Bush Rules Out Tax Hike to Fund Recovery

I'll believe it when I see it.

In the meantime, I'd like to nominate the US Education Department for total elimination. Do you know how many jazzmen we could resettle with that pile of loot?


President Bush on Friday ruled out raising taxes to pay for Gulf Coast reconstruction, saying other government spending must be cut. "You bet it will cost money, but I'm confident we can handle it," he said.

"It's going to cost whatever it's going to cost, and we're going to be wise about the money we spend," Bush said a day after laying out an expensive plan for rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast without spelling out how he would pay for it.

Katrina conundrum.

Many uprooted New Orleans residents won't return
Fewer than half of evacuees in Houston will leave
--Washington Post


Police in Houston find misuse of FEMA's $2,000 debit cards
Storm-relief money spent at strip clubs
--WND

Why wouldn't they go back? New Orleans has some of the finest nudie bars around.

From The Death Of The West Department:

CALLING ALL STICKPINS:

A press release yesterday advertises photographer Elena Dorfman's new book, "Still Lovers." Sounds promising, but then you read that Ms. Dorfman's artistic goal is to "explore the complex relationship between life-sized, synthetic sex dolls and their owners." Still interested?

Mary Richards needs a gat....

...or, Lou Grant, call your office.

There Oughta Be a Law

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

As police released more details about the shooting of a Qwest Communications worker in north Minneapolis, they also spoke about its repercussions within the community.

An unwritten rule against harming people whose work brings them into different parts of the city was broken when the telephone repairman was shot as he did his job, Assistant Minneapolis Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday.

"If that line starts to be crossed, the quality of life here is going to be seriously affected," he said.

Shooting a telephone repairman in Minnesota breaks "an unwritten rule"? In some states it would actually be against the law.

Mommy, who was Cindy Sheehan?

U.S. Out of New Orleans!

Forgotten but not gone, mad mama Cindy Sheehan is still ranting away over at the Fluffington Toast in hope of defying Andy Warhol and scoring a 16th minute of fame. In her latest post, she declares, "George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self [sic] from power."

Mrs. Sheehan, originally a sympathetic figure, is now merely a pathetic one, and we're inclined to ignore her totally, except that we keep remembering all those Angry Left types who, a few short weeks ago, were declaring that she had "absolute moral authority" and was going to transform American politics. If thinking about that doesn't give you a good, deep, soul-cleansing laugh, nothing will.

Give that man a camera and a microphone!

James Taranto and the Best of the Web Today crew find a story about a guy who must be some kind of major league crackpot if my tv news is to be believed.

Katherine Kersten, a columnist for the left-wing Minneapolis Star Tribune, reports on the experience of Jim Lodoen, a local lawyer who went to Houston to visit his sick mom and ended up spending a week volunteering at the Astrodome, and who has a similar story to tell:

Lodoen circulated among residents' cots, striking up conversations. "Everyone has lost their possessions, their jobs, many friends and perhaps some family. No one knows what tomorrow holds."

But to his surprise, he saw no resentment. People were eager to talk, he says--not about grievance, but about hope and gratitude.

He met a family that had slept in stadium seats for four nights. "I said, 'That must have been terrible.' 'Oh, no,' the woman said. Instead of focusing on what they lacked, they were deeply thankful for what they had: food, lights, a roof, each other." . . .

Back at his mother's hospital room, Lodoen saw television reporters interviewing victims who appeared angry and indignant. "I thought, 'Where are they coming up with these people? I'm not seeing them.' "

He was also shocked at the shrill finger-pointing on the news. "All around us, politicians are focused on the blame game. Yet the victims themselves are blaming no one. I didn't hear one complaint. In fact, I was overwhelmed by the love, faith, determination and compassion that everyone shared." (Emphasis mine.)

Elections to watch on Sunday. (During times out and at halftime, of course.)

Afghanistan Readies for Next Step Along Path to Democracy

The people of Afghanistan go to the polls this weekend to cement a transition towards full democracy that began when U.S.-led forces set out to topple the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime almost four years ago.

Around 12 million Afghans are registered to vote for representatives for the national parliament and provincial assemblies. They will choose from some 5,800 hopefuls - including nearly 600 female candidates in a country notorious in the past for repressing and marginalizing women.

More than one quarter of the 249 seats up for grabs in the lower house of parliament (the People's Council or Wolesi Jirga) are earmarked for women.

With a majority of Afghans illiterate, ballot slips will bear the photograph, name and a unique symbol chosen by each candidate - anything from a pair of scissors to two mobile phones to a bunch of grapes - to make identifying choices easier.

Sunday's poll follows a presidential election last October, won by the former interim leader, Hamid Karzai. That was Afghanistan's first election in 40 years; this is its second.


Will Germany's Turks Pick the Next Chancellor?

More than a half-million German-Turkish voters are eligible to go to the polls in federal elections this weekend. They overwhelmingly support the Social Democrats, and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has put Turkish voters at the front of his campaign this week.

This week, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder paid a visit to the editorial offices and printing plant of the Dogan Media Group, the German arm of Turkey's largest media conglomerate. That might not sound like an obvious place to give a stump speech, but in his efforts to court the country's more than half-million Turkish-German voters, Schröder's pitstop in Mörfelden-Walldorf near Frankfurt on Tuesday was essential.


Final push from German contenders

Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), lead Schroeder's Social Democratic Party (SPD) in opinion polls.

Those numbers put Merkel on course to become Germany's first woman chancellor and the first to have grown up in the former communist east.

But an estimated 15-25 percent of voters are still undecided, and it was unclear if Merkel would be able to create a center-right coalition with her preferred ally, the Free Democrats (FDP), or be forced to form a "grand coalition" with the SPD.

Fyodor on business etiquette.

This is for all you pinheads out there who treat clients, vendors, business partners, et cetera, like necessary evils you must endure as they interrupt your busy day:

THESE PEOPLE WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR BUSINESS! MAYBE NOT TODAY OR NEXT WEEK, BUT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER!

As a business professional myself, I suggest you give the ol' Golden Rule a serious try.

Fyodor's Pro Football Picks of the Week

1) The guys who set the spreads are professionals. Their job is to make each game look as attractive as possible to everyone. That way they even out the amount of money bet on each side.
Instant translation: The house wins no matter who wins. That's why people get into the gambling business.

2) I am just a fan. I won't even keep track of these picks week to week if it gets too embarrassing.

3) There is no such thing as "inside information". Especially in the pros.

4) If those idiot touts on tv and in the paper were that good, they wouldn't go public with their genius. They'd sit at Harrah's sports book from open to close and then go out and buy $2,000 an hour hookers who dress like high school girls.

5) Gambling is stupid. You cannot win.

That being said, here are my NFL picks for this week.



Sunday 9/18


Baltimore (-3.5) at Tennessee
Let us begin with the Crappy NFL Game of the Week. I'm guessing McNair does enough for the Titans to win at home. (But the points might come in handy.)
FINAL: Tennessee 25 Baltimore 10 - Fyodor wins! (McNair don't need no stinking points!)


Pittsburgh (-6) at Houston
Roethlisberger has a banged up knee. Look for Willie Parker to save the day. Take the Steelers to cover.
FINAL: Pittsburgh 27 Houston 7 - Fyodor wins! (This makes all the losses below palatable.)



Jacksonville (+9) at Indianapolis
Take Indy to cover.
FINAL: Indy 10 Jacksonville 3 - Fyodor loses! (What's wrong with the Colts' offense? I don't know about the Jag's D, but Baltimore's is weak. BTW, Byron Leftwich is the toughest QB in the league.)


Detroit (-1) at Chicago
Why is this line so small? The Lions are actually good. It's a gift, right? Darn right! Take the Lions.
FINAL: Chicago 38 (!) Detroit 6 - Fyodor loses! (That's why they call it gambling.)

Minnesota (+3) at Cincinnati
Bengals have a running game. What happened to Minnesota's? Take Cincinnati.
FINAL: Cincinnati 37 Minnesota 8 - Fyodor wins! (Look out Steelers, the Bengals look good. Is Minnesota really this bad?)

San Francisco (NO LINE) at Philadelphia
McNabb says he'll play, but the wiseguys aren't sure. I'll say Eagles by 3.
FINAL: Philadelphia 42 San Francisco 3 (A 13 point line appeared on Saturday. I'd like to think I'd have gone with the Eagles, but it doesn't really matter.)


Buffalo (+2.5) at Tampa Bay
Buffalo has a ground game and a good defense. If Losman doesn't turn it over, the Bills win outright.
FINAL: Tampa Bay 19 Buffalo 3 - Fyodor loses! (Bucs have Cadillac Williams and a good defense.)


New England (-3) at Carolina
Patriots cover easily.
FINAL: Carolina 27 New England 17 - Fyodor loses! (Bad news: Carolina covers easily. Good news: Pats seem ripe for the picking next week, Steelers.)

Atlanta (EVEN) at Seattle
Atlanta's tougher. They win.
FINAL: Seattle 21 Atlanta 18 - Fyodor loses! (Notice how the guys who didn't play much in preseason are cramping up all the time?)


St. Louis (EVEN) at Arizona
I hate picking Arizona, but the Rams looked bad last week. Go with the homestanding Cardinals.
FINAL: St. Louis 17 Arizona 12 - Fyodor loses! (I really hate picking Arizona.)

Miami (+6) at NY Jets
The Jets are favored over the Dolphins after what happened last week? I must take Miami although my Spidey senses are tingling, kiddies.
FINAL: Jets 17 Miami 7 - Fyodor loses! (Memo To Self: Always listen to your Spidey senses.)


Cleveland (+6.5) at Green Bay
Packers are not very good and the Browns are getting better. I'll take Cleveland and the points.
FINAL: Cleveland 26 Green Bay 24 - Fyodor wins! (Green Bay should not be favored often this season.)


San Diego (+3) at Denver
Chargers need to bounce back. They won't need those 3 points, but I'll take 'em anyway.
FINAL: Denver 20 San Diego 17 - PUSH! (Whew!)


Kansas City (-1) at Oakland
Take Oakland at home. Please excuse me while I vomit.
FINAL: Kansas City 23 Oakland 17 - Fyodor loses! (Painless betting loss. Any Raider lossis a win for me.)


Monday 9/19



Washington (+6) at Dallas
I think Dallas should be a bigger favorite, so I'll pick them to cover. But there is something funny with this one, kiddies.
FINAL: Washington 14 Dallas 13 - Fyodor loses! (Not funny, "ha-ha", but funny, strange.)


New Orleans (+6) at NY Giants
Take all the money you were going to bet this weekend and send it to Catholic Relief Services for Hurricance Katrina relief.

And take the Saints.

FINAL: Giants 27 Saints 10 - Fyodor loses! (That's why they call it gambling.)

Fyodor's College Football Picks of the Week

1) The guys who set the spreads are professionals. Their job is to make each game look as attractive as possible to everyone. That way they even out the amount of money bet on each side.
Instant translation: The house wins no matter who wins. That's why people get into the gambling business.

2) I am just a fan. I won't even keep track of these picks week to week if it gets too embarrassing.

3) There is no such thing as "inside information". Especially in the pros.

4) If those idiot touts on tv and in the paper were that good, they wouldn't go public with their genius. They'd sit at Harrah's sports book from open to close and then go out and buy $2,000 an hour hookers who dress like high school girls.

5) Gambling is stupid. You cannot win.

That being said, here are my college picks for this week.


Saturday 9/17

Virginia (- 7.5) at Syracuse
Syracuse improving, but not enough. Take Virginia to cover.
FINAL: Virginia 27 Syracuse 24 - Fyodor loses! (More Syracuse improvement than expected.


Oregon State (+ 13.5) at Louisville
Louisville should win by at least two touchdowns.
FINAL: Louisville 63 Oregon State 27 - Fyodor wins!


West Virginia (+3) at Maryland
WVU wins outright. Take the Mountaineers.
FINAL: West Virginia 31 Maryland 19 - Fyodor wins!


SMU (+28.5) at Texas A&M
SMUstangs stink. Take A&M to cover the big number.
FINAL: Texas A&M 66 SMU 8 - Fyodor wins!


Mississippi (+2.5) at Vanderbilt
Here's something you don't hear every day: Take Vandy to cover.
FINAL: Vanderbilt 31 Mississippi 23 - Fyodor wins! (Not bad for the nearly blind guy from F-Troop.)


Central Michigan (+21.5) at Penn State
Two of CMU's (not Carnegie Mellon, kiddies) players were expelled for murder, including the leading rusher. Take the Nittany Lions to cover.
FINAL: Penn State 40 Central Michigan 3 - Fyodor wins!


Ball State (+36) at Auburn
I will ride the train wreck that is Ball State until I learn my lesson. Take Auburn.
FINAL: Auburn 63 Ball State 3 - Fyodor wins!


Florida State (-1) at Boston College
FSU has been under-whelming. Big home game for BC, who will win the game.
FINAL: Florida State 28 Boston College 17 - Fyodor loses! (Bet with your head, not your heart.)


Michigan State (+6.5) at Notre Dame
Spartans always play tough against the Irish. This is no exception. ND wins, but does not cover. Take Michigan State and the points.
FINAL: Michigan State 44 Notre Dame 41 - Fyodor wins! (A joyless betting victory. Where's the defense, Charlie?)

Oklahoma (+6.5) at UCLA
Oklahoma is all messed up. UCLA beat up on Rice. Stay away from this one if you can, kiddies. My gut says UCLA covers.
FINAL: UCLA 41 Oklahoma 24 - Fyodor wins! (Thanks to my gut for the heads up.)

Pittsburgh (+10) at Nebraska
My Crappy College Game of the Week. Nebraska covers easily, maybe by 21.
FINAL: Nebraska 7 Pitt 6 - Fyodor loses! (Even crappier than imagined, but with an exciting, wacky finish.)


Alabama (-2) at South Carolina
South Carolina makes the home fans happy. Take the Gamecocks over the Tide.
FINAL: Alabama 37 South Carolina 14 - Fyodor loses! (What was I thinking? Hey Spurrier, get some decent linemen!)



Ohio (+ 33.5) at Virginia Tech
Ohio is not as good as some think. Virginia Tech will cover this spread.
FINAL: Virginia Tech 45 Ohio 0 - Fyodor wins!



Illinois (+21.5) at California
My new system: Go against the Big 11 whenever possible. California all the way, baby.
FINAL: California 35 Illinois 20 - Fyodor loses! (Say what you want about me, but never speak ill of the system.)


Kentucky (+2.5) at Indiana
Hunch of the Week: Kentucky wins outright.
FINAL: Indiana 38 Kentucky 14 - Fyodor loses! (Memo To Self: Hunches suck!)


Connecticut (+15) at Georgia Tech
The Huskies are ready to play with the big boys, but they aren't ready to cover the spread. Take Georgia Tech.
FINAL: Georgia Tech 28 Connecticut 13 - PUSH! (Maybe UConn is ready.)


Miami (-7) at Clemson
Clemson is good, Miami is iffy. 'Canes win the game, but Clemson keeps it under 7.
FINAL: Miami 36 Clemson 30 - Fyodor wins! (Game of the week.)


Tennessee (+6.5) at Florida
This could be the best game of the week. Then again, Tennessee may not show up. Take Florida to cover.
FINAL: Florida 16 Tennessee 7 - Fyodor wins! (Fulmer!)


Purdue (-7.5) at Arizona
My Big 11 System says pick Arizona. They should win by at least 17.
FINAL: Purdue 31 Arizona 24 - Fyodor loses! (Memo To Self: The system stinks.)

Catholic Charities: Helping you help your neighbor in times of need.

As time passes, the memory of this disaster will fade for those of us fortunate enough to live outside the devastated areas, but recovery and restoration will take years.

News
09/13/2005 — Florida Dioceses Adopt Mississippi Dioceses to Provide Relief Dealing With Katrina
09/12/2005 — Catholic Charities of New Orleans Distributing 400,000 Pounds of Food Daily; Providing Counseling and Support to New Orleans Fireman and Policeman
09/11/2005 — Papal Envoy Arrives in Baton Rouge to Bring Spiritual Relief to Recovery Worker and Victims; Meets With President of Catholic Charities USA
More news...


Local Agency Recovery Efforts

Catholic Charities agencies from around the affected region and well beyond are actively responding to those in need. Catholic Charities agencies are working to meet the immediate needs of evacuees, as well as planning their long-term recovery efforts. Click here to read a snapshot of some of these efforts.

Catholic Charities agencies from across the country are already working to meet the immediate needs of evacuees that have come into their communities, as well as planning to provide assistance for the long-term needs of the victims. Catholic Charities USA is collecting financial donations to fund these local Catholic Charities agencies’ emergency and long-term disaster recovery efforts. Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country. Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts. Learn more about these local efforts.

How you can help:

Unfortunately, Catholic Charities USA is unable to accept contributions of food, clothing, blankets and other relief supplies. Monetary donations will be used to provide for the emergency relief and long-term recovery of Katrina's victims. Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country. Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts.

About the Disaster Response Office

Catholic Charities USA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church's social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

Those folks on the Gulf Coast are our neighbors. You know what to do.

First, last, and always, PRAY. Pray for the survivors. Pray for the repose of the souls of those killed by Hurricane Katrina. Pray for the families and friends. Pray for the relief workers, the cops, the firemen, the troops, and the technicians. Pray for the volunteers.

It is time to step up once again, kiddies. "Do unto others", "I was naked and you clothed me", et cetera.

Catholic Relief Services is on the job. The absolute best of crisis charities needs money now.

Mail Checks To:

Catholic Charities USA
Hurricane Katrina
PO Box 25168
Alexandria, VA 22313-9788

Call:(800) 919-9338

Contribute Now Online


Agencies Impacted:
Catholic Charities of Miami
Catholic Charities of New Orleans
Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge
Catholic Social Services of Houma-Thibodaux
Catholic Social and Community Services of Biloxi, MS
Catholic Charities of Jackson, MS
Catholic Social Services of Mobile, AL

And, as always, give generously to the special collections for hurricance disaster relief in your local parish.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today we honor St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian, who were priests, bishops, martyrs, and great saints of the early Church. Cornelius was also Pope. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.

Today's reading is 2 Corinthians 4:7-15.
Today's Gospel reading is John 17:11-19.


Everyday links:

The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Rosary
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Prayers from EWTN
National Coalition of Clergy and Laity (dedicated to action for a genuine Catholic Restoration)
The Catholic Calendar Page for Today


Just in case you are wondering what exactly Catholics believe, here is

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.


Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession,was left unaided.Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.


St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, pray for us.


Prayer to Saint Anthony, Martyr of Desire

Dear St. Anthony, you became a Franciscan with the hope of shedding your blood for Christ. In God's plan for you, your thirst for martyrdom was never to be satisfied. St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire, pray that I may become less afraid to stand up and be counted as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Intercede also for my other intentions. (Name them.)


PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine power, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

I can almost hear the mullahs' knees knocking.

France warns Iran of U.N. referral

Darrell, Darrell, Darrell...

...If you are going to let the moral spinelessness of the Repansycans get to you, you'll give yourself agita. (Just one more comment and you will be an official Friend of the Blog. Sorry, you won't win anything.)


Darrell said...

The only thing that bugs me more than the media's oooh'ing and aaah'ing about this is that Jerry, who I support, didn't just come out and say it. As a Virginian, I am certain he'd have actually benefited from doing so.


I think the most important thing is to severely limit the amount of power available to all politicians and would-be politicians. You can't do much evil if you can't do much.

Q: When is a scoop not a scoop?

A: When it appears in the NYT or Washington's other newspaper.

I promise you this will get nothing but yawns all over the world. In journalism schools it will be taught as an example of genius.

When The New York Times on July 16 broke the story of a 2003 State Department memo that had become a key element in the Valerie Plame leak investigation, the paper scored a major exclusive. But when The Washington Post hit newsstands that very same Saturday, it had its own version of the same story. It even credited the Times for the same-day scoop.

Welcome to life under the Washington Post-New York Times swap. As part of a secret arrangement formed more than 10 years ago, the Post and Times send each other copies of their next day's front pages every night. The formal sharing began as a courtesy between Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. and former Times Executive Editor Joseph Lelyveld in the early 1990s and has continued ever since.

"It seemed logical, because for years we would always try to get a copy of each other's papers as soon as they came out," Downie tells E&P. "It made sense to both of us to make it simpler for everybody." Lelyveld, who left the Times in 2001, declined comment. (Thanks to Editor & Publisher for the heads up.)

Do you think the reporters get paid twice?

Raymond Arroyo, Mother Angelica, EWTN, and the hand of God.

Raymond Arroyo, a TV journalist whose work writing a book about an extraordinary nun helped spur him to evacuate his home and business in New Orleans just before Katrina hit, will be the guest host today on "Farah Live," the nationally syndicated talk program.

Arroyo, news director of EWTN, a global Catholic television network, says he heard God specifically prompting him to take his family, including his 10-day-old daughter, to safety in Alabama the day before Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, resulting in the flooding of New Orleans. The journalist says he had the faith to heed the warning he sensed due to the inspiration of Mother Angelica, a Catholic nun who built a television and radio network that reaches into more than 100 million households around the world. Arroyo's book, "Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles," was released last week.

Besides Arroyo's suburban home being flooded, his family's restaurant, an Italian establishment that's been operating in the Big Easy for 50 years, was also submerged. (Thanks to WorldNetDaily for the heads up.)

Matt Drudge threatens N.Y. Times; E-journalist considers booting paper's columnists over new reading fees.

Why, it's an outrage! How dare they! This is nothing short of a declaration of war by Big Media on the free flow of information!

Online journalist Matt Drudge is threatening to boot New York Times columnists from his popular website, the Drudge Report, now that the Times' website has announced it will begin charging a fee.

Matt Drudge of 'The Drudge Report' on the Fox News Channel
"I will yank the Times scribes if I can't find other outlets that are planning to carry them," Drudge told the New York Post. "The Internet is losing its innocence."

Damn right, Matt! Go get 'em!

Beginning Monday, the New York Times will charge $49.95 per year or $7.95 per month for online readers to access 22 columnists including Maureen Dowd, Paul Krugman and Frank Rich.

Sorry, kiddies. I've been punk'd. Nobody would pay to read that crap.

Hubble Beholds Homeless Black Hole.

The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted a supermassive black hole seemingly without a host galaxy, European scientists reported yesterday.
Black holes, which absorb everything around it including light, mostly lurk at the heart of massive galaxies. But Hubble found a black hole that appears homeless, the scientists reported in the journal Nature.

This particular black hole, some 5 billion light years away, was discovered when a team of European scientists were hunting for quasars that are strongly associated with black holes. Quasars are extremely bright and small, presumed to be produced by cosmic gas as it is drawn toward the edge of a supermassive black hole.

Most quasars and black holes are in the middle of supermassive galaxies. The scientists studied 20 quasars and found all but one followed this pattern.

They used the Hubble telescope and the Very Large Telescope in Chile to compare the quasars they studied with a reference star in order not to miss any galaxy surrounding the quasars. Quasars are so bright that they can outshine most galaxies around them to make the detection of galaxies difficult. (Thanks to TechNewsWorld for the heads up.)

Steelers update.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:


Staley says leave Parker in there
Duce Staley hopped aboard the Willie Parker train last Sunday -- and he has no immediate intentions of jumping off.

Ward anxious to get more passes thrown his way
"We won, that's all that counted," he said.

A perennial Pro Bowl receiver who's averaged 95 catches the past four seasons, Ward had two receptions for 25 yards in the opener. He smiled when asked if he needed a little more action.

"Of course, all wide receivers want to catch all the balls," Ward said. "But the game plan that day was for us to go out and run the ball. I only had two attempts, so I made the most of it."

The Steelers' run-to-pass total vs. the Titans was 41 to 11. It marked the fewest number of passes attempted by the team in 28 years. Their top three receivers - Ward, Antwaan Randle El and Cedrick Wilson - tied for the team lead with two receptions each Sunday.


Notebook: Roethlisberger rests knee
+Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out of practice Wednesday to rest his injured right knee. Coach Bill Cowher described the injury as a bone bruise a day earlier. Roethlisberger sat on a water-cooler with ice wrapped around the knee while Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch handled quarterback duties. Roethlisberger remained probable (75 percent) for Sunday's game in Houston, based on the post-practice injury report. Prior to the workout, Roethlisberger was asked about his knee. "It's OK," he said. "You gotta talk to coach Cowher."

+Running back Jerome Bettis (calf) did not practice yesterday and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game in Houston. RB Duce Staley (knee) practiced and moved well. He is listed as questionable. Eight other players remain probable: LG Alan Faneca (quadriceps); LB Clark Haggans (groin); LB Joey Porter (knee); Roethlisberger (knee); LT Marvel Smit h (knee); RT Max Starks (ankle); WR Hines Ward (back); and CB Willie Williams (groin).

+Wide receiver Nate Washington , who was cut Tuesday so the Steelers could place Batch on the 53-man roster, was re-signed to the practice squad yesterday. Washington led the Steelers in receiving in the preseason and seemed like a possible option as the fourth receiver before the club signed Quincy Morgan days before the opener.

+Ike Taylor might have supplanted Willie Williams at cornerback. Taylor, who was praised by Cowher for his effort in the opener, ran with the first team during yesterday's workout. Williams was de-activated for the opener due to a groin injury and Taylor started in his place. "If they decide to keep Ike out there, that's fine with me," Williams said. "I've been around for 13 years and have been blessed to play that many years. And whatever I can do to help this team win games, then, hey, I'm fine. I don't have time to go around crying about the decision." Williams said. Asked if he'll play this Sunday, Williams wasn't certain. "I don't know. I'm just approaching it as if I'm going to be on the field, but the decision is made by the head man, and I have to live with it and just go on my merry way, because I don't have time to walk around here moping and groping because I'm not playing."

+Third-team QB Charlie Batch was re-signed Monday, but there is always the possibility of getting cut again. Should he get cut again, Batch has the option of seeking employment elsewhere in the NFL. "That's also a possibility," Batch said. "To sit here and tell you how things are going to be like in the future, I am day-by-day."

+Rookie LB Frazier talked about his first NFL sack in the opener, which led to a fumble. "It was shocking," he said. "It just happened so quickly. I really dint know if it was a sack or not. I didn't know if he had thrown the ball, but everybody started congratulating me so it was cool."

From The Truth In Advertising Department:

No Kidding!

The Seattle Medical and Wellness Clinic's Web site advertises "abortion services" from "women physicians only" (is that legal?). It goes on:

Our clinic environment is:

*individual oriented
*very secure, without protesters
*warm
*comfortable
*in a large medical building
*children free

Whoa, hold it right there! Isn't an abortion clinic "children free" by definition?

Alan Dershowitz is still with us?

This howler from Best of the Web Today implies as much. Still, I had better check it out, kiddies.

A Chief Justice Is Born

There are many theories about when life begins: Some say at conception, others at "quickening," and still others at birth. Some even think life begins at 40. But Alan Dershowitz, Harvard's most socially rough-edged law professor, goes even further. To his mind, according to the Harvard Crimson, life doesn't begin until sometime after the 206th trimester of pregnancy:

In a stab at the 50-year-old [John] Roberts, who, if confirmed, will be the youngest chief justice in 200 years, Dershowitz said, "Today, they're trying to nominate fetuses in the hope that they will be kept alive like [Terri] Schiavo."

Before embellishing jokes from the Onion, Dershowitz should check his facts. Terri Schiavo was not kept alive; she was aborted in the 169th trimester, even though that was not her mother's choice.

Maybe Dersh is trying to put political pressure on Roberts to recuse himself from abortion cases. Yet in that case, is any justice free of conflicts of interest? Even John Paul Stevens, though now in his 345th trimester and thus presumably a full person even by the Dershowitz standard, is a former fetus, right?

Alive? Coulda fooled me.

Iran's president said his country is willing to provide other Islamic nations with nuclear technology.

There is plenty of room in Gaza for a nuclear weapons facility.

The good news? It is close to Israeli air bases.

The Repansycan crackup continues apace.

Think these guys are you friends? Think Tom DeLay is a conservative? Think your beliefs are moronic? Think much at all, kiddies?

DeLay declares 'victory' in war on budget fat

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.

Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans' choice to borrow money and add to this year's expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn't seem possible.

"My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.

Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good."

Congress has passed two hurricane relief bills totaling $62.3 billion, all of which will be added to the deficit.

Republican leaders have been under pressure from conservative members and outside watchdog groups to find ways to pay for the Katrina relief. Some Republicans wanted to offer an amendment, including cuts, to pay for hurricane spending but were denied the chance under procedural rules.

Spokesman for GOP Rep. Don Young Calls Proposal to Give-Up Transportation Pork to Cover Katrina Relief 'Moronic'

Some guys will never get it.

Name two types of people who would torture and kill a writer like Salman Rushdie.

No fair peeking at the article below.

The man who is very likely the most famous novelist in the world made it clear last week that he has not changed his favorable opinion of two decades ago about the former Marxist-Leninist regime in Nicaragua. In an on-line response to a query from HUMAN EVENTS' John Gizzi, Salman Rushdie--best known for the $5 million bounty placed on his head by the Ayatollah Khomeni in 1989--wrote that "I haven't changed my mind about the Sandanistas of those days, the mid-1980's."

From his London home, Rushdie went on to denounce the Reagan Administration's efforts to upend the regime of President Daniel Ortega, who was later defeated for re-election and has since lost two comeback attempts at the polls. "It would have been easy to make Nicaragua an ally of the U.S.," Rushdie wrote Gizzi, "the decision to smash it instead was one I oppose then and still do." (Thanks to Human Events Online for the heads up.)

Memo To My Fellow Catholics: This is how we know we are right.

I've been saying it for decades: The perversion that manifests itself as anti-Catholicism is the only publicly acceptable prejudice in the good ol' USA.

Still don't believe me, do you? Notice how Holy Mother Church is attacked by both sides of the establishment aisle. What is the common denominator? Modernity is rationalized sexual misbehavior.

Check it out for yourself, kiddies. What do Newt Gingrich, Ronald Reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Ted Kennedy, and Barney Frank have in common?

They should be ashamed. We should be ashamed. We have not progressed much in 45 years it seems, and we appear to be traveling in the wrong direction.

Article VI of the Constitution prohibits a religious test from being imposed on nominees to public office. The clause was motivated by the experience of Catholics in the Maryland colony and Baptists in Virginia who had been the targets of Great Britain's two Test Acts. These infamous laws of intolerance sought to prevent anyone who did not belong to the Church of England from holding public office. The Test Acts did not say that Catholics could not hold office; the bigotry was more subtle. Officials questioned would-be public servants to determine whether they believed in particular tenets of the Catholic faith.

While questioning John Roberts on Tuesday, Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter asked: "Would you say that your views are the same as those expressed by John Kennedy when he was a candidate, and he spoke to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in September of 1960: 'I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.' "

This is about Catholicism, not John Roberts. We'll never know what kind of Catholic he is, though we will be able to make some educated guesses. We'll find out soon enough what kind of judge he is.

Hours later, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California made it worse: "In 1960, there was much debate about President John F. Kennedy's faith and what role Catholicism would play in his administration. At that time, he pledged to address the issues of conscience out of a focus on the national interests, not out of adherence to the dictates of one's religion. . . . My question is: Do you?"

How insulting. How offensive. How invidiously ignorant to question someone like Judge Roberts with such apparent presumption and disdain for the religion he practices. The JFK question is not just the camel's nose of religious intolerance; it is the whole smelly camel.

Outrage over this line of questioning was ecumenical. In his new blog, Jewdicious.blogspot.com, Jeff Ballabon of the Center for Jewish Values posted this from the Senate's hallways:

I mean how grotesque is it that the Left feels free to indulge openly in half-century-old religious prejudice? This is not some crazy person standing outside with a rusty hanger--it is a United States Senator in her official capacity on national television. And this is no off-the-cuff blurt--these questions are excruciatingly researched and drafted and worded and reviewed and approved and choreographed by teams of liberal lawyers and advisors both on her staff and off. She--the senator who keeps harping at this hearing that her concern is the protection of people of faith--thinks an obnoxious question born of religious bigotry is legitimate because it was posed in 1960?

Non-Catholic Christians also spoke up. Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America issued this statement:

It is precisely this kind of anti-Christian religious litmus test that many Americans find deeply offensive. . . . Feinstein is dipping her toe into the very ugly, muddy waters of religious bigotry. America's Founding Fathers considered religious beliefs to be an asset, even essential to public officeholders. Sadly, Sen. Feinstein apparently believes the opposite of those wise men to whom we owe gratitude for our free and strong country.

Catholic leaders were stunned. Austin Ruse of the Culture of Life Foundation:

Senator Feinstein invoked those terrible debates in America about whether Catholics could have a role in the public square. Apparently Senator Feinstein agrees with those who feared faithful Catholics in public office. Senator Feinstein's questioning is an unconscionable dredging up of a dark time in America. . . . She owes Judge Roberts and all Americans an apology.

By Wednesday morning, the Catholic League's Bill Donohue and the Catholic think tank Fidelis reacted also, and to their credit took both the Republican and the Democrat to task. Mr. Donohue, the feisty veteran, called the two senators' questions a "dirty road" and a "disgrace." Fidelis's president, Joe Cella, wrote the two senators thoughtfully worded letters asking for their apology and to refrain from further offense. But Mr. Cella drew distinctions:

Of the two Senators remarks, Senator Feinstein's were the most disturbing because she referred to the Catholic faith as 'dictates.' It shows her callous insensitivity and ignorance of the teachings of the Catholic faith. Forty-five years since JFK faced similar questions about his Catholic faith, we continue to have Senators asking questions about the apparent conflict between their Catholic faith and public service in this country. It is unfortunate that the issue of his religious faith arose. This question has no place or bearing on his confirmation.

The JFK question has no place in a Senate confirmation process. The Constitution says so. As I noted in an earlier column new secularist bigotry has found a home in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I was not the first to say so. In July 2003, the Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, reacted to the growing evidence of a religious test in the Senate: "Many people already believe that a new kind of religious discrimination is very welcome at the Capitol, even among elected officials who claim to be Catholic. Some things change, and some things don't. The bias against 'papism' is alive and well in America. It just has a different address."

Catholic archbishop's voice in politics is a rare enough thing, but it was not alone. Representing more than 1,000 synagogues, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations wrote this letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee a few days earlier:

"As a community of religious believers committed to full engagement with modern American society, we are deeply troubled by those who have implied that a person of faith cannot serve in a high level government post that may raise issues at odds with his or her personal beliefs."

Now, two years later, the situation is worse. Anti-Semitism marred the confirmation battles of associate justices Abe Fortas, Louis Brandeis, and Benjamin Cardozo, but it was unpronounced and hidden. John Roberts will be only the 11th Catholic (out of 109 justices) to serve on the Supreme Court in its 215-year history. But his confirmation may be a historic first. It marks the introduction, on the record, of a constitutionally prohibited religious test for a Supreme Court nominee. We are going in the wrong direction.

Mr. Miranda, former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, is founder and chairman of the Third Branch Conference, a coalition of grassroots organizations following judicial issues. His column will appear daily during the Roberts hearings.

Triumph of the Sissified.

Michelle Malkin (at Townhall.com) grabs us by the collar and smacks us around in a futile attempt to get us to realize we can't remember our heroes properly (much less win a war against suicidal goat rapists) because we're all a bunch of teenage girls.

I remind you of all this because the official Flight 93 memorial unveiled last week is now embroiled in overdue public controversy. Funded with a mix of public money and private cash (including a $500,000 grant from Teresa Heinz's far-left Heinz Endowments), the winning design, titled the "Crescent of Embrace," (WTF??? - F.G.) features a grove of maple trees ringing the crash site in the shape of an unmistakable red crescent. The crescent, New York University Middle East Studies professor Bernard Haykel told the Johnstown, Pa., Tribune-Democrat, "is the symbol of ritual and religious life for Muslims."

Some design contest jury members reportedly raised concerns about the jarring symbol of the hijackers' faith implanted on the hallowed ground where the passengers of Flight 93 were murdered. But their recommendations to change the name of the memorial (to "Arc of Embrace," or some such whitewashing) were ignored. Memorial architect Paul Murdoch, whose firm emphasizes "environmental responsibility and sustainability," did not return calls and e-mails seeking comment, but he did emphasize to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that his creation was about "healing" and "contemplation." He is also proud of his idea to hang a bunch of wind chimes in a tall tower at the site as a "gesture of healing and bonding."

Wind chimes? Hey, why not add pinwheels and smiley face stickers and Care Bears while we're at it, too?

We might as well put Liberace on it too.

Let's set aside the utter boneheaded-ness of using a symbol that, inadvertently or not, commemorates the killers' faith instead of the victims' revolt. The soft-and-fuzzy memorial design of "Crescent of Embrace" still does injustice to the steely courage of Flight 93's passengers and crew. It evokes the defeatism embodied by those behind a similar move to turn the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero in New York City into a pacifist guilt complex.

This is no way to fight a war. Or to remember those who have died fighting it.

A proper war memorial stirs to anger and action. We all remember passenger Todd Beamer's last heard words as he and his fellow Americans prepared to take back the plane from al Qaeda's killers, don't we?

No, the phrase wasn't "Let's meditate." It was "Let's roll."

(View the memorial design at http://www.flight93memorialproject.org/. Voice your concerns by e-mailing FLNI_Superintendent@nps.gov.)

This nonsense all started with the Viet Scam Big Black Scar, which is what convinced me this country will never win another war. Ever.

I propose a mortorium on all memorials be imposed until we learn how to design and build them like the men we claim to be.

Ann Coulter tries to educate a senile old gray lady.

It would be a lot of fun to watch liberals going through their "Howard Dean phase" right now, except liberal hysteria always frightens Bush. Instead of poking them through the iron bars of their cages with a stick like a normal person would, Bush soothes them with food pellets and reassuring words. What fun is that?

We're winning! This is no time to concede defeat.

If Americans loved judicial activism, liberals wouldn't be lying about what it is. Judicial activism means making up constitutional rights in order to strike down laws the justices don't like based on their personal preferences. It's not judicial activism to strike down laws because they violate the Constitution.

But liberals have recently taken to pretending judicial activism is — as The New York Times has said repeatedly — voting "to invalidate laws passed by Congress." Invalidating laws has absolutely nothing to do with "judicial activism." It depends on whether the law is unconstitutional or not. That's really the key point.

That's why we have a judicial branch, Mr. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times. It's not a make-work program for the black robe industry. It's a third branch of our government. You'll learn more about this concept next year when you're in the seventh grade, Pinch.

If Congress passed a law prohibiting speech criticizing Bush, or banning blacks from owning property, or giving foreigners the right to run for president — all those laws could be properly struck down by the Supreme Court. That's not "judicial activism," it's "judicial."

Invalidating a law that prohibits killing unborn children on the preposterous grounds that the Constitution contains an extra-double-secret right to abortion no one had noticed for 200 years — that's judicial activism. When conservative judges strike down laws, it's because of what's in the Constitution. When liberal judges strike down laws (or impose new laws, such as tax increases), it's because of what's in The New York Times. (Thanks to Human Events Online for the heads up.)

Mindless Totalitarian Cow Quote of the Day.

"Let me move to the case of the hapless toad, known more commonly as Rancho Viejo v. Norton." - Senator Thrillkill

(Thanks to the Las Vegas Sun for the transcript of the Roberts confirmation hearing.)

The Vatican sets about cleansing US seminaries.

It is about time.

Investigators appointed by the Vatican have been instructed to review each of the 229 Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States for "evidence of homosexuality" and for faculty members who dissent from church teaching, according to a document prepared to guide the process.

It is rather early in this post for a digression, but as you read the article, notice how the phrase "dissent from church teaching" magically disappears.

The Vatican document, given to The New York Times yesterday by a priest, surfaces as Catholics await a Vatican ruling on whether homosexuals should be barred from the priesthood.

Sexually active homosexuals are barred from the priesthood.

In a possible indication of the ruling's contents, the American archbishop who is supervising the seminary review said last week that "anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity or has strong homosexual inclinations," should not be admitted to a seminary.

Yes.

Edwin O'Brien, archbishop for the United States military, told The National Catholic Register that the restriction should apply even to those who have not been sexually active for a decade or more.

This is necessary. There is infinitely more at stake here than the vocations of men with disordered wills who cannot or will not conform their wills to the teaching of The Church. There are souls at stake.

American seminaries are under Vatican review as a result of the sexual abuse scandal that swept the priesthood in 2002. Church officials in the United States and Rome agreed that they wanted to take a closer look at how seminary candidates were screened for admission, and whether they were being prepared for lives of chastity and celibacy.

The issue of gay seminarians and priests has been in the spotlight because a study commissioned by the church found last year that about 80 percent of the young people victimized by priests were boys.

Experts in human sexuality have cautioned that homosexuality and attraction to children are different, and that a disproportionate percentage of boys may have been abused because priests were more likely to have access to male targets - like altar boys or junior seminarians - than to girls.

Sounds like someone is trying to rationalize mortal sins (and crimes) away.

But some church officials in the United States and in Rome, including some bishops and many conservatives, attributed the abuse to gay priests and called for an overhaul of the seminaries. Expectation for such a move rose this year with the election of Pope Benedict XVI, who has spoken of the need to "purify" the church.

It is unknown how many Catholic priests are gay. Estimates range widely, from 10 percent to 60 percent.

Let's face facts, kiddies. The Catholic priesthood is a good place for homosexuals to hide. No need to pretend to like women. Access to boys.
Remember that the vast majority of boys involved in the scandals were teenagers. Adolescent, not pre-pubescent. True pedophiles are very rare.

And let's not pretend we don't know why homosexuals like teenage boys. It's the same reason adult men lust after their daughters' girlfriends on the cheerleading squad. It's the same reason successful men dump their wives for younger women.

The catechism of the Catholic Church says people with "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies must live in chastity because "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."

Yep.

The Rev. Donald B. Cozzens, a former seminary rector who set off a controversy five years ago when he published a book asserting that "the priesthood is or is becoming a gay profession," said in an interview yesterday that many in the church had come to accept his observation.

But he said he was concerned that the seminary review would lead the church to ask celibate faculty members and seminarians to withdraw.

Again, there is infinitely more at stake here than any particular man's vocation.

There is also the duty of The Church to try to save the souls of these homosexuals. Funny, I have not heard anyone mention that. Not even the "conservatives".

Remember, kiddies, a mortal sin is a mortal sin. No "active" murderers, adulterers, or idolators should be priests or seminarians.

"That would be a major mistake from my perspective," said Father Cozzens, who teaches in the religious studies department at John Carroll University in Cleveland. "First, I think it's unfair if not unjust for committed gay seminarians and faculty who are leading chaste lives. And secondly, I don't know how you can really enforce that."

It is simple, Father. If any priest or seminarian admits to the disordered sexual attraction to other men, he must be removed.

The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a sociologist who resigned in May as editor of the Jesuit magazine America under pressure from the Vatican, said that with the shortage of priests, the church can hardly afford to dismiss gay seminarians.

That is a lie. I assume Father Reese knows the history of The Church. She thrived for centuries without "enough" priests. My guess Father Reese has a political agenda.

"You could have somebody who's been in the seminary for five or six years and is planning to be ordained and the rector knows they're a homosexual," said Father Reese, now a visiting scholar at Santa Clara University in California. "What are they going to do, throw them out?

Absolutely.

"It's much healthier if a seminarian can talk about their sexuality with a spiritual director, but this kind of policy is going to force it all underground."

Again and again and again...

Archbishop O'Brien, who is supervising the seminary review, did not respond to requests for interviews made to his office in Washington. In an interview with The Associated Press, he said the Vatican document was being reviewed by the pope and could be released this year.

The seminary review, called an apostolic visitation, will send teams appointed by the Vatican to the 229 seminaries, which have more than 4,500 students. The last such review began about 25 years ago and took six years to complete.

At each seminary, the visitors are to conduct confidential interviews with every faculty member and seminarian, as well as everyone who graduated in the last three years.

A 12-page document with instructions for the review is now being distributed to seminarians and faculty members. It asks whether the doctrine on the priesthood presented by the seminary is "solidly based on the church's Magisterium," or teaching, and whether teachers and seminarians "accept this teaching." Among the other questions are these:

"Is there a clear process for removing from the seminary faculty members who dissent from the authoritative teaching of the church or whose conduct does not provide good example to future priests?"

Yes!

"Is the seminary free from the influences of New Age and eclectic spirituality?"

Amen to that.

"Do the seminarians or faculty members have concerns about the moral life of those living in the institution? (This question must be answered)."

Perfectly reasonable.

"Is there evidence of homosexuality in the seminary? (This question must be answered)."

Good men must answer truthfully.

The questionnaire also asks whether faculty members "watch out for signs of particular friendships."

Yep.

The Rev. Thomas Baima, provost of the largest seminary in the United States, St. Mary of the Lake, in Chicago, where the Vatican is sending nine interviewers, said such questions were no surprise.

"The reason we're having an apostolic visitation now is precisely in the aftermath of the clerical sexual-abuse scandal," Father Baima said. "Issues about screening our candidates, about formation for celibacy, about how we teach moral theology are going to get more attention than how we teach church history."

But one gay priest, who said he would not give his name because he has been told by his order not to speak out, said the seminary review would demoralize gay priests.

"It says to gay priests, many of whom are hard-working, faithful men who live their promises of celibacy with integrity, that you should never have been ordained," he said. (Thanks to NYT and Drudge for the heads up.)

May God have mercy on your soul, Father.

A Repansycan grows in Virginia.

From the Boston Globe (via CNSNews.com) comes the chilling tale of a man afraid to publicly say he thinks children should not be chopped up.

Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore declined to say during a debate grilling whether he would outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court paved the way for such a law.

Kilgore, a Republican and a former attorney general, and Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine, a Democrat, clashed in a debate Tuesday. Kilgore, a steadfast abortion foe, was the object of laughter during a painful cross-examination by NBC's Tim Russert, the debate moderator.

Governor Mark R. Warner, a Democrat, is prevented by the state constitution from seeking a second consecutive term. Kilgore and Kaine are locked in a tight race to succeed him.

The host of NBC's ''Meet the Press" had explained that a US Supreme Court with new conservatives appointed by President Bush might reverse its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion. If that happens and the General Assembly passes a bill outlawing abortion except for cases of rape or incest or to save the mother's life, Russert asked Kilgore, would he sign it into law?

''My response is that's a hypothetical. You don't know what any Supreme Court in the future is going to do," Kilgore replied.

Russert then asked Kilgore whether he would veto or sign a tax increase bill if the Virginia Legislature passed one.

''I would veto it," Kilgore answered.

''That's a hypothetical question," Russert interjected, triggering laughter in the audience.

Totalitarian Ruling by a Dumbass Judge of the Day.

Honestly, one could spend all day adding names to this one. Here are the first two from CNSNews.com.

Judge Rules Against Michigan's Partial Birth Abortion Ban

Michigan's effort to outlaw partial birth abortion is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Detroit has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Denise Page Hood ruled on Monday that Michigan's Legal Birth Definition Act was confusing, vague, and placed an "undue burden" on a woman's right to choose.

"The act does not describe any specific procedure to be banned," Hood wrote. "The act also does not distinguish between induced abortion and pregnancy loss."

The law defined birth -- and the commencing of legal rights -- as the moment when any part of the baby emerges from the birth canal.

The Detroit Free Press says although the ruling was handed down Monday, the parties involved in the lawsuit did not learn about it until Wednesday.

The Michigan Catholic Conference called the ruling a setback for women, unborn children, and for the protection of innocent human life.

"Consequently, the dedicated fight to end heinous partial-birth abortions will continue. It is the sincere hope of the Michigan Catholic Conference that the attorney general will appeal Judge Hood's decision to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court," said Conference President and CEO Sister Monica Kostielney.

"The Michigan Catholic Conference disagrees with the judge's decision that the Legal Birth Definition Act presents an 'undue burden' and is unconstitutionally vague. We look forward to the Sixth Circuit Court upholding the state law...," Kostielney added.


Judge Rules Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional

A federal judge in California Wednesday ruled that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional.

The case was brought by two families represented by Michael Newdow, an atheist whose case before the U.S. Supreme Court was thrown out because it was brought on his daughter's behalf and he did not have custody of her.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton said the words "under God" violate the right of school children to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God." According to the Associated Press, Karlton said he was bound by precedent of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of Newdow in 2002.

Conservatives were quick to condemn the ruling."Today's ruling by a federal judge who sits in the 9th Circuit is yet another assault on American principles. The Founding Fathers believed that our Creator gave us certain inalienable rights," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

"The Pledge of Allegiance simply reinforces the beliefs that led to the birth of our great nation. It is an oath of our fidelity to our country, and I am disappointed that the court chose to rule against this American treasure," Hastert added.

"This is an extraordinary and blatant display of judicial activism. Judge Lawrence Karlton relied on the activist ruling of the Ninth Circuit which was rendered inoperable by the Supreme Court's ruling on this issue last year," said Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, in a statement.

"He claims it was precedent, but as an experienced judge, he knows better. Clearly, this is a ruling by a judge who is obviously an activist who legislates from the bench to enact his own agenda," added Daly.

If your children are still in government schools, you are helping to turn them into ignorant, godless, closed-minded, hate-filled fools just like Judge Karlton.

Wait a minute. This may not be a coincidence. Perhaps the plan is to reproduce leftist morons "asexually". Watch your kids carefully for warning signs like the use of the word penumbra.


Dishonorable Mention:

Roberts's testimony alarms conservatives

Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr.'s testimony about the existence of a right to privacy, the importance of respecting precedent, and the need for the Constitution to adapt to changing conditions has alarmed some rank-and-file conservatives, who are filling up Internet message boards with predictions that Roberts may turn out to be a moderate justice.

Many say they believe that Roberts's answers have shown him to be to the left of Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, whom President Bush promised to use as models in selecting new justices. Some compare Roberts to David Souter and Anthony Kennedy -- Republican appointees who proved to be moderates who supported abortion rights.

One writer on the conservative FreeRepublic.org site wrote that yesterday's questioning by Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, had ''exposed Roberts" as a moderate.

''Biden gave Roberts every opportunity to even minimally associate himself with Scalia and Thomas, and he ran away from them like he was running from a burning building -- not a good sign," the post said.

I fear this clown will turn out to be a Souter with kids.

Catholic Charities: Helping you help your neighbor in times of need.

As time passes, the memory of this disaster will fade for those of us fortunate enough to live outside the devastated areas, but recovery and restoration will take years.

News
09/13/2005 — Florida Dioceses Adopt Mississippi Dioceses to Provide Relief Dealing With Katrina
09/12/2005 — Catholic Charities of New Orleans Distributing 400,000 Pounds of Food Daily; Providing Counseling and Support to New Orleans Fireman and Policeman
09/11/2005 — Papal Envoy Arrives in Baton Rouge to Bring Spiritual Relief to Recovery Worker and Victims; Meets With President of Catholic Charities USA
More news...


Local Agency Recovery Efforts
Catholic Charities agencies from around the affected region and well beyond are actively responding to those in need. Catholic Charities agencies are working to meet the immediate needs of evacuees, as well as planning their long-term recovery efforts. Click here to read a snapshot of some of these efforts.

Catholic Charities agencies from across the country are already working to meet the immediate needs of evacuees that have come into their communities, as well as planning to provide assistance for the long-term needs of the victims. Catholic Charities USA is collecting financial donations to fund these local Catholic Charities agencies’ emergency and long-term disaster recovery efforts. Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country. Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts. Learn more about these local efforts.


How you can help:
Unfortunately, Catholic Charities USA is unable to accept contributions of food, clothing, blankets and other relief supplies. Monetary donations will be used to provide for the emergency relief and long-term recovery of Katrina's victims. Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country. Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts.


About the Disaster Response Office
Catholic Charities USA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church's social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

Those folks on the Gulf Coast are our neighbors. You know what to do.

First, last, and always, PRAY. Pray for the survivors. Pray for the repose of the souls of those killed by Hurricane Katrina. Pray for the families and friends. Pray for the relief workers, the cops, the firemen, the troops, and the technicians. Pray for the volunteers.

It is time to step up once again, kiddies. "Do unto others", "I was naked and you clothed me", et cetera.


Catholic Relief Services is on the job. The absolute best of crisis charities needs money now.

Mail Checks To:
Catholic Charities USA
Hurricane Katrina
PO Box 25168
Alexandria, VA 22313-9788

Call:(800) 919-9338

Contribute Now Online


Agencies Impacted:
Catholic Charities of Miami
Catholic Charities of New Orleans
Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge
Catholic Social Services of Houma-Thibodaux
Catholic Social and Community Services of Biloxi, MS
Catholic Charities of Jackson, MS
Catholic Social Services of Mobile, AL

And, as always, give generously to the special collections for hurricance disaster relief in your local parish.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Pray for us, Blessed Mother.

Today's reading is Hebrews 5:7-9.
Today's Gospel reading is John 19:25-27.


Everyday links:

The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Rosary
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Prayers from EWTN
National Coalition of Clergy and Laity (dedicated to action for a genuine Catholic Restoration)
The Catholic Calendar Page for Today


Just in case you are wondering what exactly Catholics believe, here is

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.


Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession,was left unaided.Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.


St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, pray for us.


Prayer to Saint Anthony, Martyr of Desire

Dear St. Anthony, you became a Franciscan with the hope of shedding your blood for Christ. In God's plan for you, your thirst for martyrdom was never to be satisfied. St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire, pray that I may become less afraid to stand up and be counted as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Intercede also for my other intentions. (Name them.)


PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine power, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Quando il primo tondo del ritrovamento il sonno di concorso del babe di notizie della televisione più caldo con i pesci?

Shelby Sheehan,



Sarah Johns, (very sexy eyes)



Margaret Brosko, (I love that smile)



and Amanda Sanchez (above and below) are the babes of KRNV in Reno.