Oatmeal Foreign Policy

Looks as though the Quakers have filched the Dem's talking points on possible NorK nukes (i.e., it's BushHitler's™ fault).

Update: Terrorist-loving Peanut Farmer Foreign Policy: Jimmah chimes in and jumps on the blame BushHitler™ bandwagon. (link via The Corner)

Catholic Heaven Rocks!

The Simpson-fied Jesus would agree.

Calling Tony Soprano

John Derbyshire over at National Review suggests the whole NorK nuke problem can be solved by having Kim Jong-Il whacked. Irresponsible? Maybe not.

Democrats: Predictably Contemptible

Yep, it's all BushHitler's™ fault that the NorKs might have nukes. Slick didn't have anything to do with it at all.

Ted Turner: Terrorist Best Friend

Another Tight One

But the Trojans keep winning despite racking up injuries to key players.



Update: Dang! Dodgers were swept by the Mets. For some reason, I find the Mets incredibly more annoying than the Yankees. Probably has to do with the fact that the Dodgers, my favorite team, are in the National League.

Dems are Clueless Example #233482348924

This is kind of like calling a touchdown a home run (or vice versa).

Liberals and Lack of Self Awareness

There's something incredibly Naziesque about the Unhinged Left's latest attempt to prove that BushHitler™ exists. (link via The Anchoress).

A liberal government watchdog group has asked the Secret Service to release its records of prominent conservative Christian leaders' visits to the White House, but one of those leaders called the request "an act of Christianophobia."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on Wednesday. The group said in the request that the records are "likely to contribute to the public's understanding of the influence that conservative Christian leaders have, or attempt to have, on the president in the exercise of his authority."

A Win for Marriage in the Courts

A California Court of Appeal upholds Prop. 22, aka California's Protection of Marriage Amendment.

Unfortunately, expect an appeal to the California State Supreme Court to be made.

Foley and Democrat Hypocrisy

Take it away Ann!

But now, the same Democrats who are incensed that Bush's National Security Agency was listening in on al-Qaida phone calls are incensed that Republicans were not reading a gay congressman's instant messages.

Let's run this past the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals: The suspect sent an inappropriately friendly e-mail to a teenager — oh also, we think he's gay. Can we spy on his instant messages? On a scale of 1 to 10, what are the odds that any court in the nation would have said: YOU BET! Put a tail on that guy — and a credit check, too!

When Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee found unprotected e-mails from the Democrats about their plan to oppose Miguel Estrada's judicial nomination because he was Hispanic, Democrats erupted in rage that their e-mails were being read. The Republican staffer responsible was forced to resign.

But Democrats are on their high horses because Republicans in the House did not immediately wiretap Foley's phones when they found out he was engaging in e-mail chitchat with a former page about what the kid wanted for his birthday.

The Democrats say the Republicans should have done all the things Democrats won't let us do to al-Qaida — solely because Foley was rumored to be gay. Maybe we could get Democrats to support the NSA wiretapping program if we tell them the terrorists are gay.

Getting It Right

It looks as though the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will be correcting the egregiously incompetent and politicized ruling that Federal District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, a Carter appointee, made on the constitutionality of the NSA surveillance program.

As an aside, when news of Judge Taylor's ruling was first reported in mid-August, noted legal and homeland security expert Mark Shea expressed his support for it on grounds and principles that have absolutely nothing to do with what the surveillance program is and how it functions. In other words, Shea didn't know what the hell he was talking about; at the same time, he gave public endorsement for the type of jurisprudence which produced rulings like Roe v. Wade.

TORTURE!!!

Under the oh-so-clear "everyone knows what it is" standard professed by great legal minds like Mark Shea, there's absolutely no reason why this latest controversy on the handling of prisoners at Gitmo shouldn't be regarded as another example of Bush-sponsored torture.

Entrenched in Stupid

A leftist writer at Slate (yeah, I know, that's redundant) suggests Justice Scalia is racially insensitive because he equates tequila with Mexico. (link via Hot Air).

Update (10/5/06): I suppose this means Mexico is self-loathing.

Blog Changes

If you previously left a message to one of my postings here and don't see it anymore, I didn't erase it. Long story short, I accepted the invite from Blogger to try its' new beta program and the new blog template I made doesn't seem to let me use the Haloscan comboxes I had on my old blog template. If, or until, I ever figure out how to put the comboxes back, I'm just going to use the comment system provided by Blogger.

Random Thought of the Day

Physical exercise is a pain, but I do generally feel a lot better after doing it.

Just Keep Winning 'SC

Doesn't matter by how many points.

It's Probably Like Time Travel

Ok, I passed the California Bar Exam, generally regarded as the toughest in the country, on my first try. So I'd really like to know if there's any way I can transform my law degree from a non-ABA school into a law degree from an ABA school.

In a Word...

Absolutely. And it isn't torture. (See especially Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8).

Update: The Case For Waterboarding

Although waterboarding is normally employed as the last resort and the frequency of its use kept secret, it has been made known that so far it has worked every time it has been tried. Thanks to its extraordinary efficacy, we have been able to obtain a great amount of critical intelligence that would have otherwise remained inaccessible. With the help of this information we have captured al-Qaeda operatives, stopped deadly plots, and saved many innocent lives. One of the fruits of Mohammed’s confession, to give one example, was the thwarting of a conspiracy to fly an airliner into the Library Tower, the tallest building in Los Angeles.

Given these facts, it is almost incomprehensible that there are some people in this country who insist that we relinquish this life-saving tool. Resting their objections on ethical grounds, they try to convince us that the procedure is morally unacceptable. But theirs is a misguided stance, since careful consideration shows that waterboarding is in fact one of the least injurious among interrogation techniques.

To see why this is so, it is enough to contrast it with the most common approach which involves a combination of sleep deprivation and cold exposure. Frequently requiring days and even weeks to break the captive’s spirit, it carries a real possibility of long-term physical and psychological damage. Worse still, it often fails to achieve the desired effect with the result that the captive is subjected to prolonged hardships, but we still end up without the information we so urgently need.

Waterboarding, on the other hand, is fleeting in duration with the actual discomfort lasting seldom more than a couple of minutes. And since a man can be safely deprived of oxygen for at least twice as long, there is almost no risk of long-term harm. The possibility of injury is further reduced by the fact that the procedure calls for no direct physical contact between the subject and his interrogators. Not even as much as pushing or chest slapping is required at any time, making waterboarding one of the safest and least confrontational among interrogation methods. Involving the lowest risk of long-term harm and the least amount of cumulative discomfort, it is also the most humane. Most importantly, it is the most effective.

Update 2 (9/30/06): So, in Mark Shea's anti-"torture" world, would these guys be regarded as pro-torture torture victims?

ATM for Jay-sus!

Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Evangelical Mega-Church, although it appears that at least one Catholic diocese in the U.S. had seriously thought about using an "Automatic Tithing Machine".

Those kinds of reservations emerged in Baton Rouge, La., before Baker went into business. About three years ago, the Roman Catholic diocese there worked with a Canadian company to produce a machine that would accept bank card donations from churchgoers. Church officials hoped to place it in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, an imposing Gothic Revival building near the banks of the Mississippi River that dates to the 1850s.

It's not an Aerosmith kind of place. Church officials eventually changed their minds.

"I think that when it actually came time to put a kiosk in the back of a cathedral, it just wasn't quite, well — I'd like to say 'kosher,' but we're Catholic," said Mark Blanchard, the stewardship director for the diocese.

7-11Eleven Drops Citgo

That would be the Citgo owned by the country of Venezuela, which is currently being ruled by the sulphur sniffing Hugo Chavez.

As a long time Big Gulp and Big Bite Hot Dog consumer, I salute your decision 7-11Eleven! Now, about those semi-pornographic "mens' magazines" you keep displaying in front of the cash registers...

A Place for Mark Shea

Never let it be said that the "Party of Torture" doesn't have a big tent.

Update: Shea gets taken down by Victor Morton (not sure if it's the same Victor Morton who occasionaly writes for National Review).

Yeah, Mel's an Idiot

He follows up drunken stupid remarks about Jews with (apparently) sober stupid remarks about the U.S. military in Iraq.

It's one thing to be against the war; it's quite another to basically suggest that military personnel are a bunch of lemmings. Borrowing from Laura Ingraham, shut up and act or direct movies, Mel.

Arizona Roadkill

A smothering defense helps give 'SC a win in the desert. Fight on!

Bubba Goes Berzerk

See the video clip here.

Clintoon is obviously counting on the American public to have a short memory. Fortunately, blogs like Ace of Spades are around to easily deconstruct the disingenuous finger wagger. (Warning: some foul language)

Update(9/24/06): Remember the last time we all saw Bubba Bill wagging his finger? (link via Michelle Malkin)

Update 2(9/24/06): Fox News never grilled Bush Administration officials about going after bin Laden before 9/11? The heck it didn't, Bubba.

Day of Rage Observation Deck

See the latest news on what's going on during this high holy day for adherents of the Religion O'Rage. (link via The Anchoress)

It Seems "Rough" Interrogation Works

Bill O'Reilly had ABC investigative reporter Brian Ross on tonight, and according to Ross, the controversial interrogation methods (e.g., waterboarding) that the CIA has been widely rumored to be using on captured terrorists like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has produced information that led to the breakup of at least 14 planned terrorist attacks against the United States. 14! One of the apparent targets of these planned attacks was the historic Library Tower in downtown Los Angeles.

When some so-called anti-torture human rights advocate, whose name escapes me, was confronted with this information on O'Reilly, the best response that she could give was: How do we know that we couldn't have gotten the information in a less drastic manner? Exactly what that less drastic manner is, she (predictably) didn't say, nor would she answer the question of whether she would allow a captured terrorist to be roughed up for information if doing so would save the life of a loved one. No better friend of the terrorists is this woman.

Correction: It wasn't 14 planned terrorist attacks that were thrwarted, but 14 cases where reportedly rough interrogation tactics were used, and which resulted in information that led to the breakup of several planned attacks, including one against the Library Tower.

Dehellenization and Protestantism

In the very same speech from Pope BXVI that adherents of the Religion O'Rage are all riled up about comes this illuminating comment about the dehellenization of religion (Christianity specifically):

Dehellenization first emerges in connection with the fundamental postulates of the Reformation in the 16th century. Looking at the tradition of scholastic theology, the Reformers thought they were confronted with a faith system totally conditioned by philosophy, that is to say an articulation of the faith based on an alien system of thought. As a result, faith no longer appeared as a living historical Word but as one element of an overarching philosophical system. The principle of sola scriptura, on the other hand, sought faith in its pure, primordial form, as originally found in the biblical Word. Metaphysics appeared as a premise derived from another source, from which faith had to be liberated in order to become once more fully itself. When Kant stated that he needed to set thinking aside in order to make room for faith, he carried this program forward with a radicalism that the Reformers could never have foreseen. He thus anchored faith exclusively in practical reason, denying it access to reality as a whole.

What the pope is essentially suggesting here is that Protestantism is a historical cause of the separation of faith from reason. This is quite an indictment, which I am quite sure many Protestants, Fundamentalists in particular, would take umbrage with. Despite such disagreement, though, I'm fairly confident that there will be no worldwide Protestant fatwas to assasinate the pope or burn Catholic church buildings. At most, we might see an offensive anti-Catholic tract by Jack Chick, which I personally find more amusing than anything else.

Did Pat Buchanan Write His Script?

Iranian President, and known Holocaust Denier, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks directly with the al-Jazeera like American MSM in a dinstinctly Buchananesque manner:

President Bush’s policies in the Middle East are “moving the world toward war,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, maintaining that Iran was a peaceful nation that merely wanted to be left alone to “stand on its [own] feet.”

“The U.S. government thinks that it’s still the period after World War II,” Ahmadinejad said in an interview with Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” a mindset that led Bush to believe that he “can rule, therefore, over the rest of the world.”

Stick to Your Day Job Mark

Exhibit number 23923283 that when it comes to foreign policy and the law, uber-Catholic apologist Mark Shea doesn't know sh!t. His suggestion that the Bush Administration's desire to narrow (i.e., clarify) the meaning of the word "torture" in Article 3 of the Geneva Convention necessarily amounts to a desire to codify or sanctify Abu Ghraib is just over the top idiotic. Though I am not hopeful it will ever happen, I'd like to know how Shea doesn't think having his blog or one of his books seen by an inmate down at Club Gitmo couldn't fall under Article 3. After that, I'd like to know what alternative solution Shea has for interrogating terrorists who want to KILL not only him, but his wife, kids, and pets.

Of course, actually proposing anything would require Shea to obtain and possess some knowledge of information beyond what is reported in the very same MSM he regularly lambastes for knowing sh!t about Christianity. Why bother doing this, when ignorantly bitching and moaning is so much easier.

And So It...Continues

Michelle Malkin reports on the latest murder committed by the Religion of Rage.

Churches Attacked in West Bank and Gaza

So in accordance with liberal/anti-Iraq war logic which blames President Bush for increased terrorism in Iraq, the pope is at fault for these attacks on Christian churches because of his recent verbal "attack" on Islam. Right?

Saddam is Trustworthy

Such is the inference one can only draw from a Sept. 8 Senate Intelligence Committee report which basically takes the former dictator at his word and concludes that Saddam had no ties to al-Qaeda or Islamofascist terrorism.

And if you believe that, then you won't mind if I start calling you Ms. Sheehan.

Fight On 'SC!

Beat the Cornholios!

I Support the Pope

But you probably could have already guessed that. It's good to say, and see in other places, anyway.

Religion of Rage Rages On

How making a sincere critical inquiry into Islam gets you mindlessly branded as another Hitler and Mussolini. (link via Drudge)

A Small Sample of the Fruits of Liberalism

The continuing, and altogether predictable, downfall of Air Scamerica. (link via Drudge)

It's One Thing to Criticize Accuracy

It's quite another to threaten outright censorship. Click here for some of the clips from Path to 9/11 that the Clintoons don't want anyone to see (maybe because it might actually be accurate?).

Shut Up and Act!

Brad Pitt on when he will marry Angelina Jolie: "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," the 42-year-old actor reveals in Esquire magazine's October issue, on newsstands Sept. 19.

Given the fact that Angie has been known to make out with her own siblings, I'm presuming 'ol Brad is including brothers and sisters in his altogether idiotic remark.

Proof of Liberal Media Bias No. 8928329839...

Clinton bitches, ABC caves and switches.

9/11 Commemoration Rally in L.A.

This looks cool. I may go. Sign message suggestions welcomed. (link via Michelle Malkin)

Better Late Than Never?

Either the AP has been duped (again), I'm seeing things (which is possible) or the Klan has radically changed its membership requirements.

Law Schools O'Plenty in California

Seems like there's new ones, most of them correspondence schools, popping up every other month.

Also looks like the Inland Empire (i.e., San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) finally has an ABA accredited law school to call its own. Really should have happened years ago at UC Riverside, which is my undergraduate alma mater, but the much talked about establishment of a law school there just never came to fruition.

Evangelicals and Foreign Policy

I was at a bookstore yesterday and happened across this written piece by Walter Russel Mead in Foreign Affairs on Evangelical Protestantism and U.S. foreign policy.

I've only glanced through it real quick, but this paragraph caught my eye:

Why focus exclusively on Protestantism? The answer is, in part, that Protestantism has shaped much of the country's identity and remains today the majority faith in the United States (although only just). Moreover, the changes in Catholicism (the second-largest faith and the largest single religious denomination in the country) present a more mixed picture with fewer foreign policy implications.


Not exactly sure what Mr. Mead means by this and, unfortunately, it doesn't look like he elaborates.

Booty Answered the Call

USC 50
Bubbaville 14

The Post-Bush Era Begins Tomorrow in Arkansas

Fight On!

The New MTV Generation: Just Plain Dumb

Video footage here to prove it. (link via Michelle Malkin)

The Party of Death is Also Anti-Semitic

"In the last year, grassroots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the Party doesn't need corporate cash to be competitive. Now it's our Party: we bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back." - Statement from MoveOn PAC 12/9/04

In light of the above, the information contained in this article about MoveOn.org certainly leaves no doubt that the 'Rat Party hates Jews. (link via The Anchoress)

You Know You're a Self-Righteous Knee-Jerker When...

You classify stuff like this as "torture." (link va Drudge)

Living Up to the Name "Meathead"

Rob Reiner, who as far as I know has never come clean about the campaign scandal he was recently inolved in, wants Mel Gibson to admit that The Passion of the Christ movie, which the late Pope John Paul II pretty much thought was faithful to the New Testament, is anti-Semitic. (link via Drudge)

Fox Reporters Freed After Forced Conversion

I'm not about to criticize the two Fox News Channel reporters who were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists and did what they felt was necessary, i.e., "converted" to Islam at gunpoint, to stay alive. In fact, I think they are very brave men. Nevertheless, it does make me think. If it were me in that situation, would I have been willing to die and be a martyr for Christ? I'd like to think I would, but by the same token, if you could be reasonably certain you would be allowed to live and even freed by going along with the demand to "convert," I probably would have done the same thing that these reporters did.

Update: Kathy Shaidle provides a great reminder on the power of defiance and the grace to actually do it.

Quick Observation

Or a rant. From my various verbal battles on different political bulletin boards, I've come to the conclusion that self-described moderates are the most politically pretentious people around. Just because they refuse to categorize themselves as either Left or Right, so-called "moderates" have this annoying tendency to anoint themselves as the objective voice of reason in criticizing the positions of self-admitted conservatives and liberals.

Something About (the Blessed Virgin) Mary

There's a new movie coming out this December called the The Nativity Story which apparently focuses on the impending birth of Christ from the Blessed Mother's perspective.

Curiously enough, this film was written by an Evangelical Protestant, which somwhat contrary to the conclusion of this article about the movie (link via Mirror of Justice) seems to confirm the rising interest (dare we even say devotion?) among Evangelicals in Mary as a perfect role model of Christian faith.

Goldwater: Democrat Hero

That seems to at least be the conclusion some will take away from this upcoming HBO movie on the late U.S. Senator from Arizona. Even though Barry Goldwater is generally viewed as a forefather of political conservatism in this country, his pro-abortion and gays in the military positions frankly made him more libertarian (or, should I say libertine?) in my eyes than anything else. (link via Drudge)

The "Tolerant" Left's Deranged Obsession with Ann Coulter Continues

The latest example from the San Francisco Chronicle. This Peter Hartlaub guy bears an amazing resemblance to a clueless and unhinged liberal I used to skewer on the discussion forums at Catholic Match. As far as I know, though, the other guy's name is Mike and he's from Ohio.

Fres-yes

Long road trip today to and from downtown Fresno for a court appearance that lasted all of about five minutes and resulted in a desired continuance so that I could get a motion for a change of venue (i.e., transfer the case to So. Cal.) on file.

Didn't have much of an opportunity to look around, but Fresno sure did have a small town feel to it. If it wasn't for the hot summer weather, I think I'd consider living there...maybe.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Al Gore's glaring hypocrisy: priceless (link via Southern Appeal)

Public records reveal that as Gore lectures Americans on excessive consumption, he and wife Tipper live in two properties: a 10,000-square-foot, 20-room, eight-bathroom home in Nashville, and a 4,000-square-foot home in Arlington, Va. (He also has a third home in Carthage, Tenn.) For someone rallying the planet to pursue a path of extreme personal sacrifice, Gore requires little from himself.

Then there is the troubling matter of his energy use. In the Washington, D.C., area, utility companies offer wind energy as an alternative to traditional energy. In Nashville, similar programs exist. Utility customers must simply pay a few extra pennies per kilowatt hour, and they can continue living their carbon-neutral lifestyles knowing that they are supporting wind energy. Plenty of businesses and institutions have signed up. Even the Bush administration is using green energy for some federal office buildings, as are thousands of area residents. But according to public records, there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy in either of his large residences. When contacted recently, Gore's office confirmed as much but said the Gores were looking into making the switch at both homes. Talk about inconvenient truths.

I Need an Exemption from Job Interviews

Because I just totally suck at them; today being example number 234249230493.

Staring Down an Idiotic Nutbag

OK, so I'm at a Labor Board Hearing today representing the owner of a small mom & pop bakery in L.A. whose own brother and sister in-law, both of whom were unrepresented, filed a complaint against him for failing to pay them due wages. The brother and sister in-law claimed they were owed about $25,000, while my client was of the position they were owed nothing because they were never employed with him. Although my client had witnesses and documentation to back up his position, my client, upon my strong recommendation, settled the case for less than 10% of what the brother and sister in-law were claiming.

The reason why I encouraged settlement in this matter was because the State Labor Board is notorious for being employee/claimant friendly. Indeed, the experience at my firm has been that even though an employer may have great evidence to present at a Labor Board "trial," Labor Board hearing officers, who aren't even attorneys for crying out loud, will more often times than not award an employee what he is asking for.

When it looked as though there would be no settlement between the parties (all of whom are Mexican and speak little english) the interpreter that we were using left the room to get the hearing officer. In the interim, my client's brother started talking a bunch of smack to my client in Spanish. When I told the brother, in english, to stop speaking to my client, he started getting mad and told me to quit pointing my finger at him. When I "asked" him what he was going to do about it, he "answered" by repeating my question and told me in a hushed aggressive tone to stop pointing my finger at him. At that point, I asked him if he was threatening me. Possibly knowing better not to do that, he again repeated his command for me to stop pointing my finger at him, even though I wasn't. When I then sarcastically asserted that he didn't understand english, he angrily mumbled some gibberish about my not understanding something or other. After that, we just stared each other down for a minute or so until I looked away with a slight smile.

I tell ya, if it wasn't for the total unpredictability of Labor Board hearing officers and the amount of money my client possibly could have been personally liable for, I would have loved to have tried this case. Clearly, I had gotten under the skin of this nutball brother of my client(during settlement discussions, he and his wife were being argumentative when I brought up the evidence I intended to present to prove that my client never employed them). But, alas, the interests of my client came first, and since these two crooks were willing to take the absoulte amount of money my client was willing to give them to just go away, settling was the most prudent thing for him to do.

Sometimes Republicans Make a Wrong Choice

But I've yet to see in my lifetime one elected Democrat executive appoint a competent, non-politicized judge. Carter appointee Judge Anna Diggs Taylor is just the latest example of why electing a Democrat basically means making the judiciary into a super legislature. Her ruling on the Bush Administration's NSA intercept program is so bad and political, it makes otherwise sympathetic liberals cringe, as noted here and here.

Same State Court, but Different System

My first, and probably last, encounter with the Fresno County Family Court has been interesting. Apparently, Fresno County segregates family law cases where the parties are in pro per (i.e., not being represented by an attorney). Hearings for such cases are heard by a rotating panel of temporary judges and commissioners, and they are held on Fridays in a courtroom that is normally used for small claims actions. In short, in pro per family law cases in Fresno County seem to almost be treated like, well, small claims cases. I'm not saying whether it's bad or good. Just different.

An Illustration of the Paradox that is Evangelical Christianity

An interesting article here about the near unanimous embrace of artificial contraception by Evangelicals who, I think, are normally against the legal right to abortion. (link via Open Book)

Now, of course, a good majority of my fellow Catholics in the United States probably also embrace the "contraceptive culture." While this is certainly distressing, the fact that the institutional Church remains steadfast in holding an opposing position certainly says something about how much value the Church places upon things it regards as enduring and transcendent truth. No amount of "evolving attitudes" in society will sway her to change. This, in my view, is one of the significant distinctions between Evangelical Prostestantism and Catholicism. An Evangelical Protestant (or "mere" Christian) is still an Evangelical Protestant if he dissents from what, say, the Evangelical Free Church of America believes and teaches about contraception. Indeed, it is more than likely that an Evangelical "church" will change or conform its beliefs to those of its members or potential members (i.e., so-called "seekers"). A Catholic, however, has effectively ceased being Catholic if he dissents from what the instituional Church teaches.

Yes, Popes Can Be Wrong

When not speaking ex cathedra and on matters outside of the faith. (link via Open Book) Pat Buchanan and his ilk must be jumping for joy over Benedict's seeming "belief" that war brings no good to anyone, including the victors . And don't think for a moment that they won't try to make Benedict's misguided ruminations into an article of faith that Catholics are bound to abide by.

Go to Mass Tuesday!!

More of a reminder to myself than anything else. But if it helps you out too, great!

Just 3 More Weeks...

...until USC football kicks off its new season in Charlie Trie-land. Can hardly wait.

Coming Soon

It's actually for my own edification more than anything else, but in the next few weeks I'm going to start posting rants and complaints against certain lawyers and firms I've been dealing with the past two years, and who have earned permanent spots on my personal Sh!t List. Stay tuned.

Throwing Stones in Glass Houses

Chutzpah doesn't even begin to describe Robin Williams. (link via RelapsedCatholic)

At Least Gibson Was Drunk #2

The last acceptable form of bigotry in America indeed. Don't hold your breath for any Gibson-like apology. (link via Open Book)

So That's Why Johnny Can't Read

I'm supportive of this school district's policy to "ban" cleavage, but things would be a whole lot easier if they just required school uniforms. And don't even get me started as to why this story is even considered news.

Catholic and Republican

I often hear and read how many Catholics in this country refuse to identify with either of the two major political parties because, it is claimed, there are aspects in each party's national platform which run counter to the Catholic faith. It's pretty easy to see how this is true with the Democrat Party, what with its express support for abortion and homosexual rights (pg.38), as well as embryonic stem cell research (pg.31). I don't, however, see anything in the GOP platform which goes against unchangeable Catholic tenets. Am I missing something, or are people just talking out of their rear ends?

Prank Call the Hezbos!

Real phone numbers listed here. (link via Michelle Malkin)

Say it Loud! Say it Proud!

Ms. Magazine wants women and girls who have had an abortion to stand up and proudly proclaim that they have killed their unborn babies.

[sarcasm]Outstanding.[/sarcasm]

At Least Gibson was Drunk

Yeah, Jimmah didn't expressly lash out at Jews here, but we all know what's driving his long held and public contempt for Israel. C'mon now.

Mel's Lapse Into Extreme Stupidity

Yeah, yeah, everything's alleged at this point, but I'd say there's a 99% chance Gibson did what he was cited for by police.

Update: Wow. How incredibly sad, if this is true.

Update 2: Gibson apologizes.

Have You Forgotten?

A reminder, in case you have.

Ann Coulter: Snark Attack

The Unhinged Left usually deserve it, but Charlotte Allen is neither Unhinged nor a political leftist, so the 'tude AC gave to Charlotte in this interview was disappointing. (link via RelapsedCatholic)

How Many Like This Are in the CIA?

John Hinderaker at Powerline highlights recent public threats that former CIA employee and current DemonRat Party darling, Larry Johnson, made to conservative bloggers.

Of worthwhile note about Mr. Johnson is that immediately before 9/11 happened, he actually wrote in the New York Times that the threat of terrorism against Americans was declining! And yet, Johnson is apparently still viewed and hailed by the Dems as an "expert" on terrorism. Unbelievable.

Sheehan Rolls

Exhibit A of how to "fast" and still gain/not lose weight.

Disproportionate Propaganda

The MSM keeps on drinking up the terrorist Kool-Aid.

Muy Caliente!

It's around 9:00pm and according to The Weather Channel website, it's about 81 degrees with 61% humidity in the central OC area. Blech!

3rd Circuit Says L@p Dancing Not Protected Speech

At least not when there's booze around. More details here. No indication that there were any visual demonstrations.

John Yoo and Jim Chen

Two Americans of Asian descent who clerked for the great Justice Clarence Thomas and are now prominent university law professors (Yoo at Berkeley and Chen at the Univ. of Minnesota).

Obviously, these guys are really smart, but I gotta tell ya, John Yoo's writing is as dry as cardboard (see, e.g., The Powers of War and Peace, which I just started reading) and a lot of Jim Chen's stuff is a bit beyond the scope of my comprehension (science and math were never strong suits of mine).

The Strangest of Bedfellows

The ACLU is representing Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church (of "God Hates F@gs" fame) in a lawsuit against the State of Missouri over a law which restricts protesting at funerals. (link via Drudge)

The church and the Rev. Fred Phelps say God is allowing troops, coal miners and others to be killed because the United States tolerates gay men and lesbians.

Missouri lawmakers were spurred to action after members of the church protested in St. Joseph, Mo., last August at the funeral of Army Spec. Edward L. Myers.

The law bans picketing and protests "in front of or about" any location where a funeral is held, from an hour before it begins until an hour after it ends. Offenders can face fines and jail time.

Given the track record that the ACLU has with promoting g@y rights, I wonder if anyone is asking Phelps how he is allowing himself and his "church" to be represented by folks whom he obviously thinks are going to Hell. Now that would be something to see and hear.

Big Surprise: LA Times Runs Misleading Story...Again

Paul at Powerline notes how the LA Dog Tranier's July 3, 2006 story about the difficulty Mitt Romney would have if he ran for President in '08 isn't exactly truthful. Although I personally don't think I could support a Romney nomination, it wouldn't be because he's Morman.

That's a Rhetorical Question

I saw a spliced up clip on YouTube of a recent interview that Stephen Colbert did of Bart "Misquoting Jesus" Ehrman, and Colbert posed the following question to the self-admitted agnostic: "Isn't that [an agnostic] just an atheist without balls?" Classic.

Update: Here's the full interview from the Comedy Central website. I had trouble viewing it before with Mozilla, but it works with Explorer.

A Thin Silver Lining to Hezbollah Attacks on Israel

This got called off.

In Between Episodes IV and V

So this is where Vader was before the Death Star was rebuilt!

Arlen Specter is a Tool

In support of his position for the bill that would have expanded embryonic stem cell research, the senior Senator from Pennsylvania resorted to making up history about the Catholic Church. (link via Open Book)

The Absurdity of Lee vs. Weisman Continues

This landmark 1992 case, of course, essentially made religious prayers at public school graduation ceremonies verboten.

Fourteen years later, this asinine ruling has resulted in the prevention of public school students in Washington State from playing an instrumental version of Ave Maria at their graduation ceremony. A lawsuit by one of those students has now been filed.

Are They Really This Dumb?

Looks like the Dems, as a whole, are set to launch an attack on every state marriage protection initiative that is on the ballot this November. Although the source of this report is unnamed, it's not hard to believe the Dems are planning this attack given Screaming Howie's comments earlier this month.

And This is a Surprise, How?

From the "Why Not?" country comes the latest affront to all that is good and decent in Western Civilization: legal recognition of a pedophile political party.

While the Cat's Away...

Looks as though "the Vatican's" condemnatory statements on the Lebanon bombings by Israel were unauthorized by Papa Ratzi, but we'll have to wait and see if any sort of clarification is issued (i.e., Sodano gets the smack down) once he gets back from vacation.

Update: If al-Reutereea's reporting is accurate, the pope is significantly more balanced than what was put out there by Sodano. However, it still doesn't appear as though the pope understands that Israel's actions are justified.

Weeeeeee!!

More signs of the Cultural Apocalypse. (link via The Anchoress)

Vatican Ignorance

I echo the thoughts ofCaptain Ed regarding the critical statements the Vatican made on Israel's recent bombing of Lebanon.

In a nutshell, the Vatican either needs to be better informed or it just has to keep quiet about matters for which it clearly does not know much of anything about.

Funny in a Multi-Layered Contradictory Way

What is one of the last things you would ever think of finding in a book on anti-Catholicism? Jeremy Lott, author of a book titled "In Defense of Hypocrisy," found it.

National Security

Click here to see what Harry Reid thinks about it. (link via Michelle Malkin)

Thanksbutnothanks

Due purely to finances, the little firm I'm currently at has advised me that they are going to have to let me go in the next few months. Because he's a really nice guy, the office manager of my firm has been asking other law firm managers he knows if they might be looking for a new associate. He got a bite this past Monday from the office manager of a mid-sized insurance defense firm, so I accordingly talked to that office manager and e-mailed my resume to her later that evening.

Because the office manager of that firm actually called my office manager to request that I forward my resume, I thought I had a pretty good shot of at least getting an interview. However, when I got home this evening, there was a form letter waiting for me from this firm which basically said they weren't interested in hiring me.

Unless this office manager was mistaken about her firm wanting to hire another associate attorney, I just can't help but think that the law school I graduated from is the reason for why I got rejected so fast. Comparatively speaking, I think I've accumulated more litigation experience in the last two years than most graduates from ABA accredited schools get in their first five years of practice with a big or mid-sized firm. How many first or second year associates at the big or mid-sized firms write and argue law and motion matters? Probably almost none. I tell you, the bias against non-ABA law schools really sux.

Sea Scouts Appeal to SCOTUS

The legal battle between the Sea Scouts and the city of Bezerkley over free access to the latter's marina berths has been going on since 1998. When this case was first appealed to the California Court of Appeal back in 2002 (I think) I wrote an amicus brief for the Pacific Justice Institute in support of the Scouts. Obviously, it didn't do much good.

While I certainly hope the SCOTUS agrees to review the case and renders a ruling in favor of the Scouts, I'm not overly optimistic that it will happen. Fact of the matter is, Berzerkly is only denying the Scouts free access to the city's marina berths, and the city does unfortunately have a right to expressly refuse to subsidize any organization which discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation. What the Sea Scouts do have going for it, though, is that it has never discriminated against g@ys. Bezerkly is bascially excluding the Sea Scouts simply because of its' association with the Boy Scouts of America.

The Steele Man Cometh

Since everyone has used "Man of Steele," that's the best I can do.

Anyway, I like to think Michael Steele's run for the U.S. Senate is the real reason The Mighty Barrister is no longer blogging (i.e., he's too busy working on Steele's campaign).

Purpose Driven Ego?

Get Religion reports that uber-Evangelical Protestant preacher Rick Warren has accepted an invitation from North Korea to speak to some 15,000 North Korean Christians. That's right, NORTH KOREA.

Upon raising the strong possibility that the whole event is probably being staged by the Communist government for purposes of identifying and arresting "illegal" Christians, Warren replied to reporters that "I know they’re going to use me...So I’m going to use them."

Uh, OK. I wonder if Warren is this ambiguous in his jumbotron broadcast sermons.

Post-Independence Day Trivia

Charles Carroll was the only Catholic to have signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also the last surviving member among the signers, having died at the age of 96 in 1832. (link via Totus Pius)