Space Shuttle Challenger - Dr. Sanity's Stirring Tribute

Psychiatrist Dr. Pat Santy, of the must-read blog Dr. Sanity, has a very moving post covering her personal reminiscence of the space shuttle Challenger disaster that occurred on January 28, 1986. Tomorrow marks the 19th anniversary of the tragedy. Read the whole thing. It will bring tears to your eyes.

The following passage excerpted from her post particularly caught my eye:

I watched NASA cope with this disaster using a combination of denial and intellectualization/rationalization. In the months that followed, I began to realize that the Agency I had idealized for so long as being one of the best and most competent, was actually corrupt and primarily concerned with covering its own mistakes. They were an Agency caught up in hubris, who believed in their own press far too much. Instead of making the changes in the culture that had led to this catastrophe, they were only concerned with making sure everyone thought they had made the changes. The appearance was more important than the reality. I had been a general flight surgeon before, and now, for the first time, I began to look at NASA with a psychiatrist's eyes. And what I saw disturbed me greatly. Especially in the way they handled the fact that the crew had NOT died in the explosion as we all had thought, but were alive for some time as they fell into the ocean. I watched as they tried to hide that fact. I also watched as they carried out the motions of changing, but from the inside I saw no changes.

[Emphasis mine]

How I wish that our governmental agencies did not feel the need to lie to us! We should have been told the painful truth and Dr. Santy's medical ministrations should NOT have been impeded by bureaucrats trying to cover their backsides and put a spin on the events for public consumption.

However, rising up from the sorrow of the tragedy, Dr. Santy closes her post with these positive, forward-looking, and inspirational thoughts:

I remember the Challenger and her crew frequently and with love. They are a part of me now. All of them represent the best within the American spirit, and always will. Since that day in 1986, I have come to see NASA as one of the greatest impediments to the Dream of space exploration; but I have never given up the Dream itself. Nor have I forgotten any of the pioneers who have died in the service of that Dream. Some day we humans will leave this small planet and joyfully play in all the corners of the cosmos.

I eagerly look forward to it.

Albert Camus wrote in Le Mythe de Sisyphe (Gallimard, 1942), "La lutte elle-même vers les sommets suffit à remplir un cœur d'homme. Il faut imaginer Sisyphe heureux." Translation: "The struggle itself towards the summits suffices to fill a man's heart; it is necessary to imagine Sisyphus happy."

To which I might add:

Sisyphus happy and Tantalus sated?
Dream on, philosopher, dream on!
Was damnation why Adam's dust was created?
This is the question our fate hangs upon.

From "The Twist of the Knife" © 2004 All Rights Reserved

It would be a lot easier for us to imagine Sisyphus happy if it weren't for all those who are continually endeavoring to kick or pry the stone from his hands and send it rolling back down to the bottom. . .

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Farewell, Johnny Carson

Former late night talk show host, Johnny Carson, has reportedly passed away from emphysema at the age of 79:

Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, died Sunday. He was 79. NBC said Carson died of emphysema at his Malibu home.

"Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable."

Rest in peace, Johnny.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Any Fellow Blogger, Help Please!

If any of my readers who also happen to have their own blog would be so kind, please see if my trackback feature is working. I have been wanting to have trackbacks only without a comments section for a long time, and I think I may have succeeded in that effort.

Please, if you would, try sending a trackback to my blog. I would appreciate it greatly, just to see if it is working properly.

Thank you.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

John McCain's Immigration GPA

Surprise, surprise! The fine folk at Americans for Better Immigration have the immigration report card for Arizona's senator John McCain and he has earned an F+ overall (D+ for his career, F for recent). Who would have thought it? I would have, that's who.

Check out this link for the breakdown of McCain's report card. If you are not an Arizonan and you wish to see your own legislator's record on immigration, check out the "Americans for Better Immigration" link which I have provided for you in the first paragraph of this post. See here also.

John McCain, you've done it again! The McCain-Feingold abomination and fiasco was a hard act to follow but you've outdone yourself on immigration as well. Many thanks! However, just out of curiosity, I have one question: Can you remember a time before you sold your soul and then proceeded to urinate and defecate on your constituents? I am referring to your legal United States citizen constituents. Remember us?

While the MSM is on its knees
Adoring and blowing him, remember, please,
That John McCain is a prick and a pain
With his bloated face and ill-gotten gain.
He sold us out for a song and a dance
And he'll backstab you, given half a chance.

(h/t Res Ipsa Loquitur)

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

A Day of Infamy with Far More Casualties - Roe vs. Wade

La Shawn Barber notes this other day that will live in infamy:

Thirty-two years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court held that women have a right to privacy to kill their unborn children . . .

Since the ruling, over 43 million unborn babies have been murdered in the womb.

[Emphasis mine]

Pro-choice
(for all the Jennies who will never be)

Little Jenny, not yet born,
Object of her mother's scorn,
Will never get a chance to voice
She too would wish to have a choice.

Jenny believes with all her might
In a God-given human right
To her own body and own will
That none should have the right to kill.

Silly creature, she'll never know
Her mother wants her not to grow;
Mommy thinks she's just an "it"
Whose life is not worth care or spit,

So mom loves proudly to confess,
Her choice to be a murderess.

© 2004 All Rights Reserved

Well, my Christian friends, just how do you propose that we unring the murderous bell that was first sounded thirty-two years ago today? Can anyone tell me how we can undo this damage? Can anyone tell me how we are to unabort over 43 million innocents? May God Almighty through the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help us! We cannot ever get those precious lives back. We can, however, work and pray for the day when this atrocity will be put to an end. Kyrie eleison! Christe eleison!

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Basura Is Spanish for TRASH - So Is "Andres Raya" and "Aztlan"

In the spirit of our wonderful "melting pot" and reaching out to our cherished Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, Mexicano, and other south-of-the- virtually-non-existent-border compadres, here's your Spanish lesson for the day:

Police: No War Stress for Marine Who Killed Cop

CERES, CA-January 16, 2005 — A Marine who killed one town police officer and wounded another one was a gang member who was high on cocaine, not a combat veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress, police said.

Investigators said they are discounting a theory that Lance Cpl. Andres Raya, 19, may have instigated a "suicide by cop" – provoking officers to shoot him – because he did not want to return to Iraq.

"During our investigation, we found he wasn't due to go back to Iraq, never faced combat situations and never even fired his gun," Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputy Jason Woodman said Saturday. [Emphasis mine. ed.]

When learning a foreign language, (although at this rate, English will be the language that is soon classified as "foreign") it is always best to start with the words that one will be apt to use every day. Let's start with BASURA. That's Spanish for TRASH. And there's a lot of it around these days. However, at least there's one less piece of garbage after the disposal of Andres Raya. Unfortunately, the elimination of one piece of refuse does not mean that you have cleaned up the dung heap, any more than stepping on one cucaracha means that you have solved a roach infestation problem.

For excellent further coverage see Michelle Malkin's blog:

The question is why and how Raya -- who police say had a propensity for violence well before he joined the Marines -- got into our military in the first place. Raya's citizenship status is murky. As I've noted before, the Pentagon's lax policies allow illegal aliens and those using fake ID to enter the armed forces with ease. A number of military folks have also told me that there is a significant problem with gang members getting into service. [Emphasis mine. ed.]

See also Michelle Malkin's column, and e-Claire/e-Biscuit.

I do dearly love how Aztlan, the MSM, and the looney left are doing their best to make this murdering cabrón baboso into some sort of tragic hero, don't you? Isn't it muy especial? Because our illegal aliens are our bosom buddies, and as President Bush loves to say, "Family values do not stop at the border." Right? < / sarcasm >

(h/t Jeff Percifield of Beautiful Atrocities)

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Inaugural Benediction 2005

After all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about prayer at President Bush's inauguration and after the failed bid by atheists and other malcontents, it is appropriate to see the text of the benediction which was delivered by the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell:

"Oh Lord God Almighty, the supply and supplier of faith and freedom, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. You are great and greatly to be praised. God, as we conclude this 55th inaugural ceremony, we conclude it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Thank You for protecting America's borders. After all, the Psalmist reminds us, unless You, O God, guard the territory, our efforts will be in vain.

"Thank You for our armed service personnel. And it is with unswerving thanksgiving that we pause to remember the persons who have made the ultimate sacrifice to help ensure America's safety. Thank You, O God, for surrounding our personnel, their families, their friends and our allies with Your favor and Your
faithfulness.

"Deploy Your hosts from heaven so that Your will for America will be performed on earth as it is already perfected in heaven. I confess that Your face will shine upon the United States of America, granting us social peace and economic prosperity, particularly for the weary and the poor.

"I also confess, God, that each American's latter days will be better than their former days. Let it be unto us according to Your Word.

"Rally the Republicans, the Democrats and the Independents around Your common good so that America will truly become one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice and equal opportunity for all -- including the least, the last and the lost.

"Bless every elected official right now. God, I declare Your blessings to shower upon our president, George W. Bush. Bless him, his family and his administration. I once again declare that no weapon formed against them shall prosper.

"God, forgive us for becoming so ensnarled in petty partisan politics that we miss Your glory and block our purpose. Deliver us from the evil one, from evil itself and from the mere appearance of evil.

"Give us clean hearts, so that we might have clean agendas, clean priorities and programs and even clean financial statements.

"Now, unto You, O God, the One who always has been and always will be, the one King of kings and the true power broker, we glorify and honor You. Respecting persons of all faiths, I humbly submit this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

It speaks volumes that the atheists, secularists, humanists and all the other Satanic "ists" wail and gnash their teeth when anyone prays for God to bless our country. You see, not only do they not want God to be, they also do not want blessings on our country to be. And they will stop at nothing to take away our right to worship. They do not wish for freedom of religion, their only desire is complete freedom from religion, even if that means taking away our right to worship God.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

The MinuteMan Project

Although many conservative blog writers such as Michelle Malkin and La Shawn Barber have repeatedly and rightly called their readers' attention to our country's on-going problem with illegal immigration, those who do not live in a border state such as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas cannot truly appreciate the extent of the problem.

As anyone who has been reading this blog knows by now, I have mentioned more than once the extreme negative impact that Arizona has from the influx of illegal aliens. It is not just an influx, it is a pestilent invasion.

A commenter at Drink This. . . left a message on this thread informing us of this news article from which I excerpt the following:

A United States citizens group is recruiting hundreds of volunteers to patrol the country's border with Mexico, saying theUS Government has failed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

Organisers of the MinuteMan Project say they have signed up 200 people from across the country to patrol a stretch of the border in Arizona to search for illegal aliens.

Each year, about 1 million illegal immigrants are caught crossing the 3,000-kilometre border between the US and its southern neighbour.

Even more are thought to get through.

Yes, and I think over half of those illegal aliens from the numbers cited above must make a beeline to my neighborhood where crime has risen along with gang activity and drugs and every other modern societal blight of which you can think. A nice middle class American neighborhood has become a cankered cancerous barrio filled with these illegal aliens. But mine is not the only neighborhood in this country to be experiencing this. It is happening in every border state.

It sounds to me like the MinuteMan Project needs all the volunteers and all the help that it can get. (Not to mention all the publicity that it can get. So get cracking! Pass this information along to others. Spread the word! You can "copy and paste," can't you? You can send e-mail, can't you? You can blog about this! Geez, don't just sit there.)

What a shame that this independent group has to do what our "politically correct" government refuses to do. What a shame that our politicians and people in authority refuse to enforce our existing immigration laws, much less implement any much needed stricter measures.

For more information see here and here and here and here.

Don't just read the articles above and then do nothing! Wishing the illegal immigration problem to go away is not going to solve it.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Homeland (In)Security

The next time you are thinking about flying, you might want to bear in mind this blog piece:

I had a most interesting and troubling conversation with a patient of mine yesterday. The patient, a Federal Air Marshall, related an incident in which he was involved this past year.

He and his partner were assigned to a flight (the airline, airport, and destination were not disclosed) in their customary undercover security role. They boarded the airplane early in order to meet the flight attendants, at which time the cleaning crew was still on the airplane -- somewhat longer than expected. My patient and his partner sat together in seats near the middle of coach class.

The passengers began to board, and he and his partner noticed a single Middle Eastern man sitting near the front of first class. After a number of passengers had boarded, two Middle Eastern men walked by this man and made eye contact, but said nothing.

They sat down together in the front of coach class. Shortly thereafter, two other Middle Eastern men also walked by the man in first class and made eye contact without speaking. They sat near the back of coach class. . .

Read the whole thing. I would hope that the doctor's Federal Air Marshall patient reported his account to the proper authorities. Surely someone should track down the five mysteriously missing Middle Eastern men.

(h/t Brutally Honest)

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Cell Phone Insanity

It's bad enough that the rude, unnecessary and ubiquitous use of cell phones has made it impossible to go out in public without being surrounded by their inconsiderate users, but when even children are packing them, their so-called parents ought to be shot:

CHILDREN under the age of eight should not use mobile phones, parents were advised last night after an authoritative report linked heavy use to ear and brain tumours and concluded that the risks had been underestimated by most scientists. . .

The news prompted calls for phones to carry health warnings and panic in parts of the industry. One British manufacturer immediately suspended a model aimed at four to eight-year-olds. . .

The number of mobiles in Britain has doubled to 50 million since the first government-sponsored report in 2000. The number of children aged between five and nine using mobiles has increased fivefold in the same period.

I'm well aware that the public in general has all the intelligence of pond scum and a herd mentality that would make cattle, sheep and swine blush, but for the love of God, why must people be buying cell phones for their four to eight year olds! In truth, even most adults don't need a cell phone and they certainly don't need to haul one along and use it in grocery stores, restaurants, movie theaters, classrooms, etc.

However, upon reflection, what else should be expected from a generation so wicked and clueless that it prefers to phone in parenthood, on the increasingly rare occasions when it hasn't aborted its own offspring instead?

(h/t Drudge)

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Professor Joseph Woolcock's Policy of Intimidation

Click the title to this post or click here to read about the intimidation tactics of an anti-American Political Science professor by the name of Joseph Woolcock who is an alleged instructor at Foothills College in Los Altos Hills, CA.

It appears that professor Woolcock is of the opinion that he can intimidate foreign students. Evidently, professor Woolcock is a racist, but as we all know, it's ok to be a racist as long as one is of the correct political persuasion. Yes, if one is a liberal and an academic, then one evidently feels that one has carte blanche to be a racist and practice intimidation tactics on others.

Well, Mr. Woolcock (there's no way I shall address you as "doctor"; you defile that honorific!) perhaps you would like to try intimidating me. Oh, let's see, I guess you won't do that because you don't have any leverage where I'm concerned. You see, Mr. Woolcock, I already have my university degrees and they are from an institution with considerably more prestige than your little Foothills College. Also, I am a United States citizen, so you can't threaten to have me deported or have my visa taken away. As a matter of fact, my lineage in this country extends well back to the days when the U.S. was still a group of colonies.

Hmm. What avenue of intimidation does that leave to you now? You can't threaten me with a bad grade, I'm not in your propaganda class. You can't threaten my academic career because it's already been completed and with flying colors. You can't threaten me concerning my status in the U.S.; I'm a citizen from a long, long line of U.S. citizens.

What is there left for you? Mr. Woolcock, don't be so foolish as to try your intimidation tactics on those superior to you. We will not tolerate any crap out of you or those of your ilk. You will soon find that you have bitten off more than you can chew. In short, you may get your "jollies" bullying college freshmen and Kuwaitis, but you will definitely find that you cannot bully me.

I urge all readers of this blog to spread the word about the despicable actions of Joseph Woolcock, PhD. You can do even more by contacting Foothill College's Board of Trustees, and by urging them to do something to stop professor Woolcock's intimidation tactics. With appropriate action on your part, you can see that he will never allowed to use them again in the future.

Contact information for the Board Members is as follows:

Edward A. "Sandy" Hay, President - hayedward@fhda.edu - phone: (408) 253.7732

Betsy Bechtel, Vice Pres. - bechtelbetsy@fhda.edu -- phone: (650) 327-1824

Paul Fong - fongpaul@fhda.edu -- phone: (650) 949-6207

Andrea Leiderman - leidermanandrea@fhda.edu -- phone: (650) 949-6114

Hal Plotkin - hplotkin@plotkin.com -- phone: (650) 326-9673

Contact information for Mr. Woolcock:

Joseph Woolcock
Political Science Instructor (Honors Instructor)
(650) 949-7485
woolcockjoe@foothill.edu


(h/t Little Green Footballs)

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Woe unto You, Lawyers!

To all the lawyers and Pharisees proudly proclaiming victory on behalf of Andrea Yates, with many an "I told you so," I have this question:

Are the children of Andrea Yates any less dead if she killed them due to "mental defect"? Are they any less dead because Park Dietz took it upon himself to be a liar and perjurer about some silly non-existent television program? Are they any less dead because some judge overturned Yates' conviction?

What learned doctor of the psyche claims to have the cure for such alleged mental defect, a cure that is so effective that it could ever be certified with 100% certainty that Andrea Yates were free of such defect?

It never ceases to amaze me that there are those who actually believe that an individual's intent when committing a crime can be externally and objectively judged by others. I was not aware that a mind reading machine had yet been invented, but for all those who are certain that they can determine the state of mind of another, I applaud them for such miraculous and heretofore unheard of abilities.

For those who otherwise might consider themselves conservatives but are coming to the defense of Andrea Yates, perhaps you can explain to yourselves why you find the concept of "hate crimes" to be ludicrous, yet Andrea Yates' state of mind and intent are now all important.

Personally, I don't think "insanity" is a defense at all. I couldn't possibly care less what Yates' state of mind or intent was, and at least I have the honesty to proclaim that I don't know it and neither do any of you. Further, it matters not one whit to me whether Andrea Yates is locked up in an asylum or locked up in a prison. More appropriately she would be sentenced to death. Andrea Yates is no less guilty of killing those helpless children just because some idiot psychiatrist lied about having consulted on some television program. Sophists may practice all the specious casuistry they wish, but they're not fooling me and for their sakes, I hope they are not fooling themselves. They have no law whatsoever written in their heart, but they have plenty of laws written in dead books with delicate and dainty distinctions that look wise in the eyes of fallen man.

Meanwhile, N.O.W. and other such groups must be having quite a celebratory party, dancing on the graves of the innocents and toasting to a murderess. After all, in their addled pates, all Andrea Yates did was have 5 abortions after birth instead of before. It's a woman's choice, don't you know. And if Yates had a "mental defect," she committed no crime say some. Why don't those who make such a claim explain that to the dead children? Oh, that's right. They don't do so because you can't explain anything to the dead children. They're dead. They're just as dead whether mommy was a run-of-the-mill sicko or some other classification of psycho when she cold-bloodedly killed them and then had the presence of mind to call the police and tell them that she had killed them! They're just as dead whether she suffered from post-partum depression or whether she just had a bad hair day. Yates is no victim. But there are 5 little victims and no one seems to care about them. Not even people who should know better and who DO know better.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW too.

Barbara Boxer - Cheap Prostitute in Congress

When Demoncrats and liberals don't succeed at first in stealing an election, in spite of every despicable and evil trick they pull to serve their true master, to whom do they turn?

Why, they turn to a two-bit tuna reeking sardine-slitted whore, that's who.

When this subhuman, mindless, Godless, Christless c*nt isn't murdering unborn children or prostituting herself while spitting in the face of God and her electorate, this is the kind of Satanic crap she is pulling. Way to go, California!

Well, after all, there's nothing quite like having a sluttish slag of a skank representing one in Congress, now is there? Let that sorry-excuse-for-a- waste-of-skin know what you think of her at this link.

If ever a gangrenous gash were in need of some giant tampon to shut it up, Barbara Boxer certainly qualifies. Poor little pus-oozing prostitute! Sad little suppurating stench trench!

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Some Sane and Sage Advice

Dr. Sanity (Pat Santy) hits the nail on the head (as usual!) with this excellent post.

It speaks for itself and it was too good for me not to share it with you.

A word to the wise is sufficient, or so they say.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Update: Be sure to also check out this.

Cho Me the Way to Go Home

We can all thank wacked out liberals and their over reactions for reminding us daily that some people are like Slinkies.....not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

In the latest example, a certain "Cho fan" that claims to have an e-mail address of "@asshole.com" (which I find completely believable as well as apt, considering the source of the comment) comes unglued all over Jeff Goldstein of Protein Wisdom.

I quote:

It is so pathetic how you people try to denagrate someone who really feels like Margaret when all you can do is use curse words and denagrate. Oh and Margaret has more talent in her one pinky toe than you have in your entire body, Jeff Goldstein.
Posted by cho fan permalink on 01/05 at 02:43 PM

I couldn't make up such a ludicrous and risible thing if I tried. LOL! Oh my dear sweet lawdy-lawd in butter! Just think what kind of threat we would be facing if halfwits such as "Cho fan" could actually spell! Or think. Or get off welfare and move out of mommy and daddy's basement. I bet this moron's favorite movie is The Incredible Lightness of Being . . . Airheaded. Oh, and if the poor thing ever does get a job, I hope it will consider investing in a dictionary.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

J.R.R. Tolkien - Born January 3, 1892

Today is the anniversary of the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and many other works. Not only was he a wonderful author whose writings have brought pleasure to many and whose LOTR was recently brought to the big screen, he was also a brilliant linguist, medievalist, and a genuis mind. He is one of my personal heros.

Author and English scholar whose unparalleled love of linguistics resulted in “his unique insight at once into the language of poetry and the poetry of language.” After completing his studies at Oxford University, Tolkien served as Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at his alma mater. When he was not in the classroom, Tolkien was bringing the fantastical world of Middle-earth to life on the written page. Middle-earth, which he gave an Old English name, was inhabited with creatures like Elves, Dwarves, Trolls and Hobbits. The most famous of Tolkien’s tales include The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1955). The popularity of Tolkien’s works have not waned with age as evidenced by the overwhelming success of the screen adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

For more information on Tolkien to honor him on this date, see here or click above on the title to this post.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.

Person with Rabies Survives!

Read this article here about someone who was infected with rabies, was showing symptoms, and yet survived without a vaccination!

Only five people besides Giese are known to have survived the rabies virus after the onset of symptoms. But unlike Giese, they had either been vaccinated or had received a series of rabies vaccine shots before showing symptoms.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it is re-evaluating its approach to human rabies because of the results.

Hear that, Michael Moore? There's hope for you yet.

You've been told and NOW YOU KNOW.