You canât make stuff like this up!
An Arkansas school teacher who gave her students a fish-shaped water gun is under fire from a parent who says she disapproves of weapons in her house, reports KPOM-TV in Ft. Smith, Ark. The teacher at an elementary school in Rogers, Ark., gave her students the squirter following a lesson about animals in the rain forest. School officials say she feels horrible about the entire situation and didnât mean to offend anyone. The parent who complained, Karen Young, doesnât want fish-shaped toy guns in her house because... Wait for it....
... she accidentally shot an ex-boyfriend one time when the gun she was beating him with went off. Badum-ching! Try the veal and dont forget to tip your waiters!
#3
First question I'd like to ask in court: you do that to your kids, too?
Got to love the complete idiocy of some people!
Posted by: The Doctor ||
05/31/2004 18:38 Comments ||
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#4
As usual, the first step towards recovery is admitting that everyone else has a problem. It is almost a crime against humanity that Ms. Young managed to breed.
#7
muck, 90% of the different species of fresh water fish can be found in the Amazon river. Where the Amazon flows into the Atlantic ocean, you must go ten miles out to sea before the water becomes salty.
He arrived laughing and joking. Just over two hours later Armin Meiwes, the self-confessed German cannibal who killed and ate another man, left a stunned courtroom scarcely able to believe his luck. After a unique two-month trial that has gripped both Germany and the wider world with its gory details, a judge yesterday sentenced Meiwes to a mere eight and a half years in jail after ruling that he was guilty of manslaughter and not murder.
The prosecution had demanded a 15-year-term. But Judge Volker MÃŒtze said he accepted the cannibalâs argument that the man he met through the internet and later fried in garlic - 43-year-old computer engineer Bernd JÃŒrgen Brandes - had wanted to die. "The famous lust for murder was not there. The killing was very unpleasant for Meiwes," the judge said... The cannibalâs lawyer, Harald Ermel, said his client was "satisfied" with the result, and was now considering numerous offers from film companies and publishers. With good behaviour, Meiwes was likely to be free in four and a half years, Mr Ermel pointed out. He would probably write his memoirs. There was no reason why he should not eventually return home to the timbered farmhouse in Rotenburg, central Germany, where he cut up and refrigerated bits of Brandes, burying his skull in the garden, the lawyer said. "He isnât a murderer," he added. "He has to live." ... Last night Meiwesâ lawyer said it was unlikely his client would eat anyone else. "He certainly wonât repeat it," he said. Miewes had been in jail for a year. He was now a polite, popular prisoner who helped others and wrote their letters, he added.
Posted by: tipper ||
05/31/2004 7:41:11 AM ||
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#1
No, not garlic! Its supposed to be fava beans and chainti. Some people can't get anything right.
Rania Al-Bazâs husband has been sentenced to six months in jail and 300 lashes for beating his wife almost to death. On April 4, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta attacked the popular TV presenter, pinning her to the floor and repeatedly smashing her face into the marble tiles and the walls while choking her. He then dumped her unconscious at Bugshan Hospital. She barely escaped with her life, suffering 13 facial fractures, and continues to undergo reconstructive surgery. Doctors say she has a 70 percent chance of complete recovery.
Al-Fallatta surrendered to the police on April 19 and originally faced an attempted murder charge, later reduced to severe battery. Judge Ibrahim Al-Jarbou announced the verdict on Saturday in the presence of Al-Bazâs lawyer, Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, the prosecutor and the husband. Al-Fallatta âseemed to accept the sentence,â Al-Khouli told Arab News. The six months include time served since his surrender, leaving four and a half months to complete. The sentence is relatively lenient for such cases, according to Al-Khouli, but the judge took several mitigating factors into consideration. What they were Al-Khouli declined to say.
Rania Al-Baz said she did not wish to comment on the sentence, since she is anxiously waiting for the decision on her divorce and a decision on custody of her child. Under Shariah, Al-Baz has a private as well as a public claim. The present sentence covers the public claim only. Al-Khouli expects a judgment in the private claim to come some time before Al-Fallatta is released from jail, though it will probably take another month. If Al-Baz insists on compensation for her suffering, Al-Fallatta could either be ordered to pay damages or, in theory, be given a beating of equal severity to the one he inflicted on his wife. However, in practice the penalty is likely to be monetary, Al-Khouli said.
Al-Baz is more concerned about being granted a divorce and full custody of her two boys. According to Shariah, in the event of a divorce, the mother gets custody of the children until the age of seven; after that, a boy is given the option of staying with his father or mother, with the other parent given visitation rights. Girls are given to the father. Exceptions are made in unusual circumstances; however, in Saudi courts, judges usually rule in favor of the father, regardless of his character or ability to support the children. Al-Baz said she stayed with her husband despite his history of violence because she was afraid she would be denied custody of her children. In cases of abuse and other situations in which the father is found unfit to have custody, the wife may get guardianship or permanent custody. Al-Khouli has indicated before that in a case abuse as extreme as Al-Bazâs, the judge could grant her permanent custody. In the meantime, Al-Fallatta is making the case difficult by refusing to agree to a divorce, which leaves the judge with the option of revoking the marriage contract.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/31/2004 11:26:20 AM ||
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#1
he shuld be happy he is not kill her or he mite be have another 100 lashes.
Britain is likely to back anticipated moves by some European Union nations to end a 15-year-long ban on arms sales to China. However any moves would most likely come to nothing as the United States would oppose the move and could even block European nations which sell arms to China from having access to US military technology. London understood this position but was still keen to make the move as ministers believe a new EU code of conduct on arms sales would stop weapons being used by China for "external aggression or internal repression", it added The magnitude of the self-deception represented by this is truly staggering. Although greed is a strong motivator, itâs not strong enough to account for this.
#1
The magnitude of the self-deception represented by this is truly staggering.
I agree, RWV. At least this explains Britain's "Muslim friendly workplace" tripe volcano. Like I mentioned elsewhere, America may need to consider interdicting any advanced weapon systems shipments to China. Either that or threaten an economic embargo of Chinese imports should they attempt to enhance their military abilities in this sort of way.
From The Muslim News
.... Shabina Begum has been out of school since September 2002, when she was sent home after arriving for classes at Denbigh High School, Luton, in the jilbab, a long, flowing gown covering all her body except hands and face. ....
Today she was dressed in a blue jilbab as her solicitor-advocate Yvonne Spencer argued at the High Court in London that the schoolâs refusal amounted to "constructive exclusion" and breached both domestic law and the European Convention on Human Rights. .... "Her access to education was frustrated. It became impossible for her to enter the school unless she breached her religious beliefs."
Denbigh, a 1,000-pupil comprehensive where almost 80% of pupils are Muslim, maintains it has a flexible school uniform policy which takes into account all faiths and cultures and is not acting in a discriminatory manner. Pupils can wear trousers, skirts or a shalwar kameez, consisting of trousers and a tunic. Originally, she wore a shalwar kameez to school, but her deepening interest in her religion led to her wearing the loose, ankle-length jilbab which completely covers the female form apart from hands and face.
When she turned up for the first day of the new school year in September 2002, Shabina, who wants to become a doctor, was told she had to go home and change.....
Simon Birks, appearing for the school and council, told the court .... there was a place available for Shabina at Denbigh. She had not been excluded but had chosen not to attend. ....
Posted by: Mike Sylwester ||
05/31/2004 4:25:14 AM ||
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#1
I'd lump this in with the driver's license imbroglio. If the teacher cannot see a pupil's face in order to properly verify attendance, you're SOL.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/31/2004 01:04 ||
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#1
We saw this photo of Jimmy in the newspaper the other day. He looks about five hundred years old. In the photo, he's working at a center where people verify their signatures to vote. "What's that say? Hold it up a little closer, honey. Bilbao Baggez? Oh, Bilbo Baggins! Looks legit to me! Must be a real popular name here, we've had a lot of them. Yep, this is a gonna be a completely clean election!"
WASHINGTON - The speed with which U.S. ground forces captured Baghdad and the prominent role played in Iraq by U.S. commandos, have led China to rethink how it could counteract the American military in the event of a confrontation over Taiwan, the Pentagon says. The Chinese also believe, partly from its assessment of the Bush administrationâs declared war on terrorism, that the United States is increasingly likely to intervene in a conflict over Taiwan or other Chinese interests, according to the Pentagon analysis.
"Authoritative commentary and speeches by senior officials suggest that U.S. actions over the past decade ... have reinforced fears within the Chinese leadership that the United States would appeal to human rights and humanitarian concerns to intervene, either overtly or covertly," said the Pentagon. The assessments are in an annual Defense Department report to Congress on Chinese military power. The Pentagon took the unusual step of releasing the report late Saturday night.
The report said China is rethinking the concept that U.S. airpower alone is sufficient to prevail in a conflict â a concept it inferred from the 1999 air war over Kosovo, which involved no U.S. ground forces. "The speed of coalition ground force advances and the role of special forces in (Iraq) have caused the Peopleâs Liberation Army theorists to rethink their assumptions about the value of long-range precision strikes, independent of ground forces, in any Taiwan conflict scenario," the report said.
Other aspects of the Iraq war have reinforced the Chinese belief that the United Statesâ long-range strategy is to dominate Asia by containing the growth of Chinese power, the report said. These include recent Pentagon decisions to base long-range bombers, cruise missiles and nuclear attack submarines to the Pacific island of Guam â moves related in part to the Iraq conflict. "Chinaâs leaders appear to have concluded that the net effect of the U.S.-led campaign (against terrorism) has been further encirclement of China," specifically by placing U.S. military forces in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations, and strengthening relations with Pakistan and India, concluded the Pentagon analysis.
Because Chinaâs leaders believe their military forces are not yet strong enough to compete directly with the American military, they are putting more emphasis on preventing U.S. intervention first. This includes development of what the Chinese call "assassinâs mace" weapons, the Pentagon said. The report said U.S. officials are not sure what "assassinâs mace" is. Anyone have a read on this? I can only assume it is a preemptive attack doctrine designed to intercept high value assets before they can adequately deploy.
"However, the concept appears to include a range of weapon systems and technologies related to information warfare, ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles, advanced fighters and submarines, counterspace system and air defense," according to the Pentagon. The report said that while the concept of "assassinâs mace" is not new in China, it has appeared more frequently in Chinese professional journals since 1999, particularly in the context of Taiwan, the U.S.-supported island which split from China after its communist takeover in 1949.
Beijing considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory and has threatened to take it by force. In Beijing on Sunday, officials said President Bush had reassured Chinese officials that Washington will stick to its "one-China policy" toward Taiwan. That long-standing policy says the American government recognizes Beijing as the only legitimate Chinese government, although the United States also has pledged to provide enough defensive equipment to Taiwan to assure its security.
Bushâs comments to Chinese President Hu Jintao, released by Chinaâs Foreign Ministry, appeared to be an attempt to soothe Beijingâs anger over Washingtonâs decision to permit Taiwanese Vice President Annette Lu to stop in two U.S. cities before and after a Latin America tour. The Pentagon for several years has expressed concern at Chinaâs military modernization, especially its emphasis on deploying more shorter-range ballistic missiles that can strike Taiwan.
The latest Pentagon report also said that since it last reported to Congress a year ago, Chinaâs imports of armaments have increase by 7 percent in value. These include a $1 billion deal for 24 Russian Su-30 fighter aircraft and $500 million for Russian SA-20 surface-to-air missile systems. One is obliged wonder how long it will take the Chinese to realize that innovation flourishes only in a free-thinking enterprenueral culture. So long as the politburo maintains its corrupt stranglehold upon Chinese minds their industry will remain what it is; A copy-cat "look-see" sort of knock-off stamping mill. The ability to design and fabricate sophisticated guidance electronics and high speed processors requires open scientific interaction. Something that is absent in China. It nice to see the communist Mandarins finally glance down at their tea leaves and realize they spell out disaster for their over-staffed and under-supported military.
Josef Stalin once said; "Quantity has a quality all its own." In an age of terrain following cruise missiles, cluster munitions and Aegis class phased array radar, such ham-fisted brute force tactics no longer provide any assurance of victory. Perhaps the Chinese have begun to understand this. It is time for Europe to be read the riot act about supplying China with any sort of advanced weapons systems.
Ending the European arms embargo would only serve to further destabilize the Asian economic region. While the ongoing war on terror seems to be the dominant crisis (and in many ways it is), China represents the true threat to world peace. This economic "elephant in the henhouse" has yet to be reigned in and the coming implosion of its overheated economy must occur without them having access to weapons that could facilitate any expansionist daydreams. However alarmist this may sound, China has already severely damaged many industrial economies with its artificially pegged currency and massive trade deficits, Americaâs is probably foremost among them.
However tempting Europe may find Chinaâs desire to go on a massive spending spree with all their ill-gotten trade revenue, they must be prevented from doing so. Rewarding the PRCâs monstrous human rights violations by enabling their militaryâs aggressive objectives with the Typhoon Eurofighter or Aster and Meteor missiles is the exact wrong thing to do.
Posted by: Zenster ||
05/31/2004 1:21:57 AM ||
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Hoping the French won't sell to China is truly wishful thinking. They have a lot of costs to cover in developing these systems and China will help pay them. France will also be happy to have China be a counter to the hyperpower and rebalance this terible unipolar world we live in.
The assassin's mace is just Burns in his cups.
Posted by: Mr. Davis ||
05/31/2004 1:50 Comments ||
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#2
Party control is everything. Remember that. All else must be subordinated to that. Now, just say they do the Taiwan gambit. All the US has to do, is a hundred percent shut down of commerce between it and China. How long before their economy collapses? There are no other buyers of such volume of their products. How long before the masses who are now enjoying upward mobility and benefits tolerate a return to poverty and mass unemployement? You can't keep them down on the farm after they've seen Parie [Paris]! [old old song] Hard to have control when the people figure out there are not enough of the People's Liberation Army to keep them all down, particularly when the best of the PLA is sitting in Taiwan.
Posted by: Don ||
05/31/2004 9:12 Comments ||
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#3
Zenster:
Interesting analysis. While I tend to agree with some of it, my thinking is that capital flight ( as a direct result of Chinese hostile intentions or any economicaly/financially hostile moves ) from China would be far more devastating than anything China could do to us. Granted it would be painful for both sides, but if China wanted to remain in the game, they need to toe the line.
I think fear about capital flight is the most powerful incentive for them to behave.
But you could be right. I just think the outcome would be far less harmful to us than to them.
#4
Thank you for the link, Mr. Davis. I'm nearly half-way through and it is some interesting reading. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to formulate some sort of informed opinion about China's current military and political stance.
I just think the outcome [of capital flight] would be far less harmful to us than to them.
I agree completely. There just happens to be far too many of America's politicians (from both sides of the aisle) bought and paid for by China. The same goes for the big industry based campaign contributers. The earnings derived from China's cheap labor pool has blinded American manufacturer's to the fact that Chinese intellectual property theft and product conterfeiting are undermining our nation's new profit centers of innovation and software design.
At Wal-Mart "we worry about buying enough". "Enough" for him means $12bn (£7.2bn) this year, roughly 10% of the $116bn trade deficit the US clocked up with China in the 12 months to July.
The time to pull China back into line is now and not after they've modernized their army. The politburo needs to be confronted with massive civil unrest before they obtain the means of quelling it. The world simply cannot afford for China to become a functioning superpower while they still maintain such a drastically tilted playing field. We may as well play soccer on a hill with China's goal net at the bottom.
I'll be back in shortly to provide some quotes out of the linked report. None of them are encouraging in the least. Should Europe decide to sell China advanced weapon systems, I would feel obliged to advocate torpedoeing the container ships carrying them.
If France truly thinks that elevating the Chinese military's functionality is a way to offset American might, they need to closely examine China's own effort to do so in North Korea. Pyonyang's proliferation of nuclear and missile technology has resulted in a direct threat increase to France itself and Europe in general.
To mainline potent weapons technology straight to the perpetrator of this global crisis is quite possibly one of the most ill-thought-out strategies of the new millennium. It would certainly make any American blundering in Iraq pale by comparison.
#5
Here are two passages that leapt off the page at me while reading this interesting report:
China Report Excerpts
Page 5
Beijing has sought to describe its long-term political goals of developing CNP [CNP=Comprehensive National Power] and ensuring a favorable strategic configuration of power in positive, passive, cooperative, benign, and peaceful themes. These themes include Chinaâs emphasis on âpeace and development,â the non- use of force in settling international disputes, non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, the defensive nature of Chinaâs military strategy, its âno- first- use of nuclear weaponsâ declaration, its support for nuclear-free weapons zones, and claims that China would never deploy its military forces on foreign soil.
These principled themes should not cloak the ambitious nature of Chinaâs national development program and the nature of Chinaâs approach to the use of force, which is contingent on the actions of others, rather than inherently passive or defensive measures. In particular, sovereignty issues that Beijing considers internal and defensive in nature -- most notably Taiwan -- may not be perceived by others as benign and peaceful. In addition, Beijing probably calculates that ambiguity in international discourse helps to buy China time in developing its national power.
---------------------------
As one can see, deception is the foundation of China's current strategy. What other essential elements are being concealed? While any country seeks to hide critical national security assets, China has taken this well beyond the pale, as evidenced in the next passage.
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Page 7
Decision making behind Chinaâs military modernization, in large part because of the extensive secrecy surrounding Chinese security affairs and a distinct aversion to real transparency on the part of Chinaâs leaders. Despite some recent improvements--such as publication of official white papers on defense issues every 2 years--Chinaâs leaders continue to closely guard and resist public revelation of basic information, such as the full amount and distribution of government resources dedicated to national defense or, as witnessed in 2003, details on the origin and incidence of infectious disease. EMPHASIS ADDED
---------------------------
China's lack of candor about SARS virus outbreaks alone caused US$ BILLIONS worth of losses for other countries. The imapct of China's largest medically caused AIDS epidemic in history will only attempt to siphon off more global aid into their illimitless gaping maw.
It is this sort of close-to-the-vest rigged game of China's that they must be punished for. While they openly proclaim peaceful intentions, they nonetheless bear a striking resemblance to the Japanese a few decades back. Deprived of military ascendancy, Japan sought economic supremacy through unethical collusion between their government (MITI) and domestic industry.
Does anyone seriously think that China will blanch at excersizing military might if it is needed to overcome economic collapse? Lack of tranparency and outright theft of intellectual property are among the few things currently propping up their corrupt politburo. It is ridiculous to think that China would hesitate for even a moment before appropriating the Spratley Islands or even Siberia's oil resources if their economic viability depended upon it.
This is just one more reason why Europe must be forbidden any sale of advanced weapons platforms to China.
#6
France is not the only country lusting after recycled dollars from China. Israel is in the process of selling the Chinese the Phalcon Airborne Early Warning system, a true force multiplier. Russia needs hard currency from whereever she can get it. We should be careful about slamming foreign countries when we have people like Bernie Schwartz of Loral (with the assistance of the Clinton administration) eagerly circumventing the spirit of our laws to advance the Chinese rocket program.
#7
It is ridiculous to think that China would hesitate for even a moment before appropriating the Spratley Islands or even Siberia's oil resources if their economic viability depended upon it.
The Spratleys have more going for them than just a potential oil resource. Look at their location on a map and think "control point".
#8
RVW, in light of how Russia would be one of the first invasion targets for China in an outbreak, their armaments sales make little sense, except for the fact that they're on the verge of total economic collapse. Still, it certainly seems like a case of (as the Taiwanese so succinctly put it), "Feeding the Tiger with your own flesh."
Pappy, thank you for pointing that out. The first link I almost used dealt with precisely this issue instead of the oil situation. The Spratleys are an ideal roost for China to interdict maritime traffic through the Straits of Malacca. This is "one of the busiest waterways in the world." Some excerpts from a recent article:
KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia on Sunday rejected military help from the United States to flush out terrorists in the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest waterways in the world.
The top US military commander in the Asia-Pacific region, Admiral Thomas Fargo said that the US planned to deploy US forces along the narrow straits straddling Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia as part of Washington's new counterterrorism initiative to help Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asian waters, particularly in the Straits of Malacca near the Indonesian side, are the world's most pirate-infested region.
More than a quarter of the world's trade and oil transits the straits.
All the more reason to deprive China of advanced weapons. How in hell China can make a straight-faced claim upon the Spratleys is beyond me. We may well find ourselves supporting Philippine claims upon these geostrategic outposts solely to deprive China of them.
Until China begins to make even a cursory display of complying with global law and human rights, we need to choke off all of their economic and military aspirations. Better to do it now while their military is still vulnerable, as opposed to later. To repeat what I posted above:
In addition, Beijing probably calculates that ambiguity in international discourse helps to buy China time in developing its national power.
#9
If bringing China to its knees is the objective, there are tools at hand. What would happen if the US banned the import of all goods from China? We would have to pay more in stores for goods, but not that much. There would still be India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. to provide cheap labor. The impact on China would be catastrophic. The American consumer is irreplaceable. Without the steady influx of US dollars, the Chinese economy would implode.
#10
Without the steady influx of US dollars, the Chinese economy would implode.
So, why isn't this being done to force China's hand about North Korea? The current administration could score a huge election year coup by making China rein in their pet Rottweiler. I remain unconvinced that Chinese payola (in all its different political and marketing forms) isn't preventing this otherwise vital development from happening.
We hold the precise key to defusing the North Korean nuclear threat and nothing is being done about it. I smell a rat.
#11
RWV, on the Phalcon sale to China. As far as I know it was cancelled and was instead offered to the Indians (at the current moment even THAT particular sale is up in the air I believe). The Chinese have instead opted to pursue Russian AWACS craft or their own indigineous versions.
Zenster, I was just reading about the Chinese banks and their economy. Currently its estimated something like $240 billion in bad loans (mostly to the state) have been given out my the state banks there. However the reason they are staying afloat is that they aren't allowing their depositers to withdraw their funds regularly and those Chinese that DO put their monies into savings rarely withdraw money anyway. This results in a virtual fountain of cash always coming in that the state depends on. My personal bet...expect 2007 to bring some seriously major impacts on the Chinese economy.
#12
Problem is; the US lobby for domestic textiles, grain,beef etc, would cry bloody murder! I remember how fast this lobby geared up when anti Chinese sentiment festered in the US during the down surveillance plane incident a few years ago. However, I to agree, with #9's view!
HONG KONG (AP) - Thousands of people marched through Hong Kong on Sunday to commemorate the killing of students by Chinese troops who broke up pro-democracy rallies in Tiananmen Square 15 years ago. The June 4, 1989 crackdown, in which Beijing used soldiers and tanks against the unarmed activists, shocked Hong Kong, then a British territory. Hong Kong reverted to China in 1997.
"Chinese people will never forget this incident," said Thomas Ma, an unemployed 44-year-old. "Using guns to suppress defenseless people - you tell me whether it's right."
This year's protests marking the 15th anniversary were more highly charged because Beijing last month ruled out direct elections for the territory in coming years. Rally organizer Szeto Wah said 5,600 marched Sunday - doubling the previous year's turnout. Police estimated at least 3,000 participated.
As the demonstrators marched, they chanted "Reverse the verdict on June 4" and "Return power to the people." Several people carried a black coffin. Others waved banners demanding democracy in Hong Kong. "The students were innocent. They shouldn't have been suppressed with tanks and machine guns," said one man visiting from Shanghai who identified himself as Chen.
Seems like the Chinese people remember what their leaders want them to forget.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 12:58:15 AM ||
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For years France has been lamenting the decline of its language and influence in Europe. Now a damning report produced by a parliamentary committee says the country has only itself to blame if its "golden age" of power has waned. It claims France's refusal to implement European Union regulations, its "arrogant" reputation and the poor work record of French Euro-MPs - among the laziest in Europe - has damaged its credibility and undermined its authority.
An EU founder member, France "put its imprint on the construction of Europe during a golden age" in which it enjoyed political, administrative and linguistic influence, the report says. The French report, The Presence and Influence of France in Europe: True and False, was produced by the National Assembly's all-party EU committee, headed by Jacques Floch, a Socialist party MP.
While the decline in the use of the French language has been widely recognised - most of the 10 new member countries in the EU prefer English as a second language - it claims France has failed to measure up on other fronts. Mr Floch said Paris had to "better accept its European responsibilities". He added: "In the eyes of our partners, the accumulation of bad performances stains our credibility and therefore our power to push things forward. "For some years, France has stood out because of its refusal to abide by community rules. There is an image of French arrogance, which, rightly or wrongly rightly, has stuck. While this is a subjective view, we have to recognise that in a number of fields our country is the bad boy of Europe."
The report cites poor attendance rates as a particular failing of the French. European Commission records show that since 1999, average rate of absenteeism among French Euro-MPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg has been 20%. Only the Italians had a worse absentee rate, with 32%. Presence of French ministers at the Council of Europe in Brussels was equally dismal, with 18.9% failing to attend, second only to Belgium on 24%. Last year, Nicolas Sarkozy, the then interior minister, attended just one out of six meetings. Even when they do turn up, the French are considerably less productive than their European partners, according to the commission. Between 1999 and 2003, Britain's 87 Euro-MPs drew up 238 reports; the same number of French members produced only 116.
This might actually be a blessing.
Yesterday's report said France's position as number two on a commission blacklist of countries in breach of European regulations was also damaging.
Last month during a press conference on Europe, President Jacques Chirac admitted that the weight and influence of France at the heart of the EU was "not what it should be". Mr Floch said the government was partly to blame, as well as widespread ignorance about Europe. "European affairs don't appear to be a priority on the political agenda - Europe is very badly understood by the people."
The people thought it was going to be a democracy.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 1:06:00 AM ||
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#3
most of the 10 new member countries in the EU prefer English as a second language
To wax ironic for a moment, English is rapidly becoming the globe's lingua franca. Considering that (IIRC) some 75% of all computer data is stored in English, 90% of all financial records are in English and English is the mandatory language of all air traffic controllers, I'd say the French are SOL.
[John Cleese]
Of course I'm French! Why do you think I have this outraaageous accent, you silly king?
Yeah but they do show up when it counts (unfortunately): at the UNSC meetings.
Posted by: Rafael ||
05/31/2004 2:25 Comments ||
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#5
What a confusing article. How can anyone call attending meetings and writing reports productive? In any case, it hardly matters if the French are lazy now. In ten years the Islamists will have paralyzed the country.
Here's the question. When war breaks out in France between the locals and the Muslims, do we let the French immigrate to the US, bringing their arrogance, socialist politics, antisemitism and Eurodecadence with them? Or do we just close the door and let them stew in the juices of their own making?
#6
do we let the French immigrate to the US...Or do we just close the door
As long as we get JFM outta there....
Posted by: Rafael ||
05/31/2004 2:36 Comments ||
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#7
Yeah but they do show up when it counts (unfortunately): at the UNSC meetings.
Hmmmmm... How do the Froggie diplos get to the UNSC meetings? Be a real shame if they were delayed too long en route... Missed the vote, darn, so sorry, abject appy-ollie-lodgies, y'know...
#8
"Here's the question. When war breaks out in France between the locals and the Muslims, do we let the French immigrate to the US, bringing their arrogance, socialist politics, antisemitism and Eurodecadence with them?"
You put them in resettlement camps around universities, who could tell the difference?
Posted by: Don ||
05/31/2004 8:57 Comments ||
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#9
Don't forget Sabine,Rafe.
Sabine,as my neighboor=mmmm,gooood!
#10
Let them immigrate???
Merde!
I was thinking of asking France to take all of our Dimocrats, Libs, Lefties, peaceniks, Bush-haters, appeasement monkeys and other assorted whiners when sKerry loses the election!
What about my movement to attach San Francisco to the French coast?
Wah! Wah!
Posted by: Jen ||
05/31/2004 12:35 Comments ||
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#11
Sure, let them immigrate.
To Quebec.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/31/2004 15:38 Comments ||
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#4
Let's tap into the anger creativity of all the Ranters and come up with our own Olympic style events for this peaceful and crisis-free Mediterranean celebration.
1.) The 40 meter relay team tunnel dig
Four person crews will compete to excavate and remove soil using only hand tools while avoiding surface bulldozers. The first team to successfully transport underground a crate each of RPGs and AK-47s end-to-end wins the gold.
2.) The six meter fence climb
This nighttime competition will involve scaling a razor wire topped mesh fence after traversing a two meter deep trench and electrified trip wires. Contestants will be provided with refrigerated gel-pack lined Kevlar jackets to reduce thermal profile and improve resistance to live sniper fire. Getting winged will not eliminate competitors but gutshots represent an immediate disqualification.
All righty then. This ought to get the creative juices flowing for you Rantburgers. Let's see some knee slappers.
#9
1)Motocross cross-country rally while trying to avoid hell-fire missiles
2)100 meter suicide-belt dash
3)Synchronized car swarming
4)400 meter passport relay
5)Arab Street Pentathalon:Angriest seething,Longest ullalation,Craziest Jewish Conspiracy rant,Loudest call to prayer,Best pose holding AK-47 while wearing face-concealing scarf-RPG may be substituted for AK-47 for greater degree of difficulty.
6)Rapid fire straight up with creativity points for chanting.
7)Hamas Biathalon:Assemble bomb from supplied components.Convince retarded teenager to wear bomb and approach security.
8)Javelin Throw-at running Nigerian Christians.
9)Weight-Lifting Mullah Jerk.Must lift Mullah above head and hold him up while Mullah makes call for Jihad
10)Bush Decathalon.Kill a terrorist by:Calling in AC-130,Calling in A-10,Remote piloting armed Predator,Programing Tomahawk cruise missile,Commanding an M-1,Hand grenade toss,Convince another country to join you,Swim underwater with explosives to place on Iranian speedboat,Rapid fire shooting w/M-16 at running targets,Night sniping w/Barrett rifle.
Posted by: Stephen ||
05/31/2004 16:40 Comments ||
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#10
Eh, Steve!
Do you lose points in the Hamas Biathalon if you blow yourself up before finishing the bomb?
Posted by: The Doctor ||
05/31/2004 17:02 Comments ||
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Hundreds of Dutch and Americans gathered at the American Military Cemetery on Sunday to honor U.S. soldiers who died fighting to liberate the Netherlands from Germany in World War II. It was the 60th anniversary memorial service for what the United States' Dutch Ambassador Clifford Sobel called the "red spring and summer" of 1944. The only American cemetery in the Netherlands contains remains of soldiers who were killed in the fighting around Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, as well as others killed during the allied push toward Berlin and while flying bombing missions before D-Day. The cemetery is located outside the Dutch town of Margraten, about six miles east of Maastricht. It holds the remains of 8,302 allied soldiers from all the U.S. states, as well as England, Canada and Mexico. Forty pairs of brothers are buried side by side. Graves are laid out in long arcs and marked by white marble crosses. In addition, the site contains a "wall of names" listing 1722 men who died in action but whose bodies were never recovered.
Dutchman Jozef Mommers, attending the ceremony with his wife and children, laid flowers on the graves of three soldiers. He said he didn't have a personal relationship with them, but had "adopted" them out of gratitude for liberating his home town of Valkenburg when he was a boy. Dutchwoman Jeanne Blom, who lives nearby, said she had been coming to the cemetery for as long as she could remember. "If you're feeling uneasy and stressed, then you can sit here a while and come to peace again," she said. "You remember the things that are important in life."
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 12:53:29 AM ||
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#1
I told my little story about my Dutch journey a few days ago but may I say again. I was thanked by a dutch mother, who was a child at the time, for American kick ass. You guys are going fast and I'm in awe. Thanks again and again and again and again. Did I say thanks, thank you.
Oh what the hell. A repeat story. Memorial Day moment.
My dad was on a troop ship bound for the Philippines, Dec 7th, must have been a pretty night on the open seas. But Japan did their thing and his ship was diverted to Aussieland. Lucky for me.
Had he shipped out a few days earlier, no Lucky!
Thanks dad, your gone and I'm Lucky. We're all Lucky!
And you guys that are doing the tough stuff, Thanks!
My father was one of 10 siblings - 9 brothers and 1 sister.
Of the 10, 7 served in WWII, 6 brothers and the brother-in-law. (The 3 youngest were too young to enlist ... my father lied about his age to get in).
Several stayed in as career NCOs, and one of the other 3 served in Korea. The youngest served in VietNam, along with the son of the 2nd oldest.
All 7 came home, but not unscathed. One uncle was in the first wave of paratroopers at Normandy and came home held together with steel pins. My father's plane was shot down in the south Pacific near the end of the fighting there, and he came home in a body cast ... until he died, he regularly had recurrances of some tropical fever from time to time. It never occurred to him to claim disability.
My uncle Lefty (also my godfather) was wounded twice and won 3 Silver Star awards.
None of them talked much about their service - they did what needed doing at the time, that was all. I'm very very grateful to them all.
#3
Never posted on this site, but had to mention the Dutch. I was stationed in Mainz with the 509th Airborne Inf during the late 60's. They had us recreate the drop at Eindhoven. Just 20 or so of us.....we jumped from a C47, was that different from a 130 or 141.....Anyway, I have never, never, never, never, never ever been treated so nicely, or honored to be an American, than on that day, those older people were REALLY gratiful, in a restrained and honest way......too bad the people in this country, that hate this country so much, don't appreciate freedom....
#4
Well then get a name A5066 and come back often. Eindhoven, was that the coup de main with the gliders and the parachute drop on the far side of the bridge?
#5
This past week many PBS stations ran a documentary titled "Thank you, Eddie Hart" about a Dutch family who "adopted" a North Carolina GI's grave in the Netherlands, and who have been tending it since 1946. This news story and the documentary complement each other.
John Kerry paid a solemn early morning visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Monday, offering a quiet Memorial Day counterpoint to President Bushâs tribute to the fallen across the Potomac River at Arlington National Cemetery. Did he mention that he had served in Vietnam?
On a cool, misty morning, Kerry slowly walked along the black granite wedge, pausing to seek out a few names of significance to him. Does that include the names of those who died because of his and Hanoi Janeâs pro-Vietcong / anti-American antics which convienced the North Vietmanese hign command to continue the war and not seek peace?
Kerry visited the wall with the family of William Bronson of Gardner, Mass. Bronson died in 1976 from a seizure related to a head wound he suffered in 1968 during combat in Vietnam. The Democratic presidential candidate worked with Bronsonâs family and the Navy to have Bronsonâs name added to the wall. His name was recently inscribed on the memorial wall and will be officially enrolled during ceremonies later Monday. "Iâm very happy we could get this done," Kerry told Bronsonâs mother, Barbara, and other family members Monday. "He belongs here." Kerry placed a wreath near Bronsonâs name and made the sign of the cross before pausing for a few moments of silence.
The wall is a touchstone of sorts for Kerry, who came home from Vietnam with three Purple Hearts and Silver and Bronze stars - and growing dismay at the way the war was unfolding. He soon became a leader of the pro-vietcong/North-vietmanese anti-american anti-war movement. A number of Kerryâs close friends from decades past are among the dead whose names are etched on the memorialâs polished black granite walls. It was here that Kerry brought his future wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, when he first began seeing her. They stopped to stroll along the memorial as he drove her home from a dinner party in 1994. This must have been where he told her he once served in Vietnam...
From Washington, Kerry was heading to Portsmouth, Va., where he was to join Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott for the cityâs annual Memorial Day parade. Portsmouth is home of the naval shipyard. Just last week, the Kerry campaign signaled new interest in Republican-leaning Virginia when it announced plans to begin running TV ads in the state. Population shifts over the past few years have made Virginia more attractive to Democrats, campaign aides say. And the campaign hopes Kerryâs war record will have particular appeal along the Virginia coast, with its heavy military presence. Hmm... someone needs to drag out his true war record and anti-war record....
#1
"the campaign hopes Kerryâs war record will have particular appeal along the Virginia coast, with its heavy military presence."
THis is sad. They actually believe their own lies and distortions of Kerry's record. Unlike the current active and retired and former service military they are targeting.
#2
uh huh...sympathy for his fallen "friends" and making the sign of the cross...I'm really surprised a lightning bolt didn't smoke him to the bottom of his $500 shoes
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/31/2004 14:29 Comments ||
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#3
GWB does not want to have Viriginia in play this fall. Time to put in a few visits now and shore things up.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 14:57 Comments ||
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#4
Hanoi John's own words. And this is going to be our next CIC. Not if i have anything to do or say about it!
"We will not quickly join those who march on Veterans' Day waving small flags, calling to memory those thousands who died for the "greater glory of the United States." We will not accept the rhetoric. We will not readily join the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- in fact, we will find it hard to join anything at all and when we do, we will demand relevancy such as other organizations have recently been unable to provide. We will not take solace from the creation of monuments or the naming of parks after a select few of the thousands of dead Americans and Vietnamese. We will not uphold traditions which decorously memorialize that which was base and grim."
-- John Kerry, in "The New Soldier"
Posted by: Bill Nelson ||
05/31/2004 15:09 Comments ||
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#6
Kerry placed a wreath near Bronsonâs name and made the sign of the cross before pausing for a few moments of silence.
Ah, yes, an emotional and private moment of a veteran remembering a fallen comrade. With the media present to catch it all on film, of course.
Posted by: Charles ||
05/31/2004 16:14 Comments ||
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#7
Per Newsmax and Fox reported this:
Sen. John Kerry's record as an anti-war protester came back to haunt him on Memorial Day when he was confronted by a heckler as he tried to pay his respects to a soldier killed in the Vietnam War.
"How much money are you getting to betray our POWs?" an unidentified middle-aged woman shouted as Kerry visited the Vietnam Veterans memorial on the Washington Mall.
"Are you paying tribute to all the people you spat on, Senator Kerry?" she added. The top Democrat did not respond.
Need a few more of these people out there wherever he is or speaks.
Posted by: AF Lady ||
05/31/2004 16:22 Comments ||
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Posted by: Frank G ||
05/31/2004 09:27 ||
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#1
Even by the chaotic standards of a new media company, Air America Radio's first two months of broadcasting have been convulsive.
The fledgling talk-radio network has replaced five top executives, been taken off the air in two of its top three markets and lost several crucial producers. By late April, current and former executives said last week, the company was perilously close to running out of money. It has since received an infusion of cash, though it has not disclosed how much or from whom.
Oh thank God. I thought my summer's supply of satire was gone!
The roiling in Air America's front office has undercut its continuing assurances that it has the financing and leadership to survive past the presidential election in November, in pursuit of its goal of establishing a permanent liberal counterpart to Rush Limbaugh and his radio cohort on the right.
Should we tell them Rush is the least of their problems? That their message maybe is their only problem?? Naah! Let the leftists pour money into this venture.
In a sign that the privately held company's financial woes have not fully abated, Al Franken, the network's best-known star, said in an interview last week that he had agreed not to draw a salary, however temporarily, making him "an involuntary investor."
Gotta love the left's concept of investing.
"We had some bad management,'' Mr. Franken said. "Then we got some good management."
Al, you still have bad management if they think this turkey will fly.
Still, Mr. Franken, his tongue only partly in cheek, added, "It's a little fuzzy to me exactly who's in charge."
It ain't the adults!
The turmoil has shed light on the network's corporate culture, laying bare a mismatched collection of managers and investors, including Democratic Party fund-raisers, Internet entrepreneurs and radio veterans who, as it turned out, did not get along especially well. Even as the network was finding an audience with its blend of humor and commentary, many of the principals' business relationships were dissolving in a flurry of charges and countercharges. The most serious concerned how much money Air America actually had on hand when it went on the air on March 31.
No wonder there were charges and countercharges if no one knew how much money was in the bank.
In early March, the network's chief executive, Mark Walsh, said that the company had raised more than $20 million, enough to keep it broadcasting for months, if not years, before making a profit. At the time, Mr. Walsh said that the network's primary backers included Evan M. Cohen, a venture capitalist who was the network's chairman, and Rex Sorensen, a business partner of Mr. Cohen's who was the chairman of Progress Media, the parent company of Air America.
But in an interview on Friday, Mr. Walsh said: "I was misled about that number.'' Mr. Walsh refused to say who had misled him, but he said that he had resigned in April because "the company wasn't transparent'' and "I was unable to decipher how it was being operated."
You traitor! You refused to see your money go down a black hole!
Less than a month later, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Sorensen, who had previously operated radio stations together in Guam and Saipan, resigned under pressure from the company's other investors. David Goodfriend, who served as general counsel and later as acting chief operating officer of Air America, resigned about a week ago, having done his best, he said, to hold the company together in the wake of the departures of Mr. Cohen, Mr. Sorensen and Mr. Walsh. (Separately, Dave Logan, executive vice president for programming, also left, in late April.)
That's actually quite an exodus.
Jon Sinton, the president of Air America and one of the few top executives who remains from the day it went on the air, underscored Mr. Walsh's comments by saying, in a separate interview, that he, too, had been misled about the company's resources and that a cash crunch had ensued as a result.
"Financing wasn't as available for operational issues as we'd thought it was,'' he said. Reached on Friday, Mr. Cohen declined to comment on the state of the company's finances under his watch.
No good when bossman won't talk about a media company.
Despite the intrigue concerning its management - and the abrupt pulling of its programming last month from stations in Chicago and Los Angeles, in a contract dispute - there are early indications that, where it can be heard, Air America is actually drawing listeners. WLIB-AM in New York City, one of 13 stations that carry at least part of Air America's 16 hours of original programming each day, even appears to be holding its own with WABC-AM, the New York City station and talk radio powerhouse that is Mr. Limbaugh's flagship.
For example, among listeners from 25 and 54, whom advertisers covet, the network estimates it drew an average listener share (roughly a percentage of listeners) of 3.4 on WLIB in April, from 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, according to the company's extrapolation of figures provided by Arbitron for the three months ended in April. (Arbitron, which does not provide ratings in monthly increments, said the network's methodology appeared sound, although such figures were too raw to translate to numbers of listeners.)
By contrast, according to Air America's figures, WABC-AM drew an average share of 3.2 during the same period in April for the same age group. That time period includes the three hours in which Mr. Limbaugh was pitted head to head against Mr. Franken.
A New York Times writer with an agenda; what a surprise. The numbers cited above are basically meaningless. It is just pitting one station against another without the fine grained truth about who, if anyone, is listening to Marxist radio. Given the extreme effort the writer goes to to avoid saying Air Ammerica is a flop, I would have to say Air America is probably a flop, so far.
Phil Boyce, the program director of WABC , cautioned against drawing conclusions from preliminary data. "If they end up doing that well when the final number is out, which is two more months, I'll have a cornary give them a congratulations," Mr. Boyce said.
#3
The roiling in Air America's front office has undercut its continuing assurances that it has the financing and leadership to survive past the presidential election in November
I'm not sure if staying alive past the presidential election was an objective in the first place.
#4
"It has since received an infusion of cash, though it has not disclosed how much or from whom."
Ah, the vast left-wing conspiracy. Soros, Turner, Heinz-Kerry?
Posted by: Les Nessman ||
05/31/2004 19:13 Comments ||
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#5
im not give a rats ass about franken. he can shove off in him yacht for all im care. im just wanting janeane stay on air. she so cute.
(2004-05-28) -- Former Vice President Al Gore, who has become a gracious, respected statesman since George Bush usurped his presidency in 2000, today said he has offered the Bush administration a "sensible proposal to bring peace with dignity to Iraq."
In the dignified manner that has become the hallmark of his public utterances, Mr. Gore urged all Americans to "rally behind the presidentâs efforts to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq."
"We never want to say anything that would cause our enemies to question our resolve," said the itinerant professor. "I have quietly offered my ideas to the president, confidentially through the appropriate channels, and I trust that they will receive serious consideration."
Mr. Gore urged his Democrat colleagues in the Congress and elsewhere to "avoid the temptation to self-aggrandizement or political advantage through brash public criticism of this administration. We are, first of all, Americans. E pluribus unum."
Posted by: Korora ||
05/31/2004 12:37:33 AM ||
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Superb address, way too long to post here but read the whole thing.
I was too far away to tell for sure, but Rumsfeld looked tired to me when he first walked out of the stadium tunnel. By the time he approached the dignitariesâ stand, he moved with vigor, though. I didnât hear about the Khobar attacks until hours later, but he was no doubt briefed on it on his way to NY yesterday morning.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Meyers also spoke at the cadetsâ graduation banquet the evening before, saying "Sacrifice comes with the job description." And this class knows that - a member of last yearâs class just came home from Iraq to be buried, leaving behind a young wife.
The new 2Lts I know personally were sober, but proud of their achievement and confirmed in their choice to serve. One of the women I taught, 2Lt Jacqueline Stilwell, is the great-granddaughter of Gen. "Vinegar Joe" Joseph Warren Stilwell & the 5th consecutive generation of her family to graduate from West Point - their familyâs military service goes back to the Revolution. We are fortunate to have the service of Jackie and the other young men and women who graduated from the Point yesterday.
Posted by: rkb ||
05/31/2004 12:00:00 AM ||
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Pakistan is urging Indian leaders to avoid rhetoric that can adversely impact the ongoing peace process between the two nuclear-capable neighbors.
"Step in this and it'll be deep doo-doo for the both of us!"
Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said Monday (in a statement) they should avoid conducting diplomacy through the media. He said the restraint has worked well in the recent past and should work with the new government in India. Mr. Kasuri's statement was triggered by India's new Foreign Minister Natwar Singh's remarks last week that a 32-year-old peace accord known as the Shimla Agreement, which ended their third war, was a "bedrock" of bilateral relations. India apparently interprets the agreement as implicitly recognizing the Kashmir ceasefire line, known as the Line of Control, or LOC, as the border with Pakistan. Mr. Kasuri reiterated that a solution to Kashmir based on turning the LOC into a permanent border was "not acceptable" to Pakistan.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 3:24:18 PM ||
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Georgia has sent troops into the separatist South Ossetia region in what authorities described as an effort to combat smuggling. Interior Minister Georgy Baramidze says the move comes after the head of the peacekeeping unit in the region threatened to dismantle Georgian government checkpoints in South Ossetia. Mr. Baramidze says Georgian officials put the checkpoints in place to fight smuggling, and Georgian troops will use force if necessary to defend them. The Interfax news agency says the head of the international peacekeeping force in South Ossetia, Russian General Svyatoslav Nabzdorov, called the dispatch of troops a provocation. Reports say Georgia has sent hundreds of troops into South Ossetia.
Dispirited Russian peacekeepers versus re-trained, rejuvenated Georgan troops. Popcorn?
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has pledged to have South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, recognize central government authority. The leaders of the two breakaway areas rejected President Saakashvili's call last week to reunite with Georgia and begin talks on their future status. Peacekeepers have been in South Ossetia, which borders Russia, since clashes in the early 1990s forced Georgian troops from the area. The region considers itself independent and has voted to become a part of Russia.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 3:20:26 PM ||
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A U.N.-backed court for Sierra Leone ruled Monday that ousted Liberian leader Charles Taylor is not immune from prosecution for war crimes. Taylor, in exile in Nigeria, is the most prominent figure indicted by the war crimes court. He is accused him of backing Sierra Leone's rebels in a brutal civil war while he was president of neighboring Liberia. The court's three judges, in a brief ruling, said that Taylor's claim of immunity as a former head of state did not apply, because the U.N.-Sierra Leone court is international, not national. New York-based Human Rights Watch welcomed the ruling, calling it a ''victory for Taylor's many victims.'' It ''puts dictators in Africa and elsewhere on notice that if they commit similar crimes, they will not be shielded from international justice,'' Reed Brody, a Human Rights Watch special counsel, said in a statement. The organization urged Nigeria to turn over Taylor for trial.
That would be entertaining.
The court is scheduled Thursday to begin trying indicted figures from Sierra Leone's 10-year war, in which rebels waged an escalating terror campaign for control of the country's diamond fields, frequently hacking off the limbs of men, women and children. Armed intervention by neighboring Guinea, Britain and the United Nations finally broke the rebels, who signed a peace deal in 2002.
Just don't let Carla DelPonte in the door.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/31/2004 3:12:59 PM ||
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#1
Charles Taylor, in reflection on Saddam: "We dig holes deeper, here in Africa!!".
#1
Sad thing is that the Church will be accused of playing politics, when its people wearing sashes and bringing politics to the Liturgy who are the ones REALLY playing politics. Especially when the Archbishop has issued a ruling about this very thing.
For your information, homosexuality is NOT a disqualifier. But if you are homosexual and not celibate, (i.e. not chaste for your status of your life) then you are not eligible for Communion, and should not ask for it. Same goes for those who are single and engaging in sex outside of marriage. Same for those using contraception, even inside of marriage. Its a "don't ask" policy - with a "do tell" between the recipient and God or a priest if they decide to confess and repent.
As an Extraordainary Minister of the Holy Communion, its not up to me to deny the Eucharist to anyone, unless *I* know that they should not receive it. This includes those too young, those not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church, and those who have publicly (to my knowledge) placed themselves outside of the Church, are unrepentant about it, and continue to act contrary to the morals of the Church. If I knowingly give communion to someone who is disqualified, then its on me and a stain upon my soul for which I need to ask forgiveness and do contrition. If they are lying about their condition when they recieve (they knowingly are disqualified, and yet they come up and ask without informing me or the priest or deacon), that is between them and God.
To date, I have yet to deny Holy Eucharist to anyone that has come up in Mass and presented themselves for communion. I have few doubts that I may have administered the Eucharist to some who should not have had it, but that is something for which God will judge them, not me.
These people wearing the sashes, and actively and publicly campainging and practicing a "gay" lifestyle have willingly placed themselves outside the Moral bounds of the Church. They should not expect Communion, nor shoudl they expect the Church members to accept them any more than we would somone wearing a Pro-Death-Penalty banner, or an unrepentant active abortionist.
I don't see them protesting in the Southern Baptist Churches, or the Pentacostals, attempting to force them to change. Why Catholics? Probably because Catholics are one of the last groups its ok in the US to be bigoted about, in addition to evangelical Christians or white males over 30. So either they are being cynical about targeting the Catholic Church or, they do believe that the Catholic Church has the path to God but are unwilling to take up the burden of belief and stay on the straight and narrow.
There is no easy way out if you truly believe. Salvation is NOT the easy road. You give up a lot in this world. Some people (especially those in the article) have failed to recognize this.
If you do not believe, then you should not be there unless you are hontestly trying to overcome your unbelief. There is a legitimate and welcome place for non-believers who wish to believe - or believers who doubt. Mark 9 'I do believe! Help my unbelief!'
But the sort of thing that is going on in the article, it smacks more of political showboating instead of an honest attempt to reconcile themselves to the Church and God.
Place the blame where it belongs. If you truly want to be Catholic, you will believe and practice the precepts - you will keep honest to the oath you make every time you attend mass, the recitation of the Creed (I Believe...). If you do not believe ALL that is in the Creed and at least attempt honestly to practice, then you should go to another Church - Protestantism has many sects willing to accomodate you. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with that - and the Catholic Church recognizes in the spirit of ecuminism that there are other (lesser) Christian paths to God and not to condemn them. But outsiders should stop trying to force the Roman Catholic Church to do your bidding in contradiction to the magisterum and central tenets of the holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
#5
OS - the Church is not against the Death Penalty, recognizing society's right to self-defense IIRC
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/31/2004 18:35 Comments ||
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#6
Once again, gay activists trying to force their lifstyle onto, well, everything.
I really don't care what people do with each other of their own free will. I'll tolerate it, but I don't accept it as normal.
Simple biology (not even getting into religion) tells us that homosexuality is abnormal. It is a genetic defect. It doesn't mean that gays should be shunned or hated or denied basic freedoms. But don't try to act like it is normal.
Posted by: Les Nessman ||
05/31/2004 19:04 Comments ||
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John Kerryâs victory would be good news for Gen Pervez Musharraf, as the Democratic presidential hopeful has no intention of pressing Pakistan and other countries on democracy. In an interview published on Sunday, Sen Kerry said as president, he would play down the promotion of democracy as a leading goal in dealing with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Russia, instead focusing on other objectives that are more central to the United Statesâ security. In an exclusive interview with the Washington Post, Sen Kerry said, âSometimes we are dealt a set of cards that donât allow us do everything we want to do at once.â When asked about promoting democracy overseas, he said, âHow fast you can do that and how rapidly others can embrace it and what can be expected over a period of time varies from place to place.â He added that he would set himself goals that were realistic.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/31/2004 1:13:28 AM ||
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#1
So in other words, back to the status quo ante - very good news for our enemies.
#4
This shows the fundamental flaw: nothing could be more vital to US interestes than functional free democracies in this region. Its the only thing that will ever put an end to fundamentalist terrorists in that region.
As usual, the Dems are in a "whats in it for me, NOW" mode, as are others who agree with them. They are being short sighted, and unwilling to live up to the long comittment and the absence of instant gratification required to truly build a free world...
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
That sounds more like GW Bush than it does JF Kerry.
Hey JF Kerry and Ted Kennedy: what the hell ever happened to the Democratic party that produced a man with words like those, or the ones following? You ever want to get me back to the Democratic Pary, you will ahve to go back to those principals - the same ones the Republicans have made their own when you abandoned them and your moral center.
"The same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globeâthe belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for youâask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. ... With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own. "
#5
And one more word for Mr Kerry from the real JFK - a reminder that "how long it takes" should not be a factor...
"All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."
Its called Doing the Right Thing, because its RIGHT - not because its politically expedient or the polls support it.
(All above quotes are from JF Kennedy's inauguration speech).
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
