I'm in the midst of upgrading from Blogger to Movable Type, as well as a major redesign. I'll be back soon, so keep checkin' in!

Wars are not won by suffering for your country; wars are won by making the enemy suffer for his country. It is dismaying to see soldiers who do the "dirty work" of war shunted to the side, while we immortalize a noble victim. A culture that lacks the stomach to honor its blood-stained warriors, men who do the killing necessary to defend it, is in trouble.

-- Gen. George S. Patton

Courtesy of Worship Naked, a new meme:

Answer these questions, thinking back to when you were anywhere from 5 to 10 years old:

1) Toy you were most obsessed with:
2) Activity you were most obsessed with:
3) Item you were most obsessed with getting for Christmas:
4) Food obsession:
5) Book or story obsession:
6) Candy obsession:
7) TV show obsession:

My answers:

1) Toy you were most obsessed with: it's a tie between Major Matt Mason (see #2) and G.I. Joe (always wanted the one in Marine dress blues, never got it). I wanted to be both of them, all rolled into one. Matt Mason, because he was an astronaut (see #2), and G.I. Joe, who was the childhood ideal of my father, a veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

2) Activity you were most obsessed with: The Apollo space program. I ate, drank and lived the moon program. Most vivid memory, aside from watching the moonwalks: during a programmed hold in the countdown, when CBS went from Walter Cronkite to a Tom Jones music video! I was scarred for life, but I would still go up in a heartbeat.

3) Item you were most obsessed with getting for Christmas: Whatever was in the Sears Wish Book. (usually the electric trains).

4) Food obsession: My mom's cherry pie. Man, can she cook!

5) Book or story obsession: I devoured the Hardy Boys books, and National Geographic; especially the issues about the space program (see #2).

6) Candy obsession: Candy Corn. ALWAYS Candy Corn.

7) TV show obsession: Gilligan's Island and I Dream of Jeannie. They always came on right after I got home from school. IDOJ was the perfect combination: astronauts for my mind (see #2), and Jeannie for my newly raging hormones (see: every pubescent boy)! Star Trek came later, in my early teens, via the James Blish novelizations.


Feel free to contribute your OCD confessions in the comments, or continue on your blog.

So the Pope says something about how radical Islamists tend to respond with violence, and might want to rethink their strategy. How do said idiots respond? By rioting in the streets and threatening to kill the Pope for having the gall to suggest that they are violent!

Over at The Daily Brief, Sgt. Mom sez it best for me (reproduced here in full, for my future reference):

So, Pope Benedict’s apology for having the temerity to point out that Islam is kinda, sorta, just a tad bit on the violent and coercive side, and that such coercion is something that Christians do not find logically defensible is not acceptable?

Well, since it was one of those “I’m sorry you were offended by what I said” sort of apologies, yeah, I can see that you have the right to seeth and whine, and burn churches and shoot elderly nuns in the back. So, how about a real apology… (Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!)

I am so sorry that you lunkheads wouldn’t know a logical theological disputation if it up and bit you on the butt.

I am sorry that large numbers of you are so illiterate that you believe any old load of old shoes that the imam tells you in the Friday sermon.

I am sorry that most of you have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement, and an underdeveloped sense of logic, technological skills, and smell.

I am sorry that a fair number of you want to turn Western Europe right back into the disease ridden, violence plagued, and autocratically ruled hellholes that you crawled out of.

I am sorry that your much-vaunted Caliphate was built, and maintained by a reliance on treachery, war, plunder, and the brutal oppression and economic skinning of various conquered peoples, and that when what had been conquered was squeezed dry, and the march of Islamic armies towards new sources of plunder was halted, it still took a couple of hundred years for it to rot from the inside.

I am sorry that your standing armies can’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag, and that a nation and people you despise hand your own asses to you on a silver platter, every damn time. That must be so depressing for you… try valium.

I am sorry that all you have is a lot of oil, and limitless reserves of resentment. Wait until the oil runs out, my little desert chickadees, and there is no more money to buy western technology, medical treatments, and all those pretty baubles that you can’t build yourself because the education of your best minds (such as they are) is focused on memorizing the Koran!

I am sorry that I have to open the internet pages and read about Australians being blown up in Bali, teachers in Thailand being beheaded, the rape of Scandinavian school girls, the burning of cars in Paris suburbs, Afghan and Iraqi children blown up by car bombs, Spanish and English commuters exploded by bombs in backpacks left on trains, ad nauseum.

I am sorry you can’t just stay in the 7th century and leave the rest of us the hell alone.

OK, is that better, as apologies go? You’re welcome. I live to serve.

Be sure to visit their blog. Much more yummy goodness where that came from. You go, Sgt. Mom!

We have an offer on the house!

I was relaxing at home today, when I heard a knock at the door.

I went to answer it, and nobody was there. All I found was this magazine on the porch. Get this: the magazine was dated December 2007! Here's the cover:



Hmmm . . . time travel as a method of encouragement? It makes you wonder . . .

(cross-posted from Blog 4 Life)

. . . and this will surprise who, exactly . . . ?


Take the geek test.

Speaking of geekiness:

You scored as Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo). You have spent your life trying to live up to and impress your Dad, shame he never seemed to notice. You are a stickler for the rules. But in matters of loyalty and honour you know when they have to be broken. Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo) 81% CPO Galen Tyrol 75% Commander William Adama 63% Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer) 56% President Laura Roslin 56% Number 6 50% Dr Gaius Baltar 31% Col. Saul Tigh 25% Tom Zarek 25% Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck) 13% What New Battlestar Galactica character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Jazz trumpet great Maynard Ferguson has died.

Orson Scott Card - a Democrat, no less - talks about how words mean things, and how the Left has left this planet behind. Get thee hence, and read the whole thing.

I've been in a truly black mood for the last week, but the sun started coming out yesterday evening, and is shining in its full glory this morning.

Between the family moving to San Antonio (and me staying behind to sell the house and wrap up local affairs), unpleasantness on the job, my daughter being off to college, trying to keep on track with my school, trying to stick to my workout schedule, and a number of other things I won't get into, I guess I've been under a bit of stress.

I firmly believe that I am where God wants me, but that doesn't always make things easier. Mark, thanks for expressing your concern. I will call you soon, my friend.

Rule number 1 is "Get and stay out of your comfort zone." I guess I've done that, because I'm not comfortable.

"Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship . . ." 2Tim. 4:5a speaks to me right now. Granted, most peoples' hardships make mine pale by comparison, but the point still holds.

Hardship is God's discipline. Pray for me, please, that I allow Him to do His work in my life.

I miss my family . . .

It would seem that Andrew Sullivan's raison d'etre has returned to the forefront of political discussion. I tired of the discussion the last time around, but I figure I may as well put in my dos centavos on the subject.

I oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment for a number of reasons, constitutional and otherwise. The 10th amendment to the Constitution of the United States says:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

A straightforward reading of this makes it plain that the Federal Government has no business making law concerning marriage one way or the other. It's called Federalism: the concept of a weaker central government and stronger state governments. See here for a detailed analysis from someone far smarter than I.

Claiming that same-sex marriage is going to destroy the institution of marriage is ridiculous. The divorce rate in America is over 50%, and the so-called Christian church is right there with the same numbers. So don't talk to me about what will destroy marriage; we're doing a good enough job of that already, thank you very much.

I'll take it one step further: No government, whether federal, state or local, should be making law regarding marriage, period. It seems to me that the argument about marriage vs. "civil union" is a false dichotomy. My parents had a "civil union": they were joined together on 2 June, 1943, by a judge, in a courthouse. Legally, marriage is a contract, with all the legal requirements pertaining thereto. I am not a lawyer, but I don't know of any statutes limiting who can make legal contracts with each other, other than age requirements.

It seems to me that the solution is simple: Marriage is a sacrament of the church. If you want to get married in a church, then follow the doctrine of that church's religion. If the local Baptist or Catholic church doesn't believe that homosexuals should be united in holy matrimony, then get thee to a courthouse. Write up a contract, sign it and have it notarized. Congratulations, you're married!

The onus should not be on a person of religion to accomodate beliefs with which he doesn't agree.

Heck, as far as I'm concerned, taking a vow of lifetime fidelity to your partner is enough to be married. That's what they did for hundreds of years before modern society came along. It's not what you call it, it's what the heart attitude is that counts.

I am a Christian. I am a Reagan conservative. I believe that the homosexual act is sinful, as is lying, cheating and divorcing your wife.

However, we live in a pluralistic, secular society. That means that no one, religious or secular, gay or straight, gets to impose their beliefs on someone else. The debate should be won or lost in the public square, not the courtroom or statehouse.

We are also a nation of law. That law is supposed to find its foundation in our Constitution, which, coincidentally enough, defines that pluralistic, secular society in plain English. The government has no business regulating our personal lives. It is not the job of our government to say who can be married.

I oppose the FMA, and any proposed law that flies in the face of our Constitution. It is a solution in search of a problem. Let's get the government out of our homes, period.

"That government governs best which governs least."
-Thomas Jefferson

Today is Memorial Day, the day we all celebrate not going to work and the freedom to consume overcooked, carcinogen-laden meat by-products. Or so it would sometimes seem.


Today, I am sitting down with my children and explaining it to them. I'll tell them why the flag in our front yard is flying at half-staff. I'll tell them why that flight of F-16s came over our house this noon in the missing-man formation. I'll tell them about my father, who, though he wasn't killed in WWII, Korea or Vietnam, served with many who were. He made sure I knew of their sacrifice. I can do no less for my own daughter and sons.


I'll tell them of the sacrifices made in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and elsewhere. I'll tell them why these men and women gave their lives: For a country. For an ideal. For freedom. For their families and friends.


I think, ultimately, that is what it's all about. So while you're enjoying your day off, and eating your burnt hot dogs, give a hug to your father, mother, sister, brother, friends. Look at those flags at half-staff, and really think about what it means. Remember of the rows upon rows of markers at National Cemeteries across the country, at Normandy, and other places; think of the precious blood spilt so you could live free. Thank those who did so, and thank God that you live in America. Remember this in the days and months ahead. We will need all of our strength to overcome what lies before us.

* * * * *

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

- LtCol. John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

Revolutionary War 25,324

Indian Wars 6,125

War of 1812 2,260

Mexican War 13,283

Civil War 562,130

Spanish-American War 2,893

Phillipines 4,273

World War I 116,708

World War II 408,306

Korean War 54,246

Vietnam War 58,219



Islamist War:

--Marine Barracks in Lebanon 241

--First Persian Gulf War 363

--Somalia 8

--Khobar Towers 7

--USS Cole 17

--Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan-ongoing) 153

--Operation Enduring Freedom (Phillipines) 12

--Operation Iraqi Freedom (ongoing) 2500

This list is by no means exhaustive.

On this Memorial Day, please remember these who have shed own their blood so that we may live free.

God bless you, and may God bless and protect the United States of America. Have a blessed Memorial Day.

A database containing personal information including name, birthdate, and SSN has fallen into unauthorized hands when a VA employee took home a computer without permission, which was then stolen. That database contains information on over 26 MILLION veterans - that's every veteran alive now who is now serving, or was discharged after 1976.

*IDENTITY THEFT IS A DISTINCT RISK FOR THESE VETS.*

If you are a veteran, call this number now:

800-525-6285.

This is the number for the Equifax credit reporting agency. You can put a fraud alert on your credit report for 90 days. The bad news is that you will have to do this every 90 days. The GOOD news is that they will automatically contact the other two major agencies (Experian and TransUnion) and have them place a fraud alert on your credit report as well. You will also be eligible for a free copy of your credit report from each of these agencies at that time.

Do this now, for your own financial sake. Then write your congressman about idiotic government employees who don't understand basic information security.

**END FLASH TRAFFIC**

Hat tip: Cowboy Neil

Independent journalist Michael Yon wonders whether we, the people of America, have the will to see this war through in Iraq.

Michael believes that we can win. He should know; he has spent most of the last several years there, in the field. Not in a Green Zone hotel.

Read his latest and spread the word. We, as a Nation, can do better than this.

A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.

-Robert A. Heinlein

Preparedness is a condition acquired through training and preparation.

Being ready is a state of mind.

To survive in combat, you must have both.

-Hal Moore, General, U.S. Army, ret.

"Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken."

-Rich Mullins

I was finally able to download the season 2 finale of Galactica from iTunes late this afternoon.

Holy. Frack.

And it won't be back until October. Must . . . breathe . . . slowly . . .

I got this from Patriot Flyer, the blog of Air Force vet Joe Comer, who just went home to be with the Lord. I couldn't find any way to say it better, so here it is in its entirety:

1. Be Grateful. Be thankful to God for all His blessings, be thankful for all you have and for all that He has made you.

2. Be Smart. Do your best always to excel in all things. Apply yourself as "a workman that needs not to be ashamed." God expects your best, so give the best you have in all things.

3. Be clean. The world is full of sleaze and filth. You are better than that. Keep yourself, your body, your heart, and your mind, clean and spotless in every respect. Sleaze only destroys, and the outcome of filth is always destruction.

4. Be True. Shakespeare said, "..To thine ownself be true..." Be faithful and true in all that you are. Be true to God, to your loved ones, and to yourself. Truth always wins in the end!

5. Be humble. You are not your own, but God's. He has given you much, and you owe everything to Him. Never exalt yourself at the expense of others, it's ugly. Be humble before God and He will exalt you.

6. Be prayerful. Your relationship with God is all-important. You can never have a relationship with anyone if you never talk to them. Pray in praise to God for His goodness, pray in thanksgiving for His gifts, pray in humility for His greatness in you, and pray in submission to His will in your life. Pray in love for His love, and for the love He has given you by sending His Son Jesus to be the sacrifice for your sins. Seek His guidance and you can never go wrong.



Keep these B's as a gift from me, and from a loving and kind God, hold them dear to your heart, and God will always hold you close to His heart.

Godspeed, Joe. I'll see you someday.

"Consensus is the absence of leadership."
- Margaret Thatcher

"Take that, Picard."
-Q

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back.

However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.

He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams."

Never forget to "Think Outside of the Box."

via Decadenz

Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
-Chuang-tzu (369 BC - 286 BC)

are right here.

Couldn't care less about the game; don't want to waste three hours just for the commercials, which are the only part worth seeing. Ain't tech grand?

I can't stand them.

You know plastic people: They walk around with this silly grin on their faces, glad-handing you like you're their long-lost rich uncle, their favorite person. The ones who'll say anything to your face to make you happy, as long as they can use you to their advantage.

Just be careful when you turn around to leave. That BLADE between the ribs smarts.

They're the used-car salesmen of the relationship world.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

"Facts are stubborn things."
- John Adams

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

- Robert A. Heinlein

Took the What Firefly Character are You quiz, and these are the results:


You are WASH (Ship's Pilot)

Wash (Ship's Pilot) 100% Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 85% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 75% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 60% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 55% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 45% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 45% Alliance 45% River (Stowaway) 40% Inara Serra (Companion) 20% A Reaver (Cannibal) 5%

Dependable and trustworthy, with a good if not silly sense of humor. You take pride in your collection of toys. You love your significant other.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Who is in charge of the clattering train?

The axles creak and the couplings strain,

And the pace is hot, and the points are near,

And Sleep has deadened the driver’s ear;

And the signals flash through the night in vain,

For Death is in charge of the clattering train.

-Sir Winston Churchill, quoting an unknown author

Time to dig out my anti-depressants. The Blogfather points out this depressing essay about America's options, and likely actions, regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions.

This article may ameliorate your depression somewhat, but it wasn't very effective with me.

As a commenter said, "I think we are about to enter the Second Atomic War."

Semper Paratus.

On the 25th anniversary of President Reagan's inauguration, Peggy Noonan once again hits the nail on the head. Speaking of how the Democrat Party have completely left the planet, she warns the GOP not to rest easy:

Republicans in Washington struggle with scandal and speak of reform, and reformation. They would better think of words like regain, refresh, rebuild. If they don't, if Republicans don't choose to lead well, and seriously, and with principle, they should ask themselves: Who will? Seriously: Who will?

Indeed, the Republican leadership would do well to remember this quote from Patton: "All glory is fleeting." The same principle applies with power, as well.

Read the whole thing.

UPDATE: In light of the above post, I'm also reminded of Nero fiddling while Rome burns. We can't afford that right now.

. . . I think I'd like his epitaph on my tombstone (with my own name inserted, of course):

The body of
B. Franklin, Printer
(Like the Cover of an Old Book
Its Contents torn Out
And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding)
Lies Here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be Lost;
For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More
In a New and More Elegant Edition
Revised and Corrected
By the Author.

"Up, sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough."
- Ben Franklin