ACLU Still Doing Their Best To Undermine America’s traditions…

Supreme Court To Look At Mojave Desert Land Deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to step into a long-running legal fight over an 8-foot cross that stands as a war memorial in the vast Mojave National Preserve in California.

The justices said that in court arguments set for this fall, they will consider throwing out an appeals court ruling that ordered the cross be torn down.

The American Civil Liberties Union and a former National Park Service employee have been challenging the cross’ continued presence on national parkland for nearly eight years. A cross has stood on the site since 1934, when a local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars erected it atop an outcropping known as Sunrise Rock.

Mojave desert cross

Congress has transferred ownership of the land on which it sits to a private party.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals twice said the cross must come down. It invalidated the 2004 congressionally approved land transfer, saying that “carving out a tiny parcel of property in the midst of this vast preserve — like a donut hole with the cross atop it — will do nothing to minimize the impermissible governmental endorsement” of the religious symbol.

The "offending" cross was covered with plywood after the 9th Circuit decision.

The case is Salazar v. Buono, 08-472.

B.S. Report–For 67 years this little monument had stood without complaint.  That is, until the ACLU discovered this tiny cross eight years ago.  The Founders’ of our country did not envision a country without religion or religious symbols.  What they were against was the “establishment of a state (national) religion.”

The San Francisco based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is our nations’ comedy court.  They continually come up with the most ludicrous opinions and are overturned far more often than any other appellate court.  Lets hope this is another instance.

Florida Republican Governor Still ‘Shilling’ For Obama

Governor Charlie Crist Still Firmly In Obama’s Corner

WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida’s Republican governor says the GOP should be willing to work with Democrats in a time of economic crisis.

Charlie Crist is taking some heat from those in his party who say he’s too supportive of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus bill.

Nicknamed "The People's Governor"--now we know why--he supports Socialism.

Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Crist says that he’s willing to give the new president “a shot” and to try to help make his economic recovery plan work. The package passed Congress with almost no Republican support.

According to Crist, the key for the GOP to regain power in Washington is doing what’s right for Americans. He says that means taking an approach to governing that is compassionate and fiscally conservative and marked by common sense.

B.S. Report–The GOP needs to do something about these “wishy-washy” moderates who are dragging the party to oblivion.  This guy Crist was a double-crosser in the last election and the GOP should put up a genuine conservative to run against him in the next primary.

That being said, how is it that people who supposedly don’t agree with President Obama’s unconstitutional power grab are out there saying, “We need to give him a shot?”  The guy is destroying free markets, individual freedom, and causing all sorts of damage to the financial markets here and around the world.   We’re not only supposed to support that  but we can’t criticize him either?

Is it possible to like President Obama and not want basic American principles destroyed?  I hope America succeeds–but I believe we only succeed by turning around President Obama’s catastrophic agenda.

California GOP Reprimands 6 lawmakers who voted for tax hikes

GOP Voters Who Helped Pass New Budget Reprimanded By Party

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Republican Party has approved a measure reprimanding six GOP lawmakers who voted for the largest tax increase in state history.

California capitol building-the scene of the crime.

The measure to deny the six party funding for the 2010 election was approved Sunday by delegates during the party’s convention in Sacramento.

Three lawmakers each from the Senate and Assembly broke ranks last week to give Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the necessary votes for passing a compromise budget solution to the state’s $42 billion shortfall.

Supporters say Sunday’s resolution sends a strong message to politicians that there will be consequences for breaking their no-tax pledge.

Other delegates called the move mean-spirited and worried that it pushes the party into an ideological corner.

B.S. Report–Good move by the GOP.  How can you call yourself a Republican and then go and vote for tax hikes.  Isn’t that a basic plank in the Republican platform?

To the extent that it’s “mean-spirited,” cry me a river!  Just because a large percentage of the party doesn’t have the guts to stick to their principles doesn’t mean they can’t be punished for it.  Members of the party complain that it pushes the party into an “ideological corner” in the future.  Lets hope so!

Freedom Quote Of The Day

“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.”

–Thomas Jefferson, letter to E. Carrington, May 27, 1788

Hawaii becomes same-sex “civil unions” battleground

Hawaii may become 5th state to legalize civil unions

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii, the state that adopted the nation’s first “defense of marriage” constitutional amendment a decade ago, has now become the latest battleground in the fight for same-sex civil unions.

It would become the fifth state to legalize the alternative to gay marriage if the Democrat-dominated Legislature and Republican governor approve a civil union law. The measure was passed by the state House this month but it now faces the Senate, where a divided committee is to vote Tuesday.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has declined to comment on the issue and it’s unclear whether she would veto the bill.

Gay rights organizations argue that civil unions would promote basic equality in the nation’s most ethnically diverse state, but opponents fear the erosion of an island culture that values conventional family ties.

“Society in general is becoming more accepting,” said Suzanne King, a real estate office manager who is raising her 9-year-old daughter, Shylar Young, with her partner of nearly 28 years, Tambry Young. “It’s not unusual to come upon a gay family. There isn’t this fear that by giving us rights, it’s going to reduce the traditional family.”

The island paradise has a long history of respecting traditional marriage.

King and Young said they want a civil union law so gay couples can more easily adopt children, share health benefits and gain hospital visitation rights. They plan to enter into a civil union if the measure becomes law.

Religious groups have been taking out newspaper ads, setting up Web sites and holding rallies urging lawmakers to preserve traditional marriage.

One anti-gay Web site includes photos of two men kissing each other and others apparently in gay pride parades. It warns of a bad influence on Hawaii “keiki,” the Hawaiian word for children.  (Read more.)

B.S. Report–Hawaii passed a defense of marriage amendment back in 1998 so supporters of this bill are trying for the next best thing, civil unions.  Hawaii has a deep-seated respect for traditional marriage and it may not be a slam-dunk to get this law passed.  If they do, Hawaii would become the first Western state to give governmental blessing to same-sex unions.

Generally speaking, I’m for gays having some sort of legal protection.  But that all depends on what type of civil union law is passed.  As long as it doesn’t undermine traditional marriage, and doesn’t work against the idea that society should hold traditional marriage as the “ideal” social arrangement, I don’t have a problem.

Unfortunately, this Hawaii bill does undermine marriage by harming children.  It would make it far more easy for gay couples to adopt children and that’s a problem.  I want a married man and woman to be able to take precedence in adopting children.  I believe that a child has the right to both a mother and father–if at all possible.  To the extent that this has become a radical position today is more a reflection on the times we’re living in than on the individuals that believe it.

With Job Losses Comes New Demand For GED Classes

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) — Donna Sharp made a good living even without a high school diploma, earning about $19 an hour putting stripes on recreational vehicles in a northern Indiana county known as the RV capital of the world.

Then Monaco Coach Corp. announced in July that it was closing the Wakarusa plant where Sharp worked, as well as plants in Elkhart and Nappanee in September. Other RV companies were doing the same, contributing to an estimated 8,000 job cuts that have caused Elkhart County’s unemployment rate to triple in a year to 15.3 percent.

In that bleak market, Sharp, 44, found that her lack of a diploma limited her prospects. So she scrapped her job search to sign up for classes to earn General Education Development credentials, joining a nationwide crush that is creating lengthy backlogs for people desperate to acquire tools to help them find work.

“We’ve never had waiting lists like this, ever,” said Deborah Weaver, director of community education for Elkhart Community Schools.

David C. Harvey, president of ProLiteracy, a nonprofit literacy organization with 1,200 affiliates, said agencies that help people study for GEDs and other adult education classes are being deluged at a time when many are facing cuts in state funding and dwindling donations.

Donna Sharp prepared to take the GED exam.

“This is quickly becoming a national crisis,” he said. “Our programs have gotten hit with less resources, but in turn they have a huge increase in demand for services that they can’t meet.”

Weaver has seen that demand in Elkhart, where the school system in past years ran a monthly orientation to enroll people for GED classes. She stopped holding orientations in August because all available slots were filled and more than 100 people were on the waiting list, even though she had added three classes.

When the orientations resumed, 139 people showed up in late January for 100 spots, and Weaver said the phones ring daily with people hoping to sign up.

In New York City, the Fifth Avenue Committee, which runs a GED class for 22 students, usually has a waiting list of about 50 people. It now has 178 waiting to get into class.

Chris Curran, the committee’s director of adult education and literacy, said normally she would refer people to GED classes at other agencies, but those sites also are full.

“Everyone has a waiting list right now,” she said. “We’re starting to tell people we might not have any openings until September.”  (Read more.)

B.S. Report–I don’t believe for a second that every American belongs in college, but it does worry me that so many Americans do not even have a fundamental education.

Its been a long time since I graduated high school so I don’t even know what kind of education a high school diploma signifies, but I don’t like the idea that our country is importing such a high percentage of our “skilled” workforce.

I have no idea what that actual percentage is, but you can tell by walking into these facilities that our workforce for doctors, scientists, and high-tech personnel is being dominated by immigrants.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if these individuals fully adopt our culture and the basic principles of our Founders.  Often, they end up becoming our most patriotic of citizens.

I fear, however, that since we are not teaching basic Constitutional principles to our own citizens than they are probably not being taught to new arrivals, either.  And that is a problem.  It is important that these people are being assimilated properly, because many of them are future leaders–as is typically true of those earning high salaries.

As for those seeking a GED, I have nothing but respect and admiration for any individual who uses his or her time to improve themselves and their marketability.  All of us should continually strive to improve ourselves and our condition.

Oscar Trivia Quiz

Playing 20 questions with Oscar trivia

By Steve Segal
PghTrib.com
Monday, February 26, 2007

EASY (1 point each)
1. You can only hope you get the first answer correct: Which comedy legend has hosted the Oscars the most?
2. Name the oldest Best Actress winner, but don’t let the answer drive you crazy.
3. Name the two-time Oscar-winning Best Actress who was a cast member of the television show “Beverly Hills, 90210” and in the movie “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1992). Don’t shed any tears for her; she can defend herself.
4. Not counting his honorary Oscar, how many Oscars has Kirk Douglas won? (Hint: It’s the same number as Adam Sandler but fewer than Ben Affleck.)
5. Name the Biblical epic starring Charlton Heston that won 11 Academy Awards.
MEDIUM (2 points each)
6. Who was the only actor to receive two posthumous acting nominations? He lost both times, so he still is a rebel without an Oscar.
7. Name the three movies that won all the top five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. (Hint: One of them was filmed in the Pittsburgh area.)
8. Two movies are tied for most Oscar nominations without winning a single award. Name the movies and the number of nominations.
9. Two sisters were nominated in the same acting category for these 1941 films. The same thing happened again, with different women, for 1966 films. Name all four actresses.
10. Name the Best Picture-winning, Frank Capra-directed film starring Indiana, Pa.-native James Stewart and Lionel Barrymore.
DIFFICULT (3 points each)
11. Which Oscar-winning actor has appeared in the most movies with other Oscar-winning actors? (Hint: He won two Oscars in the 1950s, but his acting style might be Greek to you.)
12. One director has won more Best Director Oscars than anyone else. Name him and the movies he won for. (Hint: He’s best known for his westerns.)
13. Fiddle-dee-dee. Name the only surviving star-billed cast member of “Gone with the Wind” (1939).
14. In the campy classic “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), five of the stars were Oscar winners. Name them.
15. Although many people identify Clark Gable with his performance as Rhett Butler in “Gone with the Wind” (1939) and Humphrey Bogart for his performance as Rick Blaine in “Casablanca” (1942), both lost in their respective Best Actor categories. Name who beat them and for what films.
OSCAR GEEKS (4 points each)
16. These European émigrés competed for Best Director in 1953, and their names were remarkably similar. One was nominated for “Roman Holiday” (1953) and the other for “Stalag 17” (1953), but both films lost to Fred Zinnemann’s wartime classic, “From Here to Eternity” (1953). Name these two directors and the films they won their respective Best Director Oscars.
17. “Around the World in 80 Days” won the 1956 Oscar for Best Picture. Name the other four nominees. One runs on network television regularly every Easter season; one is a Deborah Kerr musical; one earned Anthony Perkins his only Oscar nomination; and one is based on an Edna Ferber novel.
18. One of the all-time best directors, master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, never won an Oscar for Best Director, but he was nominated five times. Name the pictures.
19. Name the only actor to win three Oscars in the Best Supporting Actor category and the films he won for. He also was the first to win three acting Oscars and the first Best Supporting Actor Oscar recipient. He had several top 100 singles, including “Old Rivers.”
20. Thelma Ritter and Deborah Kerr share an ignoble Oscar distinction. What is it?
BONUS (10 points each)
Kerr-Ritter question: Name the movie in which Thelma Ritter and Deborah Kerr co-starred.
Brain-buster question: In 1948, bird-brain Dean Reisner made a film that had no human actors or animation, yet it won a special Oscar. It also holds the record for the smallest film set. Name the film.
click here to make a printout of the quiz. When you are finished with the quiz, click here to find out the correct answers.

Homeless man, i.e., bum, fights to run for office…

“Homeless” Man Fights For Spot On Village Ballot

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man barred from running for the village board because he is homeless isn’t giving up trying to get on the ballot.

"They say I can't run because I have no fixed address...It's ridiculous, and it's not fair. Everyone knows how to contact me--this bench is my office during the day, and at night, me and my Secretary of Animal Welfare, live under the Cook County bridge.

Daniel Fore and his attorneys on Thursday filed both a petition seeking a judicial review of the decision and an emergency motion for expedited hearing with the Cook County Circuit Court.

The team hopes for a ruling on the matter by March 6, ahead of the March 16 start of early voting, said Larry Griffin, an attorney for the firm Kirkland and Ellis who represents Fore pro bono.   (B.S.–Shocking! Fore is being represented pro bono!)

Oak Park’s electoral board voted 2-1 last week to bar Fore from the April 7 ballot. A message left for an Oak Park spokesman was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

Two Oak Park residents, Randy Gillett and Richard Newman, challenged Fore’s candidacy, claiming a person without a fixed address cannot run for office or register to vote.

Hey, wait a second, I do own a "mobile home"!

But Fore’s attorneys say the electoral board’s decision violates Illinois law and nothing in it bars homeless people from ballot access just because they’re homeless.

Cook County Clerk David Orr agrees, saying in a statement he believes state law supports Fore’s case.

“Just as homeless voters deserve the right to cast ballots, homeless candidates have a right to run for office,” Orr said. “At a time when more and more Americans are losing their homes, it is imperative they not also lose access to full participation in our democracy – either as voters or officeholders.”

Orr’s support is key, Griffin said.

“I think his perspective is obviously valuable,” Griffin said. “We appreciate that he sees, as we do, that Dan has a right to run.”

Fore collected 800 signatures from Oak Park residents, almost double the amount he needed to be placed on the ballot, Griffin said.

Fore is also represented by the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

B.S. Report–Why not let the guy run for office?  He couldn’t be a worse choice than that other guy from Chicago…oh, what’s his name again; oh yeah, Obama. In fact, they have a lot in common. They both would love to see everyone in America owning their own…shopping cart.

ACLU Headline For Below Story: “Innocent Farmer Shot By Wicked Border Patrol Agents As He Was Trying To Truck His Crop To Market”

Border Patrol Agents Shoot Suspected Smuggler

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — U.S. Border Patrol agents shot a suspected drug smuggler in the New Mexico desert after the man ran over an officer with a pickup truck, officials said Friday.

Doug Mosier, a Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso, said agents were trying to stop the truck on a desert road Thursday night when one of them was hit. At least one other agent opened fire, hitting the driver.

The driver then crashed the truck about 25 miles west of the border crossing at Santa Teresa, Mosier said. The driver and the agent were both taken to a hospital in El Paso.

Mosier said the agent suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and no details on the driver’s condition were available Friday.

Agents found a large quantity of suspected marijuana inside the truck, Mosier said.

How dare they shoot a simple farmer trying to make a living...

The truck was believed to have crossed the border along a patch of rough desert, but Mosier said it was unclear exactly where the driver crossed since the area has about 48 miles of vehicle and pedestrian fencing.

Todd Hulsey, an FBI spokesman in Albuquerque, said the bureau’s field office in Las Cruces was writing an affidavit for a federal arrest warrant charging the driver with assaulting a federal officer and drug trafficking.

He said federal agents were investigating the alleged assault.

The FBI does not know who the driver is because he carried no identification, but believes he is a Mexican national, Hulsey said.

The truck contained 1,500 pounds of marijuana, wrapped in 25-pound bundles that filled the interior of the pickup “so that only one human being could fit inside of it,” he said.

Another agent, Luis Aguilar, was run over and killed last year while trying to stop a vehicle driven by a suspected drug smuggler from Mexico.

B.S. Report–I guess these guys can take Ramos and Compean’s place in prison, now that their jail cell is available.

Arctic Sea Ice Underestimated…Missed ice-block the size of California…I’m sure it’s just another honest mistake, but notice how the mistakes always occur in one direction…

Faulty Sensor Underestimates Arctic Sea Ice

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) — A glitch in satellite sensors caused scientists to underestimate the extent of Arctic sea ice by 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles), a California- size area, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center said.

As Maxwell Smart used to say, "Missed it by that much, eh Chief?"

The error, due to a problem called “sensor drift,” began in early January and caused a slowly growing underestimation of sea ice extent until mid-February. That’s when “puzzled readers” alerted the NSIDC about data showing ice-covered areas as stretches of open ocean, the Boulder, Colorado-based group said on its Web site.

“Sensor drift, although infrequent, does occasionally occur and it is one of the things that we account for during quality- control measures prior to archiving the data,” the center said. “Although we believe that data prior to early January are reliable, we will conduct a full quality check.’’

The extent of Arctic sea ice is seen as a key measure of how rising temperatures are affecting the Earth. The cap retreated in 2007 to its lowest extent ever and last year posted its second- lowest annual minimum at the end of the yearly melt season. The recent error doesn’t change findings that Arctic ice is retreating, the NSIDC said.

The center said real-time data on sea ice is always less reliable than archived numbers because full checks haven’t yet been carried out. Historical data is checked across other sources, it said.

The NSIDC uses Department of Defense satellites to obtain its Arctic sea ice data rather than more accurate National Aeronautics and Space Administration equipment. That’s because the defense satellites have a longer period of historical data, enabling scientists to draw conclusions about long-term ice melt, the center said.

“There is a balance between being as accurate as possible at any given moment and being as consistent as possible through long time-periods,” NSIDC said. “Our main scientific focus is on the long-term changes in Arctic sea ice.”

"What? There's a California-sized ice-block? Mommy,why can't we just go there?"