At Home On Piety Hill

Just when I thought Democrats couldn’t be more hostile towards the US Military, John Kerry let the cat out of the bag.

Before they can support them, they will probably need to know which ones are ours and which are not. Check this out.

On Tuesday, Denise and I said farewell to New York and flew out of La Guardia at 4PM. By 1 AM, we were back in Nevada City and I arrived at work in Camptonville by 7:30 AM on Tuesday. What a great time to be alive and who can deny that the United States is one of the best places on the planet to live?

The last morning in Brooklyn, we decided to take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was chilly. On the Manhattan side, we looked around and thought we would see if anything piqued our interest. If so, we’d just take a train back to our apartment. If not, we’d walk back across the bridge. We kept finding promising places and things to see until we stumbled right up to the World Trade Center. Frankly, we didn’t remember how close it was to the bridge, having visited the WTC and the observation deck about 18 years ago. It was impressive then and it is just as impressive now, but for different reasons.

I won’t go into our reflections, except to say one more time that I like living in the US, where a working-class couple can travel, enjoy visiting friends and family, dine on all kinds of great food, see the sites and spend Sunday morning, worshipping God along with a bunch of people we never met before. Thank you Jesus!

Well, there’s more good news from the newspaper publishing industry. Metro newspaper readership, like viewership of network news, is down. From Editor & Publisher:

This is the fourth consecutive semi-annual report to register a severe drop in daily circulation and — perhaps more troubling to the industry — Sunday copies…

The Los Angeles Times reported that daily circulation fell 8% to 775,766. Sunday dropped 6% to 1,172,005

The San Francisco Chronicle was down. Daily dropped 5.3% to 373,805 and Sunday fell 7.3% to 432,957.

The New York Times lost 3.5% daily to 1,086,798 and 3.5% on Sunday to 1,623,697. Its sister publication, The Boston Globe reported decreases in daily circulation, down 6.7% to 386,415 and Sunday, down 9.9% to 587,292.

The Washington Post lost daily circulation, which was down 3.3% to 656,297 while Sunday declined 2.6% to 930,619.

Face it. People are tired of the passe´press and their all liberal, all the time editorializing, thinly disguised as reporting. People who want hard news and serious analysis are moving to new media on the web, talk-radio and podcast.

Personally? I enjoy sitting down and reading a real newspaper. But, the content has been so off-putting for the past 30 years, we finally canceled our last subscription last year. Sure, I miss some things, but the relief from the incessant finger-wagging, elitist, tendentious preaching embedded in every AP or Reuters article has been refreshing. I just wish they would read the writing on the wall (instead of their own press) and wake up to the fact that people out here want news, not their personal, bigoted worldview. If they would only listen to the market and suppress their urge to force their convictions upon the rest of us, they may survive.

On Sunday, Denise and I went with Sam to the MOMA. She got in free with Sam, because he’s a member… they even bought a couple of his pieces, but he doesn’t know what they are or when they were shown. How do you like that? Anyway, hope you like the photos here.

Why, that would be Camille Paglia, of course! Now, here’s a woman from the other end of the spectrum I think I could have an enjoyable discussion with, even though we strongly disagree on a number of issues. She’s smart, she’s tough, but she’s fair minded and has a good grasp of history, I think. She was interviewed on Salon.com and here are a few choice excerpts.

On religion:

But religion is absolutely central to this country in ways that Europe’s secularized intellectuals fail to understand. I’m speaking here as an atheist who studies religion and respects it enormously. In the history of mankind, the benefits that religion has brought to society in shaping behavior and moral choice are overwhelming in comparison to the negatives, which anyone can list — like religious wars and bigotry. Without religion, we’d have anarchy.

On Condoleeza Rice:

Condi Rice looks lost lately. She’s overstretched and on a learning curve. Her training (by Madeleine Albright’s father) focused on the Cold War era when the world was polarized between two superpowers. It didn’t prepare her for the baffling and frustrating complexities of the highly sectarian and factionalized Middle East. You need to know the turbulent history of the ancient Near East to understand what’s going on there now. It’s always been a roiling cauldron — wars and more wars and massacres from the Egyptian, Assyrian and Roman empires down to the fascist rule by the Ottomans. Every feminist who wants to smash the glass ceiling should realize she has a stake in Condi Rice’s success. Rice is a brilliant woman, but diplomacy is an art.

On George Bush:

I’m not a Bush hater. I’ve always viewed him as a decent fellow who was pushed into the presidency because he was his father’s son. But he’s been out of his depth in foreign affairs from the start. He certainly lacks the basic verbal skills for the presidency — reading speeches authored by others is no substitute. But I’ve become concerned about Bush’s mental state in the past few months. Sometimes in his press conferences or prepared statements (which I listened to on the radio), I heard a sort of Nixonian tension and hysteria. His vocal patterns were over-intense and his inflections impatient, lurching and sarcastic. There was this seething quality to his speech that worried me and that seemed to signal that something major is being planned — perhaps another military incursion.

More excerpts to follow… I really enjoyed this interview.

Our travels took us to visit our dear friend Dolly on the Mainline in Narberth PA and then on to Park Slope in Brooklyn NY. We had a great time and I will go into a bit more detail later, describing the restaurants and other attractions. I’ve posted a few photos at Next Stop Narberth and Park Slope.

With that said, doesn’t Denise look cute?

It’s always disappointing to see Democrats punishing success and Wal-Mart, like the United States military, presents such a juicy target for the blame America first crowd. So, I’m really excited to see the folks at Wal-Mart waking up to the way Washington works. According to this article, Wal-Mart Doesn’t Discount Politicians, the giant has benefited from the lesson Bill Gates learned the hard way back in the ’90’s. If you don’t “remember” your liberal/socialist friends in Congress and the White House, the Justice Department may come knocking at your door. From a progressive news site bemoaning Microsoft’s late entry into the protection racket… er, I mean into the lobbying process:

Microsoft didn’t always seek support in Washington. For years, the software giant prided itself on steering clear of national politics and lobbying. But when their legal troubles started, that attitude quickly changed.

“Microsoft, before their anti-trust case, had almost no presence in Washington,” Arizona Sen. John McCain told The Chronicle editorial board earlier this year. “Now, I almost don’t know a lobbyist who’s not on their payroll.”

Wal-Mart employs so many and ploughs so much back into the community, I’d hate to see them hobbled by further government legislative interference. For low and middle-class earners like my family, Wal-Mart plays an important role.

Boy, have we been going ever since we flew into Manchester NH! We’ve been looking at land, while squeezing in visits with friends, whoopie pies, red snappy hot dogs and some haddock, followed by pie at Helen’s! Our friends, the Websters, have been great hosts. I’ve published a few photos here.

That was my response to Denise on Saturday night after witnessing a so-called debate over abortion between Katherine Kneer and Scott Klusendorf. Katherine has served as the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of California and Scott is the President of the Life Training Institute.

One would think that the president of the Planned Parenthood franchise in the most populous and, perhaps, liberal state in the US would have some command of the facts of abortion or a mastery of just a few of the philosophical/moral/ethical justifications for the practice! This was not the case and she conceded over and over that she did not intend to argue a case for abortion. Instead, she played to the emotions of the audience, poured effusive praise upon the work that that the LivingWell Clinic is doing in Nevada County and made the most pathetic plea to embrace her cynical real world view that infanticide is inevitable in our world, so we all need to welcome the culture of death. With the Sacramento cultural and political scene dominated by policy makers like Katherine, it’s no wonder people are plunging into despair and anti-depressant use (abuse)! She almost had me running for the prozac!

Scott responded with facts, well-reasoned arguments and plenty of compassion, even helping Katherine to articulate her position at times. He was kind, gracious and loving. His presentation was one of optimism, hope and courage in the face of a very nasty crowd that imposes their dogma of intolerance, violence and hopelessness on the rest of us.

For those women who have had an abortion and the men who pressured them into that decision, Scott offered compassion, understanding and real solutions.

Denise and I came away with the realization that the combination of government, the media, the educational system… the entire culture, militates against and is prevailing over common sense, common decency and the common good. But, we will not surrender.

Credit: Photo of post-natal abortion courtesy of the University of Maryland

Sadie commented:

Peter Pan syndrome. *nodding head* That makes a lot of sense. This is a really well thought out post, Bo. I enjoyed reading it. I have to say that Bush lacks the personality that JFK had. For some reason that I can’t quite put my finger on–Bush bothers me when he gives a speech. I don’t know why.

Yes, I have to agree that Bush is difficult to listen to, because he has some sort of odd speech pattern. Bill Clinton is a good speaker. He appears comfortable, in control of the facts… almost conversational. I think he makes the audience feel more relaxed. George Bush sounds like he is addressing The Toastmasters or a public speaking class and that’s just too bad, because his unrehearsed press conferences are great… particularly when he unleashes his humor. With that said, I really don’t hear many formal speeches I enjoy.

Now, let’s get a bit more controversial. Check out Dick Cheney on Meet The Press. I think Dick Cheney sounds more presidential than anyone I’ve heard in the past thirty years and the man speaks well in every kind of situation. Bush is strong in press conferences, but weak at the podium. Clinton is a great public speaker, but comes off slick when responding to questions and is childish at times. Cheney does it all well.

P.S. I think the new color scheme of the blog really highlights Sadie’s Blogger profile pic, don’t you?

Check out this rejected GOP political add, demonstrating the folly of negotiating with terrorists.

I went for a run today, following my usual course through the woods and local schools. There were kids in school today! I called the principal’s office and found that they will not be observing Columbus Day today or on the actual date of the 12th of October.

For those crumb-crunchers who are missing out on this holiday and receiving indoctrination, the rest of us are celebrating the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus and the spread of European civilization to the New World.

When the explorers arrived on this continent, they found the Algonquin torturing and killing Iroquois, imposing their morals and culture on their neighboring brothers. Maya and Aztec were brutalizing fellow native Americans, while the Blackfoot and other plains tribes were battling one another for turf, well on their way to exterminating the buffalo. Here in the Sierras, the Miwok and Maidu people were found barely subsisting on acorn mush, supplemented by an occasional diseased fish, rabbit or deer that fell victim to their stone-age hunting devices.

While the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole largely adopted the progressive ways of their European benefactors, most Native American tribes did not and fell by the wayside in the this hemisphere’s move toward modern civilization. Many cherish hatred and bitterness towards those who have moved ahead and overcome the differences highlighted by this inevitable clash of cultures.

In short, the original people here in America really needed some help and the people from the east were brave, self-sacrificing and compassionate enough to bring them the benefits of modern society, medicine and technology. That sort of human endeavor is to be celebrated and remembered!

Fully 53 percent of Americans want the Democrats to win control of Congress next month, declares a Newsweek poll!

Ten Reasons Why Republicans Deserve The Boot

1. The Dow Jones reached a third record high last week of 11, 867
2. US unemployment is at an astonishing low of 4.6%
3. Gas prices are free falling (as they do this time every year)
4. Tax receipts are up $253 billion and taxes paid quarterly on corporate profits, wealthier people and small businessmen were especially strong, rising 27 percent over 2005 while nonwithheld receipts increased 19 percent
5. The federal budget deficit estimate for the fiscal year just completed has dropped to $250 billion
6. There have been no terrorist attacks on American soil or US interests in 5 years, while numerous successful attacks have been launched upon sissy nations
7. The U.S. Army achieved it’s annual reenlistment a month early and the Army Reserve has reached 81 percent of its goal, while the Army National Guard has reached 98 percent of its annual goal and will exceed its annual goal
8. Rules for interrogating terror suspects and trying them before military tribunals were crafted to deal with future wars, where American GIs will more likely face ideological warriors, than national armies
9. The Senate decided on a bill that will increase security on the border of Mexico with a 700-mile fence to improve security and to prevent illegal entry
10. Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker of the House and third in line for President of the United States, promising to raise taxes, enact all the recommendations of the 9/11 commission (which she has been opposing all year) and empower unions and foreigners like George Soros to have a more active part in crafting restrictions and regulation of the hoi poloi

Brad Pitt told Esquire magazine:

Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able.

Brad and Angelina Jolie seem to be serious in their convictions that polygamy and other taboo forms of marriage should be legalized in the US. As of today, moral crusaders have seen to it that brothers cannot legally marry their sisters, the man convicted of bestiality cannot wed his horse and, despite the howling of social liberals, older men are not even allowed to date ten year olds, let alone tie the not. The country doesn’t seem ready for such progressive redefinition of the longstanding tradition of one man and one woman, so I suppose Brangelina will have to put off their nuptials for quite some time. Regardless, this is a bold and courageous move by one of Hollywood’s brightest activist couples!

I only recently learned that Leon Morris went to be with the Lord in July ‘06. He was one of my favorite Bible commentators and authors, who had the ability to pack a lot into a few words, composed in an orderly, pleasant style. That may owe to his background as a science teacher, self-taught Bible scholar and pastor turned academic — a powerful combination. He was also accessible and among my treasures I still have a personal letter he wrote in response to some questions I sent him. I was pleased to find this appropriately thorough, yet simple obituary to a man who wielded such a huge influence on modern Evangelicalism. Here is the kernel:

Leon Lamb Morris was perhaps Australia’s most prolific biblical and theological author. He wrote over fifty books of theology and biblical commentary which have sold nearly two million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages. This is an astonishing output for an Australian writing technical or academic books. He was well-known throughout the Christian world as a careful, conservative biblical scholar. Extraordinarily, Morris received no formal theological education, apart from two years of supervision for his doctorate in Cambridge. He was self-taught theologian who brought his rigorous and disciplined training in scientific enquiry to his study of the Bible and theology.

I always enjoy learning about the personal lives of technical authors or scholars who somehow resonate or “speak to me” through what I expect to be dry or analytical works. Sometimes, I even find points of similarity (usually some annoying trait — rarely anything of their intellect or learning) Leon Morris is one of those writers and I was so pleased to find this anecdote which could have been written about Denise and I, as I try to make the most of my Bible study time:

Mildred, whom he married in 1941, would drive the bumpy, dusty roads of South Australia while Leon studied New Testament Greek in the passenger seat.

Farewell, Leon… I will see you in the resurrection.

Democrats are poised to win a majority in the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has received an important endorsement from a rising star on the political left.

In a new video from Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man, al-Zawahiri, picked up Pelosi’s call for a new direction in Bush’s so-called “war on terror” and highlighted Democratic themes from their ‘06 midterm election strategy.

Labeling it a “Crusader plan,” Pelosi’s fellow traveler called on Bush to come clean on Iraq and Afghanistan. The progressive al-Qaida spokesman mimicked Pelosi’s heated rhetoric (practically word for word), calling for years of investigations when the gavel passes to the new House Majority Leader:

Can’t you be honest at least once in your life, and admit that you are a deceitful liar who intentionally deceived your nation when you drove them to war in Iraq?

Zawahiri went on to join Pelosi and Senate Democrats, calling for an al-Qaida Bill of Rights and an end to injustices against practicing Muslims in the US, which he expects to see with the help of the ACLU:

What you have perpetrated against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other Muslim captives in your prisons and the prisons of your slaves in Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and elsewhere is not hidden from anyone… We are a people who do not sleep under oppression and who do not abandon our revenge.

Finally, Zawahiri fired a warning shot across the bow of American colonialists like George Clooney, who are clamoring for the US to meddle in the civil war in Sudan:

There is a Crusader plan to send Crusader forces to Darfur that is about to become a new field of the Crusades war…

Zawahiri chastised Clooney, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove, Libby, Justice Roberts, the Pope, lap-dog Blair, Haliburton, Bechtel, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, the United Nations, NATO, and the Republican Party, calling for tolerance in Darfur and promising these expansionists that such interference in the peaceful exercise of The Religion of Peace in Sudan would incite dire consequences, leaving Bush, the UN and any other Crusader armies in another quagmire, like Iraq.

Pelosi has made it clear that, if her party wins majority and she becomes third in line to become President, she will set aside any legislative initiatives on minor issues such as Social Security, education and immigration, focusing instead on investigating Bush’s ill-advised and unjust assault on people of faith like Zawahiri, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other Muslim evangelists who are being hunted, killed or imprisoned in the US and around the globe.