Gratuitous Salma Hayek Photos of the Day.

Sure, she stands about five foot nothin' and her politics are (to be generous) somewhere to the left of mine, but I don't have to dance with her or listen to her.

Wow. Carl "The Untruth" Levin is still in the senate?

Donald Rumsfeld wants Dorrance Smith to be confirmed as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs--but there's a hitch. Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) has latched on to an op-ed about reporting in an age of terrorism that Mr. Smith wrote for this newspaper on April 25 and pronounced him unfit for the Pentagon job. Mr. Smith's alleged sin? To summarize Sen. Levin's complaints at an Oct. 25 grilling of the nominee: "Unfair labeling."

You decide. In the course of his op-ed (which you can read here), Mr. Smith criticized the U.S. media's habit of routinely broadcasting terrorist statements and tapes obtained from the Arab-language broadcaster al-Jazeera and raised questions that many Americans have asked themselves: By airing such footage--of insurgents in Iraq holding hostages or attacking U.S soldiers and of al Qaeda officials promising death and destruction--do TV networks effectively (if unwittingly) enter into a propaganda partnership with terrorists?

Does the terrorists' knowledge that their grisly filmed messages will instantly reach millions embolden them to create more chaos and endanger more lives? Do U.S. networks--Mr. Smith mentioned six by name, including CNN and Fox--that air these tapes know, or even inquire about, the terms under which al-Jazeera obtained them?

Is it news each time an al Qaeda leader makes a video, promising death to infidels and offering paradise to suicide bombers? No more so than when Cold War-era Soviet agitprop went on about the glorious Red Army poised to crush the warmongering NATO--which is why routine Soviet propaganda was largely ignored by the mainstream U.S. media. There is an argument to be made that allowing the terrorists (and before them, the communists) to explain their murderous ambitions to an American audience forces us to take their threats seriously.
(Thanks to OpinionJournal for the heads up.)

Who?

Denver Post:
Gary Hart warns of theocracy trap

I heard of a Gary Hartpence once. Wrote bad political novels with some other dude. I guess it doesn't really matter, because this Hart guy sounds like he's been slurping the same kool-aid as ol' King Goober I.

I don't care. TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE ANYWAY!

House Passes Private Property Protection Act

TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE! TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE!

(CNSNews.com) - By an overwhelming margin, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a private property protection act on Thursday -- a direct response to the recent Supreme Court ruling involving homeowners in New London, Conn.

In Kelo v. City of New London, the court ruled 5-4 that the government may seize the home, small business or other private property of one citizen and transfer it to another private citizen -- if the transfer would boost the community's economic development and tax base.

The decision shocked many Americans, prompting some to demand action from Congress. "If the Supreme Court won't protect Americans' private property rights, then Congress must, and they ought to do so quickly, before more homes, businesses and farms are taken," said the Center for Individual Freedom said in September.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said Congress has received an earful in the months since the Kelo ruling.

TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE! TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE!

"In recent months, we have heard from thousands of constituents questioning the Kelo decision. Many of these landowners are families trying to raise their children or senior citizens who have lived in the same home most of their adult lives.

"Private property owners are angry and worried -- and rightly so. They don't deserve to live under a cloud of uncertainty. People own their property. Eminent domain should be rare," the Speaker said.

Hastert said the bill (H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005) restores homeowners' rights and protects landowners from the "whims" of city officials seeking more tax revenue.

Specifically, the bill would withhold federal funds for economic development from states and communities that seize property for purposes of economic development.

TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE! TAKE SOUTER'S HOUSE!

And it bars the federal government from seizing private property for economic development.The measure passed the House by a vote of 376-38. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

Wow. It looks like most Democrasses got the message too.

If so, let us pray he remembers what he was taught from the Catechism.

Boston Globe:
Alito's Confirmation Would Make Anthony Kennedy 'Swing Vote'

You are not getting any younger Mr. Kennedy. Don't you think it's about time you start to think?

Once again, Senator Brain Damage can't tell the hole in his head from shinola.

(CNSNews.com) - The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to take up Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court on January 9, but some conservatives see partisanship at play.

President Bush, when he nominated Alito, urged the Senate to confirm him by the end of the year.

But on Thursday, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) was quoted as saying that such a timetable would not be "practical or realistic."

Arl-hole, you aren't practical or realistic. You're not even mildly amusing.

I remember your first twelve years in the senate. The only thing you did was try to pass a dumbass bill to stop the Eagles from leaving Philadelphia. Who could have known that was to be the high point of your legislative career?

Instead, Specter wants hearings to begin on Jan. 9, lasting for a week, and leading up to a Jan. 20 vote by the full Senate.

Jan. 20 is two days before the Jan. 22 anniversary date of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion. The anniversary of that ruling always brings protesters and supporters to Washington.

That's the best damn protest in D.C. every year, the anti-Big Babykilling one. And it is the only one consistently chock full of hot babes.

It's true. Rightist girls are much better looking than their totalitarian counterparts. Commie chicks get wrinkles earlier from all that frowning.

The Roe v. Wade ruling will be a key consideration in Alito's confirmation hearing, as conservatives wish for a reversal; and as liberals remain determined to confirm only justices who will respect "precedent" or "settled law."'

The conservative Family Research Council said it is at a loss to understand why the Judiciary Committee is "stalling" on Alito's nomination.

"There is no reason for Judge Alito to wait 70 days to begin his confirmation hearings," said FRC President Tony Perkins.

"Following 13 years as a federal judge, Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsberg was able to begin confirmation hearings 28 days following her nomination," he noted. "Judge Alito, with 15 years on the federal bench, should receive the same due process," he said.

The FRC said that with so many important Supreme Court cases pending, the Senate must reconsider its schedule for confirmation hearings.

"It appears that partisan stalling tactics have triumphed over a fair and timely confirmation process," Perkins concluded.

Morons of the Press harass Judge Alito's 90 year old mother.

Why? Because they hope she'll say "abortion" a few more times between now and January.

JUDGE ALITO'S MOTHER HARASSED BY PRESS
Thu Nov 03 2005 16:33:47 ET

The DRUDGE REPORT has learned from exclusive sources that Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s 90 year-old mother Rose has become a prisoner in her own Hamilton, NJ home because of a barrage of media requests.

The quiet neighborhood Mrs. Alito has lived in for over 50 years has been turned upside down all week by a swarm of national reporters who have phoned and shown up at the doorstep of not only her but many of her neighbors.

In the last 24 hours alone, she and her neighbors have been contacted by national reporters from NEWSWEEK, CBS’ “EARLY SHOW,” THE BOSTON GLOBE and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Outside of a trip to a local pizzeria and quick junket to her son’s home an hour and a half away, Rose Alito has been stuck inside all week.

One neighbor, who asked the DRUDGE REPORT to withhold their name so the press wouldn’t call them at home, was stunned at the treatment the 90 year-old grandmother had received. “Mama Alito is just a sweet lady and we don’t understand why she is being hounded by these reporters. She can’t even go outside and tend to her fall flowers. She’s just a proud mother, what do they want?”

When told of the latest Alito episode one Washington insider said, “Why are they harassing Judge Alito’s 90 year-old mother when he has written over 350 legal opinions? The media should leave Judge Alito’s mother alone. ”

Fyodor's Pro Football Picks of the Week.

1) The guys who set the lines 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 any 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 11/6

Cincinnati (-3) at Baltimore

Bengals sense an opportunity. They will cover the number.

FINAL: Bengals 21 Ravens 9 - Fyodor wins!

Detroit (PICK 'EM) at Minnesota

I'll take the Vikings.

FINAL: Vikings 27 Lions 14 - Fyodor wins!

Houston (+13) at Jacksonville

Houston stinks, but Jags can't score. Take the Texans and the points.

FINAL: Jaguars 21 Texans 14 - Fyodor wins!

Oakland (+4.5) at Kansas City

I hate picking the Raiders, but I'm going to do it again here.

FINAL: Chiefs 27 Raiders 23 - Fyodor wins! (Oh, glorious hook! The Raiders lose and cover! Game ball to Coach Vermeil for the gutsiest NFL call in years.)

San Diego (-6.5) at NY Jets

Take the Chargers. They are due for a big game.

FINAL: Chargers 31 Jets 26 - Fyodor loses! (Nice comeback by the Jets. SD is not a Super Bowl contender.)

Tennessee (+3) at Cleveland

The Crummy Game of the Week. Stay away from this one, kiddies, and keep your wallet in your pocket. I'll pick the Titans.

FINAL: Browns 20 Titans 14 - Fyodor loses! (It lived up to its billing.)

Atlanta (-2) at Miami

I don't like the Falcons on the road. They should win this, but I'll take the Dolphins to cover.

FINAL: Falcons 17 Miami 10 - Fyodor loses! (Stinking Dolphins.)

Carolina (-1.5) at Tampa Bay

Another chance to gamble everyone should avoid. I'll take Tampa at home.

FINAL: Panthers 34 Bucs 14 - Fyodor loses! (Note To Self: Bucs have no offense.)

Chicago (-3) at (sort of) New Orleans

I'll pick the Bears because I feel obligated to pick somebody here.

FINAL: Bears 20 Saints 17 - PUSH!

NY Giants (-11) at San Francisco

The New Yorkers should win by three touchdowns, and that makes me nervous. Take 'em to cover anyway.

FINAL: Giants 24 49ers 6 - Fyodor wins!

Seattle (-4) at Arizona

Is it just me, or do these teams play each other every other week? Take the Cardinals and the points.

FINAL: Seahawks 33 Cardinals 19 - Fyodor loses! (I hate these teams. Two ironclad losses for me each year.)

Pittsburgh (-3.5) at Green Bay

Without Big Ben for a couple of weeks, my Steelers are in some trouble. The O line, the running backs, and the whole D must carry the team for now. They may win this, but I'm picking the Packers here.

FINAL: Steelers 20 Packers 10 - Fyodor loses! (Meaningless gambling loss! Good job from everyone, but the Steelers' MVP for this year is nosetackle Casey Hampton, who clogs up the entire middle of the field on every play.)

Philadelphia (+3) at Washington

The Crummy Game of the Week. Eagles and Redskins were both exposed last week. I'll take Philly and the points, but I wouldn't bet on it.

FINAL: Redskins 17 Eagles 10 - Fyodor loses! (The curse of T.O. begins.)

Monday 11/07

Indianapolis (-4) at New England

Colts finally beat the Patriots, but by less than 4. Take New England.

FINAL: Colts 40 Patriots 21 - Fyodor loses!

Fyodor's College Football Picks of the Week.

1) The guys who set the lines 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 any 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 11/5


Boston College (-5) at North Carolina
I'll pick the Eagles to cover on the road.
FINAL: UNC 16 Boston College 14 - Fyodor loses!


Texas (-28.5) at Baylor
Baylor won't lose by that much.
FINAL: Texas 62 (!) Baylor 0 - Fyodor loses! (What was I thinking?)


South Carolina (+4) at Arkansas
I think Spurrier has convinced the Gamecocks they can win. Pick USC.
FINAL: South Carolina 14 Arkansas 10 - Fyodor wins!


Wake Forest (+8) at Georgia Tech
Take Tech to cover the 8.
FINAL: Georgia Tech 30 Wake Forest 17 - Fyodor wins!


Akron (-3) at Ball State
Ball State will take care of business at home. Take them and the points.
FINAL: Ball State 23 Akron 17 - Fyodor wins!


Tennessee (+9) at Notre Dame
Vols are underachievers, Irish are at home and know they have lost 2 games already. Take Notre Dame.
FINAL: Notre Dame 41 Tennessee 21 - Fyodor wins! (Charlie, if you want to earn that $4 mil per, keep the O running for the whole game and recruit some defensive studs.)


Army (+11) at Air Force
Army had its good game earlier this year. Take the Falcons.
FINAL: Army 27 Air Force 24 - Fyodor loses! (Both Army and Navy are playing well as we approach the only game that really matters.)


Illinois (+34) at Ohio State
Really big number versus really bad Illinois team. Pick Ohio State.
FINAL: Ohio State 40 Illinois 2 - Fyodor wins!


Wisconsin (+11) at Penn State
Penn State may find a way to blow this game. Take the Badgers and the points.
FINAL: Penn State 35 Wisconsin 14 - Fyodor loses!


North Carolina State (+13) at Florida State
I'll take FSU to cover, but without conviction.
FINAL: NC State 20 FSU 15 - Fyodor loses! (Like I said. How in the worls did they beat Miami?)


Alabama (+16.5) at Mississippi State
The Tide doesn't score much, but the Bulldogs should help fix that. Pick Alabama.
FINAL: Alabama 17 Mississippi State 0 - Fyodor wins!


UCLA (-9.5) at Arizona
I'm tired of UCLA playing just good enough to win. I'm guessing they are too. Take the Bruins to cover.
FINAL: Arizona 52 (!) UCLA 14 - Fyodor loses! (It finally caught up to them.)


Texas A&M (+16.5) at Texas Tech
It's a shame A&M won't keep it close. Texas Tech will cover the 16.5.
FINAL: TTU 56 A&M 17 - Fyodor wins!


Vanderbilt (+19) at Florida
Hunch of the Week: Vandy keeps it close. Take them and the points.
FINAL: Florida 49 Vanderbilt 42 - Fyodor wins!


Miami (+6.5) at Virginia Tech
The Hokies and their fans have been waiting for this one. Pick Virginia Tech.
FINAL: Miami 27 Virginia Tech 7 - Fyodor loses! (Wow, was VT overrated or what? And Miami without a standout QB!)


Stanford (+33.5) at USC
Stanford played their best game last week and lost. Pick the Trojans to cover.
FINAL: USC 51 Stanford 21 - Fyodor loses! (Hey Pete, where's the D?)

Jacques Demers is a brave man, but...

Former NHL coach Demers admits in new biography that he is illiterate

Jacques Demers, who coached the Montreal Canadiens to the Stanley Cup in 1993 and was later a general manager in the NHL, admits in a newly released biography that he is illiterate.

"I could read a little bit but I can't write very well," Demers said at a party for the book's launch. "I took to protecting myself. You put a wall around yourself. And when I was given the possibility of talking, I could speak well and I think that really saved me."

In the book "Jacques Demers: En Toutes Lettres," which roughly translates to "All Spelled Out," Demers said his inability to read and write was the result of an abusive and impoverished childhood.

"All I wanted from my father was to treat me with love," Demers said. "Not to beat me up when I did something wrong. Not to beat up my mom. It really hurt me because he took away my childhood.

"The other thing I wanted to say was that if I could not write or read, it was because I had so much of a problem with anxiety because of the things going on in the family. I couldn't go to sleep at night. I'd go to school and I couldn't learn anything."

...not as brave as the man who battles such evil and triumphs over it.

The 9th Circuit Court continues to goosestep its way through the US Constitution. (But there may be hope, kiddies.)

Court: false accusations against police are protected speech

A federal appeals court nullified a California criminal law adopted after the Rodney King beating that made it unlawful for citizens to knowingly lodge false accusations against police officers.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday the law was an unconstitutional infringement of speech because false statements in support of officers were not criminalized. (WTF??? - F.G.) The decision, hailed by civil liberties groups and opposed by the California District Attorneys Association and law enforcement groups, overturns the California Supreme Court, which in 2002 ruled that free speech concerns took a back seat when it came to speech targeting police officers.


Here's the ray of hope. If you can't impeach 'em, dilute their power.

GOP move to advance 9th Circuit split draws heat from Democrats

House Republicans on Thursday included a break-up of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a budget bill that would be immune from Senate filibuster, drawing complaints from Democrats.

"It does not have the support to pass both houses of Congress, so House Republicans are seeking to stifle debate and the democratic process by inserting a controversial measure into the expedited budget process," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

She's just jealous because she's not clever enough to think up something like that.

The House Budget Committee included the measure in a $54 billion deficit-reduction bill that is expected to get a House floor vote next week.
The measure would create a 9th Circuit covering California, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, and a new 12th Circuit covering Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Arizona.

Supporters say the 9th Circuit, which covers nine states with about 54 million people, is too large to operate effectively. But opponents allege politics by Republicans angry at some of the court's rulings, like the 2002 opinion that declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional when recited in public schools.

Republicans have been trying for years to break up the 9th Circuit. They've tried unsuccessfully in the past to get the measure through Congress attached to budget bills full of other provisions lawmakers want to support.

The full Senate passed its own version of the deficit reduction bill on Thursday without the 9th Circuit split. If the breakup makes it through the House, congressional negotiators would have to work out whether to include it in the final bill the House and Senate would vote on.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Thursday that if the circuit split measure comes to the Senate floor she'll block it with a technical objection against allowing non-budgetary provisions in budget bills.

The cancer that is Jimmy Carter spreads corruption, devastation, and death across the land.

USA Today chronicles the latest flatulence from America's favorite stupid ex-president. (Clinton's not stupid, just mad for power.)

Former President Jimmy Carter said Thursday that "fundamentalism" under George W. Bush has resulted in a "dramatic and profound and unprecedented change" in American policy that threatens the United States at home and abroad.

Carter, who is promoting a new book critical of Bush, faulted the Bush administration for "an unprecedented and overt ... merger of the church and state, of religion and politics."

At a breakfast with reporters sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, Carter, 81, diverged from a time-honored practice in which ex-presidents refrain from criticizing those currently holding the office. He acknowledged making mistakes when he was president from 1977-81, and at one point declared: "I can't deny that I am a better ex-president than I was a president."

A blind squirrel with a broken watch moment.

But he said Bush has made such significant changes to U.S. foreign policy and human rights doctrine, resulting in precipitous declines in the country's standing abroad, that he felt compelled to write "Our Endangered Values." It is Carter's 20th book since he was defeated for re-election by Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Carter was especially critical at the breakfast meeting of Bush's decision to invade Iraq and cut taxes and of what Carter said is the administration's dismissal of international arms and human rights agreements.

He said the natural "arrogance" of second-term presidents is exacerbated by a fundamentalism under Bush that causes many of his supporters and those who work in his administration to believe that "I am right because I am close to God (and) anybody who disagrees with me is inherently wrong, and therefore inferior."

How in the world would this jackass know? We sent his profoundly ignorant regime home in disgrace after one of the sorriest four years in American history. We can only thank God the USSR was ruled by senile old fools at the time.

Carter acknowledged that both he and Bush proclaim their Christian faith as part of their governing philosophy, but the similarity ends there.

"I don't have any doubt that he is very sincere about his Christian faith," Carter said of Bush. "There are some differences in interpretation. ... I have a commitment to worship the Prince of Peace, not the prince of pre-emptive war. I believe that Christ taught us to give special attention to the plight of the poor."

Saith the pharisee.

Bush, he said, "has committed himself to extol the advantages of the rich."
Bush and his allies credit tax cuts for lessening the effects of a recession and for helping the economy recover from the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The president has defended his decision to invade Iraq as a pre-emptive strike on a gathering threat under Saddam Hussein. And he has said that Sept. 11 fundamentally changed the way the United States should respond to such threats.

But Carter, who supported the invasion of Afghanistan, said public opinion in the Arab world has turned strongly against the United States since the invasion of Iraq, creating a deep impression among Muslims that the U.S. is on a "crusade" against Islam.

Yeah, ol' King Goober I is really big in the Arab street. In fact, some of his best friends are Arabs.

Carter said Arab leaders he regularly consults with believe the United States intends to maintain permanent military bases in Iraq irrespective of how that country's transformation to self-rule plays out. Removing U.S. forces from Muslim nations could reduce "95 percent" of the terrorist threat from Islamic fundamentalism, Carter said.

Prove it, moron. Remember John Kerry's secret conversations with everyone at the UN?

Carter also aims heavy criticism at fellow Democrats. He said John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign ignored the concerns of the "very religious" and that his party has overemphasized abortion rights.

Ha! You think pisson.orgy is going to let anyone who mentions God get anywhere near the nomination of The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion?

"I have never been convinced ... that Jesus Christ would approve abortion," Carter said, adding that as president, "I did everything I could under Roe vs. Wade ... to minimize the need for abortion."

Liar! Hypocrite! Christian when its convenient!

But many Democratic leaders today "are overemphasizing the abortion issue," Carter said.

"Many Democrats like me have some concern, say, about late-term abortions where you kill a baby as it is emerging from its mother's womb," he said. "And to make that a litmus test of democracy, I think, hurts our party."

May God have mercy on your soul, you insufferable fool.

OH, NO! THE HURRICANES DESTROYED OUR ECONOMY AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE TOMORROW!

Oops. Never mind.

Payrolls Expand in Oct.; Jobless Rate Dips - AP

America's payrolls grew by a rather tepid 56,000 in October, a sign that the nation's job market is slowly regaining its footing after the beating administered to the Gulf Coast area by Hurricane Katrina. The unemployment rate dipped to 5 percent of the labor force.

The latest snapshot released by the Labor Department on Friday offered fresh insights into the impact of Katrina, the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history.

Importantly, job losses in September turned out to be just 8,000, according to revised figures. That was smaller than the 35,000 decline in jobs that was reported a month ago, suggesting the damage to the job market from Katrina wasn't as terrible as many had feared.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, one of the greatest of all the Saints. He was a Cardinal, Papal Secretary of State, then a priest and bishop. He helped to reconvene the Council of Trent and helped produce the catechism the Council mandated. His life is a great example for all Catholics (especially those who are officials of The Church.) Pray for us, all you angels and saints.



Today's reading for the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo is Romans 12:3-13.
Today's Gospel reading is John 10:11-16.


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.

Emergency Steelers Update.

Roethlisberger out after knee surgery; Batch to start in Green Bay

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss one game and possibly two after arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday.

A piece of torn cartilage was removed from his right knee.

Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will definitely miss Sunday's game against Green Bay. But it's possible he'll return as early as the Steelers' game Nov. 13 against Cleveland, even though the operation normally sidelines a player 10 to 14 days.

Roethlisberger, who missed a loss Oct. 16 to Jacksonville with a hyperextended left knee, initially hurt his right knee Sept. 11 against Tennessee.

The right knee bothered him again after his shoe stuck in the turf as he was being hit by Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson during the first quarter of the Steelers' 20-19 victory Monday night.

Roethlisberger stayed in the game and directed a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal, but only after telling Cowher the right knee was bothering him and he might have to take himself out of the game.

Roethlisberger had an MRI exam Tuesday, and the Steelers decided to go ahead with the operation after consulting with specialist James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

"Ben wants to play through everything," Cowher said Thursday. "He's been very cooperative and he understands it, and he's handled this well. He felt good yesterday and wanted to practice today."

Cowher said there was a risk involved in continuing to play Roethlisberger without repairing the knee, and that if the injury continued to worsen the quarterback might be out as long as a month.

Charlie Batch, who has thrown only eight passes since the 2001 season with Detroit, will replace Roethlisberger on Sunday in Green Bay.

Batch, a former Lions starter, came to the Steelers in 2002, and moved up on the depth chart after Tommy Maddox had four turnovers in the 23-17 overtime loss to Jacksonville. Maddox committed a fumble and threw an interception that was returned for the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

A partial victory is possible in Totalitarian Pennsylvania.

Legislative pay raise in danger
House, Senate vote to repeal, but both must reconcile differences before bill reaches Rendell's desk.


• Patriot-News: Critics hail vote
The euphoria of pay-raise critics reflected the 50-0 Senate vote early in the evening. Late last night, the House voted 196-2 to repeal, but tacked on an amendment that left the fate of the raise unresolved.


• Jubelier: Poison pill in House bill
The Republican leader of the state Senate says a House provision in the pay raise repeal linking the fate of lawmakers' pay to that of judges is a "poison pill" designed to derail it.

“The constitution says you cannot reduce the [compensation] of the judiciary,” said Senate President Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair, “the reason being so the General Assembly can’t blackmail the judiciary. Otherwise we could cut their salaries every time we disagree with them.”

The Senate and later the House voted last night to repeal the pay raise they enacted in the wee hours of July 7, but their differing versions of the bill must be resolved before the bill can advance to Gov. Ed Rendell for signature.

The House insisted that any judicial ruling overturning part of the legislation would invalidate all of it. The Senate was not willing to go along. Because the original pay raise affected state judges as well as Cabinet officials and lawmakers, repealing it under the House version would in effect reduce those judges' pay.


Would you like to know what sort of people we're dealing with here?

The raises moved Bill McIntyre, a 72-year-old Camp Hill man, to get involved in politics, something he had not done before.

McIntyre sent an e-mail "birthday greeting" to the General Assembly on the one-month anniversary of the pay-raise vote. He received this reply from Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow, D-Lackawanna County: "Why don't you get a life." (Emphasis mine.)

US Navy Lt. Cameron Chen gets it.

Thanks to Michael Fumento, NRO, and Lt. Chen for sharing this letter.

Dear Family and Friends,

I am sitting on the flight line awaiting a helo [helicopter] to take me away from Fallujah. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Our time here in Iraq is quickly coming to an end.

We have had an outstanding deployment. The number of responses we have conducted has been absolutely astounding. As a detachment, we conducted 1,009 EOD response missions. We neutralized 327 actual IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and 3 VBIEDs [vehicle-borne explosive devices], investigated 69 post-blast scenes, cleared 209 UXO [unexploded ordnance] calls and eliminated 146 weapons caches. In all we destroyed 21,328 items totaling 95,918 lbs of captured enemy ordnance.

Fallujah looks completely different from when we first arrived. The progress in the city has been frustratingly slow but impressive nonetheless. A steady stream of people flow in to re-inhabit its neighborhoods. The new police force is on every street corner.

Every effort is being made to get the Iraqi people able to manage themselves. The Marines are still omnipresent on the streets but you see more and more Iraqi police replacing them. A lot of the trash has been removed, reconstruction is occurring everywhere, and the bustle of people on the streets engaged in commerce is refreshing.

I noticed a gaggle of young girls in uniform blue dresses, pig tails, and white shirts on their way to school. The number of families implies to me that people are fleeing to the security provided by the Iraqis and Marines inside the checkpoints that limit access to the city.

We are still wary of the environment and the surge of incidents correlating with the beginning of Ramadan confirms that the Wild West has yet to be tamed. Detachment 9's [his unit's successor] arrival corresponded with a renewal of activity. They hit the ground running with 30 calls in the first 3 days.

Chief [Warrant Officer] Kellogg was interrogating the witness on the scene of an IED incident when a sniper shot the witness in the back directly in front of him. Chief said he had never been so amped ["excited," obviously in a bad sense] in his life — a rude awakening to another day in the city.

[As this piece went to press, one of Chen's former response trucks was hit by a pressure-plate IED killing one man and seriously wounding another.]

What matters most is how this experience has changed us. Untested, you inevitably doubt yourself and how you will act when the shooting starts or you're on top of an improvised device about to explode. Now we know. It's a gut check when you jock up every day and go outside the [protective] wire not knowing if you will come back. It's exhilarating.

Mac, like most of us, is intensely competitive and nothing excites him more than beating an insurgent at his devious game. Nothing is more clear-cut than going out there and beating the bad guys by disrupting their bomb. But despite all that, he misses his kids. It wrenches his heart to be absent.

Jehu is more introspective. He feels that life here changes your perspective on what is important. In comparison, most problems are trivial especially when compared to the plight of the Iraqi people stuck in the middle of this mess.

We have had a number of close calls that can only be explained by God's grace. Just yesterday we recovered a video tape with footage of Bryan and Mac taken by an insurgent trying to detonate an IED on them. It really brings it all very close to home.

I firmly believe we have made some headway and added to the security of this country and ours. I am not hopelessly optimistic though. The IED incidents are symptomatic of a deeper problem. This is a culture that begets violent regime change. Until people are educated in non-violent protest, all we can do is disarm the masses which will make them inevitably vulnerable.

Regardless of the outcome though, at least people are learning to voice their opinion in a democratic manner.

The helo has come and moved us on to our next stop on the trip home. I can't adequately describe the feeling of sitting in a bird and flying out of the familiar yet alien place that has been your "home" for so long.

It's very odd to leave others behind and watch the lights fade away in the darkness. The rumble and noise of the chopper blades amplifies your senses. The sensation of being lifted away from danger is like being rescued by an angel.

We have been incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of serving here in Iraq. This has been one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. We have done all we could possibly do. We cleared innumerable roads of hazards and prevented countless loss of life. We were in the right place at the right time.

Everyone is grateful for the assignment and thankful for having survived to tell the stories. I want to thank everyone for your continuous support and encouragement regardless of political persuasion and opinion of the war. We couldn't have done it without you.

God bless,
LT Cameron Chen, USN

Hear the neo-darwinists squeal like stuck pigs.

Another NR genius can't get it through his thick education that evolution is the establishment's religion.

DARWIN AND CATHOLICS [John Derbyshire]

There is, to judge from my mailbag, a widespread opinion that adherence to Darwininian biology is ungodly, if not actually atheistic. To the attention of NRO readers holding that opinion, I commend Francisco Ayala.

Ayala is a working biologist who is also an ordained Dominican priest. He does not only think "Intelligent Design" is flat wrong, he thinks it's blasphemous! There are some notes on his opinions here.

Sorry, Father. You can no more produce proof of Darwinian "fact" than Dr. Hawking can. Today, letting go of accepted scientific orthodoxy is more difficult than ever. This bodes ill for the future of real science.

Ayala was raised and educated in General Franco's Spain, the most intensely Christian nation of modern times. In his Catholic schools, he was taught straight Darwinism, without warnings or qualifications. Now he teaches it himself, at UC Irvine. Note how he deals with the doubts of Catholic students (point 11).

Ayala's remarks illustrate an aspect of the I.D. business not much commented on: it is an entirely American phenomenon -- really, an outgrowth of American folk religiosity. You can find a scattered few I.D. followers in other countries, but I.D. is not a public or pedagogic issue anywhere but in the U.S.A. People in other countries are just baffled by it; scientists in other countries just shake their heads sadly. This is not the case with any scientific theory that I am aware of. Real science is international. The presence of a strongly national coloring is, in fact, a pretty good marker of pseudoscience. Compare, for example, the "Soviet science" (Lysenkoism, Marrism, etc.) of Stalin.

Skepticism of a theory its proponents demand we accept without empirical proof is the opposite of Lysenkoism, you Luddite.

There is nothing wrong with folk religiosity, of course. I personally regard it as a strengthening and cohesive force in the national life, and in the conservative movement. I am happy about American folk religiosity, and regard it with cheerful approval. But-- It. Is. Not. Science.
Posted at 11:41 AM

Precisely our point Derbyshire: The neo-Darwinism being shoved down our throats as gospel is note science either.

My favorite Israeli babe, Orit, gets an inkling that Judaism isn't Israelism, especially not in LA.

An open letter to American Jewry, particularly the Modern Orthodox

First, I'd like to thank you, America, for being a wonderful host to me after the terrible Disengagement. It was nice to spend time with my family in sunny Los Angeles, relax with manicures and pedicures, and zone out to the latest TV shows. I was able to gather new strength, gain new perspectives, and clarify my mission to go back to Israel and change a country.

However, it was less fun to go to shul on the High Holidays at my folks' modern Orthodox shul. Services were terribly boring. But what really annoyed me was that no one talked about Gush Katif. The sermons that I heard (or didn't fall asleep to) mentioned Katrina a lot, but rabbis were silent on the topic of the Disengagement. I find this disturbing because all throughout the holidays we pray for the joy and peace of Israel, yet while thousands of Israelis are in a state of suffering, uncertainty, and confusion, no one seems to care, even though the liturgy expresses otherwise.

On the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, when we're supposed to reflect rigorously on the state of our soul, no one really talked about the fate-altering Disengagement. This certainly should have been a hot topic on the Day of Atonement, but again, it was easily evaded, if it was even on anyone's minds. And still, we prayed -- all day -- for righteousness, honesty, and peace of mind -- personal and national.

But, in America at least, Judaism is not about the Jewish people anymore. Judaism is about having a nice life and wearing nice outfits to shul, where you can network with equally smart, successful, and well-dressed people. It's about saying morning and evening prayers because it feels holy and idealistic. Hey, everyone wants to feel good about themselves.

For many American Jews, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur seemed all about how to continue living a nice suburban life. The Torah might as well be a Tony Robbins self-help book because it outlines great techniques for living, sprinkled with a few historic traditions and ethical codes.

But I realized, during my nice stay with you, that you say you care, but deep down, I don't think you really do. You say you love Israel and that you are Zionists, but I don't think you really are. Judaism is not about nationalism to you. Judaism is not about a people living free, independent, and strong in their homeland -- it's about having a nice house, a good parnasa [livelihood], and a way of life that's safe and comfortable.

Orit 's starting to get it, slowly but surely.

Coulter on Fitzgerald, Alito, and Big Babykilling*.

Our gal Ann gets giddy over the Democrass crackup.

On Friday, Fitzgerald was supposed to indict Karl Rove. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were going to be named unindicted co-conspirators. Maybe Condoleezza Rice too. Who knew -- maybe even Clarence Thomas. There was even talk of a posthumous indictment for Nixon.

It was going to be Fitzmas Day! (Which is much like Christmas except instead of having her baby in a manger, the woman has a late-term abortion.) Oh, it was hard to fall asleep on Fitzmas Eve!

But Friday came, and only Irve Lewis Libby was accused of committing any crimes. They were all crimes like perjury and obstruction of justice, personal to Libby, unrelated to the administration.

Fitzmas sucked. Instead of GI Joe and Mr. Machine, all Democrats got was a lousy cardigan sweater.

Poor little dictators. Better luck next time.

Not only is Alito qualified, but he also does not consider membership in the Federalist Society comparable to joining the Klan. In other words, this was just the sort of judicial nominee that would have terrified the White House a month ago.

Judge Alito's dear 90-year-old mother -- who evidently had not yet been briefed by White House political consultants to avoid stating positions popular with Americans -- immediately said of her son, "Of course he's against abortion."

When Stevens croaks, let's replace him with Mrs. Alito.

The nuts are perplexed. Why aren't Senate Democrats screaming from rooftops: "This is a judge who would force women to tell their husbands before they have an abortion! Are you people listening?"

Maybe the Democrats aren't running from their base. Maybe they're trying to help NARAL by preventing anyone from finding out about their agenda. If only Democrats could get the American people to believe that a group with the words "abortion" and "rights" in its name is some kind of benevolent little charity that holds bake sales.

Believe me, you don't want the Democrats out there reminding the American people that it's a constitutional right to abort a baby five minutes before birth. I understand that People for the American Way thinks it is "the American way" for wives not to tell their husbands about an abortion. But that's because they need to get out more.

* For more on Big Babykilling, et al. go here.

Memo To Porter Goss: Hurry up and clean house before the bureaucrats get us all killed.

From Mac Johnson of Human Events Online:

Let’s put Valerie Plame in charge of the CIA’s secret Al Qaeda prisons. That way, when someone leaks the secret, the media will have to pretend to care about secrecy again, instead of splashing the story across the front page, complete with private spy satellite photos of one prison’s layout.

Last week, the mainstream media wanted to have Karl Rove and Scooter Libby hanged without trial because of their tangential roles in “outing” Ms. Plame, who was deep undercover on the Washington, D.C. cocktail circuit and voluntarily using her administrative position at the CIA to interject her covert opinions into the national debate.

This week, they are indignantly “exposing” an actual secret operation of the CIA -- covert detention facilities in foreign countries at which the most dangerous Al Qaeda suspects are being held and questioned by agents at least as brave and worthy as the jet-setting Ms. Plame.

This may seem like hypocrisy to the casual observer, but that is simply because such an observer doesn’t realize the true role of the CIA: collecting and manufacturing information that could help damage George W. Bush. This is why Valerie Plame is such a martyr/hero/role model/made-for-TV-movie-waiting-to-happen. She used her covert position at the CIA to secretly orchestrate a publicity stunt by her Democrat husband that was designed to sway public opinion against Bush.

The Fascist Flu outbreak hits the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals especially hard.

Sadly, there is no cure. The best we can do is remove those afflicted from power so they cannot infect others.

A new ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is prompting cries of judicial activism.

On Wednesday the court dismissed a lawsuit brought by California parents who were outraged over a sex survey given to public school students in the first, third and fifth grades.

Where's Governor 'Roid Rage when you need him?

Among other things, the survey administered by the Palmdale School District asked children if they ever thought about having sex or touching other people's "private parts" and whether they could "stop thinking about having sex."

The parents argued that they -- not the public schools -- have the sole right "to control the upbringing of their children by introducing them to matters of and relating to sex."

But on Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit dismissed the case, saying, "There is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their children...Parents have no due process or privacy right to override the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students."

Again, get your kids out of the government schools.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt, writing for the panel, said "no such specific right can be found in the deep roots of the nation's history and tradition or implied in the concept of ordered liberty." (Thanks to CNSNews.com for the heads up.)

Put down the crack pipe, Reinhardt, and stay at least 200 feet from all schools and playgrounds.

Why the NYT is nothing more than a proaganda organ for the totalitarian left.

From The Mudville Gazette comes an example of our moral and intellectual superiors confusing editing with poetic license (for the betterment of the ignorant masses, of course.)

Lying Times
Greyhawk

Michelle Malkin has a follow up report on the storm brewing over the New York Times' use of selective quotes from a final letter home from an American GI.

For those who might not have known, the Times took these words from US Marine Corporal Jeffrey B. Starr:

"Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."


And edited them down to this:

Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. "I kind of predicted this," Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. "A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."

In her update she notes that although the Times refused to respond to her inquiries, the "reporter" did attack at least one of the readers who had responded to this hatchet job:

Have you been to Iraq, Michael? Or to any other war, for that matter? If you have, you should know the anxiety and fear parents, spouses, and troops themselves feel when they deploy to war. And if you haven't, what right do you have to object when papers like The New York Times try to describe that anxiety and fear?

I've been to Iraq. And I characterized the Times disgraceful use of the words of an American hero as intellectually vacant moral cowardice. I was being generous.

Because I've seen numerous examples of such behavior on the part of the New York Times over the past several months. All involve selective quoting, misquoting, or simply claiming a GI said something without actually quoting them at all. Most range in repugnance from mildly annoying to grossly reprehensible - but in what I believe is the worst case they appear to attempt to frame a soldier for murder.

Let's look back on a few examples of New York Times attacks on American GIs, shall we?

For the rest from The Mudville Gazette, go here.

IBM slows light.

Slower light means more efficient computers. Hooray!

IBM has created a chip that can slow down light, the latest advance in an industrywide effort to develop computers that will use only a fraction of the energy of today's machines.

The chip, called a photonic silicon waveguide, is a piece of silicon dotted with arrays of tiny holes. Scattered systematically by the holes, light shown on the chip slows down to 1/300th of its ordinary speed of 186,000 miles per second. In a computer system, slower light pulses could carry data rapidly, but in an orderly fashion. The light can be further slowed by applying an electric field to the waveguide.

Researchers at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, have slowed light in laboratories. IBM, though, claims that its light-slowing device is the first to be fashioned out of fairly standard materials, potentially paving the way toward commercial adoption.
(Thanks to ZDNet and Drudge for the heads up.)

Washington's other newspaper is ashamed for America because Judge Alito seems to be a serious, thoughtful Catholic gentleman.

The Life of the Party? Only in the 'Grand Old' Sense.
(Har-dee-har-har. Snicker. Snort. Those WaPo boys sure are clever.)
by Dana Milbank


Behold the preliminary hatchet job on Judge Alito. First comes ridicule.

Senators will debate Supreme Court nominee Sam Alito's legal views for months, but this much is settled law: The Senate is witnessing a real-life revenge of the nerd.

Instant translation: Here is a man with whom I cannot hope to compete.

Alito, bespectacled, hair askew, suit rumpled and ill-fitting, walked into Sen. Tim Johnson's office this week to pay a courtesy call on the South Dakota Democrat. Sitting in an armchair in the senator's office, Alito forgot to unbutton his suit jacket, causing his tie to stick out and his jacket to bunch up. The judge's pant leg hiked up as he sat, revealing an untied shoelace.

Oh! The humanity!

"Ever been to South Dakota?" Johnson asked.

"No," Alito replied, adding quickly, "but I've always wanted to."
Alito's professed desire to see the Badlands -- evoking images of the robed jurist on a cattle drive -- would not have been easy to predict from his background.

We know from published profiles of the judge this week that in high school, valedictorian Alito ran track, played trumpet in the band, and was editor of the school paper and a member of the state-finalist debate team. At Princeton, he skipped the selective eating clubs to join Stevenson Hall, known as a haven for dweebs.

Yeah, like you went to Princeton.

At Yale Law School, he was the wonk whose notes other students borrowed. "Quiet," "shy" and "reserved" are the words law-school friend Dennis Grzezinski provided to The Post's Laura Blumenfeld. When it came to the party scene, "Sam could well have been the designated driver."

I can see the headline now: "Leftist Rag Encourages College Students to Drink and Drive".

In recent years, Alito insisted on wearing a baseball uniform while coaching Little League. As an appellate judge, he hung in his chambers a large poster of former Philadelphia Phillies baseball star Mike Schmidt. He went to baseball fantasy camp and had a baseball card made of himself.

So, Mr. Alito loves his son and baseball. Just how big of a pansy are you, Dana?

Are these not the marks of a nerd? The question was put to Dan Coats, the former senator who is chaperoning Alito through the Senate confirmation process.

"I'm not going to affirm that," Coats said. "I'll just say he's a serious student of the law."

Okay, but what about a fortysomething guy wearing Little League stirrups?
"I admire somebody who can take off the robe and put on a baseball uniform," Coats posited gamely.

"Posited gamely"? Just whom are you trying to impress, Milbank? It sounds as if you could use a couple of hours in a batting cage.

Washington is a town of geeks and misfits who, for the most part, suppress their inner dorks much of the time. But Alito wears this status on his sleeve: Leaving the cloistered courtroom, he emerges, blinking, into the sunlight.

Another clever boy who does not know what the word "dork" means. He thinks he knows, but he does not know.

This, obviously, is not disqualifying. What better place for a supreme square than the Supreme Court? And President Bush, a frat boy himself, has acquired a taste for the nerdy: His nominee for Federal Reserve Board chairman, Ben Bernanke, is known for wearing tan socks with dark suits.

You'd think this was being written by a chick. Remember when these clowns attacked John Roberts' wife for the way she dressed?

On the other hand, Alito has the disadvantage of following John Roberts, who was just as smart but carried himself like a big man on campus: athletic build, quick humor and good looks. Compared with Roberts, Alito looks as if he were in town for a "Star Trek" convention.

Hoohoo! That's a good one.

In the office of Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), when cameras and microphones got too close, the nominee pushed himself deeper into his seat. Leaving a meeting with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Alito reached to shake the senator's hand, then quickly pulled it back when sensing that Nelson was not ready. Greeting Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Alito stood in the reception room clasping and unclasping his hands, then rubbing his right index finger.

That bastard!

Leaving the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) yesterday, Alito caught his foot in carpeting and briefly stumbled while getting in the elevator.

He's obviously unfit to do anything.

When he walks between visits, Alito arches his back and stretches his neck. Wearing a fixed grin, he bobs his head right and left so frequently that reporters following him have dubbed him a "Bobblehead."

These Catholics are monsters! Imagine! Arching his back! He must be getting ready to have more unprotected sex with his wife!

The nominee walks in almost complete silence between stops, unrecognized by passing tourists, rarely conversing even with his White House handlers as they wait for elevators. His public words are perfunctory.

"Very good meeting," he said, leaving Johnson's office.

"Can you stop and talk to us?" a TV producer called out.

Alito looked stricken. "No," he said. "But it was a very good meeting."

Stricken, indeed. Any decent man would shy away from the brutal circus of ignorance you fascists are preparing. My guess is Judge Alito wants to serve his country and his fellow citizens more than he values his privacy.

Occasionally, the nominee cannot escape the public eye, as when a photographer jumped in the Senate subway with him yesterday. Alito passed the ride making small talk with Coats about the mechanics of the subway. Disembarking in the Russell Building's basement, he was pursued down a hallway by a media pack -- until he and Coats ducked into a men's room. One of his handlers stood guard at the door. "No one follows!" she ordered.

WaPo employees often frequent subway men's rooms.

Next stop: the office of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex). Alito sat stiffly, his buttoned suit jacket bunching up, his fingers gripping his knees, his toes pointed inward. He tapped his foot on the ground anxiously. But, there was progress: This time, his shoelaces were tied.

Har-dee-har-har.

Letting kids be kids instead of hurricane victims, at least for a little while.

From the Picayune Item:

Pennsylvania teens bring homecoming to Mississippi coast schools

Some Good Samaritan teenagers from Pennsylvania are helping students at two Mississippi Gulf Coast high schools set aside their Katrina troubles to celebrate homecoming together.

Some 40 students from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster, Pa., are arriving on the hurricane-ravaged coast this week with at least $35,000 in donated money and $15,000 in supplies to provide an elaborate gala for Long Beach and Pass Christian high schools.

“It is going to put some pieces of my life back together,” said Jayson Gordon, an 18-year-old Long Beach senior who has been longing for some semblance of normality since his house was destroyed in the Aug. 29 storm.Katrina plowed across Mississippi's 80 miles of shoreline, splintering homes and businesses with 145-mile-an-hour winds and a storm surge that reached 30 feet in some places. Two months after the storm, the landscapes of Long Beach and Pass Christian are still largely unrecognizable, with landmarks missing and centuries-old live oak trees toppled.

Like Gordon, many students at Long Beach are homeless and living in temporary quarters. The Long Beach campus was damaged, but classes have resumed. Pass Christian High School was so heavily damaged that students are having class in portable buildings at a local elementary school.Homecoming festivities in the past have always been financed by student fundraisers. That wasn't an option this year.

So when the Pennsylvania school adopted Long Beach and asked how their students could help, Susan Whiten, the Long Beach school's principal, suggested hosting a homecoming dance.When the Pennsylvania school heard that neighboring Pass Christian High School was also heavily damaged, students decided to adopt that school, too. Pass Christian held its homecoming game last Friday and it is Long Beach's homecoming opponent this Friday.

Students in the Pennsylvania school district have created T-shirts featuring the logos of both schools. They are bringing in a deejay, and the owner of a local grocery store in Pennsylvania has agreed to provide the food. What is normally an event with homemade sandwiches has blossomed into a catered gala with shrimp.

A photographer will provide free pictures. The gym will be decorated in both schools' colors: red and blue for the Pass Christian Pirates and maroon and white for the Long Beach Bearcats.In three weeks of collecting donations, Lampeter-Strasburg students also secured pricey door prizes that could help replace some items lost in the hurricane, including Playstation 2s, mountain bikes and CD players.

Pennsylvania students also donated about 400 party dresses. Another 100 dresses were sent courtesy of Auburn University's equestrian team.

Almost everybody loves a story about how our kids actually get it after years of staring at the tv:

Pennsylvania teens bring homecoming to Mississippi coast schools
TimesLeader.com - Nov 01 8:55 AM

Pa. students help Katrina-damaged schools put on homecoming
Kansas City Star - Oct 26 2:53 PM

HOMECOMING '05
The Biloxi Sun Herald - Oct 25 10:00 PM

Long Distance Homecoming Photo Update.

Long Beach High School student Amber Waller looks through some of the 500 party dresses donated by students from the Lancaster, Pa., area and the Auburn University equestrian team at the central office of the Long Beach Schools, Oct. 28, 2005, in Long Beach, Miss. Students from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster, Pa., adopted the Katrina damaged Long Beach and Pass Christian high schools and are helping them hold a homecoming dance, as a brief respite from the realities of the storm's damage to their communities and lives. (AP Photo/Nicole Young)


Long Beach High School student Danny Koby holds two dresses for his girlfriend, Melissa Scarce as he looks for a tie and shirt among party clothes donated by high school students in Lancaster, Pa., and from Auburn University, Oct. 28, 2005, in Long Beach, Miss. Some 500 party dresses donated by students from the Lancaster area and the Auburn University equestrian team. Students from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster, Pa., adopted the Katrina damaged Long Beach and Pass Christian high schools and are helping them hold a homecoming dance, as a brief respite from the realities of the storm's damage to their communities and lives. (AP Photo/Nicole Young)

I get mail...

Take it from one who knows. WICatholic (who may be the most faithful reader of my public idiocy) read my post on the vile editorial written by the irrelevant Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that declared Clarence Thomas to be lost in some sort of racial Limbo between black and white, and then


WICatholic said...

Think you can see why I have not read the JS for years? I did when it was just the Milwaukee Sentinel. Never read the Journal. Now, they are united...and I read it not.

God bless!

Apparently, those alienated aliens have been trying to indoctrinate Wisconsonites (?) for some time now. Can the Earthlings survive? Stay tuned, kiddies.

As always, madam, May God bless and protect you and yours.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Martin de Porres, a great and holy man of Peru, patron of barbers, and friend of all men and all animals. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.

Today's reading for the Feast of St. Martin de Porres is Philippians 4:4-9.
Today's Gospel reading is Matthew 22:34-40.



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.

From The Brutalization Of Our Girls Department:

Catholic Schools Crack Up Division.

The quarterback on Bishop Montgomery High's team throws like a girl because, well, she is one.

Spectators would be hard-pressed to pick sophomore Miranda McOsker out of the blur of players on the field. Her brunette ponytail blends into her black jersey, and she can throw the ball accurately for 40 yards or more.

The 15-year-old McOsker is the starting quarterback for the junior varsity team and the third stringer on the varsity. She also plays JV girls basketball.

The 5-foot-9, 140-pound McOsker got into a varsity game recently after the Knights built a 28-0 halftime lead against Ribet Academy and the No. 2 quarterback was injured. She threw for three touchdowns – the longest was 65 yards – and went 3-for-5 for 175 yards playing the entire second half of the 55-14 win.

"Football is one of the best sports for the family atmosphere," McOsker said. "These boys are your brothers. You will be with them forever. I love it. They are the nicest group of people."

She went out for the private Catholic school's team last spring, after not even attending a game as a freshman.

"I thought I could do it, so I tried it," she said. "To play for your school is one of the best things you can do."

Playing with boys isn't new. In middle school, she was one of two girls on the flag football team.

"I admire her a lot because she's doing what she wants to do," said T.K. Carter, the mother of receiver Kevin Carter III. "He said he really admires her because she knows the plays."

Wednesdays are Spirit Days at Bishop Montgomery, where athletes wear their jerseys instead of the regulation school uniform. McOsker makes her own fashion statement by adding a skirt.

"She's just tough. No one messes with her at all," said sophomore Sarah Prather, a friend. "Everyone has her back. It's pretty cool. I'm jealous."

Girls playing prep football are still a novelty, with 253 girls among 100,000 high school students who play in California.

"The real heroes of this are my coaches and my teammates for accepting me," McOsker said. "They never had a doubt in their mind that I could do it."

But McOsker is leery about the burst of attention she's received since her breakout performance. Her father has fielded calls from the Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres shows – she turned them all down.

Yeah, I'll bet Ellen Degenerate wants to talk to her.

"I don't think I really deserve it. It's just because I'm a girl," she said.

"When I first started getting all this attention, the first person I went to talk about this was my parish priest. I pray to God, 'Please, your will be done. If this is your plan, then I'm there for you.'"

McOsker's mother, Connie, describes her daughter as deeply religious and said that, when Miranda was little, she wanted to grow up to be pope.

Actually, that is possible. There is no rule saying the pope must be a priest.

Among her current career ambitions are firefighting (it runs in her family), coaching or religion.

More than anything, McOsker doesn't want the attention to detract from her teammates.

"I'm very grateful, but sometimes it's a bit much because I'm a JV quarterback, we're a JV team," she said. "We got a great group of guys over here, but we don't win all the time so it's not something that most people would be interested in. I hope that all this publicity is good for the school and good for the football team."

JV coach Uiva Tuliau said whether McOsker plays varsity depends on her potential to understand the game better, read defenses and make solid throws.

With each game, McOsker has grown more comfortable at QB. If the receivers line up in the wrong position, she'll move them.

"She's our man for the year," Tuliau said. "Maybe she starts a trend."

HaHaHa. That is so funny.

Before home games, McOsker changes in the girls' locker room. Once her teammates have their pants on, she joins them in the boys' locker room to go over strategy. The only difference in equipment is the chest protector she wears. Her dad had to show her how to put on the pads.

"I just worry about her getting hurt," Tim McOsker said. "Maybe it's a little unfair. Maybe she's proving her point, I shouldn't be more nervous for a girl playing ball."

At a recent JV game, McOsker was cheered by several members of her tight-knit family, including her grandfather, two grandmothers and an uncle.

They whooped it up when receivers caught her passes, and urged her on after she threw a couple of interceptions and got sacked. It wasn't a good day for the Knights, who lost 41-14 to Crespi High of Encino.

After darkness enveloped the field a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, a sore McOsker rested on a metal bench as teammates and opponents alike walked by.

"Good game, 'Randa," one said, hitting her in the arm. She punched him back.

"Hey, superstar," said another as she smiled sheepishly.

Word got around on Crespi's side of the field that the Bishop Montgomery quarterback was a girl.

"You can't tell at all," said Bridgitte Williams, whose son is an offensive lineman for Crespi, an all-boys Catholic school. "My son sacked her three times and I don't think he cares. She's handling herself really good."

"She's out there because she can play," said Joseph Heitkemper, whose son is a Crespi receiver.

She's out there because they don't have any boys who can do the job. At least I hope that's the reason.

The Knights had a 2-3 record going into this week's game. And, even more important, it was Homecoming weekend and McOsker had a date for the big dance with a varsity linebacker.

"I'm excited," she said. "I'm going to hang out with a lot of the football players."

Beauty IS more than skin deep.

Salma Hayek is a veritable Niagra Falls of estrogen.
Here's a quick translation of the following for my skirt-chasing brethren who may be too preoccupied to read it and their skirt-wearing prey who may not be able to read and run at the same time: The more estrogen a babe has, the hotter she is.

The more fertile a woman, the more attractive she is to men, scientists claim today.

Doy.

Double doy, even.

I could have saved these guys a whole lot of money.

For many years, scientists believed that when lovers gaze at each other they are merely using facial clues - large eyes, small nose, large lips and so on - to check that their prospective mate has high "fitness" and can efficiently pass their genes to the next generation.

The female sex hormone oestrogen was thought to be the mediator of beauty, which advertises health and fecundity. Now researchers at the University of St Andrews have shown for the first time that women with higher levels of oestrogen do indeed have more attractive faces.
The study, published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences is the first to demonstrate that women's facial appearance is linked to their well-being because oestrogen impacts on women's reproductive health and fertility.

"People have speculated for years that women with more attractive and healthy looking faces have higher oestrogen," said Miriam Law Smith.
Hormones exert most effect on the face during puberty, she said. The principal male sex hormone testosterone causes the jaw and eyebrow ridges to become more prominent and facial hair to grow, making boys' faces grow more than girls'.

The female sex hormone oestrogen prevents the growth of facial bone, reduces the size of the nose and chin, and leads to large eyes, increased thickness of lips and fat deposition in the cheek area, along with hips and buttocks, features that announce that a woman is fertile.

Hooray, estrogen!

At first sight, the discovery that beauty is more than skin deep suggests that oestrogen injections could boost the attractiveness of a developing female face. However, the way the body would react to an artificial boost is unknown and there would be a downside, as underlined by the risks of hormone replacement therapy. Moreover, today's study shows the effects of hormones are easily masked by the application of make-up.

For you ladies about to rush out and OD on estrogen, don't bother.

Because the shape of the face is determined during puberty, boosting oestrogen in later life may improve the appearance of the skin but would not change the face, added Ms Law Smith.

The team photographed 59 young women's faces aged between 18 and 25 and analysed their sex hormone levels. Women with higher levels of oestrogen were rated as more attractive, healthy and feminine looking. Interestingly, no relationship between appearance and oestrogen was found in women wearing make-up. The researchers believe that while make-up improves facial appearance it may be masking cues normally seen in the face.

AH-HA! As I have long suspected, make-up is being used to confuse men.

Ms Law Smith said: "Women are effectively advertising their general fertility with their faces. Our findings could explain why men universally seem to prefer feminine women's faces. In evolutionary terms, it makes sense for men to favour feminine fertile women, those that did would have had more babies." (Thanks to telegraph.co.uk and WND for the heads up.)