Excellent overview of the situation, courtesy of The Catholic Key. If this blog is not part of your regular reading, it should be.
When fraudulent Catholic groups try to distract you from the "insignificant details," it is a sure sign that the devil lurks in those details. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish!
Without going into too much detail or finger pointing, tragedy struck my household on Sunday. While giving a long-overdue cleaning to my 10 gallon aquarium, the tank's 8 occupants - 3 Eastern Australian Rainbowfish, 2 Black Phantom Tetras, 2 Black Neon Tetras, and a lone Red Serpa Tetra - were placed in a medium sized wash basin. Some water from the aquarium was placed in the basin, but was mixed in with some tap water that was not properly treated; and I have reason to believe that the residue of a certain Procter and Gamble product had not been completely rinsed from the wash basin itself.
As soon as they were put in, the largest of the rainbowfish began thrashing about; within minutes it was floating on its side, still clinging to life. It thrashed about some more, and in the process it apparently caught one of the Black Neons and sent it flying through the air into the opposite side wall of the basin. Whether it was injured by the thrashing or was already feeling the ill effects of whatever had obviously contaminated the water I could not say, but when the Black Neon landed in the water it immediately went belly up. By the time the rainbowfish stopped moving shortly thereafter, the other two rainbowfish were also thrashing about on their sides. These died less than 5 minutes later. By then the second Black Neon and the lone Red Serpa were floating upside down, having died without my even noticing it. That left the two Black Phantoms; but by the time I had prepared another container for them with treated water, one of them was floating on its side, just seconds from death. The lone surviving Black Phantom - the first fish I ever bought for the tank more than fifteen months ago - still looked healthy. I immediately put it in the new container, where it seemed to be doing alright; but when I returned a few minutes later, it too was dead.
I am not the type to treat the loss of pets on the same level as the loss of friends and family, not by a long shot. Still, these were among God's creatures, and had been living in community together for well over a year. They were very hardy fish, as I only lost two others (a second Red Serpa and a third Black Phantom) during the course of the last year. Losing all eight of them was truly unfortunate.
The lesson has been learned, as far as aquarium maintenance has been concerned. We finished cleaning the aquarium, draining it of all the old water, and refilled it and treated the new water. I let the filter run for two days, and went out to buy new fish for the tank today.
I have decided not to buy tetras again. They are beautiful fish, but they tend not to be very lively and often leave a lot food behind to pollute the tank (a problem I most definitely do not have with my goldfish aquarium). I am also not buying rainbowfish. Again, they are exceptionally beautiful fish, reflecting the full spectrum of the rainbow when properly cared for and under the proper lighting (hence their name). They are also hardy, quite lively, and are healthy eaters. Unfortunately, they grew to larger lengths than I expected, and are not good fish to buy for a 10 gallon tank. Besides that, they are arguably as messy as the goldfish; and I had tremendous difficulty keeping the aquarium clean and the water clear after introducing them to the tank.
It really boiled down to four choices for me, as far as finding fish that were aesthetically pleasing, small enough to be kept in larger numbers in a 10 gallon tank, and affordable: platies, guppies, danios, and barbs.
I considered getting platies, but I've pretty much decided that if I ever buy a smaller display tank that I would put a few platies in it, so I decided not to get any yet. Besides that, some species of platy are notorious jumpers, and my 10 gallon tank has an area back by the filter that can be exploited by suicidal fish.
I love guppies. They are playful, colorful, and you can fit quite a few of them into a 10 gallon tank safely. The problem is that "safely" is a relative term. I prefer my fish to be hardy, and guppies will die if you look at them the wrong way. I have never been able to keep any alive for more than a few months. Granted, I'm no expert - and anyone who's lived with me knows that I haven't always been the most diligent person when it comes to keeping aquariums clean (you know who you are: shut up! :-) - but even the most diligent aquarium maintainers I know tell me not to grow too attached to guppies. They are extremely fragile.
Fragile is not a term you can apply to danios. There are two species of danios I've had in the past: Zebra Danios (not the GloFish variety) and Giant Danios. If I was a betting man, I would bet on these guys surviving nuclear winter. As a child, I once had a tank with three zebras and three giants. The tank was 10 gallons and was too small for such a set up; while zebras never get bigger than an inch and a half, Giant Danios can grow to as large as 6 inches and are recommended for 20+ gallon tanks. Despite this, all six fish were still alive after two years, which was more than could be said of their ever-changing tankmates (yeah, I know, we had way too many fish in the tank; we had no clue what we were doing, which makes the danios' survivability all the more impressive). Eventually, the three zebras died within a day of each other, due to some sickness that only affected their particular species. All three Giant Danios survived for at least another year, and were still in the tank when we gave it away to relatives. Danios are great fish for a starter tank. Ultimately, though, I wanted more colorful fish, and they just didn't fit the bill.
In the end, I ended up buying 3 male Cherry Barbs. The name gives a pretty good indication of their color pattern, which occurs only among the males. They grow up to 2 inches; the three I bought are still young, and nowhere near that size. In keeping with traditional start-up rules, I'll introduce the fish into the aquarium a few at a time. In a few days, I will go back and buy 3 more. I thought about getting females, but this species breeds pretty quickly and I simply don't have enough space to house all the small fry. Once I get the next batch, I'll stop for the foreseeable future. Eventually (read: when I can afford it), I'll buy a larger tank that can support various species of schools. It would be nice to have something like that to display. For now, I'll keep the 12 gallon goldfish tank and the 10 gallon barb tank and see how they do.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much describes what I've been doing these past few days. On a related note, any job leads (especially Church-related job leads) in the greater Jacksonville area would be most appreciated :-) God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
As soon as they were put in, the largest of the rainbowfish began thrashing about; within minutes it was floating on its side, still clinging to life. It thrashed about some more, and in the process it apparently caught one of the Black Neons and sent it flying through the air into the opposite side wall of the basin. Whether it was injured by the thrashing or was already feeling the ill effects of whatever had obviously contaminated the water I could not say, but when the Black Neon landed in the water it immediately went belly up. By the time the rainbowfish stopped moving shortly thereafter, the other two rainbowfish were also thrashing about on their sides. These died less than 5 minutes later. By then the second Black Neon and the lone Red Serpa were floating upside down, having died without my even noticing it. That left the two Black Phantoms; but by the time I had prepared another container for them with treated water, one of them was floating on its side, just seconds from death. The lone surviving Black Phantom - the first fish I ever bought for the tank more than fifteen months ago - still looked healthy. I immediately put it in the new container, where it seemed to be doing alright; but when I returned a few minutes later, it too was dead.
I am not the type to treat the loss of pets on the same level as the loss of friends and family, not by a long shot. Still, these were among God's creatures, and had been living in community together for well over a year. They were very hardy fish, as I only lost two others (a second Red Serpa and a third Black Phantom) during the course of the last year. Losing all eight of them was truly unfortunate.
The lesson has been learned, as far as aquarium maintenance has been concerned. We finished cleaning the aquarium, draining it of all the old water, and refilled it and treated the new water. I let the filter run for two days, and went out to buy new fish for the tank today.
I have decided not to buy tetras again. They are beautiful fish, but they tend not to be very lively and often leave a lot food behind to pollute the tank (a problem I most definitely do not have with my goldfish aquarium). I am also not buying rainbowfish. Again, they are exceptionally beautiful fish, reflecting the full spectrum of the rainbow when properly cared for and under the proper lighting (hence their name). They are also hardy, quite lively, and are healthy eaters. Unfortunately, they grew to larger lengths than I expected, and are not good fish to buy for a 10 gallon tank. Besides that, they are arguably as messy as the goldfish; and I had tremendous difficulty keeping the aquarium clean and the water clear after introducing them to the tank.
It really boiled down to four choices for me, as far as finding fish that were aesthetically pleasing, small enough to be kept in larger numbers in a 10 gallon tank, and affordable: platies, guppies, danios, and barbs.
I considered getting platies, but I've pretty much decided that if I ever buy a smaller display tank that I would put a few platies in it, so I decided not to get any yet. Besides that, some species of platy are notorious jumpers, and my 10 gallon tank has an area back by the filter that can be exploited by suicidal fish.
I love guppies. They are playful, colorful, and you can fit quite a few of them into a 10 gallon tank safely. The problem is that "safely" is a relative term. I prefer my fish to be hardy, and guppies will die if you look at them the wrong way. I have never been able to keep any alive for more than a few months. Granted, I'm no expert - and anyone who's lived with me knows that I haven't always been the most diligent person when it comes to keeping aquariums clean (you know who you are: shut up! :-) - but even the most diligent aquarium maintainers I know tell me not to grow too attached to guppies. They are extremely fragile.
Fragile is not a term you can apply to danios. There are two species of danios I've had in the past: Zebra Danios (not the GloFish variety) and Giant Danios. If I was a betting man, I would bet on these guys surviving nuclear winter. As a child, I once had a tank with three zebras and three giants. The tank was 10 gallons and was too small for such a set up; while zebras never get bigger than an inch and a half, Giant Danios can grow to as large as 6 inches and are recommended for 20+ gallon tanks. Despite this, all six fish were still alive after two years, which was more than could be said of their ever-changing tankmates (yeah, I know, we had way too many fish in the tank; we had no clue what we were doing, which makes the danios' survivability all the more impressive). Eventually, the three zebras died within a day of each other, due to some sickness that only affected their particular species. All three Giant Danios survived for at least another year, and were still in the tank when we gave it away to relatives. Danios are great fish for a starter tank. Ultimately, though, I wanted more colorful fish, and they just didn't fit the bill.
In the end, I ended up buying 3 male Cherry Barbs. The name gives a pretty good indication of their color pattern, which occurs only among the males. They grow up to 2 inches; the three I bought are still young, and nowhere near that size. In keeping with traditional start-up rules, I'll introduce the fish into the aquarium a few at a time. In a few days, I will go back and buy 3 more. I thought about getting females, but this species breeds pretty quickly and I simply don't have enough space to house all the small fry. Once I get the next batch, I'll stop for the foreseeable future. Eventually (read: when I can afford it), I'll buy a larger tank that can support various species of schools. It would be nice to have something like that to display. For now, I'll keep the 12 gallon goldfish tank and the 10 gallon barb tank and see how they do.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much describes what I've been doing these past few days. On a related note, any job leads (especially Church-related job leads) in the greater Jacksonville area would be most appreciated :-) God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Once Again: This, Ladies And Gentlemen, Is Who Represents My Home District - Now With Subtitles!
I posted this once before, but I believe the subtitles make the point more vividly. A few reminders are in order:
- This is not a guest speaker. This is the duly-elected United States Representative of what is arguably the most heavily gerrymandered district in the country. Her votes actually make a difference when it comes to determining the extent of government intervention in health care and private industry. Not surprisingly, she is squarely in the Obama camp on virtually every issue.
- She has both a bachelor's and master's degree from Florida A&M University, a specialty certificate from the University of Florida (which does not technically make her a UF alum, but that does not stop her from making that claim), and was on the faculty at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. Keep that in mind when you watch the video and see the extent of her grasp of the English language.
- The woman loves to claim the moral high ground when she takes a public stance on any issue, especially with regards to matters of race and alleged Republican voter fraud (though she is certainly not above being racially insensitive towards others, and has remained conspicuously silent regarding the many lawsuits filed against former Obama employer ACORN for voter fraud in at least 13 states). Despite her frequent and embarrassing displays of righteous indignation, she has been investigated by the House Ethics Committee enough times to make John Gotti blush. More information is available here and here.
That's enough to establish a consistent pattern of embarrassing behavior for the time being. Now on to the main event, an encore performance of her speech "gradulating" the "Florida Gatas" for their "gusty" play and their "BS-BCS" title in football. Now enhanced with subtitles. If you are in a silly mood, enjoy! If you are not, have some Ibuprofen ready. This is going to be painful to watch!
- This is not a guest speaker. This is the duly-elected United States Representative of what is arguably the most heavily gerrymandered district in the country. Her votes actually make a difference when it comes to determining the extent of government intervention in health care and private industry. Not surprisingly, she is squarely in the Obama camp on virtually every issue.
- She has both a bachelor's and master's degree from Florida A&M University, a specialty certificate from the University of Florida (which does not technically make her a UF alum, but that does not stop her from making that claim), and was on the faculty at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. Keep that in mind when you watch the video and see the extent of her grasp of the English language.
- The woman loves to claim the moral high ground when she takes a public stance on any issue, especially with regards to matters of race and alleged Republican voter fraud (though she is certainly not above being racially insensitive towards others, and has remained conspicuously silent regarding the many lawsuits filed against former Obama employer ACORN for voter fraud in at least 13 states). Despite her frequent and embarrassing displays of righteous indignation, she has been investigated by the House Ethics Committee enough times to make John Gotti blush. More information is available here and here.
That's enough to establish a consistent pattern of embarrassing behavior for the time being. Now on to the main event, an encore performance of her speech "gradulating" the "Florida Gatas" for their "gusty" play and their "BS-BCS" title in football. Now enhanced with subtitles. If you are in a silly mood, enjoy! If you are not, have some Ibuprofen ready. This is going to be painful to watch!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Danville, VA TEA Party Leader Asks Attorney General To Investigate Use Of State Police And County Sheriff's Deputies To Harass Perriello Critics
Link
The Perriello described above is Tom Perriello, the recently-elected Democrat U.S. Congressman from Virginia's 5th Congressional District and a very ardent supporter of Obama and his health care plan (which now includes key provisions of the pro-abortion Freedom of Choice Act). The above link details the extent of the intimidation tactics Danville TEA Party leaders suspect Perriello of having engaged in, prompting the query to the state Attorney General's office.
Support for the Democrats' socialized health care plan is beginning to drop like a lead weight, and Obama and the Democrat Congressional leadership are desperate to ram the bill through Congress - with minimal scrutiny - before that support evaporates altogether. Whether or not this desperation entails using local law enforcement to intimidate vocal opponents of Obamacare is, in my humble opinion, a matter worth investigating. It is certainly more worthy of investigation than the accusations of ethics violations leveled at soon-to-be former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (who has been cleared of 19 such accusations so far with no shred of evidence of wrongdoing uncovered to date; and she now stands to be acquitted of a 20th impending charge, which like the nineteen before it is being investigated well, well beyond reasonable doubt at taxpayer expense).
This case drew my attention for another reason. Tom Perriello is a long-time "Catholic" dissident agitator, and yet another of the driving forces behind the twin-headed apostate entity/leftist front group that is Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good/Catholics United (which campaigned quite vigorously on Perriello's behalf during the 2008 election cycle). It should be noted that in his brief time in office, Perriello has amassed a 0% rating by the National Right to Life Committee. He voted in favor of public funding for abortions in the District of Columbia (H.R. 3170). He also voted for the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2410), which includes a provision authorizing an "Office for Global Women's Issues," which would use U.S. taxpayer funding for abortions abroad. Though these votes have almost surely put Perriello in the good graces of NARAL, that pro-abortion entity has yet to compile pro-abortion ratings for this Congress.
This shows, yet again, that those who try to argue that Obama's agenda is in line with Catholic doctrine are far more willing to compromise the doctrinal integrity of latter in order to preserve the ideological purity of the former. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
The Perriello described above is Tom Perriello, the recently-elected Democrat U.S. Congressman from Virginia's 5th Congressional District and a very ardent supporter of Obama and his health care plan (which now includes key provisions of the pro-abortion Freedom of Choice Act). The above link details the extent of the intimidation tactics Danville TEA Party leaders suspect Perriello of having engaged in, prompting the query to the state Attorney General's office.
Support for the Democrats' socialized health care plan is beginning to drop like a lead weight, and Obama and the Democrat Congressional leadership are desperate to ram the bill through Congress - with minimal scrutiny - before that support evaporates altogether. Whether or not this desperation entails using local law enforcement to intimidate vocal opponents of Obamacare is, in my humble opinion, a matter worth investigating. It is certainly more worthy of investigation than the accusations of ethics violations leveled at soon-to-be former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (who has been cleared of 19 such accusations so far with no shred of evidence of wrongdoing uncovered to date; and she now stands to be acquitted of a 20th impending charge, which like the nineteen before it is being investigated well, well beyond reasonable doubt at taxpayer expense).
This case drew my attention for another reason. Tom Perriello is a long-time "Catholic" dissident agitator, and yet another of the driving forces behind the twin-headed apostate entity/leftist front group that is Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good/Catholics United (which campaigned quite vigorously on Perriello's behalf during the 2008 election cycle). It should be noted that in his brief time in office, Perriello has amassed a 0% rating by the National Right to Life Committee. He voted in favor of public funding for abortions in the District of Columbia (H.R. 3170). He also voted for the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2410), which includes a provision authorizing an "Office for Global Women's Issues," which would use U.S. taxpayer funding for abortions abroad. Though these votes have almost surely put Perriello in the good graces of NARAL, that pro-abortion entity has yet to compile pro-abortion ratings for this Congress.
This shows, yet again, that those who try to argue that Obama's agenda is in line with Catholic doctrine are far more willing to compromise the doctrinal integrity of latter in order to preserve the ideological purity of the former. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
FOCA Never Went Away, Obama Is Just Trying To Pass It Under The Table With The Rest Of His Agenda
Link
There is no nice way to put it: the abortion agenda is a demonic one. Those who advocate it serve the forces of darkness, whether they realize it or not. And as with any other action instigated by or (unwittingly) on behalf of the forces of darkness, those who initiate the action scurry like cockroaches the moment light is shed on their actions.
I would hope that by now people have become painfully aware of just how brazenly dishonest Obama was in claiming that he would run "the most transparent administration in our nation's history." Shed a spotlight on any aspect of the Obama agenda, and there are bound to be more than a few cockroaches ready to scatter. Only this time, those cockroaches seek to do grave and irreparable harm to the cause of preserving innocent, unborn life.
Shed EVERY spotlight you can on the massive financial and moral disaster that is the proposed "Obamacare" bill. Popular support for this is fast beginning to wane, but the sad reality is that no amount of popular opposition can change the fact that Obama has a majority in both Houses of Congress. Generalized opposition is not enough. Call, write, or fax your Senators and Congressman to vote against this abomination. They have to be made vividly aware of the political consequences of supporting this legislation. Calling attention to the above link is a good first step. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
There is no nice way to put it: the abortion agenda is a demonic one. Those who advocate it serve the forces of darkness, whether they realize it or not. And as with any other action instigated by or (unwittingly) on behalf of the forces of darkness, those who initiate the action scurry like cockroaches the moment light is shed on their actions.
I would hope that by now people have become painfully aware of just how brazenly dishonest Obama was in claiming that he would run "the most transparent administration in our nation's history." Shed a spotlight on any aspect of the Obama agenda, and there are bound to be more than a few cockroaches ready to scatter. Only this time, those cockroaches seek to do grave and irreparable harm to the cause of preserving innocent, unborn life.
Shed EVERY spotlight you can on the massive financial and moral disaster that is the proposed "Obamacare" bill. Popular support for this is fast beginning to wane, but the sad reality is that no amount of popular opposition can change the fact that Obama has a majority in both Houses of Congress. Generalized opposition is not enough. Call, write, or fax your Senators and Congressman to vote against this abomination. They have to be made vividly aware of the political consequences of supporting this legislation. Calling attention to the above link is a good first step. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Monday, July 20, 2009
Hey There Obama (Drink The Kool Aid)
OK, this video was created by a 16 year old and is starting to do the rounds on the blogosphere and on Facebook. It's too hilarious not to post. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Great Prolife Witness
As reported by The Catholic Key blog. An amazing read about the impact of children in our lives - no matter how long they grace us with their presence. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Friday, July 17, 2009
My Take On The Obama Birth Certificate Controversy
When stories first began to break in October 2008 about a lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania by a former Hillary Clinton supporter questioning Obama's citizenship and asking him to provide an original copy of his birth certificate, I paid it little mind.
When similar lawsuits popped up in a dozen other states in the days leading up to and following the 2008 election, I started to take a casual interest in the affair. Still, I did not expect much to come of it.
When I made a passing reference to the controversy while blogging on the night of the election and promptly received the first negative comment in the then five month history of my blog, I was amused.
When I saw how the Obama campaign - and later the Obama administration - responded to the brewing controversy, and saw how fanatically devoted Obama supporters were to discouraging inquiries into the circumstances of Obama's birth (and shouting down the inquiries that did arise), I started to seriously wonder if something was amiss.
When I repeatedly commented about the difference between a long-form birth certificate - such as this 1963 Hawaii Certificate of Live Birth which lists the hospital where the birth took place and the name of the attending physician - and the short form Certification of Live Birth provided by the Obama campaign (which does not list the hospital of birth or the name of the attending physician), only to be answered by Obama supporters who invariably ignored the distinction and sent me links to either Obama's FightTheSmears.com website (since taken down) or the FactCheck.org article that supposedly dispels the rumor (without adequately addressing the distinction made above), I began to realize that the Obama camp really, really wanted this issue to go away.
Any parent with a shred of common sense knows the telltale signs that their child is hiding something, even if the parent does not necessarily know what is being hidden. Any parent with a shred of common sense also knows when their child is making a partial concession to a demand for the truth - by revealing non-incriminating or partially incriminating information - in the hopes that the parent will not inquire into the matter any further.
The fact is, I did not take the birth certificate controversy seriously until I saw the lengths the Obama administration had gone to to avoid releasing the long form birth certificate which lists the hospital where he was born and the name of the attending physician. The Obama camp contested the original Pennsylvania lawsuit, and continues to actively fight the myriad of lawsuits that have arisen in other states asking for the same information. And recently, an Army Reserve Major by the name of Stefan Frederick Cook filed a lawsuit contesting his deployment orders to Afghanistan on the grounds that Obama lacks the standing to issue such an order because he has never provided incontrovertible proof of his U.S. citizenship. The day before the date set for the case to go court (July 16th), Major Cook's deployment orders were mysteriously canceled without any explanation being offered for such a highly irregular action. When it became clear that Major Cook and his attorney were going to press on with the lawsuit, the Department of Defense pressured Major Cook's private employer to fire him (the employer confirmed that the pressure came from the Department of Defense). The lawsuit has since been dismissed on the grounds that the original reason for the lawsuit - Major Cook's imminent deployment - was no longer at issue.
I want to be clear about something, for the sake of anyone who decides to draw attention away from the main point of this blog post by starting a comment thread with a tit-for-tat breakdown of whether or not Barack Obama was born in Kenya or Hawaii and what is or is not Hawaii law. My contention with this controversy boils down to one point, and one point only: Obama can make this entire controversy go away by producing an original copy of the long form birth certificate, showing the name of the hospital and the name of the attending physician who delivered baby Barack. Not the Certification of Live Birth document that has been circulating for nearly two years and which lacks the name of the hospital where he was born and the name of the attending physician who delivered him, but the actual long form Certificate of Live Birth. If he produces this document, and it proves he was born in Hawaii, then I will be satisfied and let the matter rest. Until he produces this document, and stops wasting massive amounts of taxpayer dollars resisting all efforts to publicly disclose this document, I will question what Barack Hussein Obama II and those serving in his administration have to hide. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
When similar lawsuits popped up in a dozen other states in the days leading up to and following the 2008 election, I started to take a casual interest in the affair. Still, I did not expect much to come of it.
When I made a passing reference to the controversy while blogging on the night of the election and promptly received the first negative comment in the then five month history of my blog, I was amused.
When I saw how the Obama campaign - and later the Obama administration - responded to the brewing controversy, and saw how fanatically devoted Obama supporters were to discouraging inquiries into the circumstances of Obama's birth (and shouting down the inquiries that did arise), I started to seriously wonder if something was amiss.
When I repeatedly commented about the difference between a long-form birth certificate - such as this 1963 Hawaii Certificate of Live Birth which lists the hospital where the birth took place and the name of the attending physician - and the short form Certification of Live Birth provided by the Obama campaign (which does not list the hospital of birth or the name of the attending physician), only to be answered by Obama supporters who invariably ignored the distinction and sent me links to either Obama's FightTheSmears.com website (since taken down) or the FactCheck.org article that supposedly dispels the rumor (without adequately addressing the distinction made above), I began to realize that the Obama camp really, really wanted this issue to go away.
Any parent with a shred of common sense knows the telltale signs that their child is hiding something, even if the parent does not necessarily know what is being hidden. Any parent with a shred of common sense also knows when their child is making a partial concession to a demand for the truth - by revealing non-incriminating or partially incriminating information - in the hopes that the parent will not inquire into the matter any further.
The fact is, I did not take the birth certificate controversy seriously until I saw the lengths the Obama administration had gone to to avoid releasing the long form birth certificate which lists the hospital where he was born and the name of the attending physician. The Obama camp contested the original Pennsylvania lawsuit, and continues to actively fight the myriad of lawsuits that have arisen in other states asking for the same information. And recently, an Army Reserve Major by the name of Stefan Frederick Cook filed a lawsuit contesting his deployment orders to Afghanistan on the grounds that Obama lacks the standing to issue such an order because he has never provided incontrovertible proof of his U.S. citizenship. The day before the date set for the case to go court (July 16th), Major Cook's deployment orders were mysteriously canceled without any explanation being offered for such a highly irregular action. When it became clear that Major Cook and his attorney were going to press on with the lawsuit, the Department of Defense pressured Major Cook's private employer to fire him (the employer confirmed that the pressure came from the Department of Defense). The lawsuit has since been dismissed on the grounds that the original reason for the lawsuit - Major Cook's imminent deployment - was no longer at issue.
I want to be clear about something, for the sake of anyone who decides to draw attention away from the main point of this blog post by starting a comment thread with a tit-for-tat breakdown of whether or not Barack Obama was born in Kenya or Hawaii and what is or is not Hawaii law. My contention with this controversy boils down to one point, and one point only: Obama can make this entire controversy go away by producing an original copy of the long form birth certificate, showing the name of the hospital and the name of the attending physician who delivered baby Barack. Not the Certification of Live Birth document that has been circulating for nearly two years and which lacks the name of the hospital where he was born and the name of the attending physician who delivered him, but the actual long form Certificate of Live Birth. If he produces this document, and it proves he was born in Hawaii, then I will be satisfied and let the matter rest. Until he produces this document, and stops wasting massive amounts of taxpayer dollars resisting all efforts to publicly disclose this document, I will question what Barack Hussein Obama II and those serving in his administration have to hide. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Obama's Science Czar: Further Proof Of The Relationship Between The Environmentalist Lobby And The Population Control Movement
Link, courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com. Hat tip to my brother.
I cringe every time legislation related to "environmental concerns" is proposed under a pro-abortion regime. Always check the fine print of such legislation, because it's bound to include provisions that threaten the sanctity of human life. To those who think there is no connection: consider yourself warned. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
I cringe every time legislation related to "environmental concerns" is proposed under a pro-abortion regime. Always check the fine print of such legislation, because it's bound to include provisions that threaten the sanctity of human life. To those who think there is no connection: consider yourself warned. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Monday, July 13, 2009
My Verdict
It is my judgment that Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court would be an assault on American jurisprudence. I expect that my background as a wise Latino conservative will help me make a better determination on this matter than a bunch of white liberals who lack the richness of my experience.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
More Than 10,000 Illinois Prisoners Face Early Release To Alleviate State Budget
Link
In unrelated news, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley has announced plans to stimulate job growth in his city by hiring 10,000 new employees within his administration...
In unrelated news, Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley has announced plans to stimulate job growth in his city by hiring 10,000 new employees within his administration...
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Cardinal John Henry Newman To Be Beatified
Hat tip to Whispers In The Loggia.
I hope that on the happy occasion of Newman's beatification, the multitude of Newman Clubs on college campuses around the country will recall the Cardinal's evangelical zeal and mirror that zeal in their activities, rather than remain the over-glorified social networking organizations that so many of them have sadly become. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
I hope that on the happy occasion of Newman's beatification, the multitude of Newman Clubs on college campuses around the country will recall the Cardinal's evangelical zeal and mirror that zeal in their activities, rather than remain the over-glorified social networking organizations that so many of them have sadly become. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Happy 4th Of July!
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated."
- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
Over the last few posts, I have alluded to America being far from perfect, and far from being the salvation of mankind. That said, this country has been a powerful force for good for more than 2 centuries, even if the men tasked with running this country have been far from perfect. The American experiment is a thing worth preserving, if only for as long as God allows. On this day, let us remember the principles upon which this country was founded, and recall the heroic sacrifice of the countless men and women who gave their lives to preserve those principles. Let us do what we can to honor their sacrifice, and to preserve the principles - so beautifully outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution - for which they bled. God bless America!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
Over the last few posts, I have alluded to America being far from perfect, and far from being the salvation of mankind. That said, this country has been a powerful force for good for more than 2 centuries, even if the men tasked with running this country have been far from perfect. The American experiment is a thing worth preserving, if only for as long as God allows. On this day, let us remember the principles upon which this country was founded, and recall the heroic sacrifice of the countless men and women who gave their lives to preserve those principles. Let us do what we can to honor their sacrifice, and to preserve the principles - so beautifully outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution - for which they bled. God bless America!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Al Franken Declared Winner Of Minnesota Senate Race, Democrats Now Have Filibuster-Proof Majority In The Senate: How Will Americans Respond?
The worst-case scenario of the 2008 election has now come to pass. God help us all. I say that as a prayer, and not as a lamentation.
There is every reason to cry foul about the election results in Minnesota, where incumbent Republican Norm Coleman led after the initial counting of ballots by more than 700 votes, only to see that lead evaporate as new votes were "discovered" all over the state, with a highly disproportionate (some would say statistically impossible) number of those votes favoring Franken. The suspicious recount and horribly bungled subsequent canvassing process were chronicled in a great National Review article by Powerline's Scott Johnson.
The election results aside, we now have to face the dire consequences. In a blog post dated October 6, 2008, I warned of the following potential consequences of an Obama White House, a Nancy Pelosi-led House of Representatives, and a Harry Reid-led, filibuster-proof Senate:
"- All abortion restrictions will be overturned courtesy of the demonically misnamed "Freedom of Choice Act"
- Ruth Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens, and possibly even David Souter could retire within those two years, leaving Obama to name their replacements, who are sure to get sped through the Senate with little to no vetting, costing the pro-life movement what is likely to be the only opportunity to achieve a pro-life Supreme Court majority for the next generation.
- It is very likely that an effort to codify gay marriage into federal law will be attempted, and the next two years would be the best chance for such a codification to succeed.
- Embryonic stem cell research will receive massive federal funding, ensuring that this practice will continue well beyond our lifetimes.
- There is a good chance that Obama and Congress will attempt to pass numerous pieces of subversive legislation of the sort that will make it easier for groups like ACORN (which Obama worked for during his community organizing days, and whose members he helped train in the very tactics that have gotten many of them indicted for voter fraud in 7 states) to act in secrecy and with relative impunity, paving the way for massive voter fraud in future elections which will lead to a built-in handicap working against Republicans and conservative initiatives at the ballot box.
- Taxes. Taxes. Taxes. Did I forget to mention the possibility of taxes? Any financial crisis we think we might be facing today will pale in comparison to what is sure to follow if jobs are lost courtesy of over-taxation of businesses, if gas prices shoot up due to newly-imposed drilling bans, and if the disastrous subsidies for ethanol-based fuel continue to drive food prices through the roof.
- Government oversight over private enterprise will grow, as will government oversight of first amendment rights. Can you imagine Democrats having no obstacle to passing laws that would make it possible for Catholic priests to get arrested as accessories if they preach against homosexuality during Mass and one of that priest's parishioners subsequently commits any act perceived as criminal or discriminatory against someone they may or may not have known to be homosexual? When government imposes itself in any area of private life, history has shown that it is not so easily pushed out again.
- The abominable "Fairness Doctrine" - designed specifically to drive conservative talk radio (the one media outlet liberals don't have a monopoly on apart from the Internet) out of business - is sure to be revisited and snuck through Congress with as little fanfare as possible."
Some of the things described above - including Souter's retirement, massive tax increases, increasing government oversight of private industry, and the beginnings of federal attempts to suppress ideological dissent - have already come to pass (and as expected, Democrats are trying to speed Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor through the confirmation process with minimal scrutiny), and these things have happened without the assurance of a filibuster-proof Democrat majority as everyone waited for the Minnesota shenanigans to play out. Now, with the filibuster-proof majority assured, the Democrats still have 16 months before the next mid-term congressional election - to say nothing of the additional two month period between the elections themselves and the swearing in of the newly-elected - in which time they can push through the rest of the above-mentioned agenda (and much else besides) with minimal Republican resistance.
Only one obstacle remains to the imminent attempt to run roughshod over our civil liberties, and that is the voice of the would-be downtrodden: namely, we the American people. As a general rule, politicians are set in their political agenda, and rarely listen to their constituents once the votes have been tallied and they have been assured of election (or re-election, as the case may be). However, public outcry very nearly derailed HR 2454 (the disastrous cap and trade legislation) in the House (the margin of passage being only 7 votes), and stands a good chance of derailing the legislation in the Senate - even with a filibuster-proof Democrat majority. Public pressure is also the only hope we now have of derailing the passage of the financially catastrophic "Obamacare" health care proposal, as well as forestalling the inevitable attempts at gun control. Politicians tend ignore isolated outcries from constituents whose opinions differ from their own. However, they find it a great deal more difficult to ignore massive public outcries, especially these days if said politicians face re-election in 2010.
Congressmen often have the luxury of relative anonymity when casting their votes. We know that the self-proclaimed "most transparent administration in U.S. history" is not going to go out of its way to explain the consequences of the legislation it favors, so it falls to us to exhort our Senators and Representatives to familiarize themselves with the legislation for which they are casting a vote - and to hold them accountable for running afoul of the American people when they fail to act in our best interests. Public exposure of those who vote in favor of disastrous legislation or against beneficial legislation is warranted. That, however, is not possible unless we the people bother to familiarize ourselves with the mechanisms of government and the wording and practical applications of the legislation that passes through the halls of Congress.
Which means, folks, that we cannot continue to remain in ignorant bliss of what our government is doing. Ignorant voters tend to elect the most capable con artists to high office, and then tend to turn a blind eye to the mischief such con artists perpetrate. If we truly care about this American experiment, that has to stop. The right to vote carries with it a grave moral responsibility. Not only do we have an obligation to familiarize ourselves with the candidates and amendments that appear on our ballots, we also have an obligation to ensure that our elected officials remain on good behavior and that the amendments we vote into law are properly enacted. To do otherwise, and to remain ignorant of what we enable at the ballot box, is to ensure the advent of tyranny.
We are now at a crossroads. We must decide if the American experiment is worth saving. If we can't be bothered to inform ourselves about the agenda of the people now tasked with perpetuating that experiment, and to hold them accountable to us, we may soon wake up to the realization that the vision of our Founding Fathers has passed us by. And we will have no one to blame but ourselves. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
There is every reason to cry foul about the election results in Minnesota, where incumbent Republican Norm Coleman led after the initial counting of ballots by more than 700 votes, only to see that lead evaporate as new votes were "discovered" all over the state, with a highly disproportionate (some would say statistically impossible) number of those votes favoring Franken. The suspicious recount and horribly bungled subsequent canvassing process were chronicled in a great National Review article by Powerline's Scott Johnson.
The election results aside, we now have to face the dire consequences. In a blog post dated October 6, 2008, I warned of the following potential consequences of an Obama White House, a Nancy Pelosi-led House of Representatives, and a Harry Reid-led, filibuster-proof Senate:
"- All abortion restrictions will be overturned courtesy of the demonically misnamed "Freedom of Choice Act"
- Ruth Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens, and possibly even David Souter could retire within those two years, leaving Obama to name their replacements, who are sure to get sped through the Senate with little to no vetting, costing the pro-life movement what is likely to be the only opportunity to achieve a pro-life Supreme Court majority for the next generation.
- It is very likely that an effort to codify gay marriage into federal law will be attempted, and the next two years would be the best chance for such a codification to succeed.
- Embryonic stem cell research will receive massive federal funding, ensuring that this practice will continue well beyond our lifetimes.
- There is a good chance that Obama and Congress will attempt to pass numerous pieces of subversive legislation of the sort that will make it easier for groups like ACORN (which Obama worked for during his community organizing days, and whose members he helped train in the very tactics that have gotten many of them indicted for voter fraud in 7 states) to act in secrecy and with relative impunity, paving the way for massive voter fraud in future elections which will lead to a built-in handicap working against Republicans and conservative initiatives at the ballot box.
- Taxes. Taxes. Taxes. Did I forget to mention the possibility of taxes? Any financial crisis we think we might be facing today will pale in comparison to what is sure to follow if jobs are lost courtesy of over-taxation of businesses, if gas prices shoot up due to newly-imposed drilling bans, and if the disastrous subsidies for ethanol-based fuel continue to drive food prices through the roof.
- Government oversight over private enterprise will grow, as will government oversight of first amendment rights. Can you imagine Democrats having no obstacle to passing laws that would make it possible for Catholic priests to get arrested as accessories if they preach against homosexuality during Mass and one of that priest's parishioners subsequently commits any act perceived as criminal or discriminatory against someone they may or may not have known to be homosexual? When government imposes itself in any area of private life, history has shown that it is not so easily pushed out again.
- The abominable "Fairness Doctrine" - designed specifically to drive conservative talk radio (the one media outlet liberals don't have a monopoly on apart from the Internet) out of business - is sure to be revisited and snuck through Congress with as little fanfare as possible."
Some of the things described above - including Souter's retirement, massive tax increases, increasing government oversight of private industry, and the beginnings of federal attempts to suppress ideological dissent - have already come to pass (and as expected, Democrats are trying to speed Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor through the confirmation process with minimal scrutiny), and these things have happened without the assurance of a filibuster-proof Democrat majority as everyone waited for the Minnesota shenanigans to play out. Now, with the filibuster-proof majority assured, the Democrats still have 16 months before the next mid-term congressional election - to say nothing of the additional two month period between the elections themselves and the swearing in of the newly-elected - in which time they can push through the rest of the above-mentioned agenda (and much else besides) with minimal Republican resistance.
Only one obstacle remains to the imminent attempt to run roughshod over our civil liberties, and that is the voice of the would-be downtrodden: namely, we the American people. As a general rule, politicians are set in their political agenda, and rarely listen to their constituents once the votes have been tallied and they have been assured of election (or re-election, as the case may be). However, public outcry very nearly derailed HR 2454 (the disastrous cap and trade legislation) in the House (the margin of passage being only 7 votes), and stands a good chance of derailing the legislation in the Senate - even with a filibuster-proof Democrat majority. Public pressure is also the only hope we now have of derailing the passage of the financially catastrophic "Obamacare" health care proposal, as well as forestalling the inevitable attempts at gun control. Politicians tend ignore isolated outcries from constituents whose opinions differ from their own. However, they find it a great deal more difficult to ignore massive public outcries, especially these days if said politicians face re-election in 2010.
Congressmen often have the luxury of relative anonymity when casting their votes. We know that the self-proclaimed "most transparent administration in U.S. history" is not going to go out of its way to explain the consequences of the legislation it favors, so it falls to us to exhort our Senators and Representatives to familiarize themselves with the legislation for which they are casting a vote - and to hold them accountable for running afoul of the American people when they fail to act in our best interests. Public exposure of those who vote in favor of disastrous legislation or against beneficial legislation is warranted. That, however, is not possible unless we the people bother to familiarize ourselves with the mechanisms of government and the wording and practical applications of the legislation that passes through the halls of Congress.
Which means, folks, that we cannot continue to remain in ignorant bliss of what our government is doing. Ignorant voters tend to elect the most capable con artists to high office, and then tend to turn a blind eye to the mischief such con artists perpetrate. If we truly care about this American experiment, that has to stop. The right to vote carries with it a grave moral responsibility. Not only do we have an obligation to familiarize ourselves with the candidates and amendments that appear on our ballots, we also have an obligation to ensure that our elected officials remain on good behavior and that the amendments we vote into law are properly enacted. To do otherwise, and to remain ignorant of what we enable at the ballot box, is to ensure the advent of tyranny.
We are now at a crossroads. We must decide if the American experiment is worth saving. If we can't be bothered to inform ourselves about the agenda of the people now tasked with perpetuating that experiment, and to hold them accountable to us, we may soon wake up to the realization that the vision of our Founding Fathers has passed us by. And we will have no one to blame but ourselves. God bless!
In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald
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