Anglican Must Reads

The Rev. Canon David Roseberry has posted four articles at Stand Firm that talk about Christ Church Plano's exodus from the Episcopal Church. They are must reads.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Taco Bell: their President could have hit a home run, and didn't

Did you see the Taco Bell commercial over the weekend where their President, Mr. Greg Creed, is talking about their E. Coli outbreak, how they've been given a clean bill of health from the CDC, and how they'd appreciate it if we'd all keep buying their tacos, burritos, etc. If you go to their web site and then click on "Latest News" you can read their press release and watch the commercial. (Sorry, no direct link.)

The commercial is good. Mr. Creed said all of the right things, but at the end of the commercial could have hit the ball out of the park if he had chomped into one of their fully-loaded tacos, a 7-layer Burrito, etc. Now, wouldn't that have gone a long way to restore confidence?

Where were all of the airline presidents and CEOs after airline service was restored after 9/11? They were flying on their airlines.

After all, the first rule of aviation is: "If you won't fly in it, it ain't fixed!"

Article: "My daughter died for nothing"

This article from CNN about a mother in Kenya who lost her 4-month old daughter to malaria completely misses the real story. Want to wipe out malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases? How about DDT, fools?

Thank you, Rachel Carson. Because of you, we're saving billions of mosquitoes every year at the expense of no less than 1 million human deaths every year - 90% of which are in Africa and most of those victims are children under the age of five. How much do you want to bet that if predominately white, liberal intelligensia regions were where malaria hit hardest, they'd be using DDT to wipe out the mosquitoes?

Want to learn the facts about DDT? The folks over at JunkScience.com have a great rundown. Also, don't miss:

JunkScience.com's Malaria Clock
3 Billion and Counting

You're right, Sidi Nyanche; your daughter died needlessly. You have my prayers.

A missed opportunity...

Hear about that "Holocaust Forum" that Iranian Terrorist (oops, President) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was hosting in Tehran, complete with good ol' KKKer David Duke as an honored guest?

All of these terrorists, fascists, etc. in one place - public and known - at one time? My only thought, if I were the President would be (through the chain of command, of course) to call up the USAF's 509th Bomb Wing, task four B-2 Spirits each loaded with 16 2,000 pound GBU-31 JDAM weapons, and send a 64-ton high explosive message that would have done the whole world a lot of good.

We are at war, do not forget. Terrorists, their leaders, and those who support them are legitimate military targets.

Coming soon - my plan for solving the Iranian nuclear situation militarily. It can be done.

Congratulations, Father Ethan Magness!

The Seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Right Reverend Robert Duncan, yesterday ordained my friend, Ethan James Magness to the priesthood! Ethan is the vicar of Grace Anglican Fellowship, a church plant of St. Christopher's (Cranberry Township) in Slippery Rock, PA. May God bless Ethan, and his wife Monique, in their ongoing ministry, and may the Holy Spirit continue to pour out on northern Butler County!

"He Who Would Valiant Be":

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

At Dawn We Slept

From an actual US Navy communication sent on December 7, 1941:

OOOO

7 DEC 41

NSS NR 977 Z 0F2 1830 0F3 1F0 O

AIRRAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT
DRILL

COPY TO: A
B
O
COMMO FILE

CINCPAC
CINCLANT
CINCASIATIC
OPNAV

At 0753 local time, the Japanese attack on US Forces at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands began. 2,403 American servicemen and civilians gave their lives in defense of our country that day. Fifteen were awarded the Medal of Honor. In that "Day of Infamy", it was their finest hour.

Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - the architect of the Pearl Harbor raid - commented after the attack, "I feel that all we have done is to awake a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." He had that right.

The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt in his address to the Congress said:

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against
us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated
invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to
absolute victory...we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will
make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger
us...With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of
our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

Oh, would today's Democrats sound like that...

Finally, from Francis Scott Key:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto—“In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

It is 65 years today since the Pearl Harbor attack. It is just over five years since 9/11. Are we sleeping again?

Never forget. Ever.

Basic Winter Survival

All I'm going to say is that rule one of being stranded in a car in winter is to stay with the car, unless help is in sight. Don't believe me? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says so. For me, I learned that in Boy Scouts circa 1984.

My prayers are with Kati, Penelope, and Sabine Kim for the loss of their husband and father.

The Flying "Imams"

Pajamas Media has a great round-up of developments on the adherants to the "Religion of Peace" who were removed from an aircraft in Minneapolis.

Read the police report and witness statements. Sure, let's go ahead and give these folks their own private prayer rooms in airports so they can conspire in private.

Prayers for the Church this Weekend

Please pray for the Diocese of San Joaquin and their Diocesan Convention that begins today. San Joaquin, and their faithful Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, are considering beginning the process of a formal split from the Episcopal Church. May God preserve the strength of their convictions!

See the following for updates on the San Joaquin convention:
Kevin Kallsen will be live blogging at CTsix.org
TitusOneNine
Stand Firm in Faith
Virtue Online

I also ask your prayers for the Diocese of Southwestern Florida, whose Diocesan Convention begins tomorrow. Southwestern Florida is in the process of selecting a Bishop Coajuditor, who will eventually take over the Diocese after the retirement in a few years of the current Bishop. Several of the candidates for the see are individuals who will uphold and stand for traditional, orthodox Christianity.

An Open Letter to Presiding Bishop Schori

From CTSix.org - brilliant, simply brilliant.

Is the end of the Bill Cowher era coming?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the tank at 4-7, after the drubbing yesterday by the Baltimore Ravens, 27-0.

Everybody knows that Bill Cowher purchased a home in North Carolina and has been conspicuous in not having renewed his contract with two years left on it, as had been customary.

Now, NC State (Cowher's alma mater) has fired their head coach. Does the Wolfpack know something we don't? Will they trade one former NC State linebacker (Amato) for another on the sidelines? Let the speculation begin...

Ken Whisenhunt passed up head coaching opportunities last year - did he know something we didn't? If I had to make a prediction right now, Cowher is gone and will be the new head coach at NC State.

Hey, animal rights whackos!

One must wonder what the animal rights whacko crowd will do with these pictures of in utero dogs, dolphins, and elephants.

Seeing as how most animal rights extremists are also tried-and-true liberals all the way around, what they won't become is pro-life, at least not with respect to our own species.

God's miracles on display! Thanks to Matt Drudge for the link.

The Views of the Episcopal High Priestess (a.k.a. Presiding Bishop)

Matt Kennedy+ over at Stand Firm has posted a great roundup called "The Presiding Bishop's Top Five" that runs down how Katherine Jefferts-Schori's "theology" can hardly be called Christian.

I pray for the Church, and for Godly leaders like Father Matt. On this, the day before Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks to God for the strong orthodoxy of Bishops Duncan and Scriven of Pittsburgh, our parish's Rector Fr. Paul Cooper, our Priest Associate Fr. Terry Johnson, our Deacon and leader of our church plant in Slippery Rock Dn. Ethan Magness, and all of the other clergy standing strong for Christianity. May God be with you all!

Tech tip: HP StorageWorks MSA controller

Memo to server/storage admins:

Before going ahead and planning an update of controller cache, check real hard - physical view if possible - and find out if you've got a single 256-MB module installed (today's default) or dual 128s.

Yes, I just got personally bit by this. Anybody know of a soft way to find out? I know the ACU doesn't say...if you know of a way of determining the individual module config other than inspection, please leave it in the comments.

----------------------------------------
Mobile blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

Melhman out at the RNC

Reports are that Ken Melhman will be out as Republican National Committee President when his two years are up in January. No big surprise after Tuesday.

Another possible landing ground for Rick Santorum, methinks...

----------------------------------------
Mobile blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

Senator Allen Concedes

Senator Allen has conceded the Virginia Senate race to Jim Webb, per Fox News.

He's taking the high road, to quote:

"It is with deep respect for the people of Virginia and to bind factions together for a positive purpose that I do not wish to cause more rancor by protracted litigation which would, in my judgment, not alter the results."

There is no doubt in my mind that if this race was the opposite result, with Webb trailing by a ~7,200 vote margin, we'd be hearing the following from the Democrats:

• "stolen election"
• "disenfranchisement"
• "lawsuit"
• "recount"
• "Diebold conspiracy"
• Et al.

Here's the difference - Republicans trust our elctoral processes, because they trust the people. Democrat power brokers don't trust the people, believe that they're entitled to power, and believe in oligarchy.

VMworld 2006: Los Angeles

I've been at VMware, Inc's technical conference VMworld 2006 since mid-Monday in LA, and by and large it's been a great event. Server virtualization is something I push; it's the only way to fully utilize computer hardware in most application situations that the companies I deal with are in.

Had a great hands-on session yesterday on the Consolidated Backup feature of Virtual Infrastructure 3 - can't wait to start demonstrating that to folks!

My complaints with the event are mainly logistical:

1. The conference party last night at Universal Studios started off as a debacle. The lines for food were very long, and it didn't seem like enough eats had been laid on early enough in the event.
2. A better job of people traffic management could have been done within the convention center. There were a lot of big crowds in small spaces trying to get into session rooms.
3. The food at the center wasn't on par with what I've gotten at other events by other companies, but was passable.
4. The variety of session-break snacks wasn't great, and the coffee cups don't have lids!

All in all, glad I came. I also found out that I have to update my VMware Certified Professional credential to VI3 by December 31...guess I'll be busy with that.

Is Gates right for SecDef?

Paul Mirengoff over at Power Line brings up an interesting point in this posting about one good reason to be hesitant about Robert Gates becoming the Secretary of Defense: he's a member of the Iraq Study Group, a.k.a. the "Baker Commission". This group is expected to recommend a potentially disasterous course of action in Iraq, e.g. inviting Syria and Iran - two of the biggest state sponors of terrorists - to actively participate in reconstructing a peaceful Iraq.

I will be following Mr. Gates' confirmation hearings and public statements with great interest.

I hope he remembers:

1) There should be only two acceptable outcomes when the United States goes to war:

• Unconditional surrender of our enemies
• Total destruction and annihilation of our enemies

2) Peace only follows victory; one side has to win

3) Syria and Iran should be next on the chopping block for reforming the Middle East, not invited to the table with us.

We'll see...

Yet another difference between Republicans and Democrats

Sister Toldjah, as she so often does, hits the nail right on the head.

The Senate is gone too.

Al-AP is reporting that Webb has defeated Senator Allen, based on early canvassing. The GOP will only have 49 seats in the new Senate.

Why, oh why, is Joe Lieberman sticking with the party that gave him the shaft? One hopes we could talk some sense into him...
----------------------------------------
Mobile blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

On a happier note...

I'm in sunny Los Angeles attending VMware Inc.'s VMworld 2006 Conference. I'll post a summary of the conference later. Preceeding the conference, the family was out here for a little vacation. Among other things, we visited the Disneyland Resort. Since I'm still in the dumps about yesterday's events, here are some pictures! They cheer me up, and hopefully will do the same for you!

Neil with his Mickey Ears on Main Street USA:

Penny got to meet Ariel at a lunch with the Disney Princesses:

And gave Cinderella a big hug:

Neil liked the lunch too, but wouldn't keep his crown on:

It wasn't all Disney though - Sunday, we were at the beach around Malibu:

All in all, a great time with the family!

What could be the first of many...

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has resigned. President Bush has nominated former CIA director Robert Gates, currently President of Texas A&M University, as his replacement. Gates' bio from the university is here.

I'd personally have preferred that the job go to Rick Santorum, soon to be former PA Senator, as I'm a fan of his, but perhaps there's something better in his future, if there's another high-level departure - not that I'm rooting for that job to become available...

Gates though, is a good choice.

Current Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has also announced that he will not seek the House Minority Leader position in January. Can't say I'm upset about that. Too bad though that J.C. Watts is no longer a member of Congress. (An aside: could Fox News have put a more unflattering head shot of Hastert in that article???)

"Communism only killed 100 million people. Let's give it another chance!"

No, I'm not talking about our country (yet), but Nicaragua. Thanks to the Protest Warriors for the tagline.

An unmitigated disaster

Actually, several of them.

Republicans, who don't run completely and unabashedly as conservatives, lose. Democrats who conceal their liberalism/socialism/communism under so-called "moderation", win.

I don't think I'll have the chance to tune into Rush tomorrow, but here's hoping he brings back the "America, held hostage" lead-in.

Get ready for the following:

1) Taxes will go up.

2) Every Congressional commitee will be launching partisan investigations. Get ready for the Clinton-payback impeachement.

3) The next Supreme Court justice nominee will be some supposed moderate conservative who will turn into the next David Souter.

Better get that veto pen ready, Mr. President.

I feel sick. This is President Bush's disaster - I'm disgusted he hasn't used the bully pulpit of the Presidency to drive conservative issues better. I'm dismayed at the seeming inabillity of the President - and for that matter just about every Republican - to act like the majority. The other side acts like the majority when they're not, and our side just sits around and takes it.

Don't go blaming the biased media, although that is certainly a contributor. Blame the following:

1) Not pursuing the war in Iraq and the war on terror with greater force and tenacity. When we go to war, we need to make clear by actions as well as words that there are only two possible outcomes for our enemies: unconditional surrender or total annihilation.

2) Not cutting taxes more.

3) Not doing something - make that anything - effective (enforcing existing laws would be a start!) about illegal immigration. Also, not dropping the BS lines about "undocumented" immigrants (criminals should be called as such) and putting forward any proposal for immigration reform that could be tied to "amnesty" in any form.

4) Allowing spending to grow out of control and doing nothing to restrain - or better still, eliminate, abolish, expunge, remove, obliterate, etc. - bloated federal social programs that are complete and total failures. (In 1975, the "poverty" rate was 12.3%. In 2005, the rate was 12.6%. 0.3% is hardly worth the trillions that have been spent. I say "poverty" because what passes for impoverishment in the United States is above the standard of living everywhere in the world except Western Europe, Anglophile nations, Japan, and probably South Korea.)

We need to keep fighting. We need to keep educating. We need to elect Republicans who will stick to their guns and govern like the conservatives we expect them to be when we vote for them!

The only solace I can give here is from, of course, Churchill:

"You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period...this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

Read the whole speech here.

Finally, while I do not think there is any reason whatsoever that he should step aside other than PR, it's probably time to shelve Rumsfeld. I'm with Kathyrn Jean Lopez over at NRO's blog "The Corner": Santorum for SecDef!

Amazingly enough...

...it looks like our education system has actually produced a 10-year old who both has listened to the anti-drug messages and also hasn't had his common sense stripped away by school either, per this story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It's about time!

That I finally got around to posting again! Seriously though, the reason why I'm saying "it's about time" is there's finally an American (that is, Republican) running for office that is calling a spade a spade and going past the "L" word in labelling his Democratic opponent. He's using the "C" word, for "Communist". See this article linked by Matt Drudge.

HPTF2006: Close

At the closing bash listening to Hootie & the Blowfish - great to hear them live, as I've loved their music for years!

The conference was great, but I'm ready to head home. Brain full, brain full.

----------------------------------------
Blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

HPTC2006: Day 1 Summary, begin Day 2

Day 1 ended after I had attended a bunch of sessions that could have been better. Highlight of the day was the smoked NY strip steak at the Technology Showcase reception. YUM!

Day 2 began with a great, 4-hour session on installing Windows on HP Integrity Servers. I think I know what I'm doing with that now.

HPTF2006: General Session

Thought Mark Hurd was great, and the combination of his presentation with Randy D. Mott, the EVP/CIO, goes to show how HP internally is "eating their own dog food". I just wish they'd do it with all of their integrated product solutions! (e.g. no ProCurve switch in blades, et al.)

Al-Qaeda in Iraq: we're "doomed"

Supposedly a spokesman for al-Qaeda in Iraq has said that the West is "doomed" and that they will "destroy the cross" and convert all to Islam.

In the words of our President: "Bring it on!" and "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

In the words of Churchill: "You may ask, 'What is our aim?' Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory no matter how long and hard the road may be. For without victory, there is no survival."

Make no mistake - the mainstream, worldwide Islamist view is conversion by the sword.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of our enemies and bring them to Freedom in Christ.

In the meantime, "We shall fight them in the streets and in the fields - we shall never surrender." (also WSC)

----------------------------------------
Blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

HPTF2006: Great Mark Hurd quote

Said with toung planted in cheek: "We've found that when we spend more time with our customers, we get more business."

If there's one common complaint among all my customers it's that their HP reps tend to be invisible, except when there's a pending order.

I hope he means it. As an HP partner, the more we can get from them in influence, the better.

----------------------------------------
Blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

HPTF2006: Rainy morning in Houston

Looks like it's going to be raining most of the day. Opening General Session just started...great to have Mark Hurd, HP President and CEO, as the keynote speaker, unlike the 2nd team that always kicked off under Carly.

5,200 attendees - going to be a big, and great, event!

----------------------------------------
Blogging on my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

HP Tech Forum 2006: Off to Houston

I'm on my way to attend the 2006 HP Technology Forum in Houston, TX. I'll be blogging that event as well as my usual rants and raves. If you're going to the event, see y'all in Houston!

I Support the Pope

Michelle Malkin has a great round up detailing why we all should be behind Pope Benedict XVI. If you're not on the side of the Pope - whose remarks aren't being correctly reported, in order to make the Islamofascists look like the victims - you're on the side of the enemy. Period. End of Story.

I am not a Roman Catholic, but Pope Benedict is in my prayers.

Never, never, forget that our Islamofascist enemies want to kill us. They can not be negotiated with. If they have the chance, they will kill us all in the name of their "religion". Take the Churchill quote in the title block to heart - Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. And here's the face of the "new dark age":

(Update: more from Michelle Malkin)

"Dog" in the Pound - Updates

Earlier today I posted about Duane "Dog" Chapman, the famous bounty hunter, his son Leland, and "brother" Tim Chapman being arrested in Hawaii by U.S. Marshals on the request of Mexican law enforcement. This article by MSNBC's Rita Cosby brings up an interesting angle: Dog thinks he and the others are part of some quid pro quo conspiracy with the Mexican government.

I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories, but considering that it's been three years since Dog and his team apprehended Andrew Luster in Mexico, one wonders...

TMQ, NFL Week 1

Gregg Easterbrook, as always, hits several nails on the head in this week's Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

In other football news, before Sunday's Arizona-San Francisco contest, many Cardinals players experienced anxiety attacks...It seems Cardinals players were disoriented and frightened to look up and see the home stands full of people.

One of the questions on the Eagles cheerleaders bio pages is, "What can you never say no to?" The most common answer is "Chocolate." Strangely, not a one of the cheerleaders responds, "Football columnists."

Sweet Play of the Week No.3: Game scoreless, Pittsburgh goes for it on fourth-and-1 on the Miami 39...4 yards and the first down, and the Steelers record the game's first touchdown on the possession.
[I predicted TMQ's reaction to that play as it happened]

TMQ also agrees that Note Dame's fake punt called when they were already hammering Penn State 27-3 late in the 3rd quarter was bad football karma. Beware ye who will offend the football gods by running up the score! Notre Dame will get theirs, just wait...

Read the whole of TMQ here.

Free the Dog!

As reported by this USA Today article, as well as elsewhere, Federal Marshals in Hawaii have arrested the Champion of Fugitive Retrieval (a.k.a. "bounty hunting") Duane "Dog" Chapman, his "brother" Tim Chapman, and son Leland Chapman on the behalf of Mexican officials who claim that the team's apprehension of Andrew Luster, a convicted rapist, in Mexico amounted to kidnapping. Mexico is asking for the three Chapmans to be extradited. What a crock!

Hey Mexico, if you cared about law and order we wouldn't have to send Americans to apprehend our criminals!

John Bolton: Confirm Him!

John Bolton is completely qualified to be the United States' Ambassador to the United Nations; our Nation deserves, and for that matter, requires an Ambassador that will clearly state and drive forward the interests of the United States and not some form of internationalist agenda.

Their Finest Hour has joined "Blogging for Bolton", an Internet effort begun by Senator Bill Frist's VOLPAC. The Democrats' obstruction of Mr. Bolton's nomination is a disgrace. Please visit the website (linked from the icon on the right also) and call or email the senators blocking the process.

The United Nations should really be called the "Disunited Nations" or the "Dysfunctional Nations". Frankly, I think it should be abolished, but I'll accept an ambassador who will represent the United States, our President, and our Secretary of State without question or quarter to any anti-American domestic or international pressure.

The UN needs a complete rework if it expects to maintain any relevancy in the 21st Century. Take for example, the UN's Human Rights Council - a body on which, incredibly, the United States does not sit. Of the 47 nations that are HRC members, 22 of them - 47 percent - are cited by Human Rights Watch's published 2006 World Report (PDF file) as hardly the paramount of human rights.

John Bolton is the President's choice to represent our interests before the UN, and I wholeheartedly support him. The United Nations should be supporting the cause of Freedom, instead of allowing despotic or tryrranical nations defining the course of diplomacy.

If Mr. Bolton is confirmed and continued as our UN Ambassador, the cause of Freedom will be driven forward. If he succeeds in reforming that disfunctional body, it could be his finest hour.

Radio isn't about content...

...it's about content that folks want to listen to, and therefore other folks (those with money, and other products) will want to buy advertising slots on. Air America is rumored to be declaring bankruptcy (thanks again to Drudge). What's laughable about the article is the quote, "The right wing is sure to seize on Air America’s financial woes as a sign that progressive talk radio is unpopular."

If it was popular, there would be listeners. If there were listeners, there would be advertisers. If there were advertisers, there would be revenue. If there were more listeners, and then more advertisers, then the network could charge more for advertising, hence more revenue. Revenue = no bankruptcy. Duh.

I know economics is tough for liberals, particularly since they hate the free market, but if you're hocking a product that nobody wants to buy and/or sponsor - IT'S A BAD PRODUCT. Again, Duh.

Good job, Nancy Grace

As linked by Matt Drudge, I really don't care what anybody says but Nancy Grace is beyond a vulture - this time, there's blood on her hands.

1 of 2,996: Firefighter Gregory M. Stajk

On the morning of September 11, 2001 I was at home. My first appointment of the day wasn't until 10:30, so I was checking e-mail and listening to KDKA radio when the news bulletin came over the air that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Like most, I assumed initially that it was probably some freak accident with a small plane. A few minutes later, when I turned the television on, assumption turned to disbelief. Not long after, disbelief turned to horror as I watched the second plane hit WTC2 live.

While all this was unfolding before us, New York's finest of the Fire Department and Police Department were beginning the largest rescue in history. Among them were the fire fighters of Ladder Company 13, who share a fire house at 159 E. 85th Street with Engine Company 22 and Battalion 10.

With the gallant fire fighters of Ladder 13 was my honoree, Gregory M. Stajk. FF Stajk was 46 years old. According to published sources Mr. Stajk, a bachelor, was beloved by his comrades - he was always willing to work holidays and extra shifts, to give other fire fighters with wives and children time with their families. FF Stajk was a 19-year veteran of the FDNY.

All five members of Ladder 13 who responded on that infamous morning were lost. The others with Gregory Stajk were: Captain Walter Hynes, FF Thomas Hetzel, FF Dennis McHugh, and FF Thomas Sabella. Four members of Engine 22 also gave their lives to save others: FF Thomas Casoria, FF Michael Elferis, FF Vincent Kane, and FF Martin McWilliams. (links are to the 2,996 Project sites for those individuals' tributes).

On this, the fifth anniversary of 9/11, please pray for our Nation, the victims of the attacks, and for all the fire fighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics, soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and coastguardsmen who daily risk their lives for the safety of the rest of us, and our way of life.

God Bless you Greg. For your sacrifice, I am forever grateful. 9/11 was your finest hour.

Please visit as many of the 2,996 Project Memorial Pages today as you can. The complete list of names and sites is found here. Also, as timeless as ever, I recommend to you Winston Churchill's words in "You Do Your Worst - and We Will Do Our Best."

This will be my only posting today. The memory of Firefighter Gregory M. Stajk, FDNY and the other 2,995 souls taken on September 11, 2001 should stand alone.

An American Heroine - Margaret Johnson

This story from CNN illustrates the benefit of being a law-abiding, armed citizen. Memo to those who aren't: practice your 2nd Amendment rights. To quote the movie True Romance, "If there's one thing I've learned this week is that it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need one and not have it."

Who is the enemy?

The political cartoon in today's USA Today by Mike Shelton I think cuts right to the core of the difference between Republicans (that is to say, Americans) and Democrats (that is to say, anti-American Communists). Our President correctly identifies our enemy; Senator Reid & Representative Pelosi see Donald Rumsfeld as the enemy.

God help our Nation if these people get back in power.

ABC's "The Path to 9/11"

Jason over at Texas Rainmaker does a great job of dissecting all of the liberal whacko furor over the upcoming ABC mini-series "The Path to 9/11".

What's even more appalling is that this television program is the top issue over at the Democratic National Committee's website. I missed the Commandment in the Book of Exodus that said "Thou shalt not criticize Clinton", I guess.

I am sorry more than ever that I voted for that sleazy, lying, megalomaniac, self-centered, add-your-own-insult-here ex-President in 1992. Thank God I had my conservative awakening a few years later!

Steelers Analysis/Recap, Game One

Overall, I'm real pleased with the Steelers' performance last night. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac has posted his Game 1 Steelers Report Card; I think he's overly critical. While he doesn't get down to "grading" per se, the PG's Ed Bouchette paints a rosier picture in his game summary article.

The Miami Herald's article on the game has a title that looks like they're about to start whining - "Steal Curtain" - but actually spends more time criticising the Dolphins rather than trying to claim that the game was stolen from them. I always love reading the opposition press after a favorite team's win. (On a side note, three or four years ago I think after a particular Steelers' demolition of the Cincinnati Bengals the local beat writer commented that, "The Bengals next opponent is bye week, and the early line on the game has them as seven point underdogs.")

Thoughts on the game:

1) It was great to hang in Tulsa with the local congregation of Steelers Nation. The wings though at the Fox & Hound weren't the best - overloaded with sauce, and a few of them even had some bone chips in them. The tortilla soup gets the thumbs up. It's great to be ~1,000 miles from home in a bar/restaurant, and see the Terrible Towels wave!

2) I don't play fantasy football, but if you do and you don't have Heath Miller as one of your TEs, get your head examined. I thought about taking the fantasy plunge this year and Miller would've been one of my picks.

3) In my live blogging last night, I didn't highlight the fine play of Hines Ward really at all, except for his touchdown. Hines didn't show any rust at all from sitting out the whole preseason, and as usual, made the big catches when he had to.

4) While overall the special teams didn't do very well, if 1st round pick Santonio Holmes is going to continue as a punt returner, somebody has to bang into his head when to let punts fall. At least two of the ones he caught deep and then returned for little gain or fair caught probably would have bounced into the end zone for touchbacks.

5) 11 days off until the next game. Gives Big Ben plenty of time to get back into the mix. Next two games are key, at Jacksonville and home vs. Cincinnati. If we come out of that stretch 3-0 (and into the early bye week, which is unfortunate), things will be looking real good.

Steelers Final Score, 28-17

Steelers are running out the clock. Our defense stood up when they had to, and the offense did very well under the temporary care of Charlie Batch. Here we go Steelers, HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

Put it in the win column, TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

Joey Porter grabs Culpepper's second pick of the night after a missed FG by Reed and takes it to the house. Steelers 28, Dolphins 17 with 2:59 remaining.

Intercepted!

Troy Polamalu gets his first pick of the season. Steelers take back the ball with now 4:30 and counting...

TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Charlie Batch passes to Heath Miller, who then gets massive yards after the catch. Nick Saban tries to challenge, but doesn't get the flag out before Reed kicks the PAT. Steelers 21, Dolphins 17 late 4th.

(UPDATE: Saban got the flag out in time, but the offcials didn't see it. His own fault though. He threw it behind the ref, when he should have run out on the field, as he's allowed.)

NOOOOOOOO!

Steelers fumble the hand off after an impressive 82y drive to 1@G at the 2. First Cowher chin sighting of this nascent season. Fingers crossed for a quick turnover...

Pfffft...MIA scores

Steelers almost pick off Culpepper in the end zone, but the Dolphins score on the next play; we're down by just 3, 14-17.

Halftime, PIT 17 MIA 10

Dolphins score a late figgie after a great defensive stand by the Steel Trap - MIA had 1@G from the PIT 8 and went 3 and kick.

Random thoughts:

1) Is it just me, or does Big Ben look better post-breaking his face?

2) The Steelers need to stop attempting the dive tackles; letting MIA gain more than they should.

3) Got to love Dick LeBeau, and he loves Troy Polamalu. It's not often you see a SS up as an interior lineman. IMO, if you had to pick a single reason for the SB XL win, it should be Coach LeBeau returning as the DC.

4) I'm glad the Bus isn't using Michael Irvan's tailor for his on air wear; he looks good. Cris Collinsworth looks like he's been embalmed.

5) This season continues with a near total lack of (IMO) obvious holding penalties called against the opposing OL.

6) Who cares about the 0-4 preseason now? Defense has been good, offense solid; things will only look up when Roethlisberger gets back on the field. I think the Steelers are looking at 12-4 or maybe 13-3 this year...

TOUCHDOWN!!!

Batch to Ward on the slant, Reed's kick is good, 14-7 Steelers!

Wilson gets the PI call this time!

1st and goal from the 8. If the Zebras hadn't called that one, then they all should be fired. Batch throws the ball away after rolling left under pressure; 2nd & goal, 2 minute warning called @ 1:56.

Fast Willie on the move!

What a run! Steelers driving...

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

Great pass - Batch to Washington.
Steelers 7, Dolphins 0. Early in 2nd qtr.

Steelers robbed

Dolphins score after Steelers forced to punt after what clearly should have been a pass interference call, not to mention some borderline blocks that broke a good return to about the PIT 15. 7-7, 5:14 remaining 2nd qtr.

The Football Gods will smile!

Steelers 4th and 1 from the Miami 40, Fast Willie Parker on the pitch, FIRST DOWN!

TMQ will be proud.

Steelers live blog: tonight's Maddenism

Drink when you hear Madden say "double bubble"...

Live blogging the Steelers, 1st Quarter

I'm in Tulsa, OK on a business trip and am watching the NFL kickoff special - Steelers vs. Dolphins - at the Fox & Hound, which the net has told me is the home of the local Steelers fan club!

No score, about 10:00 left in the quarter. It's great to be watching real football again!

----------------------------------------
Blogged from my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

"Scholars for 9/11 Truth" = "Enemies...Domestic"

Way back when I raised my right hand and said, "I do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign or domestic...", I should think that the deplorable, no make that treasonous group calling themselves "Scholars for 9/11 Truth" certainly qualifies as the latter.

I'm all for free speech, but free speech doesn't include sedition.

Thanks to Sister Toldjah for pointing them out.

Travel by Extradition?

Fans of the Dortmunder series by Donald Westlake will be familiar with the "Travel by Extradition" approach used by one of Dortmunder's associates. One must wonder if that was John Mark Karr's aim, especially since he was in Thailand wanted on local charges, where the system of justice and punishment is more severe than the normal state here.

By the way, how come he's known as "John Mark Karr"? I thought only confirmed murderers/assassins/serial killers had three names. ;-)

The 2,996 Project

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for turning me onto this. I have registered Their Finest Hour with The 2,996 Project - a blogosphere effort to provide individual memorials on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 for each and every victim of that day's Islamofascist barbarism.

My honoree is Gregory M. Stajk, a Firefighter with Ladder Company 13, FDNY. He perished at the World Trade Center.

If you are interested, and there are still slots available, please register for this effort. I was blogger 2,536 to register, so I think it's safe to say that all 2,996 will be memorialized, with only 460 left...

The Sweep is Complete!

So ends the Boston Massacre 2006:

Last night 8-5
Today 2-1

GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!

----------------------------------------
Mobile Blogging on my Palm Treo 700w
Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0

The Boston Massacre, 2006

Yankees win, Yankees win, ttttthhhhheeee YANKEES WIN!

12-4 & 14-11 yesterday, 13-5 today. Three down, two to go. Considering how the Yankees have been able to work over the Boston bullpen, I wouldn't bet against the five game sweep.

One good item from the game was there was a Peter Gammons sighting - glad to hear he's well on the mend.

When Churchill is used to make the argument...

...I must link! Scott Johnston over at Power Line uses Winston Churchill in drawing the parallels between the recent Israeli/Hezbollah "cease fire" and Munich 1938 in this posting.

Glad it isn't my tax dollars paying for this.

Matt Drudge links to this story from the UK (warning: non-work friendly or kid-safe image on the page) about a woman sitting naked with a dead pig for four hours and calling it "art", courtesy of the taxpayers. I think I'll go home tonight, dump all my garbage on the front lawn, sit in the middle of it (sorry, no nudity), call it "performance art" and then see if I can get a grant to fund it.

Way back in the day when I applied to the National Endowment for the Humanities for a grant for my historical research into steel industry technological innovations, I think I got rejected before the ink was dry on my application. Perhaps I'd have had a better chance at approval if my application wanted to research something like "lack of steel industry innovation leading to increased prostitution and adult businesses in steel towns, including pictures thereof". Yeah, that would've been a shoo-in for a grant.

Call me one of those heartless conservatives if you want, but the whackos who want to view junk like this should pay for it directly instead of relying on the state (whichever or wherever) to sponsor their depravity.

Testing the Soft Underbelly?

This news item from CNN about an airport in West Virginia being closed because two bottles of liquid in a Pakstani woman's carry on bag tested positive for explosives shouldn't be a surprise - assuming that the contents are in fact dangerous. Remember, at least some of the 9/11 terrorists started their day of infamy in small regional airports where security screening is assumed to be less strict. Another less-dry run? Perhaps the suspect is a mule, and was given the stuff by someone else with nefarious purposes.

Common sense says that if a terrorist or terrorists are going to try and pull their crap, they're not going to try to get through security at JFK - they'll use a smaller airport and connect. Once you're on a flight and through security, you're pretty much free and clear.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the TSA found it. In my post-9/11 air travels, I've found the TSA screeners less than a confidence-building presence.

The New Yankee Stadium

Ground has been broken for the new home of my beloved New York Yankees. For the longest time, I was completely opposed to the Bronx Bombers ever leaving "the House that Ruth Built." Once I had been to several of the newer ballparks, including what many say the finest of the new, PNC Park, I started coming around to reality. Given the artist's impressions of what the new park will look like, all I can say is "PLAY BALL!"

I'll never forget the current Yankee Stadium. From the first game I went to (don't remember much, except Thurman Munson hit two home runs), to Mattingly and Winfield, to the greatest standing ovations for Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio on Old Timers' Days, it's been the place for baseball in my mind.

Here's to what could someday be known as "the House that Jeter, A-Rod, and Rivera Built". See you at the ballpark in 2009!

I've finally blocked out all the coverage of Natalee Holloway from my mind and then...

...I see this story linked by Matt Drudge about there being a suspect in custody in the JonBenet Ramsey case. "All hands, prepare to repel boarders!", because we're about to be inundated with 24x7 coverage of this. Don't get me wrong, if this suspect is indeed guilty, I'm pleased to see a murderer brought to justice. But why was this a national news story in the first place?

So, if you're of my mind, stay away from the TV news. I might just tune into Fox News at 10:00 tonight however, just to see if Greta van Susteren has already made it to Colorado. The other TV legal vulture, Nancy Grace, won't be far behind...

Space Exploration (Does CNN read this?)

My NASA rant yesterday appears to have been ahead of the curve, given this article today on CNN. Looks like at least some of the engineers building "Apollo 2" are paying attention to the past.

Dude! You're getting a laptop that'll catch fire!

Heeeee Heeee!

Space History & Future: does this come as a surprise?

This story from Reuters (a.k.a al-Reuters) pretty much sums up what went wrong with our Nation's space program - NASA actually can't find their original data materials (tapes, etc.) from the first moon landing. I mean, why would one want to hang on to them anyway? Seriously, it was only the most important human achievement of the 20th Century, if not ever.

Of course, this probably shouldn't be a surprise given NASA's "back to the future" program to replace the Space Shuttle looks a lot like the Apollo spacecraft (which, IMO we should still be flying the third or fourth generation of already, much in the same way the Russians still fly Soyuz derivatives) - one might think that somebody at NASA with tons invested in Space Shuttle development would make us want to think: "Hey, we've never done it this way before." I wonder if it's possible to have "Not Invented Here" syndrome in an organization that did invent it here, 40 YEARS AGO.

Fortunately, and as the article notes, NASA does have plenty from the Apollo era, and much of it can be accessed from the "history" section of their Human Spaceflight site. I find the lunar surface journals particularly interesting, and they include many, many multimedia clips from the glory days of men on the moon. My particular favorite is on the Apollo 11 site here - scroll down in the transcript and listen to the audio clip that follows the entry at 102:36:46. The recording has the air-to-ground loop on one channel and the mission control loop on the other. It brings chills to my spine, and a whole lot of National pride, to hear flight director Gene "Failure is not an Option" Kranz poll the controllers for a go/no-go on the landing, followed by CAPCOM astronaut Charlie Duke radio up at 102:42:08, "Eagle, Houston. You're GO for landing."

Speaking of which, if you've never seen the HBO mini-series, "From the Earth to the Moon", do so. It in its entirety should be required viewing in every high school U.S. history class.

"We choose to go to the moon...and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."
--President John F. Kennedy, 9/12/1962, Rice University, Houston,
Texas


I hope we make it back there, before the Chicomms get there in the first place.

I hate NetWare!

Yes, I'm in my demo lab setting up EVA storage on NetWare - what a PITA! Even HP-UX is easier. If I didn't think so before, one of my professional goals in life is to eradicate Novell. What a load of junk.

AdSense

Just added AdSense. Since I'm planning on posting on a wide range of topics, I can't wait to see what ads get placed...

Welcome!

Well, I'm finally going to start blogging. Given the events of 8/10, and what could have been, let us all reflect back to the inspiration for my blog's title, Winston Churchill, and read the words of "You Do Your Worst - and We Will Do Our Best"