Realism

Take the Neocon quiz. My results:

Realist

Realists…

• Are guided more by practical considerations than ideological vision
• Believe US power is crucial to successful diplomacy - and vice versa
• Don't want US policy options unduly limited by world opinion or ethical considerations
• Believe strong alliances are important to US interests
• Weigh the political costs of foreign action
• Believe foreign intervention must be dictated by compelling national interest

Historical realist: President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Modern realist: Secretary of State Colin Powell

(Via Cut on the Bias.)

Finally! Honesty from a Clinton!

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -- Senator Hillary Clinton at a Democratic fundraiser in San Francisco.

(Via Joshua Claybourn and many, many others.)

Hideous!

Ugly interior designs from 1974. Puke green bathroom fixtures? Blech!

(Via Scott Wickstein at SashaCastel.com.)

Good Stuff to Read

In no particular order, here are some posts worth reading. Some of these are from around the time I went on hiatus.

• Joe Carter on what a "blob of cells" really looks like.


• Aaron's Rantblog on "thou shalt not kill" vs. "thou shalt not murder".


• Ben Domenech on Romania's ban on international adoptions.


• Theosebes on William F. Buckley, Jr.


• Steve H. on his new theory about women.


• Dawn Eden on chastity and unchastity. (Kind of goes well with the link just above...)


• Ilyka Damen on terrorism and hatred.


• Michele quotes several Iraqi bloggers regarding the handover of their country.


• Deb at Accidental Verbosity on the increasing ugliness of politics and how some are losing sight of what's at stake.


• William Luse excerpts an intriguing passage from a novel.

**Guffaw**

"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it." -- Voltaire

(Via Boortz.)

Fact-Checking Michael Moore

The blog Fahrenheit Fact does just that. (Via fellow Lutheran blogger Bunnie Diehl.)

Of course, the media "elites" should be doing this sort of thing. However, most of them are indisposed, since their lips are attached to Moore's backside like barnacles to a ship. Bunnie Diehl can attest to that.

Update: Yet more Moore fact-checking from Neal Boortz:

So let's take a look at the take, shall we? Between Wednesday and Sunday (the film opened in limited release on Wednesday,) box office estimates show a gross of $21,958,000, or just under $22 million. In comparison, in that same time frame, the new comedy 'White Chicks' pulled in $27,100,000. That's right...if you take Wednesday-Sunday, White Chicks is #1. It's only when you go to Friday-Sunday does Fahrenheit barely become the #1 movie, with an edge of just over $2 million. Hardly a box office bonanza, right? Of course, you wouldn't know that by the media coverage. (source: BoxOfficeMojo.com)

By the way ... you do know that Michael Moore regularly lies and distorts in his films, don't you? Did you see Bowling for Columbine? Maybe you remember a six-year-old who found a gun in his mother's house and killed one of his classmates. Michael Moore told us in his film that this child was unsupervised because of welfare-to-work laws. Sounds sad, doesn't it. What didn't Moore tell you? How about the fact that the mother of this child turned him over to a relative who was running a crack house where the gun was found sitting on a bed. And Moore also didn't tell you that this child's mom admitted to beating him, sitting on him and duct-taping his arms, legs and mouth. Now why would he leave that out?

Maybe you saw Moore's Roger & Me. Remember those pitiful GM workers who were being evicted from their homes? Turns out they were never even GM workers. Oh well.

Moore Lies

Everybody has been talking about Michael Moore's new agitprop film Fahrenheit 911*. I have to say that I truly despise Michael Moore. He is a liar. In his faux documentaries, he presents a sick caricature of America. His portrayal has nothing to do with reality. However, his cartoon version of America is mindlessly lapped up by his fans here and abroad. People believe this distortion and think it's the truth. This infuriates me.

Here's a news flash for you non-American Moore worshippers: Moore's portrayal of America is no more based in reality than an episode of Dallas or Dynasty. Sorry to disappoint you.

As Dean Esmay says, Moore is the left's version of Leni Riefenstahl.

Of course the Hollywood crowd, being utterly insulated from reality, just loves Moore. And apparently the increasingly whacked-out Democratic Party loves him too. Hezbollah also loves Moore's new movie. How surprising...not.

Andrea Harris has the ultimate rant** on Moore and his new movie. I agree with every word.

According to Andrea's post, one of the things in F911 that some are making a big deal over is that Bush took seven minutes to "respond" to the 9/11 attack. The man was obviously distressed and held it together somehow in front of those little kids. What was he supposed to do? Run storming out, screaming that America was under attack? The principal at the school Bush was visiting had no problem with the President's response. Why should Moore?

I'll tell you why. Because there was no response that Bush could have made that would have pleased Moore and his groupies and fanboys. Bush would have been condemned no matter what he did.

And one more thing...Some filmmakers are answering Moore's propaganda. One such film is the forthcoming Michael Moore Hates America. From the website:

Contrary to its title, Michael Moore Hates America isn’t a hatchet job on the filmmaker. It’s a journey across the nation where we meet celebrities, scholars and average folks alike, and we find out whether the American Dream is still alive! In the process, we’ll look at Michael Moore’s claims about the country, its people, and our way of life.

Also, libertarian talk show host Larry Elder has an upcoming film called Michael & Me.

*As for the title, Ray Bradbury is not happy about it at all. Moore has said that 911 is the temperature "at which freedom burns". Moore wouldn't know freedom if it bit him on the butt!

**Andrea's rant may not be safe for work, depending on your situation.

Back in Brown!

I'm baaaack!

I just had to come back after an increasingly embittered and deranged Al Gore recently labeled folks like me as "digital brownshirts". Well, I don't look good in brown, although I do own a beige shirt. However, in "honor" of Gore's outburst, I've decided to wear a brown shirt:

(Links via Dean's World.)

Downtime

I think it's time for me to take another hiatus. I've got a lot of things weighing on my mind lately that need to be taken care of. Also, my dog (who is twelve years old) has been sick. She's been doing much better the past couple of days, but I'm still concerned about her declining health. I'm feeling rather frazzled lately, which is causing me to be snippy to people online and in the real world. I feel like I'm turning into a jerk (or maybe more of a jerk than usual), and I don't like that about myself. I'm just not thinking very well, lately. I'm having trouble concentrating on things; I'm easily distracted. Again, I think I'm just tired.

So, I'm taking a break from posting here and commenting elsewhere (I'll still answer comments here where appropriate). I'll be doing some blog reading, but not very much. I'll be back in a week or two. In the meantime, check out the many great blogs on my sidebar, listen to the Radio.Blog, or check out my Furl archive.

Later...

Low-Carb Stuff & Weight Update

Since I follow Weight Watchers, I'm not really into the whole low-carb craze. However, some of the low-carb stuff that they have come out with can be beneficial to us non-Atkins folks. For example, the low-carb orange juice is really quite good, and it's only 1 Point per 8 oz. glass, as opposed to 2 Points for regular orange juice.

While grocery shopping yesterday, I noticed that they had the new low-carb Coca-Cola I had been hearing so much about: Coke C2. I bought some and gave it a try. The verdict: Pretty darn good! A 12 oz. can of C2 is 1 Point as opposed to 3 Points for the regular Coke Classic. Now, I don't think it will usurp Diet Cherry Coke (0 Points) as the Official Beverage™ of LilacRose just yet, but it will make a nice addition to my sources of much needed caffeine. (I don't drink coffee, so my caffeine comes from sodas and iced tea.)

Incidentally, I haven't given a weight update lately. That's because I was stuck on a plateau for quite a while. I got a bit slipshod in my eating habits while my Mom was sick. Then, I regained my discipline and started exercising a lot more. While I lost inches, my weight stayed pretty much the same. (Although it actually went up 1.5 pounds about three weeks ago -- yikes!) This is probably because I've been gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat.

Now, the weight seems to be coming off again. At my last weigh-in, I lost 2.5 pounds. My total now is 47.5 pounds. It seems like I've been trying to reach that 50 pound mark forever, but I'll get there.

Tracking Bills

A few months ago, I ran across a $1 bill stamped with a URL: www.wheresgeorge.com. I had to use the dollar to pay for lunch with my Mom, but I remembered the URL and checked it out later. Where's George is a site that tracks paper money. Unfortunately, I could not enter the information for the dollar on which I saw the URL, since I had already spent it.

Today, my Mom ran across another dollar bill stamped with the URL, so I went to the site and entered it. Here is the tracking report for that dollar. So far, mine is only the second entry.

"Bad" Words

Via Bene Diction comes this: Richard Hall is making a plea for Christian bloggers to stop using the words "Islamofascist" and "Islamofascism".

My answer to his plea: No.

When referring to that particular subset of radical, fundamentalist Muslims who dream of creating a worldwide Caliphate (where non-Muslims are given the choice of conversion, slavery or death), I usually use the terms "radical Islam" or "Islamists". But "Islamofascism" and "Islamofascist" also are very good at conveying what a dangerous, fanatical enemy we face. I have used them before and I will continue to do so. Perhaps more often now, since I've been told that those are "bad" word.

I suppose I'm a "bad" Christian if I use such politically incorrect and "insensitive" terms to describe radical Islamists. I guess this means that to be a "good" Christian, I have to embrace a philosophy of niceness and non-offensiveness. Well, then, I guess I'm a "bad" Christian. So be it.

I refuse to stick my head in the sand and pretend that our enemies aren't really so bad and if we just gave them more foreign aid, along with a big bear hug, they would stop wanting to kill us. Reality doesn't bear that out. So, just as President Reagan unflinchingly called the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire", I will also refuse to water down my references to our enemies. If I want to call them "Islamofascists" or "Islamists", I'll damn well do so. Tut-tut me all you want -- I don't care.

Reagan's Wisdom

Roy Jacobsen reflects on Reagan's wisdom in standing up to evil:

He called the Soviet Union an “evil empire,” and the intelligentsia were appalled at his apparent naivety. He wasn’t “nuanced,” he wasn’t being “diplomatic,” he was making it difficult to “get along” with a regime that every knowledgable person agreed wasn’t going to be defeated, and wasn’t going to go away any time soon.

And without a shot being fired, the Soviet Union and all their puppet governments collapsed like a house of cards because Reagan had the wisdom to see it for what it was, and apply the pressure at the point that would bring about the collapse.

Also, Dawn Eden links to Reagan's famous pro-life essay, Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation.

"Cowboys" vs. Communists

Don't miss this column by Lech Walesa on Reagan's legacy:

I often wondered why Ronald Reagan did this, taking the risks he did, in supporting us at Solidarity, as well as dissident movements in other countries behind the Iron Curtain, while pushing a defense buildup that pushed the Soviet economy over the brink. Let's remember that it was a time of recession in the U.S. and a time when the American public was more interested in their own domestic affairs. It took a leader with a vision to convince them that there are greater things worth fighting for. Did he seek any profit in such a policy? Though our freedom movements were in line with the foreign policy of the United States, I doubt it.

I distinguish between two kinds of politicians. There are those who view politics as a tactical game, a game in which they do not reveal any individuality, in which they lose their own face. There are, however, leaders for whom politics is a means of defending and furthering values. For them, it is a moral pursuit. They do so because the values they cherish are endangered. They're convinced that there are values worth living for, and even values worth dying for. Otherwise they would consider their life and work pointless. Only such politicians are great politicians and Ronald Reagan was one of them.

(Via Hog on Ice.)

The Procession

I watched the Reagan funeral procession on TV. I cried, too. Like I said before, I always liked Reagan. I didn't always like Nancy; I feel differently now. She reminded me so much of my poor mother at both my brother's and my father's funerals.

This is the first State funeral I've witnessed. I don't remember the one for Johnson. I was just a kid, so I was oblivious to it. When Nixon died ten years ago, there was no State funeral and everything was much more low-key. (I guess this was because he resigned.)

The Fight for Freedom

Two very important anniversaries:

• Today is the 60th anniversary of D-Day. (Via ASV.)


• June 4th was the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square uprising.

The Pope -- Again

After reading this piece by David Warren, I'm having second thoughts about my earlier defense of the Pope.

(Via Twisted Spinster.)

Radio Blog Update

I've got a new mix of songs in the Radio Blog for this month. It's a little different than last month. Here are the CDs this month's lineup of songs come from:

16 Horsepower - Secret South
Avion - Avion
Basia - Time & Tide
Julee Cruise - Floating into the Night
The Innocence Mission - Small Planes
The Innocence Mission - Befriended
Steely Dan - Aja
Steve Taylor - Now the Truth Can Be Told
Steve Taylor - Squint

The radio blog is on the sidebar under "Site Extras".

I'm considering trying out Live 365. I'll have to think about it, but I better think fast, because I just noticed that their prices are going up in a couple of weeks.

Update: Oops! Wrong link for one of the Steve Taylor CDs. It's fixed.

Farewell, President Reagan

Throughout most of Ronald Reagan's presidency, I was a teenager. I was thirteen when he was elected in 1980 and I was 21 when he left office. Like most teens, I thought of myself as a liberal. I wanted Walter Mondale to win in 1984. Although I was starting to shake off some of the immature teenage liberalism by 21, I still voted for (**cringe**) Dukakis for President in 1988 (my first Presidential election).

When I was a teenager, I bought into all the nuclear war paranoia. I used to have nightmares about nuclear war. I thought Republicans didn't care about the poor. I was "personally opposed" to abortion but thought it should be legal.

Despite all this, I couldn't help but like President Reagan. I didn't agree with him, but I liked him anyway. I would even get annoyed when stupid rock stars would put him down in magazine articles or songs.

Around 1988, I began to see the wisdom of Reagan's approach to the Cold War and the Soviet Union. I remember when Reagan was having some talks with Gorbachev. At the time I was working at a store at the mall while going to school. In front of the mall one day, the local news was having one of those "man on the street" things and the reporters were asking people what they thought of the talks. I got roped into being interviewed while going to work one evening. They asked me what I thought and I said it was good that we were talking to the Soviets, but that we shouldn't get too relaxed with them. I was actually afraid that Reagan might "go wobbly"! Then they asked me if I thought we could ever get rid of nuclear weapons. My answer: no, not unless we invented a worse weapon.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union, I saw how right Reagan had been in the way he handled the Cold War. I see now that he was right about a lot of things.

I regret that I didn't fully appreciate President Reagan until after he left office. I wish I hadn't been such an ignorant teenager. But I do appreciate him now.

Update: If you would like, you can leave Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family a message in the condolence book. (Via Relapsed Catholic.)

You know what?

I'm starting to get really, really tired of these arrogant judges.

Let me make a prediction. Some of my fellow pro-lifers will offer up this as "proof" that President Bush hasn't done anything to advance the pro-life cause. They will moan and whine about how ineffectual Bush is on this issue and how they aren't going to vote for him, while not offering a damn thing as an alternative. (Well, they might recommend voting for some whack-job third-party candidate, or sitting out the election, but those aren't realistic options. They may as well go vote for Kerry.)

Clinton, the man who vetoed the PBA ban twice, appointed this latest judge who ruled against the PBA ban. Appointing judges is one very important thing the President does that has lasting effects after he leaves office. All of you pro-lifers who complain that President Bush "doesn't do enough" need to keep that in mind before you childishly hold your breath, sit on your hands, and refuse to vote for him because he doesn't fit your idea of perfection.

(Strange...I started out wanting to rant about judges and ended up ranting about my fellow pro-lifers. How did that happen?)

The slouch towards Gomorrah is complete...

We've already arrived...

Exhibit A: Daily Mail (Via Drudge) - Abortion Soars in Quest for Perfect Baby

Those with conditions that can usually be corrected medically - such as deformed feet and cleft lips and palates - are instead being terminated.

And the number of abortions of Down's syndrome babies now outstrips live births, despite the fact that those with the condition can live a long and fulfilling life. As screening techniques improve, the trend is likely to grow - horrifying pro-life campaigners.

'These figures are symptomatic of a eugenic trend of the consumerist society hell-bent on obliterating deformity - and at what cost to its own humanity? ' said ethicist Jacqueline Laing, of London Metropolitan University. 'We are obliterating the willingness of people to accept disability. Babies are required to fit a description of normality before they are allowed to be born.'

Disposable human life -- be perfect or die!

Exhibit B: New York Times - Friends, Friends With Benefits and the Benefits of the Local Mall

''I have my friends for my emotional needs, so I don't need that from the guy I'm having sex with,'' Melissa explained at the time, sounding very much like the ''Sex and the City'' character Samantha Jones. So why, now that the boy had ''broken up'' with her, was she feeling so depressed? ''It's really stupid, I know,'' she said, shaking her head. ''It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I try to set up a situation where I won't get hurt, and I still manage to get hurt.''[...]

Like other high-school girls I talked to, Melissa says she doesn't see why boys get to have ''all the fun,'' although during the few months we communicated, it was clear that Melissa's hookups rarely brought her joy. She complained often about being depressed, and her hookups, which she hoped would make her feel better, usually left her feeling worse. But a few days after a hookup, she would have forgotten that they tended to make her miserable, and would tell me excitedly about a new boy she was planning to meet. When that boy failed to show or called to say he was running an hour late, Melissa's spirits would sink -- again.

But when I asked Melissa whether she thought hookups worked equally well for girls and boys, she surprised me with her answer. ''It's equal,'' she said. ''Everyone is using each other. That's fair.''

If you read the whole article, you will find out what "hooking up" entails (and what's not included in the deal). It's a very one-sided system where the boys reap all the "benefits" and the girls don't get much in return except hurt and degradation. But they're not supposed to complain about that because they're "liberated", you see.

Is it just me, or has Brave New World become a reality?

(Both links are via Mark Shea, who used these articles to make the point that America and the West have nothing of value to offer the Islamic world. I don't agree with that at all. Can't we acknowledge that we have problems without all the moral equivalency?)