Tonight thanks to Leno, a few million Americans who've never heard of the man with two first names, will get their first exposure to a representative known in Congress as Dr. No for his anti-spending votes.Here is what I found on a AKA Dr No post at Digg
Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul has never voted to raise taxes or Congressional pay. He has always voted against USA PATRIOT Act, The Military Commissions Act, and the Iraq War.I watched Ron Paul on Leno last night and, while I like many of his positions on social, fiscal and foreign policy issues, I don't think that America is ready for him.. he is just too honest for us.. I think we will say no to Dr No L
Dawn Primarolo, ... the health minister, was telling the Commons Science and Technology Committee that there was no justification for lowering the limit for abortion below the current 24 weeks. In doing so, she was going against those who argue that medical advances now make it easier for children born before 24 weeks to survive. As if timing it to undermine Miss Primarolo's position, Millie McDonagh, who was born in Manchester aged 22 weeks, celebrated her first birthday the following day, photographed with her mother in the newspapers.I found it interesting that the UK prohibits abortions after 24 weeks. He continues the piece looking at the new slavery museum and envisioning a future one.
I found myself wondering how abortion will be viewed by museum curators, teachers, historians and moralists 200 years from now.I'll end with this excerpt ... I think that it somewhat reflects our previous conversation.
As the slavery exhibition shows, something that one generation accepts readily enough is often seen as abhorrent by its descendants – so abhorrent, in fact, that people find it almost impossible to understand how it could have been countenanced in a supposedly civilised society.
How could people not see that Africans should not be bought and sold for the convenience of our trade or our domestic life? We reserve particular scorn for those who sought to justify slavery on moral grounds. We look at the moral blindness of the past, and tut-tut, rather complacently.
It is not hard to imagine how a future Museum of London exhibition about abortion could go. It could buy up a 20th-century hospital building as its space, and take visitors round, showing them how, in one ward, staff were trying to save the lives of premature babies while, in the next, they were killing them.
In many ways, I accept, such a museum of the future would be extremely unfair. We anti-abortionists should not paint all those who disagree with us as callous. Many of those who support abortion have a deep concern about the horrors of an unwanted child, not realising that the culture of abortion is one that promotes unwantedness.More of a help and less condemnation.. something we can all agree on.
Others worry about world population growth. For reasons too long to explain here, I think they are mistaken, but I would certainly not want to argue that this automatically makes them haters of the human race. We should be conscious of how genuinely difficult some of the situations of a pregnant woman can be. We should think more of help and less of condemnation.
This article talks about Bibles with the words of Christ printed in red. It got me to wondering if I really liked the idea or not. Sometimes things like this become institutionalized over time and we, taking them for granted, don't question their influence or value in our lives.
A few excerpts from yesterday's 
Put me down with no, yes, no, no, no! Now if the questions were about demons instead of ghosts.. spiritual gifts instead of ESP.. well that might be a different story J How would you have answered?
I guess one person's feast is another's horror flick! Can you relate to walking out of a movie theater just loving it and the person that sat next to you for the last two hours hated it. I felt that way about the first Lord of the Rings movie.. my wife loved it but I just thought it was okay.. don't write me off though.. I did get sucked into the story with the second and third Rings installments.. really loved the last one.
In this edition of Weird World Wednesday, I submit to you this computer graphic image of a toilet-shaped house 40km south of Seoul. The house owned by South Korean sanitation activist Sim Jae-Duck will be open on November 11 to mark the launch of the World Toilet Association.
10) The Big ChillI was surprised that Grease didn't make the top 10. My favorite all time soundtrack is.. no surprise here.. Chariots of Fire. What is your favorite movie soundtrack? Don't think too hard.. okay if it just makes your top ten J
9) American Graffiti
8) Saturday Night Fever
7) Trainspotting
6) Superfly
5) The Graduate
4) Pulp Fiction
3) The Harder They Come
2) A Hard Day's Night
1) Purple Rain
I was in the bottom 3% on this one.. not sure why I selected it.. maybe because I will be eligible in a few years and no one is discussing it.. not even the presidential candidates. Which one would you have selected?
N.Y. couple also a perfect genetic match
If you did not catch the 60 Minutes interview with this former CIA covert operative who was betrayed by the White House administration you can catch it here and here.
Kansas' favorite political son has a great wit.. a few of his quotes:
"'Be thou perfect as thy heavenly Father is perfect.'Those principles, he said, call him to be a strict constructionist of the law, one who does not "distort prior cases" or the Constitution in order to assert that certain rights are guaranteed under law.
And 'Thou shalt not lie,'" he said.
10/21: Saw a re-broadcast of Hilary's interview today.. wow!I know God was with me during the rape. I prayed throughout those 45 minutes, and I had “God thoughts” that I know were not of my own mind. I remember thinking that I needed to forgive the man that was raping me.Young people like Hilary give me a glimpse of hope for our future. Her courage and faith is inspiring. God bless her as she shares her story and overcomes evil with good.
God did not abandon me during the rape, and He has never left me since.
Christ has helped me get through the toughest time of my life. With His help, I was able to win the Miss Scottsdale pageant four days after the rape, and I have since changed my community service platform to “Strength Over Silence: Rape Awareness and Recovery.” God has opened so many doors for me to speak about my experience, share my testimony, and raise awareness about rape. He is definitely taking this awful event and using it for His glory.
First – Mitt Romney – 1,595 votesThe results didn't surprise me.. these value voters.. like most of us.. are wanting a candidate that can win.
Second – Mike Huckabee – 1,565 votes
Third – Ron Paul – 865 votes
Fourth – Fred Thompson – 564 votes
A total of 5,576 votes were cast.
At heart, this is a seeker's book, a doubter's odyssey.The entire dialog is worth reading if you have the time.
...
In my experience, most people I know who fall away from religion do so because they are put off by legalism and dogmatism. You, who grew up as a godless heathen, and never suffered any of that, seem to find solace in the almost comically legalistic sections of the Bible.
...
By the end of your story, you still claim to be an agnostic, albeit one who prays a lot. It has me wondering—can I believe your unbelief?
===
I'm delighted that you thought I went beyond the surface to look for deeper meanings and wrestle with the Bible. To be biblically honest, I had two simultaneous—and slightly paradoxical—motivations for the book. On the one hand, I did want to play pin the tail on the fundies, as you put it.
...
At the same time, since I grew up a godless heathen, as you say, I wanted to take an earnest spiritual journey. I wanted to see if I was missing anything. I wanted to see what I could find in the Bible that might be relevant and enhance my life.
Joe Torre rejected a one-year contract offer to return as manager of the New York Yankees, turning down Thursday a deal that would have meant a pay cut unless the team won the 2008 World Series.And in a totally unrelated KC Star article:
The Royals appear to be closing in on a choice for their new manager — and it could include a Japanese twist. Sources close to the process indicate a decision could be announced early next week, before the start of the World Series, and say the club is looking at someone currently managing in Japan.I am not sure that the Royals can afford Joe.. but I guy can dream can't he J
A Washington Post article says that"People don't recover because they avoid thinking about the trauma," Foa said. "Every time the trauma comes to the mind, they push it away. They don't allow themselves to process and digest the memory, so it keeps on haunting them with nightmares, flashbacks."Foa also has patients make lists of situations that trigger anxiety and encourages them to deliberately expose themselves to the least-frightening situation. As people realize that many situations are harmless, Foa said they replace images of self-doubt and helplessness with a more healthy outlook.
10/18: Finally there is a new candidate on the scene that we can all get behind.Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, the Kansas conservative who struggled to raise money and gain recognition in the 2008 presidential campaign, will drop out on Friday, people close to him said Thursday.This announcement comes on the heels of this Christianity Today Interview, posted today, that says in part:
A Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award which may be bestowed by the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the United States government. The decoration is awarded to any individual who performs an outstanding deed or act of service to the security, prosperity, and national interest of the United States. The honoree need not be an American citizen.The past recipients of the award include: religious leaders, entertainers, US presidents, generals, foreign leaders, civil rights leaders, sports figures and others. File this one under award shows.
This is one of my all time favorite cartoons.. it really brings the overseas outsourcing of US jobs home to me.. albeit with a bit of a twist. Frankly, I wasn't too interested in this issue when many auto industry jobs were sent overseas.. sadly I only became interested when it affected the people that I knew and worked with.Barack Obama .. John Edwards .. Mike Huckabee .. Duncan HunterIf you are interested in this issue keep tuned in to Matt's blogsite to see if any of the other candidates respond or send a non-response.
Vice President Cheney is related to Sen. Barack Obama.I am not sure if the quote is attributed directly to Senator Obama but it did bring a smile to my face this morning J
At least that was the stunning announcement made yesterday by Lynne Cheney, who said that the very white vice president from Wyoming is in fact the eighth cousin of Obama, the Senate's only African American member...
Obama, whose mother was white, did not immediately comment on the revelation. But his campaign made light of the tie, without confirming it. "Obviously, Dick Cheney is the black sheep of the family," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.
There's a tag going around that asks: "What were you doing 10, 20 and 30 years ago".
Interesting question.. here are my answers:"There are two broad political camps in the pro-life community: the incrementalists and the absolutists.I am also an incrementalist and think that we pro-lifers fight too much about the minutiae of 'life' amongst ourselves instead of banding together in our common beliefs and taking on pro-abortion forces in our country.
The absolutists are political idealists. They want a "Human Life Amendment" and a Federal ban on all abortion. Some of them don't even want Roe overturned since it would give the power to the States.
Incremenatlists, on the other hand, are political realists. They know that the issue of abortion won't disappear when Roe is overturned. Their position is that the best that can be hoped for is that the issue be returned to the people and to the individual states...
I am a political realist, which is why I am an incrementalist."
Here are the KB facts:
- I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
- Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
- People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
- At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
- Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
1) At 43, my first wife had cardiac arrest with her heart, lungs and kidneys shutting down. I could have kept her alive with a respirator (against her wishes and her doctor's counsel) but chose to let her go to be with Jesus.These two events were intensely traumatic ones for my family.. no one ever wants to be in these decision making experiences.. it would be so much easier if we weren't faced with them.. which begs the question.. do you personally have a document with advance medical directives? If not, you can get some info by just googling 'living will'.. we did ours for free.
2) With my dad we chose not to insert a feeding tube when he had trouble swallowing after experiencing a stroke. He lived another 5 months and at times could eat solid food and drink thick liquids (like ensure). He was never in any pain, was in pretty good spirits often recognizing his family members, and died quietly one night. Possibly, if I was more 'pro-life' we would have done a feeding tube and all sorts of measures to keep him live into his 90s ... he was heading for 88 when he died.
Holy collectibles, Batman! 
According to this article:
This Pew Forum article discusses Oregon's 10 year old law permitting physicians to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to certain terminally ill patients. The article says: Oregon’s law applies only to patients who are terminally ill and likely to die within six months, a diagnosis that must be confirmed by two physicians. In addition, eligible patients must possess the mental capacity to give informed consent; cannot suffer from depression; and must sign a written declaration, in front of two witnesses, stating that they are mentally competent and acting voluntarily. Finally, while doctors may prescribe the lethal drugs, the dose must be administered by the patient. Between the time the statute was enacted in 1997 and the end of 2006, 292 terminally ill people had availed themselves of the right to end their lives, according to state records.Do you have a living will or advanced medical directives? If so, what did you indicate about the measures to be taken to keep you alive if you are in a vegetative state? I opted to not be kept alive. Now I am not saying that both of these issues are the same.. just saying that many of us have already opted for death with dignity under certain conditions.
I am so grateful for the freedom to be wrong. I think of all my new found freedoms, it's the most precious to me. I engage in a lot of debates on various message boards on the Internet. One thing I've been observing lately is just how closely people identify with their ideas, beliefs and actions. Attack their beliefs and they think you are attacking them personally.I think that Brian has captured the heart of why so many non-religious people are turned off by us religious types. I resonate with what Brian is saying and relate to many years when being right was more important than being righteous.
I wonder what that phrase "redefine marriage" means to Halle? What does it mean to you? What I hear is an echo of the deep pain and disappointment over two failed marriages. It is like she is saying, "I have twice followed the marriage rules and my heart got broken. I don't want to follow those same rules again". I think that this phenomenon of "commited couples" having babies is something that will continue to confront us as many try to redefine marriage and redefine our culture."What Gabriel and I have decided is that
we will just redefine marriage for ourselves."
Dave at Cartoon Church gives all of us celebrity wannabes some good advice :) On the left side of the diagram I might include Michelle Malkin, Albert Mohler, Al Roker.. to name a few. On the right side I might include Matt Drudge, Michael Spencer, Scot McKnight.. and others. I know that I am missing many.. early morning funk setting in.. who do you think of on the left and right side of the cartoon?
"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company."- George Washington
"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."- Euripides
"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together"- Woodrow Wilson
"Misfortune shows those who are not really friends."- Aristotle
"Friendship is love without his wings"- Lord Byron
"The best mirror is an old friend."- George Herbert
"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."- Henry Ford
In Rudy's case the censure is pretty inconsequential (at least to him personally) because Rudy doesn't live in St Louis but I think that a censure by Rudy's priest, bishop or the pope might be more impactful. But I guess what I am really thinking about is a censure by someone like Dr James Dobson who (in a sense) censured Fred Thomson because he did not support the Federal Marriage Amendment.Should religious leaders censure politicians based on their political positions? If so, which leaders should censure?
In this edition of Weird World Wednesday, I submit to you Bacon Salt. The brainchild of Justin and Dave, two bacon-loving former tech workers, the zero-calorie seasoning lets you add a bit of bacony goodness to any food product. It comes in three flavors--original, hickory, and peppered.
