Shuttle Launch As Seen From Above!

A fantastic photo of a shuttle launch from Florida via NASA's high altitude research plane.
Via Strategy Page

Hey Mullahs, Are You Awake?

Back in June, during "Valiant Shield 2006," the largest joint Exercise in recent history, held off Guam, three carrier strike groups posed for the camera, something that had not occurred in some 20 years. These shots, taken on June 18, 2006, show the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the foreground, with the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and, in the background, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), while 17 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, & Marines fly overhead. Altogehter 28 ships, 300 aircraft, and some 22,000 personnel from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard took part in the exercises. Official U.S. Navy photos by Chief Photographer's Mate Todd P. Cichonowicz
Via Strategy Page

Osama, Can You Hear Footsteps?

January 17, 2007 An Afghan civilian, Pfc. Willem Schauer and Sgt. Andrew Knauf, from the 102nd Infantry Regiment, look out over Dingak, Afghanistan, Jan. 3, searching for possible enemy activity. Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Casteel

Via Strategy Page

On top Of The World: Radar To Protect Us

From Strategy Page a beautiful photo of antiballistic missile defense radar in Greenland protecting us.

Ten Myths About The Iraq War

Strategy Page has ten myths about the Iraq war here.

Do We Have A Crisis of Courage?

Arizona Senator Jon Kyl has an excellent piece here on what he alleges is America's crisis of courage. He quotes at length from a speech given by Alexander Solzhenitsyn to Harvard graduates in 1978: "Should one point out that from ancient times decline in courage has been considered the beginning of the end?" He lamented that "[N]o weapons, no matter how powerful, can help the West until it overcomes its loss of willpower."

Kyle states, "At stake in the war on terror is nothing less than preserving Western civilization, as Solzhenitsyn sensed almost 30 years ago: "The fight, physical and spiritual for our planet, a fight of cosmic proportions, is not a vague matter of the future; it has already started."

Kyl believes that the "fate of future generations depends on how we answer the enemy's challenge today. To do that, we must clearly understand the nature of the threat we face – and we must marshal the courage and character necessary to prevail."

Hat tip Austin Bay

What Are You Going to Be When You Grow Up?

I am in the kitchen scrubbing some pots and pans. Three-year-old Sara, five-year-old Greg, and six-year-old Jon are at the kitchen table talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Greg summarizes the results of the discussion. "When Sara grows up she is going to be a mom. I am going to be a policeman. Jon is going to be a cowboy. And I have no idea what Dad is going to be!"

Oh Sure, They're All Reaganites!

Jonathan Martin, writing in Politico.com, nails the three Republican front runners, who all now say they are Reaganites, but whose track records reveal otherwise.

How do Our Troops Feel About Criticism of the War?

John Bolton Warns: U.S. Needs To Keep Its Focus On Stopping Iran's Nuclear Weapons Build-Up

"Not only have the diplomatic efforts towards the Axis of Evil been too weak but United Nations negotiations have also been protracted and allowed Iran and North Korea to more fully develop their nuclear and missile delivery programs." These are the opinions of FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog, who brings us these comments made by John Bolton at Japan's National Press Club in Tokyo.

Does Hillary Have Baggage?

Via Fulloneous Flap's Dental Blog

Are You A Patriotic Terrorist?

Want to read a great piece of satire? Go to the Huffington Post and read the latest by Greg Gutfeld. He writes about "patriotic terrorists." A patriotic terrorist is "an American who claims to love his or her country while enjoying the enemy's success against said country. It is a person who gets deeply offended if you question their patriotism, while also appearing to share the same ideals of the more spirited folk who like to blow up innocent people."

There seem to be quite a lot of these folks now-a-days. Gutfeld compares them to Al Qaeda:

"-Both patriotic terrorists and Al Qaeda want the US to abandon Iraq, for that reveals Bush and America to be monstrous, laughable failures.

-For patriotic terrorists and real terrorists, car bombs going off is music to their ears. It proves that you can't offer democracy to troubled countries, as long as you've got terrorists standing in your way. And that's great news for everyone who believes in checks and balances between the haves and the have nots! (Note: "haves" means the US. "Have nots" means those who hate the US)

Are you a patriotic terrorist?

If you are intensely critical of the US, while tolerating homicidal enemies who condemn everything you previously claimed you are for - human rights, voting rights, gay rights, women's rights, porn - then you're a patriotic terrorist.

The only difference between a patriotic terrorist and a real one? Real terrorists are simply patriotic terrorists who've taken the extra step - choosing to actually die for their beliefs - rather than simply talking about them at Spago. If Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, and their ilk had real cojones, they'd all be wearing cute black vests - but stuffed with more than dog-eared copies of Deterring Democracy."

Read the whole thing here.

SNL Nails Chris Matthews and Hillary Clinton

Via Hot Air

Kids Can Be Kids

There are a couple of parenting items in the news today. I just heard Sean Hannity discussing one of them. Apparently in California some politician wants to criminalize parents who spank children. Some little children need to be spanked, and some do not. Child protection agencies in urban areas get hundreds of child abuse calls weekly, many of them very serious cases of abuse or neglect. Do you really think we need to add spanking to that mix? I do not.

Betsy Hart has a column today about parents posting job charts for kids. We have designated chores for all of our kids, and the system works pretty well to give them an understanding that everyone needs to contribute. We do have to change the jobs every so often to make sure that everyone is carrying their share of the family responsibilities. Believe it or not, some children just want to do the least amount they can get by with! Read Betsy's whole column here.

Brown On Black Gang Violence in L.A.

Jeremiah Marquez of the Associated Press has a story today about Hispanic gang members in Los Angeles targeting blacks. Two young black girls have been killed in separate incidents. Police say they are going to identify the worst gangs and crack down. Alex Sanchez, a former MS-13 member says that all the gangs are going to want to be in the top ten of the identified worst gangs! Gang members outnumber police four to one. Read the whole article here.

Six-Year-Old Sings To Her Brave Brother

This is one that probably will not get much play in the MSM, but I am impressed! Hat tip RightWinged.

The Danes Are At It Again!

The Danes are at it again. They seem to have a marvelous way of playing with people who take themselves too seriously. This time it is Al Gore's cage that is being rattled. Mr. Gore is challenged in the Opinion Journal to answer questions about his catastrophic claims resulting from global warming. You can read the entire excellent article, entitled, "Will Al Gore Melt?"here.

As for us here in Colorado, we have had it up to here with global warming this winter. Just before the first of many snowstorms there was a global warming protest in the local park. Many protesters dutifully put up yard signs after the protest, warning of the dire consequences of global warming. Those signs have been buried in snow since December 20! I'll take a picture of one and post it, if the snow ever melts down to the top of the signs.

Is Your Life Worth Less if You Are Not White?

John Andrews has a column in today's Denver Post that is thought-provoking. He discusses the "widespread lie that if you are not white in America, your choices matter less and your life is worth less." He points out that Dr. Martin Luther King gave his life to prove this lie to be false. Andrews also notes that "gang culture flourishes in the poisonous atmosphere of that lie." Andrews asks us to consider "the moral bankruptcy implicit in our designating gangsters as just another culture in the first place."

Andrews points out that "multiculturalism started out benignly with diverse foods and fashions. But its spineless tolerance for every group's redefinition of right and wrong now invites social suicide." Read the whole column here.

Hillary Clinton Announces Presidential Run

Gateway Pundit has a list of records established by the previous Clinton administration:
"* Number close to the Clinton machine who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 44
* Number of convictions during his administration: 33
* Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61
* Number of imprisonments: 14
* Number of presidential impeachments: 1
* Number of independent counsel investigations: 7
* Number of congressional witnesses pleading the 5th Amendment: 72
* Number of witnesses fleeing the country to avoid testifying: 17
* Number of foreign witnesses who have declined interviews by investigative bodies: 19

The Clinton machine now holds the record for the administration with:

* The most number of convictions and guilty pleas
* The most number of cabinet members to come under criminal investigation
* The most number of witnesses to flee the country or refuse to testify
* The most number of key witnesses to die suddenly
* The greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions
* The greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions from abroad.
But, there is now hope that these records will be broken!...

Hillary '08!"
Photo by Gambits

Colorado Viewed As Lucrative Market For Gangs Who Smuggle Drugs, Guns, and Humans

The Rocky Mountain News finally decided Colorado's gang problem merits a front page story. It is entitled, "Serious,on the rise." Data from law enforcement puts the number of confirmed gang members at 12,741, but that count may be low, because they do not include every city in the state. Gangs from Mexico and Southern California have moved into Colorado, trafficking in drugs, humans, and guns. Mexican drug cartels ship drugs up Interstate 25 to Colorado, and then gang members take over distribution. The other major interstate highway is I-70, giving us the link to California. It is not just the large urban areas. Small towns like Greeley and Longmont have huge populations of gang members. Kansas City and Phoenix have problems similar to Denver.

Confident, Assertive, Relaxed, "In Control" Parents

Although my wife and I have graduate degrees in psychology and social work, guess who we look up to for parenting advice? Our main man is Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel! Mostly by example, he gives great advice on how to be the leader of your pack. And, if the leader does not lead, the pack will come up with their own solutions, most of which you will not like! If you are a parent, and you have not seen this program, I highly recommend it.

The pack leader does not have to yell and scream, but he or she does have to be confident, assertive, relaxed and in control. Are you?

Also, the leader's issues are not the child's issues. You may have guilty feelings about trauma that your child may have experienced, even though you did not cause the trauma, and, as a result, you do not provide him with the structure or discipline he needs. The child then fills that void by acting aggressively. Children, however, need you to be a confident leader who will provide for them and assert dominance. No, you will not see words like dominance in the average book on parenting.

Parenting is all about earning trust. Your children are looking to you to provide leadership, which means both structure and nurturance. Only when you provide both will they settle down. Either you lead or they will. Which do you want?

Gangs: America's Domestic Terrorism Problem

Dave Krieger, columnist for the Rocky Mountain News, is continuing to focus on the gang issue in Denver. He has written a superb column here about the deafening silence of current pro athletes and local politicians to the problem of street gangs. He refers to this problem as "the domestic terrorism problem." By that he means that the gangsters are "using terror to get away with murder, scaring potential witnesses silent by killing a few." One of his most potent lines is, "Never mind Baghdad, what sort of offensive would it take to secure the streets of Denver and Aurora at night?"

I also heard Krieger talking about this issue on the Peter Boyles radio show this morning. They talked about the fact that the community has committed to a local fund-raising effort to raise thirty million dollars in order to do some things the Democrats have asked for in order to hold their convention in Denver in 2008. What? Balloons? A golf cart to get Teddy Kennedy around the Pepsi Center? Of course, the point Krieger and Boyles made is this: If that thirty million dollars could be spent on prevention programs and beefing up the police work on gangs, how much more good could be done for this community?

On a related note, I have been hearing about brown on black gang violence in Los Angeles. Something about the Mexican gangs calling a truce in order to allow blacks to go grocery shopping? Has anyone heard about this?

It's Their Business. They Can Do What They Want With My Money

I learned today that Xcel Energy is going to give one million dollars to the Democrats for their convention in Denver in 2008. I am so glad my heating bills are going for such a good cause!

Beware Of The "Tolerant" Left

Congressman Dennis Kucinch is heading up a subcommittee and says he wants to "move the progressive agenda to where it is visible." Leftists have been unable to compete in the talk radio marketplace, so now they will try to use their new power in Washington to force us to listen to them? Watch this guy closely!
Thanks a lot, Ohio!

Let's Not Jump On This Guy's Bandwagon Too Fast!

Mitt Romney sounds very different today than when he was trying to out-liberal Ted Kennedy in their U.S.Senate race twelve years ago. He is definitely a fast talker. What do you think?

He Had a Dream

The full "I Have A Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King can be seen and heard here. Has there ever been a more powerful speech given in America?

Should We Worry About China's Excess Of Young Males?

Glenn Reynolds wonders in an Instapundit post today if the excess of young males in China is ominous. Thomas P.M. Barnett does not think so, and lists six reasons why.

The Catch 22 of The Minimum Wage Laws

If my employer thinks, based on my production as a worker, that I am only worth $5.15 per hour, but the government tells the employer he has to pay me $7.00 per hour, what do you think will happen? Many of the employers will just eliminate me from their payroll. Many will not hire me in the first place. How is that going to help me? Who will I blame? Certainly not the wonderful politicians who forced the employer to increase my pay and thus eliminate me from the workforce! In other words, the Democrats have figured out a way to get votes from the very people who are injured by their policies! Maybe the photo above this post should be of Tricky Dick Nixon instead of Teddy Kennedy.

Our President

President Bush is such an enigma to me. He wants victory in Iraq, but has been so weak in guarding our borders. How do we make sense of that contradiction? It saddens me to listen to people I respect who hate the President so thoroughly. Does he really want to merge the United States with Mexico and Canada? I am glad he did not go with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. I wish he would unshackle our troops and let them kill monsters like Muqtada al-Sadr. Let's pray that his new plan will succeed.

When It Comes To Our Doorstep...

Once again we see that the best writers in America's newspapers are often on the sports pages. Today Dave Krieger of the Rocky Mountain News interviews former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell about the gang problem in Denver. As Campbell points out, it is not just Denver, it is every urban area in America. More importantly, Campbell says that when it is no longer black on black or brown on brown, and becomes black on white or brown on white, it will become a higher priority for our elected officials. Until then, I guess we will just pretend the problem does not exist.

Photos You Will Not See In the Main Stream Media

Michelle Malkin is embedded with the U.S.
Army in Baghdad. Don't miss her reporting. She took this picture of a little boy who is in a homeless camp of people who have been displaced by the terrorist thugs. Of course, you will not see a photo like this from the Associated Press or any of the Anti-American MSM. It makes my blood boil! The little boy came out to greet the troops with his stuffed animal and American flag.

The Sounds of Silence

Although there were many witnesses to the gang killing of Denver Broncos player Darrent Williams, no one has yet been charged. Although gang crime has increased 30% since 1998, there have been no new officers added to the Denver police gang unit since 1998. There may be as many as fifteen thousand gang members along the front range of Colorado's Rocky Mountains. The mayor remains silent, still hoping to attract the Democrat national convention in 2008. The silence is getting louder and louder.

UPDATE!
The Democrats are coming to Denver in 2008. Now can we address the gang problem? Please?

Code Talkers

Will the President tell us about radical Islamists, or will he talk about the "war on terror?" Will he talk about "immigration" or illegal aliens? Will we call them "residents'" or "citizens," or illegal aliens? Will we say the child is a spoiled brat, or claim he has "low self esteem?" No matter what aspect of our lives, there is always a politically correct version being thrust upon us by those in power. When is the ordinary American citizen going to take back that power? How about you? Can you give more examples of how political correctness clouds issues and prevents us from seeing what is really happening in various areas of our lives? In World War II we used Navajos to crack the codes. Who is going to help us crack the codes in 2007?

Our Best and Our Brightest

Ravnwood brings to our attention a rare story about one of our troops in Iraq. I do not think this is a rare example of what the soldiers are doing, but I do think it is rare for the media to bring stories like this to our attention.

The little Iraqi girl in the picture has been shot in the head by the terrorists in Iraq. Her parents have been murdered by the same scum. She cries and moans a lot in the hospital, and the only one who can comfort her is United States Air Force Chief Master Sargeant John Gebhardt. They have been sleeping together in this hospital chair for the last several nights.

hat tip Varifrank

Don't Hold Your Breath!

Over at Scrappleface the wonderful satirist Scott Ott has a leaked copy of President Bush's address to the nation this week about Iraq. If the President would actually give the speech precisely as written by Mr. Ott, most Americans would drop to their knees in gratitude that we finally have a leader that will lead us to victory. Don't hold your breath!

What Will It Take for Young Urban Black Children To Be Freed From Gang Influences?

Will the Denver mayor and police chief and new governor use the publicity accompanying the murder of Denver Broncos football player Darrent Williams to mount an attack on gangs? So far, there is no indication they will, even though it appears to be a gang-involved murder. Will celebrity athletes like Carmelo Anthony and Alan Iverson use this tragic event to separate themselves once and for all from the gang influences they grew up with? So far, there is no indication they will. I know it is easier said than done, but who will finally have the courage to break the silence?

What The President Does

Today in Social Studies I asked my kindergarten son (homeschooled)who is President of the United States. He proudly shouted out "President Bush!" Then I asked, "What does President Bush do?" He was stumped. Then my first grade son answered, "He eats popcorn while watching Saddam Hussein hang!"

A Video Of Two Incredible Young Women

Thanks to the Drudge Report for bringing to our attention two incredible young women!

There is Only So Much a Grandmother Can Do

Another grandma is praying for a grandson who is in police custody. This time it is Susie Johnson, 80, of Denver. She has raised twenty-five grandchildren! One grandson, Willie Clark, was picked up on a parole violation, and is being questioned in connection with the drive-by murder of Denver Bronco cornerback Darrent Williams, who was also raised by his own grandmother.

Mrs. Johnson also raised another grandson, Raymond Johnson, a gang member, who shot and killed a three-year-old child who was asleep in a car parked outside a house in Denver. Johnson was shooting at the house, because a rival gang member lived in the house. Johnson is now serving a life sentence.

To support her grandchildren while she raised them, Mrs. Johnson worked two eight-hour shifts, cleaning hospital and hotel rooms for most of her life, until she developed blood clots in her legs. Do you suppose anyone ever called Social Services about children being left unattended in that home? And what did Social Services do? Nothing? Why? Because they are black?

The photo of Mrs. Johnson is by R.J. Sangosti of the Denver Post.

Too Little Nurturing Plus Too Little Structure In The First Two Years

I have been writing about the effects of no father on black youths, but what about the effects of no mother? Many children, regardless of race, in America are being raised by grandmothers, because their mothers and fathers are unavailable to provide basic nurturing and basic structure. Nurturing without structure (such as telling the child "no" regularly and consistently) can have the same results as neglect: children are much more likely to grow up with anti-social and aggressive tendencies. We get them in our foster home, but by the time they near two years of age, and have been basically on their own for those two years, with no one to give them structure, it is too late. They are completely self-absorbed. They cannot stand to be thwarted. They want what they want when they want it. Tell them they cannot have something that belongs to another child, and you'll get a major temper tantrum.

Dr. Sanity has more on the importance of early nurturing and structure here. She cites a study which says emphatically and unequivocably what I just said in the paragraph above. "Failure to provide the correct mothering may reset the brain's circuitry irreversibly to patterns of antisocial behaviour, aggression and self-destruction, possibly to enable sheer survival in the absence of motherly protection during infanthood." I am adding the words correct fathering. Let's not talk just about the mothers.

Addictions: Welcome News From New Scientific Research

Instapundit links to a Popular Science article from which the photo above was obtained. The brain scans are courtesy of Dr. Nora D. Volkow/Brookhaven National Laboratory. Brain scans show that many forms of addiction—including compulsive behaviors like gluttony—have the same roots in the brain. Addictions of many kinds often make use of the same brain pathways. Although there is no single “addiction gene,” research has shown that various forms of addiction may share genes as well as brain circuits.

By early this year, studies will reveal gene variants that increase vulnerability to nicotine and alcohol addiction. Those same genetic variations will probably appear in future studies of cocaine and opiate abuse—and lead to still more treatments, according to the author of the piece, Tabitha M. Powledge.

This is some scientific research that cannot happen soon enough.

Freedom Writers

I have just come from seeing a wonderful movie, Freedom Writers. I think anyone from Denver will be especially moved if they see it, because of the New Year's Day murder of young Denver Bronco football player Darrent Williams. Darrent was a guy who used his athletic skills and personal determination to become an American success story. But he was gunned down by people who probably grew up in similar circumstances, but chose another route to "success".

But, what kind of a country are we living in? Why should kids have to grow up dodging bullets? Why should kids have to be tempted to join gangs in order to find a sense of family? Why can't someone show kids that a way to get ahead is to exercise their minds, not just their bodies? The movie does a great job showing the odds that many kids must overcome in today's America. The movie is based on a true story, and a book with the same name was published in 1999. It includes the journals the students wrote.

Push It Under The Rug and Pretend It Does Not Exist

How does a community solve a problem if no one in authority acknowledges that the problem exists? I am referring to the murder of Denver Bronco football player Darrent Williams. It seems apparent that it was gang-related. But no one in authority acknowledges that we have gang activity in Denver, so how could it be gang-related? Furthermore, it is not politically correct to talk about the negative effects of the hip hop and gangsta rap culture on young black Americans. Look how Bill Cosby has been criticized for daring to raise questions about priorities. And, are we surprised to learn that he was raised by his grandmother? Can we talk about the fact that many black children are being raised without a father? No? Okay, sorry. But the fact remains: not asking questions, not confronting issues, not acknowledging problems is the prescription for not solving problems.