNN will re-air "Ambush at the River of Secrets" tonight at 11:00pm. If you missed it Tuesday here is your chance to see it.
Someone once said, "A man lives as long as he is remembered", Socrates maybe, I don't know who to attribute it to. I do know who to apply it to, though. Marine Reservist Cpl. Jonathan Williams Bowling, a native of Patrick County and a Martinsville police officer. 23 year old Bowling was stationed in Haditha, in the Anbar province of Iraq, on the morning of January 26 two years ago. Before that day was ended, Jonathan had given his life in service to his country, and his fellow Marines.
Jonathan was and is remembered. According to a Martinsville Bulletin story dated Feb.3, 2005, five thousand or more attended his memorial service at Patrick County High School. There have been numerous memorial ceremonies held here since, ranging from a motorcycle ride each April dedicated to raising funds for the Cpl. Jonathan Bowling Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is administered by the Patrick County Education Foundation, to a memorial day ceremony at Carver Memorial Garden in 2005, and including a flagpole dedication at the local State Police Headquarters in Ridgeway.
Jonathan will also be remembered this evening, at 10:00pm, on CNN. A special episode of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 will feature Jonathan's unit, and that day in January of 2005, when their convoy was ambushed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Titled "Ambush at the River of Secrets", the show will detail the events that led to the death of not only Marine Reservist Cpl. Jonathan Williams Bowling, but also Lance Cpl. Karl R. Linn, 20, of Chesterfield, Cpl. Christopher L. Weaver, 24, of Fredericksburg, and Sgt. Jesse W. Strong, 24, of Irasburg, Vt., all members of the Marine Corps Reserves 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, headquartered in Lynchburg.
According to Darrell Bowling, VA State Trooper and father of Jonathan, the tribute will begin by focusing on the unit itself, where they were when activated, and other personal details.
Bowling tells Debbie Hall, a Martinsville Bulletin reporter that the midway point of the special will focus on the attack, and the remainder of the program concentrates on surviving family members. "I would like to caution people that in order to tell the story, they have to show the attack", Bowling tells Ms. Hall. "And there will be actual footage of the attack itself," he added, "It's just something you’ve got to do. If it gets Jon's name out there, it's worth it".
UPDATE:
As noted above, this tribute will contain actual footage of the attack on Bowling's unit. It is apparently graphic, but Jon's father suggests we all need to see it.
For those whose sensibilities are too delicate to witness such scenes, (Waldo), and for those who wept for Saddam Hussein upon the occasion of his execution, (Howling Latina) might I suggest this alternative programming?
The TVLand, 11:00pm. -- M*A*S*H Marathon
Bad, Bad Soldiers (Airman)
I don't know the source for this, which I just received by e-mail, but I want to post it anyway. If someone can tell me which paper originally published it, please let me know so I can give proper credit for it's use here.Thanks to Flora I now know that the picture was taken by David W. Gilmore Jr./U.S. Air Force. It can also be found here. [LINK]
Another Al Qaeda Message Forthcoming?
I'm told that a new message from Al Qaeda second in command Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri is forthcoming. Most likely to further congratulate the Democrats for winning one more for their side.
Watch this space for video when it's available.
UPDATE:
As promised, a portion of the text from al Zawahiri's latest message;
Watch this space for video when it's available.
UPDATE:
As promised, a portion of the text from al Zawahiri's latest message;
"I speak to you today as the crusader invader forces of Ethiopia violate the soil of the beloved Muslim Somalia. I call upon the Muslim nation in Somalia to remain in the new battlefield that is one of the crusader battlefields that are being launched by America and its allies and the United Nations against Islam and Muslims. Launch ambushes, land mines, raids and suicidal combats until you consume them as the lions and eat their prey. My brother Muslims in Somalia, don’t be traumatized by America’s force because you have defeated it previously with the support of Allah, and it is weaker today than before."
He's Back
Johnathan Maxfield is back. Of course I knew he never really went away, but in an interview with STD he vows to remain on the Virginia blogging horizon. He remains also on my blogroll on the right sidebar.
My given name can be found on this blog, while Mr. Maxfield's cannot be found on his Journal of the Common Man. Yes, he is blogging pseudonymously, but I'm pretty sure other bloggers here in Virginia are not really named NoVa Scout, or Isophorone, or Bwana, or Howling Latina, or..you get the idea.
Welcome back Max.
Full disclosure;
I hold no degree in engineering, although I have successfully played the role of an electrical engineer all over the world for the past 20 years or so, with the act currently playing to good reviews in Patrick County. I'm also not a chef, but some may argue with that statement. I prefer the more scientific approach to cooking taken by the one who shares my first name on the Food Network, therefore I'm obviously "Not Emeril".
I've never been very active politically, with the exception of a short period of time while I lived on the west coast of Florida. The most important lady in my life has attempted to persuade me to run against Ward Armstrong, but I always tell her that I have too many ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, and ex-one night stands to ever successfully do so. (What can I say, I'm big on full disclosure.) While I have broke bread with both Will Vehrs and Barnie Day on more than one occasion, I have never poured tea for Shaun Kenney, but I once opened a beer for Jerry Fuhrman.
My given name can be found on this blog, while Mr. Maxfield's cannot be found on his Journal of the Common Man. Yes, he is blogging pseudonymously, but I'm pretty sure other bloggers here in Virginia are not really named NoVa Scout, or Isophorone, or Bwana, or Howling Latina, or..you get the idea.
Welcome back Max.
Full disclosure;
I hold no degree in engineering, although I have successfully played the role of an electrical engineer all over the world for the past 20 years or so, with the act currently playing to good reviews in Patrick County. I'm also not a chef, but some may argue with that statement. I prefer the more scientific approach to cooking taken by the one who shares my first name on the Food Network, therefore I'm obviously "Not Emeril".
I've never been very active politically, with the exception of a short period of time while I lived on the west coast of Florida. The most important lady in my life has attempted to persuade me to run against Ward Armstrong, but I always tell her that I have too many ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, and ex-one night stands to ever successfully do so. (What can I say, I'm big on full disclosure.) While I have broke bread with both Will Vehrs and Barnie Day on more than one occasion, I have never poured tea for Shaun Kenney, but I once opened a beer for Jerry Fuhrman.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
'Youths' Commit 'Vandalism' In France
News is not news if it does not contain the entire story, is it?
Reuters reported the news that "vandals" set fire to about 400 cars New Years Eve and police said they arrested more than 250 people, as violence marred France's New Year celebrations. Reuters continues;
At least Adam Sage of the Times Online, goes into a bit more detail, adding;
H/T STD
Reuters reported the news that "vandals" set fire to about 400 cars New Years Eve and police said they arrested more than 250 people, as violence marred France's New Year celebrations. Reuters continues;
In an effort to maintain order, 25,000 police were on duty throughout the country during the night, including 4,500 in Paris, where the authorities banned fireworks and firecrackers.What Reuters does not report, but I'm willing to bet on, is just who those "youths" are. Anyone care to hazard a guess?
Police said that by 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) they had arrested 258 people nationwide, including two children aged eight and 10 who set fire to dustbins in the eastern city of Strasbourg.
Three children aged between 10 and 12 were arrested in a Paris suburb after they were caught carrying cans of petrol.
At least Adam Sage of the Times Online, goes into a bit more detail, adding;
The attacks are seen as a product of tension on the suburban estates that are home to the bulk of France’s five-million-strong immigrant community.And those on the left wonder why we don't just fling open our doors and welcome anyone who does not wish to assimilate to walk right on in. It's hateful not to embrace diversity, don't you know?
H/T STD
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Good Stuff
Long, but very good stuff. A must read for all my liberal (progressive) friends.
Virginia Virtucon with some history on Muslims in American Foreign Relations. Included in that very long post is the fact that Jefferson himself was Commander in Chief when the United States first declared war on an Islamic nation.
Virginia Virtucon with some history on Muslims in American Foreign Relations. Included in that very long post is the fact that Jefferson himself was Commander in Chief when the United States first declared war on an Islamic nation.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Is Islam Truly A Religion Of Peace? Or Is It A Piece Of Religion?
We've all heard lately about how Islam is the "Religion of peace", most recently from Virgil Goode's detractors on the left. Let me make this clear, Virgil has yet to condemn anyone of the Islamic faith, much less Mr. Ellison.
What has been warned about is the underlying motives behind many of the Islamic faith in their pilgrimage to the United States. We are told they are here for the freedoms afforded them by our constitution, and for some of them that may be true. But for a certain percentage it is not. I ask you to only look at the founders of CAIR to see the truth in that statement.
Recently on a radio station I listen to daily there was an interview with a young man, an American citizen born and raised, who had converted to Islam in his teenage years. This young man is intelligent, articulate, and forthcoming in his statements with his interviewers.
One point of his dialog with his interviewers was the question of whether or not Islam was a religion of peace. You will most likely be surprised at his revealing answer. His answer will surprise many of Islam's defenders on the left when he says;
Notice how well this meshes with the statements of those Christian fundamentalists such as Eric Rudolph, who was universally condemned by us on the right. Yet the Left is insistent upon excusing these thoughts by Muslims in the name of "freedom of religion". But more importantly, pay attention to the final moments of his interview when he explains the ideals of middle eastern immigrants to America and just what their agenda truly is.
Just another example of the hypocrisy of the left in America. Yes, Howling Latina and Waldo, I would be weeping too, if I felt the way you two do.
Note: If my bandwitdth is exceeded by this post, the entire audio file can be downloaded here, from the WZTK website.
What has been warned about is the underlying motives behind many of the Islamic faith in their pilgrimage to the United States. We are told they are here for the freedoms afforded them by our constitution, and for some of them that may be true. But for a certain percentage it is not. I ask you to only look at the founders of CAIR to see the truth in that statement.
Recently on a radio station I listen to daily there was an interview with a young man, an American citizen born and raised, who had converted to Islam in his teenage years. This young man is intelligent, articulate, and forthcoming in his statements with his interviewers.
One point of his dialog with his interviewers was the question of whether or not Islam was a religion of peace. You will most likely be surprised at his revealing answer. His answer will surprise many of Islam's defenders on the left when he says;
Islam is a religion of peace, but it's not the religion of peace with your fellow human being on the face of this earth. It is a religion of peace with God, if God says kill this man or I will make war on you, then the Muslim is not going to war with God and refuse to do what God said. This is how muslims rationalize their behavior.
Notice how well this meshes with the statements of those Christian fundamentalists such as Eric Rudolph, who was universally condemned by us on the right. Yet the Left is insistent upon excusing these thoughts by Muslims in the name of "freedom of religion". But more importantly, pay attention to the final moments of his interview when he explains the ideals of middle eastern immigrants to America and just what their agenda truly is.
Just another example of the hypocrisy of the left in America. Yes, Howling Latina and Waldo, I would be weeping too, if I felt the way you two do.
Note: If my bandwitdth is exceeded by this post, the entire audio file can be downloaded here, from the WZTK website.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Home For Sale, Fauquier County
After a month of the "festive" Christmas template, I've reverted back to a slightly more conservative look. You'll notice the layout is exactly the same, I've only changed the colors and some graphics.
If you look down the left sidebar you will also notice an ad describing a home for sale. No, I have not gone commercial. That is an unpaid ad that I have placed for a friend. I still do not accept commercial advertising of any kind on this site.
Now, let's talk about that home for sale for a moment. It belongs to and was built by the Marvin & Lois Mast family in Fauquier County. Located in picturesque, rural Fauquier County near Catlett, Virginia. It is located 46 miles from Washington D.C., and 14 miles from both Manassas and Warrenton, Virginia. Also, it is only 82 miles from Richmond, Virginia.
The house is a slightly modified design by Steven Fuller, in the Southern Living Homes collection of designs. Blythewood Estate is a 7000-square foot manor set on a hilltop with a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It overlooks a 2-3 acre stocked lake and is sited on a 20 acre property which includes a rolling meadow and wooded area. I'll let Hans Mast, the son of the owners and writer and publisher of The Not So Daily Me further describe the property.
Hans, I wish you well during your upcoming travels to Southeast Asia, and I hope your family will soon be happily resettled in Kansas.
If you look down the left sidebar you will also notice an ad describing a home for sale. No, I have not gone commercial. That is an unpaid ad that I have placed for a friend. I still do not accept commercial advertising of any kind on this site.
Now, let's talk about that home for sale for a moment. It belongs to and was built by the Marvin & Lois Mast family in Fauquier County. Located in picturesque, rural Fauquier County near Catlett, Virginia. It is located 46 miles from Washington D.C., and 14 miles from both Manassas and Warrenton, Virginia. Also, it is only 82 miles from Richmond, Virginia.The house is a slightly modified design by Steven Fuller, in the Southern Living Homes collection of designs. Blythewood Estate is a 7000-square foot manor set on a hilltop with a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It overlooks a 2-3 acre stocked lake and is sited on a 20 acre property which includes a rolling meadow and wooded area. I'll let Hans Mast, the son of the owners and writer and publisher of The Not So Daily Me further describe the property.
Construction on the Blythewood started on May 14, 1999. Marvin served as a general contractor and sub-contracted the work out. General contracting was Marvin's career approximately 20 years ago. He really sweated every detail and did far more work than any hired hand would have done to make sure everything was just right. The family spent many a Saturday over at the new house cleaning up. Handily we lived only a 1/4 mile down the road and we were constantly at the building site. We have a large photo album showing all phases of construction.Hans details much more of the Civil War history of the site here, at his website. Further details regarding the sale of the property are available here [LINK]
Several builders who have been through the house have commented on the craftsmanship they saw. Four things that have received especial praise are the custom trim work, the brick work, the stone fireplace, and the hardwood floors. The trim was milled by a local outfit and was installed by a long-time friend of the family's. The brick work was done by Marvin's brother-in-law, who traveled up from North Carolina to do the fireplaces and front porch. A framing crew from Orange, VA which was run by a cousin of the family's did the framing. In each case, Marvin spent long hours thoroughly researching each decision to make sure the best one was made. The house was finished and we moved in one year and one day later, on May 15, 2000.Catlett's Station, Catlett - J.E.B. Stuart's cavalrymen attacked this Union supply depot Aug. 22, 1862, capturing, among other things, Federal commander John Pope's cloak, hat and dispatch book. Intelligence gathered here helped Stonewall Jackson plan his Second Manassas campaign.Blythewood Estate is rich in Civil War history. Old timers tell us that the hill upon which Blythewood is built was the largest Confederate camp for miles around and that General Mosby stayed in a cabin nearby (see further note on this at the end). Friends of ours who are avid Civil War history buffs and metal detector operators hurriedly went over Blythewood one afternoon and found a wealth of Civil War artifacts including tens of bullets, cavalry horseshoes, uniform buttons, buckles, and several other things. We are located less than a mile from Weaversville, which during the Civil War had a U.S.A. General Hospital. Catlett's Station is only 2.1 miles away. Many battles were fought over it because railroad stations were the key link in moving supplies.
Hans, I wish you well during your upcoming travels to Southeast Asia, and I hope your family will soon be happily resettled in Kansas.
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