I'm confused

So, tomorrow is the day that the people who are in this country illegally, whom the media describes as "living in the shadows," and "afraid of the police," are going to come out with their fist signs and scream and yell and show their hatred for America? I must confess that I find this all a bit confusing. I thought it was Mexico they didn't like!

Warriors

After tonight's bedtime reading (Calvin and Hobbes) to Jon and Greg, I went back upstairs to build a fire (26 degrees and snow tonight). Soon I heard them engaging in war games. Instead of scolding them for getting out of their beds, I decided to go downstairs and photograph them for this blog post. I knew that, being boys, they probably did not have enough opportunities to expend physical energy and aggressiveness at school. Their agility impressed me. I told Jon that I think they should lower the draft age to ten. He replied, "Oh, no Dad. We don't want to join the Army; we just want to join the Air Force and drop bombs on terrorists!

Ultrasound: What is its effect on a woman considering an abortion?

Several states have passed laws making it tougher to get abortions. The law passed in Oklahoma caught my eye. It requires doctors to give an ultrasound exam to the woman, and explain to her the results of the exam. It seems to me that this would force a woman to think about the baby she is about to have killed. Perhaps this will encourage more women to think of adoption as an option. Of course, the law is already being challenged in a lawsuit. Maybe the ultrasound law will also encourage the Democrat party to reconsider abortion as one of its pillars. Naw, I don't think so.

The Illegal Immigration Issue

I listened to Rush today in bits and pieces, as I do almost every day. He was addressing illegal immigration. I guess I am one of those "weak Republicans" he was talking about. From the moment I met my first migrant family working the fields in West Texas in the 1960s, I have always admired and liked Mexicans. I know there is a terrible criminal element there, but isn't that part of the reason so many of them want to escape and come to America? I also respect the people of Arizona, who felt they had to do something to protect their border, since the federal government has done so little to protect them. Times are different now than the sixties. The people-smuggling and drug-smuggling criminals are extremely dangerous, and must be stopped.

I just know that if I were in the shoes of the average Mexican, I would want to come to America to take advantage of the lax border to enjoy America's freedom, safety, and opportunities. I hate to see the politicians get involved, because the Democrats will try to convince the immigrants that they "care" about them. I believe Rush is right that the only thing the Democrats care about is power and control, and voting blocs. The Republicans, too, have blatant political motives. I don't trust Scott McInnis, the guy running for the Republican nomination for Governor of Colorado, who suddenly says he would support legislation in Colorado similar to that which Arizona recently passed. I think he saw the same poll Rush was talking about, showing that 70 percent of Arizona voters support the legislation, and another poll showing that the majority of Americans support the law, even though the "template" of the media is to criticize the law as racist and Nazi-like.

Unfortunately, I do think racism is involved, and I hate to admit it, because you know Obama will portray it that way, too. That is how the Democrats operate, trying to get large voting blocs to see themselves as victims and turn to their "helpers" in the Democrat party, who are only too happy to keep them dependent on Democrats' empty promises and/or welfare programs.

I think Rush is also right that if La Raza and other Latino groups go ahead with their plans for huge angry demonstrations the first week of May, it will produce a backlash from large numbers of Americans who are fed up with Democrat attempts to redistribute their hard-earned wealth and blatantly play groups of people against one another.

Obama's Tactic: Divide and Conquer

Obama does not like Arizona's "misguided" law that declares illegal immigration illegal! He asks for "young people, Latinos, African Americans, women, and first-time voters" to support his efforts at immigration reform. When he says "first-time voters," whom is he talking about? He already mentioned "young people," so that can't be whom he is referring to. Oh, I get it, he is talking about people who illegally enter our country and vote here for the first time. One just has to decipher the code!

What to do about illegal immigration?

With Arizona's governor signing into law a requirement that police check papers of people who look like they might be illegal immigrants, liberals like Denver Post columnist Mike Littwin have unleashed their satirical pens. Littwin wonders in today's Post how exactly the police will be able to determine if someone is illegal: "Maybe it would be anyone scrubbing someone else's toilet. Or anyone picking someone else's crops. Or anyone roofing someone else's house. Or, I don't know, maybe anyone talking Spanish. Or pressing "2" at the ATM."

This issue will make the healthcare debate seem tame.

All about respect (and not losing your soul)

The Denver Post has an above-the-fold facial closeup of 4th string quarterback Tim Tebow today. It shows the black paint football players place under their eyes to blunt the sun. On the black paint Tim had "Mark" on his right cheek and "8:36" on his left. I went to my Bible. Here is Mark 8:36 (Jesus talking to his disciples about his impending death): "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

Tim Tebow has kept his soul, captured the attention of the nation's sports fans, and lost many possible commercial endorsements that anyone else with his national recognition might have received. Above all, he says, he wants to "earn the respect of his teammates and coaches."

Live-blogging the birth of our calf

After milking Cocoa, Colleen and her farming partner Val put Porter in the wheelbarrow and brought him up by the fireplace. We called our animal-loving neighbor Craig, who came right over and helped Colleen give mama's milk to Porter. Porter is now sleeping in the garage under a heat lamp.

No more shivering!

It is a very cold evening here in Colorado, so we brought Porter inside and built a fire. Jon is holding him by the fireplace.

A new baby on the farm

Cocoa had her little calf a few moments ago. His name is Porter, although Kim wants to call him "Kissable." Colleen and Kim went down to the barn. Kim said, "Mom, there is a head, but I think he is dead." Colleen pulled him out and swung him against Cocoa and put him up for Cocoa to lick. After Cocoa started licking him, he blinked his eyes and shook his head and began to breathe. And yes, Porter is short for porterhouse.

Serving God, or the devil?

While we are talking about the first amendment right of free speech, how about those beauties at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas? They travel around the country protesting outside funerals for American soldiers, shouting out that the soldiers deserved to die because America doesn't do enough to stop homosexuals from enjoying its liberties.

Are they serving God, or the devil? Seems pretty clear cut to me.

Cartoons and Death Threats

The creators of the wildly popular animated "South Park" series have been threatened with death because they had planned to depict the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit in last week's episode. The Comedy Central woosies placed a "censored" sign over the bear, but did nothing when the cartoonists depicted Jesus defacating on George W. Bush or the American flag. Next up for "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker? A musical opening on Broadway in March 2011 entitled "The Book of Mormon." I doubt if any Mormons will threaten them with death, but the musical may mean death to Mitt Romney's presidential hopes in 2012.

Tebow to Thomas: Go Broncos!

The Denver Broncos have once again become the talk of the National Football League, by drafting Tim Tebow to compete for the job of quarterback. Tebow is famous for being the most successful college football player in recent years, perhaps of all time. He is also famous for being grateful, in a Super Bowl ad, that he was not aborted as a baby. His mother had been advised by her doctor to abort the baby when he was born to her when she and her husband were leaders of an orphanage in the Phillipines. The mom-to-be had a life-threatening dysentery infection, lapsed into a coma, and when she recovered, doctors feared Tim would be still-born.

Because Tim expresses his faith in Christ and love of God, he has been ridiculed by the all-knowing liberal media elites. I heard one last night on Fox radio laughing about how Tim travels the world telling people that the earth is only six thousand years old.

Denver Broncos fans finally have a guy worth cheering for. In addition, the Broncos drafted a wide receiver named Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech two picks ahead of Tebow. Thomas said in an interview, "I've always been around the right crowd, and then I became a Christian. Once I did that, it changed my life." Both men expressed gratitude to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, who has made it clear that he wants men of character on his football team. Tebow to Thomas looks like a very promising combo for the Broncos and their fans.

Doing God's work, or the devil's?

Does your pastor or priest or rabbi encourage you to live your life with courage? Does he encourage you to live your life with bold and sacrificial action? Or, is your religion over-intellectualized? What would you do if a fascist came to power as head of your country?

In the 4-22-2010 Wall Street Journal Joseph Loconte reviews a book by Eric Metaxas entitled Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Bonhoeffer became involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and was executed in a Bavarian concentration camp in 1945. His was a faith that was expressed in action. Others who called themselves Christians in 1945 remained "respectable, domesticated, timid, and ended up doing the devil's work for him."

Out and about with camera in hand

This is what we woke up to today: an April snowstorm!
Yesterday I left for work a little early, so could not resist stopping to walk among some friendly cows, who were not sure what to make of me.
Daughter Kim has a definite artistic bent. Here is a clay creation called "treble cleft," a high-heeled shoe with a musical twist.
Jon may not be much of an artist or speller, but he definitely has an entrepreneurial gift. Would you buy nightcrawlers from this young man?
Greg and Jon are always coming up with villains that need to be disposed of. Here is Greg's depiction of some ruthless Emperor.
Son Greg has a real artistic streak, as well as quite an imagination. Here he creates some Legos thingy, while wearing the paper plate hat that he had just created.

Placing Responsibility

President Obama is condemning the mine owner in West Virginia where miners were killed. He wants the mine owner to be held accountable, despite the fact that the federal government, headed by Obama, regulates the mines.

Remember when the Islamic radical psychiatrist opened fire on our soldiers at Fort Hood? Not a word from Obama about holding accountable the poisonous Islamic terrorists who influenced the killer. Not a word from Obama about the political correctness in the ranks of the mental health professionals in our military that allowed this killer to get promoted to the rank of Major!

Michelle Obama: "Barack's home country"

A Lt. Colonel who loves his country

"That was pretty much it."

Kudos to Al Lewis, writing today in the Dow Jones Newswire. Lewis decided to cover a rally of Tea Party activists, who are traveling across the country from west to east. In Colorado the rally was at the state capitol in Denver.

Lewis came across two "skinny youths." One was holding up a pro-Obama sign, and the other a pro-Pelosi sign. Lewis decided to talk with them. Turns out they were students at the University of Denver, and they had been influenced by the media to believe that Tea Partyers were "nutcases." Instead, what they discovered was that these Tea Partyers were people who believe in freedom, liberty, and the "well-justified wariness we should all have of Big Government, irresponsible spending, and the crushing tax burdens that inevitably follow." Lewis continues: "It's also about the right to confront our often misguided and self-dealing leaders. And it honors individual rights of expression and dissent." In other words, they are all about the Constitution!

While he was talking to the young men, a state trooper "quite abruptly" asked them to move away from the Tea Partyers. The Tea Partyers yelled, "Free Speech," and defended the rights of the young men to wave their signs.

Later, Lewis asked the young men their names. One turned out to be the nephew of Colorado's Democrat governor. Lewis said, "so, let me get this straight. A Colorado state trooper, who works for your uncle, told you to get off the lawn of the building where your uncle works, because of the sign you were holding that supports your uncle's political party?"

The governor's nephew agreed "that was pretty much it."

Happy Birthday Jon!

Today a young man named Jon had a very special birthday, reaching double digits. Here are some pictures taken at the end of the day, when it came time for eating cake and opening presents.
First it was time to open presents and see the smile on the young man's face.
Now it was time to sing the song and light the candles on the cake.
Big brother Erik made sure that the candles were the kind that keep lighting back on fire after being blown out. Shirtless brother Greg pitched in to help with the futile blowing effort.