Category: News & Entertainment

Democrats and Republicans shady about war spending

ChristianConservative has thoughts on how both parties are using war funding to play politics.

Democrats offered President George W. Bush a deal Friday which would have set a non-mandatory deadline for withdrawal from Iraq. He shot it down…
Now, maybe I’m misreading this. I *hope* I’m reading it wrong. But did our top majority leaders in the House and Senate just offer to set a deadline for troop withdrawals, then use voluntary non-compliance as a bargaining chip for getting something else they wanted?
This makes no sense. What are they playing at?…
This seems like a purely political move — the Democrats finally setting a timetable, then saying, “Well, we have some other things we want, and if we get them you don’t have to actually follow this timetable.”
The goal, of course, is to turn around later and say, “We set a timeline, and you didn’t follow it.”…
Unfortunately, the Republicans are engaged in, well, doing the exact same thing:
“The White House chief of staff said Republicans had offered a proposal that was essentially what received 52 votes in the Senate this week. It would establish a series of standards for the Iraqi government to meet, and condition the flow of reconstruction funds on progress toward achieving the goals…
One side of the aisle is doing the right thing. Both are acting for poor motives, and both are going about it in the wrong way.
Democracy at its finest, right?

TD Jakes says he’s looking for a leader

Dallas Pastor TD Jakes says he’s looking for a strong leader in the next president of the U.S., not necessarily faith.

One of the most influential black leaders today, Jakes has the ear of President George W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton. He says the black clergy faces big challenges as the 2008 presidential election draws near, as they weigh competing strategies on how to work effectively for the betterment of their community.
But the challenges extend beyond the black community, Jakes says.
“I think really religion in general is struggling with politics, not just African Americans. Many, many times we’ve allowed ourselves to be taken up under the control of this party or that party, and I think that’s dangerous when you do that,” he tells Michele Norris.
“I don’t think that God should be assigned to a party. When the party goes bad, then the clergy are embarrassed, and I think that faith should transcend politics,” he says.
“If you’re going to be an effective leader… you can’t just be the president of the Christians, you have to be the president of the United States which incorporates atheists, agnostics and all brands of faith. And many Christians don’t understand that. They see this as a Christian nation but I don’t see this as a theocracy, I see it as a democracy.”

Listen to the story from NPR

Jerry Falwell dead

I’m sure this is old news to most but I just caught news of this, this morning at work.

Jerry Falwell is dead at 73.

As is Dr. Martin Luther King’s eldest daughter, Yolanda King, at 51.

If you recall, Falwell was part of the focus of the Alexandra Pelosi documentary: “Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi” which also featured a short segment about the Christian Wrestling Federation. Reportedly, Falwell was very nice to Pelosi during her filming but kicked her off his bus once he found out who her mother was.

Listen to a reflection on his life by NPR

Read more about:
Jerry Falwell & Yolanda King

Helmet saves man run over by truck

You can debate the coolness of a helmet or not, but I think it might be time to go buy myself one after seeing this story:

Ryan Lipscomb of Madison, Wisconsin is alive to tell of a truck running right over his head. “I didn’t see it coming, but I sure felt it roll over my head. It feels really strange to have a truck run over your head.” The truck just kept on going, as they so often do, usually saying that they didn’t know they hit anything. The police and Lipscomb think otherwise: “The truck driver definitely would have known. You know when you run over a curb and my head was definitely higher than a curb.”

My buddy Dave McHam has taken to riding his bike all over town with $3 a gallon gas prices. He said driving his truck just doesn’t make sense. So he rides his bike to Red Oak each day (about 12-15 miles one way).
Getting much better exercise and saving loads of money I’m sure. Sounds like a great idea but I’d definitely want a Giro first.

Mother’s Day founder wanted it ended

Wisebread has some interesting comments from Anna Jarvis who petitioned President Woodrow Wilson to make Mother’s Day a national holiday.
Apparently she wasn’t too fond of the commercialism either.

I wanted [Mother’s Day] to be a day of sentiment, not profit.
A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world.
And candy! You take a box to Mother — and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.
What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?

There’s more on Wisebread. Be sure and check it out – and don’t forget your mother tomorrow – just don’t expect a rinky dink card that plays a song to show her your love.

Get out and vote!

Loads of elections going on around Texas today.
Get out and vote! Don’t let your opportunity to have a say get taken away.
Texas seniors have a big vote to cast to decide on their future property tax rates.
Ellis County voters are voting on a $53.785 million bond package for future county facilities.
And cities across the state are electing new city council members and school board members.
Be sure you go to the polls and be sure you know what you’re voting for before you cast a blind vote. I could tell you how to vote and I’ll be more than glad to answer any questions you have but I’d rather you make an informed decision on your own. Look at all the facts, ask questions and then vote (hopefully you’ve already been doing the first two).
And just a reminder for those in Ellis County/specifically Waxahachie, you’ll need to go to separate locations for the county and city elections. In several places the school board and city elections are combined but you’ll need to go to the county polling place to vote on the senior and county issues.