Stupid headline O' the day

From the AP:

Mavs See Room for Improvement Vs. Rockets

Let's see, the Mavericks lost 98-86 in their last game against the Rockets. Isn't it true that any time a team loses, they have room for improvement?

Habemus Papum!

Benedict XVI 

Today Cardinal Joseph Ratziner was elected Pope Benedict XVI. For the past 23 years, he served in the Vatican as guardian of the church doctrine. Liberal theologists will surely be disappointed that Pope Benedict is not the kind of man who will change the church's teaching to approve of abortion, gay marriage, or female priests.

It's a great day for Catholics though. As Honeybun and I were just confirmed in the Catholic Church at Easter, this is an exciting time for us.

A new pope! How cool is that?

Stop the insanity

Last night was the annual ritual of "springing forward" - the beginning of daylight savings time. It's days like this that I wish I still lived in Arizona, a state that is smart enough to realize that no matter what you do with your clock, there will still be the same number of hours of daylight in a day.

According to standardtime.com there is an increase in the number of traffic accidents on the Monday after the time change. So why do we keep doing this. I want my hour of sleep back.

The passing of Pope John Paul II

I was at work when I heard the news. Obviously, the news wasn't surprising.
The world watched him deteriorate over that last few years. As I was watching the news coverage, I realized I had forgotten what a strong presence he was. Old news clips really show a vibrant man of faith.

May God bless John Paul II

Ski day

Honeybun and I went skiing today. Great weather, good snow. The important thing to remember though is that only a man who is really secure in his masculinity will let his wife see him fall on the slopes....repeatedly.

Yes, I am that man.

Rest in peace Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo died this morning. I haven't commented on this before because I could never understand how a court could allow her welfare be decided by her estranged husband - a man who is living with another woman and had children by her.

Even so, I have to admit I would not want to live in the condition Terri was in.

But for the record...I don't want to die by starvation either.

If the truth isn't on your side....lie

What is it with liberals and fraud? First there was Rathergate where a known Bush hater supplied CBS news with memos he claimed were from a former commanding officer of George W. Bush. My favorite justification of that fiasco was that the memos were "fake but true".

Last week, ABC News reported that a memo circulated by Repulicans was trying to exploit the Terri Schiavo case for political gain. Powerline again blows up another liberal lie by demonstrating that memo is also clearly a fraud. It wasn't written by Senate Republicans.

Since those frauds were so successful, the liberal group People for the American Way apparently thought they would follow those examples. They don't want U.S. Senate Republicans to be able to confirm President Bush's appellate court judge nominees. For four years Senate Democrats have been using filibusters to prevent the nominees from coming to a vote. This means that effectively there must be 60 votes to confirm a judge instead of the simple majority (51) required by the constitution. Senate Republicans want to prevent the filibusters by changing procedural rules.

In response, the PFWA group has produced an advertisement to convince the public that what the Republicans want to do is wrong and dangerous for our country. The spokesman in the ad claims:

I'm a Republican. A common sense Republican. I like that my party controls the White House and the Congress. But I also know that our democracy works best when both parties are speaking out and being heard.

Here's where it gets funny. Radio Blogger did a little research into finding out who this "common sense" Republican is. It turns out he doesn't hold any elected public office. He isn't a prominent businessman either.

His name is Ted Nonini and he is the treasurer of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. Yep, he is an officer in a union. That is, he is an officer in a union that endorsed John Kerry in last year's election.

Do you really think an officer of an organization that supported John Kerry is really glad that Republicans hold the presidency and majorities in congress? Please.

Addition to blog roll

I updated my blog roll to the right. Way over due to add Melissa to my list.

Obviously there isn't a lot on TV tonight since I'm sitting here watching the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse game.

The more I watch, the more I believe lacrosse is the game for guys who like hockey but don't know how to ice skate.

Understanding women

A friend sent this to me. Honeybun confirmed its accuracy:

Words Women Use

Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour.
Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission, DON'T DO IT!

Loud Sigh
Although not actually a word, the loud sigh is often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

That's Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

Thanks
This is the least used of all words in the female vocabulary. If a woman is thanking you. Do not question it, just say you're welcome and back out of the room slowly.

Blogfest

Picture012.jpg, originally uploaded by semperjase.

Last night Hugh Hewitt was in Denver for a book signing. Of course I had to go to get my copy of Blog signed and shake hands. Honeybun snapped this pick.

Hugh even remembered linking to my blog on a couple of his symposiums (or perhaps he was just trying to make me feel like he did). At any rate, Hugh turned out to be personable. It wasn't just a scribble and "move it on."
I'm never washing my hand again.

Politically correct causes collide again

A legislator in Maine has introduced a bill to prohibit the aborting of fetuses that would grow up to be homosexual. Even though it is impossible to tell right now which lifestyle the fetus would choose in life, this is a pre-emptive measure for the day when science may be able to predict such behavior in the womb.

So-called women's groups want no restrictions on abortion while homosexual activists want societal promotion of their lifestyle. Who wins here? If the bill were to pass, Maine is saying that homosexuality is superior to heterosexuality since on heterosexual babies could be aborted. Presumed heterosexual babies would not have the same protection as homosexual babies. Putting aside morality, it is difficult to understand the legality of such a move.

Then again, maybe this legislator is smart. If the law were to stand up against legal challenges from abortionists, it would necessarily outlaw all abortion since the heterosexual babies obviously deserve the same protections as homosexual babies.

Where have I been?

It's been over a week since I last posted. Hey, I've been busy. No, really.

I've been working a project for school. This semester is web design so I've been, well designing. My web site is devoted to science-fiction and fantasy books. You can see the results so far at www.sffnexus.com.

It's a miracle

Honeybun stopped at the grocery store this afternoon to pick up some things. Before she went in she put some lotion on her hands. It wasn't until she got home that she realized her wedding ring was missing. She had taken off her ring when she put on some lotion. A call on her phone distracted her and she forgot the ring was in her lap when she got out of the car.

I left work and met her at the store to hope we could find it. Found the parking space, no ring. We went inside to see if someone might have turned it in. No such luck. We gave our number to the manager in case someone might turn it in later then posted a note on the store's bulletin board.

Now this was a pretty nice ring if I do say so myself. I thought "its gone, no way someone is coming back with it now." I went back to work to finish my shift planning to call the insurance company in the morning.

But whaddya know, Honeybun got a phone call a few hours later, "This is the manager from King Soopers (the manager has the same first name, with same spelling as Honeybun) and I have a note from a man with the same last name as you that found a ring. I thought at first you were his wife but apparently it is just coincindence." She gave Honeybun the number to contact Rich.

Unbelievable. What incredibly generous people. Rich and Tammy didn't want a reward, in fact they refused when we offered. Honeybun was in tears when she first spoke to Rich and believes that God does answer prayers and miracles happen.

I stopped by their house on the way home from work and they gave me the ring. It isn't perfect, clearly it got run over, but the diamond (the really expensive part) doesn't seem to be damaged. Hopefully our jeweler can repair it, but if not, we'll get a new setting.

Thanks Rich and Tammy. There still are good people in this world.

My first editorial cartoon

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Falling behind

Jeff Gordon won his third Daytona 500 race today at the age of 33.

Here I am at 35 and I haven't even won my first one yet...

Constantine Movie Review

The first must-see summer blockbuster of the year is being released in February. I saw an advanced screening of Constantine this past Tuesday. Keanu Reeves stars as John Constantine. Constantine is a super-natural detective and exorcist. Born with the gift (or curse) of being able to see half-breed demons and angels in the world, Constantine was driven to commit suicide. However, Constantine was resuscitated. Now, condemned for committing the mortal sin of suicide, Constantine is trying to earn his salvation by fighting against the devil’s minions.

Rachel Weisz stars as Angela Dodson and her twin sister Isabel. Police detective Angela is on a mission to prove her sister’s death was murder and not suicide. Angela seeks Constantine’s help on her journey where both hope to find peace.

Keanu Reeves gives his best acting performance yet in Constantine. His convincingly portrays a cynical man who hopes to find salvation but is held back by his own selfish motivations.

Weisz give a good performance as Angela and does as well as she can as the person who the audience most identifies with. Angela is the person who does not understand the struggle between heaven and hell. It is through her we discover what is really in the world. However, Weisz’s best moments are in her eerie portrayal of the twin sister Isabel.

Any movie dealing with heaven, hell, and salvation is a magnet for controversy. This movie will undoubtedly draw that controversy but the producers did an admirable job of balancing the spiritual with the secular. Some Christians may disagree with the details of the movie, yet the messages do not disagree with their worldview. At the same time, non-Christians should not feel uncomfortable with the themes of the battle of angels and demons.

This balance also extends to the way the movie spreads comic relief among the parts that will make you jump. Special effects are excellent especially in the scenes in hell and the depiction of the demons. Stop motion is especially effective throughout the movie.

Although there is no nudity or sexual situations, the movie is accurately rated R for depictions of demons, violence and language (the "f" bomb is dropped a few times although not excessively).

A great summer movie has come early to the theaters.

3 ½ stars

Honeybun is a hero

Heroic Stories is an email publication that empahsizes the good in people. Each story describes a "normal" person who has done something to improve the life of another person. I've been subscribing for years now. If you aren't getting this in your email you should subscribe. Don't worry, they won't spam you.

Well, a few months back I submitted a story about Honeybun. It was chosen for their publication in 2 February 2005 issue. So for your reading enjoyment, here is Honeybun's story:


HeroicStories #587: Her Generous Spirit

Reaching more than 35,000 subscribers in 106 countries, this is...

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HeroicStories #587: 2 February 2005 www.HeroicStories.com
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Her Generous Spirit
by Jason Ward
Colorado, USA

Story Editor:
Joyce Schowalter

My wife Christy is the kind of person who meets people easily. At the movies I get snacks while she finds seats in the theater. By the time I get back with popcorn, she introduces me to the people sitting next to her.

She found our second dog by striking up a conversation with a man at the store. He had just moved into a condominium and didn't have room for his yellow Labrador retriever. It just so happened we were looking for another Lab. If she were in sales, people would call her a networker; in her case, she just enjoys meeting new people.

On June 9, 2004 a hailstorm hit the Denver area in Colorado, and property damage totaled over $150 million. I was at work during the storm when Christy called from a store parking lot. She was under an overhang watching the hail batter the cars. "You wouldn't believe how bad this is," she said. "It's coming down so fast I can barely see the cars".

A few seconds later, "I didn't think it could get worse, but it is," and she described golf-ball-sized hail pounding the lot. "There aren't any leaves on the trees any more." She could only watch as cars were dented and windows shattered. The storm was so loud I could barely hear her over the phone.

Then -- thinking ahead -- Christy went back in the store and bought a disposable camera to take pictures of the storm and the resulting damage for the insurance claim that would need to be filed.

While taking pictures, Christy noticed one elderly woman who looked like she needed help. The windshield of her car had spider web cracks. Christy took pictures of the lady's car and shattered windows, got her phone number, and promised to call when they were developed.

Two days later, Christy kept her word. She called the woman to get a mailing address to send the duplicate pictures. Instead of the quick conversation she had planned, Christy spent over an hour talking with the woman, giving her advice on how to report the insurance claim and how to make sure she got a fair deal on repairs. As a result, Christy put off errands she had been planning that day. The woman appreciated
Christy's effort so much she asked to take her out to lunch.

Our car took about $10,000 worth of damage during the storm. While the storm was at its peak, Christy was upset about the damage to our car. But instead of moping in her own misfortune, she took the opportunity to help someone else. Her generous spirit is why I was first attracted to her ten years ago and why I love being married to her today.

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Copyright HeroicStories.com. To receive HeroicStories for free by email twice a week, order books compiling previous stories, or submit a story, see www.HeroicStories.com online. Reprinted with permission.

Good news is not news

All the news reported by mainstream medai coming from Iraq seems to be bad. The AP News headline today tells us that two more U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq. You'd think the terrorists...excuse me, "insurgents" (wouldn't want to offend the terrorists you know) were winning.

Well here is a story from an Australian news radio outlet that you won't hear about in the States (hat tip James Taranto). It might make people think the Iraqis want a democracy:

The Iraqi police have investigated a case in the village of al-Mudhariya, which is just south of Baghdad. The villagers there say that before the election insurgents came and warned them that if they voted in last weekend's election, they would pay.

Now the people of this mixed village of Sunni and Shia Muslims, they ignored the threat and they did turn out to vote.

We understand that last night the insurgents came back to punish the people of al-Mudhariya, but instead of metering out that punishment the villagers fought back and they killed five of the insurgents and wounded eight. They then burnt the insurgents' car. So the people of that village have certainly had enough of the insurgents.

Great news. People of Iraq killing terrorists? The silence in the U.S. media is deafening.

CU problem

The Univesity of Colorado doesn't need another scandal. It has one though. The chairman of the ethnic studies department, Ward Churchill, called the victims of 9/11 "little Eichmann's", the architect of the Nazi mass murders. His essay is one big anti-American tirade. What isn't in the news is that he also refers to U.S. troops in the first Gulf War as nazi's. "It was a performance worthy of the nazis during the early months of their drive into Russia." Churchill was forced to resign his chairmanship. Colorado Governor Bill Owens says that isn't enough. He wants Churchill fired.

What is it with Churchill that he feels the need to label people who love and fight for freedom as Nazis? The people who died in the attacks are more evil than the killers (who he calls "combat teams" instead of terrorists). What I find most amazing is that Churchill only holds a Masters Degree. Usually you have to hold a Ph.D. to reach that level of moral idiocy. He apparently has done it through self-study.

Should he be fired? Yes. I think it was Governor Bill Owens who said Churchill has the right to free speech, but we don't need to pay him to say it. I think the University can fire him for cause. Free speech doesn't cover slander. Equating those who died in the 9/11 attacks with nazis is blatantly a slander on the victims of terrorists.

Then yesterday when the CU regents were meeting to discuss Churchill's employment, about 100 of his supports showed up to the meeting and caused a disruption. Two had to be arrested.

Governor Owens released a brilliant statement. He turned the speech of the leftists back on themselves:

"I appreciate the fact that the C.U. Regents have taken the necessary first step in the formal evaluation of Ward Churchill's employment status. However, I deplore the behavior displayed by some students at the Regents' meeting. Their abhorrent behavior underscores the culture of violence that can be spawned by inflammatory speeches and essays, such as those by Mr. Churchill."

"Culture of violence." That is great. I hope the students are proud of themselves. Their respect for Churchill is as respectable as their actions yesterday. That is to say, not at all.