Kudos to Bakersfield, CA school board for restoring Christmas Break and Easter Break!

THE GREAT CAT SOAP OPERA

Miss Piggy had an emergency trip to the vet this morning.  Fever of 103.1.  She has feline viral rhinotracheitis.  I have two different medications.  If I can't handle it by myself, she goes back to the vet for a 7 day spa stay.  Evidently she caught it from Doc who is, according to the vet, a life-time carrier.  I was so worried about her last night.  She was sneezing dabs of blood.  I just can't lose another cat.  She is now on Clavomax and Ophthalmic.  What I can’t get over is how well she does in the car!  She was in her little carrier, but was quite laid back about it.  After leaving the vet we then went to the bank, where she was admired by all.  I tried administering her evening meds around 10PM.  She did great, furious, but great.  Don’t know how much longer that will last.  I can’t get over how much better she seems – already!

I had time to finally talk to Dr. Franklin about Georgie.  Evidently she had a form of feline hepatitis.  Evidently her liver count went so low she couldn't recover and did not want to live.  The vet said something like that will say dormant in a cat's system for years until stress sets it off - and I know exactly when it happened.  Fortunately it is not infectious.

Several housekeeping comments are needed here.  There is absolutely no use in discussing the AG situation, the hostage situation in Iran, or the Dem’s undermining our military via their spending bill. It is being blogged to death.  If I had new information or could wax poetic on the subject I would write about it.  Unfortunately neither is an option, so I will move along to a different subject.

More pet food problems!   

Over at Stolen Thunder, AJ Drummond has done several excellent commentaries on what makes a great President.    I think they are well worth reading.

The Italian Communist – Al Qaeda alignment. 

Islamists in Ethiopia beat Christian leader to death in mosque.

MY RANT FOR THE DAY

I am getting so tired of harping on the same subject:  Conservative narcissism.  Several days ago I began reading that Fred Thompson was not “pure enough” to conservatives.  Before this, you would have thought him the second coming.  Then a chink appeared in his “Pure” conservative armor.  Evidently Thompson is Howard Baker’s protégé.  Howard Baker is not “Pure” enough for today’s conservatives who worship at the altar of Reagan.  Funny thing, though.  Evidently these people know so very little about Ronald Reagan that they don’t realize Howard Baker was Reagan’s Chief of Staff from 1987-1988.  If nothing else should prove my often mentioned point that today’s ideological conservative who claims to worship Reagan knows absolutely nothing about Reagan.  Howard Baker is not conservative enough for them.  But – if he was conservative enough for the great conservative President, Ronald Reagan, then Fred Thompson, his protégé should be good enough for them.  I know, it if a convoluted point, but we’re dealing with convoluted ideology.

Well, now, James Dobson has declared Fred Thompson is not “pure” because he is not Dobson’s idea of a Christian.  Evidently members of the Church of Christ are not considered Christian. 

“…Members of the churches of Christ point out that throughout church history many have sought a return to the simple, original Christianity that is "pre-denominational" and unbound by the decisions of councils or denominational hierarchies. Rather than basing doctrine on the interpretations of post-first century church fathers, ecclesiastical councils, or more modern denominational synods or conventions, they use only the Bible as their official source of doctrine. This also allows for the Bible to be open for continual examination and interpretation from congregation to congregation and from Christian to Christian.

 

These views are based on the conviction that the church is a spiritual body, rather than a secular or political one. Furthermore, that God demonstrates in the New Testament how a person may become a Christian, thus a part of the church, and how Christians may collectively organize and carry out the purposes of the church which Christ established. Also realized is that Christians can do this without any prior knowledge of other churches of Christ as different groups practicing this form of Christianity have discovered one another without any prior connection (e.g., different segments of what became known as the Restoration Movement; early, ante-Nicene churches).

 

Today, churches of Christ usually have the following distinctive traits: the refusal to hold to any creeds other than the Bible itself (i.e., sola scriptura); the practice of repentance and believer's baptism in Christ's name as the response to receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit (e.g., Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16); autonomous, non-denominational congregational church organization, with congregations overseen by a plurality of male elders; the weekly observance of communion/eucharist (i.e., the Lord's Supper); and the practice by most congregations of a cappella worship singing (although several related congregations use instruments while keeping these other practices - also known as Christian Churches)…”

One of these days people like James Dobson, Hugh Hewitt, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh are going to step a little too far out on that pencil thin limb they are standing on and someone is going to fall off into that big pile of what my grandfather called papa cow excreta  that is starting to accumulate up under them.  I think the fact that ‘conservatives’ are having second thoughts about their initial love affair with Thompson because of the “impure” Howard Baker connection is perfect, absolutely perfect.  It is the perfect illustration of my theory:  These people have no earthly idea what Ronald Reagan actually stood for.

Yes the Republican Party is in trouble.  It is in trouble because of the absolutely disgusting antics of the above rogues gallery of “ideological” conservatives who have no loyalty to any party or to any individual.  In many ways I wish they would simply decamp and then make sure the door did not hit them on the way out!  They have insulted the intelligence of a good 20% of the voting public – people who once considered themselves Republican or voted Republican.  And – they continue to harp on this broken record that conservatives win elections.  Yep, and I can sell you shares of a bridge in Brooklyn. Conservatives don’t win elections.  Good, decent, honorable candidates who stand for something win elections.  Now we hear good candidates are not wanting to run GOP.  I don’t blame them.  It isn’t the problems created for candidates from the left they fear, but the actions of people who consider themselves “conservatives”.

The best thing that could happen to the GOP is if Rudy Giuliani wins in 2008.  I would hope he would choose Newt Gingrich for his VP.  Why?  Because between them they have a marriage total that equals Henry VIII!  The two would be a thumb in the nose of “purists”. 

Strange, but like my friend said yesterday, she hadn’t changed her political beliefs.  The conservatives have taken the GOP far, far to the right of what she believes.  And she is right – we need to stand up and take our party away from them and put it back to what it was when Ronald Reagan was President.

I go back Politico and an article about the GOP fearing a “meltdown in 2008.  Perhaps it isn’t really the GOP who is afraid as it is all those wacky and unlovable little extreme right wing daffy ducks who consider themselves the be all and end all of the GOP. Yes, they are in trouble. 

I did not realize other people thought the Prez was funny last night.  I liked the Webb joke. 

IMMIGRATION

A former Iraqi citizen, aged 46, who has been in the us since he was 15, has been picked up by the ICE because of a demand that came from every immigrant’s best friend and confidant, Widdle Tommie Tancredo.  Granted the man is a three time loser, quasi criminal, and just an all around upright citizen who would grace any redneck bar on any given Saturday.  I hate to say this, but how can it possibly be an ICE issue when the man has been in this nation, usually legally, for 30 years? The only reason he is facing deportation hearings is because he is a small time jerk, with DUI, assault (probably against the woman in his life) etc.  How can this possibly be a national security issue?  The man is your usual loser, but not a terrorist.  He has been here for 30 years.  Frankly, I think he is now our problem, and not ICE’s problem.  So the guy is filing a $5 mil lawsuit against Tancredo for defaming his good name and causing him stress.  If it weren’t so pathetic it would be funny.

 And in another article that is close to Widdle TT’s heart, more immigrants than ever are becoming US Citizens.  I wonder if the dude mentioned above is a US Citizen – the Iraqi, not TT.  We wouldn’t be so lucky!  

A Minuteman profile.

In the I LOVE IT! Column, this column by Frank Mickadeit is one of the single best commentaries on the Minutemen I’ve seen to date.    

“…The Minutemen movement was attractive in its simplicity. But there's a reason the people who really know politics and law, even in conservative Orange County, stayed at arm's length. They knew it was trying to skirt the rule of law. And as controversial as they are, the in-house criminal-vetting programs by the Costa Mesa P.D. and Orange County Sheriff's Department were authorized under the rule of law. So what you ended up with in the Minuteman leadership were a bunch of inexperienced people, a few of them smart and well intentioned, but many of them, frankly, unfocused, job-hopping losers who liked running around the desert playing with night-vision scopes and walkie-talkies. I think cops call them "yahoos."…”

 LYING DEMOCRATS

The Captain on the largest tax hike in history.  Do it.  I double dare you!  Don’t forget to keep he and his wife in your prayers.  Her transplant has been green lighted. 

Dem culture of corruption. 

PRIMARIES 2008

So, have you heard the gossip about Algore getting in as the Green Candidate?  

Romney’s support is dropping like we truly wish oil prices would.  Why?

Romney is already listing his VP choices!  

Did McCain nearly mutiny?

Giuliani looks good in CA 

Is Thompson angling for a VP position under Romney?