Who are you calling a Nazi?

Liberals like to call conservatives Nazis. They regularly compare George Bush to Hitler. The interesting thing about this is that it makes no sense. The Nazis were much closer to modern day liberals than to modern day conservatives. Check out some of the reasons from Joe Mariani from Chronwatch:

The Nazi Party platform contained 25 demands, adopted in 1920 and essentially unaltered at the time Hitler took power. Many of those socialist demands resonate far better with modern-day American liberals than Conservatives. Consider the following examples:

7. We demand that the state be charged first with providing the opportunity for a livelihood and way of life for the citizens.

Does this sound more akin to the liberal belief that the government is responsible for job losses or gains, or the conservative position that jobs are created by private enterprise (though helped or hindered by current economic policies)? Does it sound like a demand for welfare?

11. Abolition of unearned (work and labour) incomes. Breaking of rent-slavery.

This is aimed directly at landlords and large business owners. It hardly seems likely that capitalists and conservatives would insist that no one receive any money unless he personally earn it by doing the actual work themselves.

12. In consideration of the monstrous sacrifice in property and blood that each war demands of the people personal enrichment through a war must be designated as a crime against the people. Therefore we demand the total confiscation of all war profits.

If that doesn't sound like today's standard liberal hate speech against Halliburton, nothing ever will.

13. We demand the nationalization of all (previous) associated industries (trusts).

Nationalization of industries is hardly in line with the conservative aim of privatization of industries. It's liberals, in general, who want to nationalize industries (starting with healthcare).

14. We demand a division of profits of all heavy industries.

Wealth redistribution? Does that sound like a particularly right-wing ideal?

15. We demand an expansion on a large scale of old age welfare.

Republicans and conservatives are accused of wanting to halt Medicare and steal Social Security in every election cycle, so this demand for expansion could hardly be a part of any conservative agenda.

25. For the execution of all of this we demand the formation of a strong central power in the Reich. Unlimited authority of the central parliament over the whole Reich and its organizations in general.

Conservatives, who favor more limited government with lower taxes (in order to restrict its growth), would directly oppose a strong central government with unlimited authority (possibly resisting with guns, which German citizens first had to register, then surrender).

Hmmm....who are the modern day Nazis, really?

---Katie

Something to be thankful for....

I had trouble thinking of something to write for Thanksgiving. Of course I am thankful for my family, my church, the many material blessings God has given us. I am thankful that my kids are home for the holiday and that they made it here safely. I am thankful my parents are with us for a little while longer.... but I did think of something I am thankful for this year, in particular.

I have great neighbors.

We had three hurricanes impact us this year. Most of us had minor roof damage, fence damage (my dogs can still get out if I leave them unsupervised!), and lots of branches and perhaps trees to clean up. Others had more serious damage right up to having to completely redo the insides of their homes because of water damage. For some of these folks Hurricane Charley damaged the roof enough so that Frances and Jeanne could finish things off with lots of water. I know people who are still in temporary housing. But for most of us, the greatest inconvenience was doing without power for days at a time.

What I like about my neighbors is that they take care of each other. Our next door neighbors managed to snag a generator. They ran an electric cord for us so that we could have fans, TV (we had cable during all three outages, for some reason) and internet. It made things so much more bearable. And when we got power back on our side of the street, they loaned their generator and window air conditioner to an across the street neighbor who still did not have power. In fact, there was a section of our neighborhood that did not get power back until two days after the rest of us did because of a tree that had taken a power line down in their grid. Many of us had neighbors across the street who did not have power while we did. What warmed my heart every time I went out and everytime I returned home was seeing the power cords stretching across the streets all around our part of the neighborhood. My neighbors were taking care of each other. We are a community.

I love my neighbors. They are a reason to give thanks today.

---Katie

Mexico is not our friend.

From the Persian Journal (news of Iran and Iranians):

Mexico seeks greater ties with Iran mullahs
Nov 19, 2004, 10:42

Mexico is ready for expanding ties with Iran on all areas, notably in economy and trade, the deputy of Mexico's foreign ministry for economic affairs, Irma Avriana said on Friday.

Speaking to the grand seminar on Irano-Mexican economic relations, Avriana said Iran was an important power in the Middle East and" we believe expanding ties with Iran will be in the intersts of every country including Mexcio".

Also addressing the audience, the head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Alinaghi Khamoushi said Iran enjoyed an economic growth rate of 6.5, adding his chamber tried to strenghten trade bewteen the two countries.


© Iranian.ws

Um, and we are talking amnesty for illegals? And we are not talking about closing our borders? Come on, Mr. President, et. al., take care of business!

---Katie

Would you please just be quiet?

Great. More publicity for the ELCA in the words of an ELCA pastor who takes exception to the City Council of Apple Valley, MN, declaring this week to be "Bible Week."

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

"The city should not be in the business of endorsing a particular tradition, unless they followed it up with endorsing the Quran of the Islamic community, or the Bhagavad Gita of the Hindus, or the Dhammapada of the Buddhists," said the Rev. John Matthews of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley.

And again:

"It's a dangerous time for a city to be endorsing a particular text over another," said Matthews, referring to religious language that has entered political discourse, from President Bush invoking God to a trend of faith-based initiatives.

What does this pastor think the Bible is? And if he cannot support the Bible as the source of revealed truth, why is he a pastor?

---Katie

Pumpkin Bread Swirl

Here is a family favorite recipe for your holiday enjoyment:

Pumpkin Bread Swirl

Cream cheese mixture:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg

Bread:
1 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup water

Combine ingredients for cream cheese mixture until well blended. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients.

Add pumpkin, margarine, egg and water – mixing just until moistened. Reserve 1 ½ cups pumpkin batter; pour remaining batter into a greased and floured 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

Pour cream cheese mixture over pumpkin batter; top with reserved pumpkin batter.

Cut through baters with knife several times for a swirl effect.

Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes.

Remove from pan.

Makes one loaf.

Just be prepared for lots of requests to bring it to holiday events....

I Love George W. Bush!

OK, I have to admit it, I did not vote for "W" in the 2000 primary. He was not my first choice as the Republican nominee. In fact, anyone that I would vote for in the primary is probably not electable because I am very conservative and quite libertarian in my leanings. Bush has proven himself to me in many ways over the last several years, not the least of which is the way he has been willing to prosecute the war on terror. He is not afraid to get people angry with him as he does what he thinks is best to protect our country.

That is not, however, what makes me say I love him today. I am just tickled by the way he handled the security situation in Chile. When Chilean security forces would not let his Secret Service agents follow him into a dinner with the Chilean president and both of their wives, the president went back, reached into the fracas, and pulled his lead agent out of the fray. Read about it here:

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041120-113709-8651r.htm

Just too cool.

---Katie

Terroist Watch

If you are concerned about whether we are accomplishing anything in the war on terror in Iraq and elsewhere, check out this watch list:

http://www.survivalguide.com/terrorist_leaders.htm

It gives an excellent overview of who is where and the progress we are making. I am so thankful to have someone like George Bush who is willing to prosecute this war in spite of resistance from Americans and foreigners who would rather just submit to the evil of terrorism. Thank you Mr. President and all of you in our military who are doing your utmost to make us safer here at home!

If you want to know more about what is really happening in the war on terror and the many successes we are having on many fronts, read Richard Miniter's The Shadow War. If you really want to understand how Mr. Kerry might have prosecuted the war on terror, read Losing Bin Laden by the same author.

Go Tigers!

Clemson won today, beating University of SC, 29 -7...This really is the only game that matters all year (at least in SC), when it gets right down to it. Woohoo!

Have you heard of cognitive dissonance?

Here is a definition from a website:

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation. It therefore occurs when there is a need to accommodate new ideas, and it may be necessary for it to develop so that we become "open" to them. Neighbour (1992) makes the generation of appropriate dissonance into a major feature of tutorial (and other) teaching: he shows how to drive this kind of intellectual wedge between learners' current beliefs and "reality".

I find I experience cd often as I observe the weird things that seem to happen in our world and the funny things that people do or the odd situations they find themselves in. I hope I can bring lots of cd to this blog!

---Katie

Anyone Remember Bradley McGee?

I do. I was the mother of three young children when Bradley was murdered by his mother and step-father who plunged his little two-year-old head into the toilet as punishment for soiling his pants. I still feel the horror of that obscene situation - he had been placed in foster care after his so-called parents abandoned him in a mall. When the foster parents wanted to adopt him, the so-called mother petitioned for custody and got it. He died a couple of months later. I still get sick when I think about what that little boy went through.

Now "mom" has another child who has spent most of his short life in foster care. She now has custody of three year old Billy. The Illinois Supreme Court says there is not enough evidence to prove that Sheryl Hardy is an abusive parent. Does anyone here see a problem?

Read all about it in Michelle Malkin's column:

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/mm20041117.shtml

And pray for little Billy.

---Katie

Christmas Babies

Here is an excellent article from The Lutheran Forum Letter written by the editor, Pastor Russell E. Saltzman:

Some folks think of Christmas and gifts. I think of Christmas and babies. Maybe the two aren’t so different; babies, in the grand scheme of things, after all, are gifts. At least I think of them that way.

Babies are not just the consequence of unprotected sex. They are the Creator’s creation, a God-given gift.

Of course, in the aftermath of every Christmas there is the problem of what to
do with unwanted gifts that cannot be returned. When it comes to the unwanted gift of babies, Christmas time or not, our present social solution is abortion.

There is precedence for it. What we do with unwanted babies is not so different from what the Romans of twenty-some centuries ago did with theirs. It was the undisputed right of a Roman father to decide which of his newborn children to keep and which to discard. The otherwise eminent Marcus Porcius Cato, known to history more familiarly as Cato the Elder (d. 149 BC), could argue in his treatise on agriculture that efficient management of labor and resources required Roman fathers to quickly “put away” frail and sickly babies likely to prove unproductive. This was a custom approved by other ancient luminaries, done for what everyone regarded as the public interest. Plato, Aristotle, Seneca each approved.

Sometimes the unwanted children were drowned or strangled or exposed to the elements.

Sometimes they were deposited at a crossroads where, if they survived, they might be taken in and raised as slaves by others. In any case, it was the father’s absolute right of choice. His wife, lacking legal rights of her own in ancient society, had no say about it.

These days choice has shifted to the woman’s right to decide the fate of her baby. The male lacks any legal standing to oppose the woman’s decision — although we learn that males are often the ones pressuring the woman for an abortion.

All this is very strange to me and difficult to understand, especially at Christmas.

I distinctly recall an NBC Nightly News report some few years back of what might best be called a “partial-birth” heart transplant. The unborn baby had developed a rare but not unknown heart ailment, resulting in weakened heart muscle which was shrinking the baby’s heart.

The usual prognosis for such cases is that the heart will be unable to sustain the child for very long after birth. While the child was still in the womb, a donor heart was sought and found. At roughly 30 weeks, midway through the third trimester, labor was induced and the child was delivered by C-section. Within six hours of birth, the baby had a new heart.

When examined and treated in the womb, the fetus becomes a baby, a patient for whom all the medical arts are available.

But suppose the woman simply had decided the expense, emotional investment, and future medical cost was just too much?

Nothing could have prevented her from seeking an abortion and, in the circumstance, Cato the Elder certainly would have agreed with the choice.

Unwanted gifts. Christmas. The Virgin is told “no room” for her Child, and seeks shelter elsewhere.

And I think of babies, every Christmas.

—— by the editor

Yes, ELCA Lutherans can be pro-life.
---Katie

Turkey disasters

Here is a great article from the Modesto Bee about turkey disasters:


By BETSY TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer

Last Updated: November 19, 2004, 03:30:22 PM PST

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Concerned about cooking that Thanksgiving turkey? Just keep in mind that if you don't slice the bird with a chain saw, stomp on it to make it fit in a pan or lose it in a snowdrift, you'll already be doing better than some other Americans.

Cooks who have questions about how to prepare the seasonal feast have long been able to call help lines, offered by turkey producers, schools or others looking to provide assistance. But sometimes, the turkey traumas on Thanksgiving have even the experts stumped.

Mary Clingman serves as director of the Butterball Turkey Talk Line in Downers Grove, Ill. It expects to take more than 100,000 inquiries through Christmas.
Some past callers stand out.

"We got a call from a guy last year whose turkey wouldn't fit in his pan. He wrapped it in a towel and stomped on it until it did," Clingman said.

Another caller cut a turkey in half with a chain saw, then worried that oil on the saw might have transferred onto the turkey. A woman in Colorado who left her turkey outside to keep it frozen realized she couldn't find it when more snow fell.

And one phone call began: "You don't know anything about kitty litter, do you?" Clingman said a woman called after her husband poured kitty litter on the bottom of a new grill in hopes of absorbing drippings. Fortunately, the grill hadn't been lit yet, so the turkey was pulled off and cooked more conventionally, she said.

Kathy Bernard with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline in Beltsville, Md., said a caller last year wanted to make her bird inside a roasting bag, but didn't have one, so had improvised.

"She pulled a dry cleaning bag off her husband's suit, and it melted onto the bird," Bernard said.

Chris Whaley, a spokeswoman for Perdue in Salisbury, Md., said people should keep in mind that the Thanksgiving meal can be as simple or as complicated as they'd like it to be.

"I do believe it's reassuring to know not everyone's done it perfectly over the years," she said.

---------------

So, anyone have any great turkey disaster stories? My disasters usually involve baking. ;-)

---Katie