Guess what? I've decided to replace a100wwe's blog with Geek with a Blog.

http://geekwithablog.wordpres...

::from the new blog at blogger, http://a100wwe.blogspot.com" title="http://a100wwe.blogspot.com" target="_blank"http://a100wwe.blogspot.com ::

In Slovakia a man was trapped in his car after an avalanche of snow covered it. He began to try and think of a way out so he got a beer that he had for a holiday he was taking, well he came up with the idea he would urinate in the snow until he was freed. He said quote, “I was scooping the snow from above me and packing it down below the window, and then I peed on it to melt it. It was hard and now my kidneys and liver hurt. But I'm glad the beer I took on holiday turned out to be useful and I managed to get out of there."
All I can say is… WOW! It took 60 beers to do it, I bet he is glad he bought that many! So here is my question and how it fits into the politics section of the site, this is sort of a spoof question though, should the goverments of the world allow you to keep beer, in any state of condition, in your car at all times so you can get out of situations like this?

Read the original news story

::Check out the new blog @ a100wwe.blogspot.com ::

Today we mourn the deaths of thirty marines and one sailor in a tragic helicopter crash in Iraq. As it stands now preliminary reports on the cause have all but ruled out an attack, but rather the fault of the pilot or due to a sandstorm in the area. I hope this is due to one of the latter and not an attack.

In times of war, be it against a distinct or unknown enemy, a person must make sacrifices in the name of that war. Both sides must make antagonist of one another to rally the support of their people. These men were doing their job of promoting peace and waging war on the insurgency. There final mission was to bring much needed supplies to polling places for the Iraqi Election that is just days away on January 30.

For the first time in these Iraqi’s lives they will have the chance to participate in a free, fair, and competitive election, one of the three qualities all successful democracies must have. There have been many estimates made by analyst on what the turn out will be, and many are low but just as many are very promising. I have seen figures where they think the turnout will be in the sixty five to eighty percent ranges. Now I ask how can this be in a country that is supposedly in such bad shape that just walking out of your home puts you at risk?

The country, by some of the latest figures I have seen, is ninety percent stable with the left over ten percent being the trouble spots. If you look at a map almost all of the attacks take place in the same areas. The medias of the world have set their focus on the negatives of the war and one triangle in the center of the country to sell their news. This completely lives up to the philosophy of “bad news sells” that is shared by most media outlets. When Fox News did the “What We Have Accomplished” short on their syndicated Fox News Sunday I thought that this was a positive turn in the reporting on the events happening in Iraq. But since this I have seen few highlights of the “good” things happening in Iraq.

    & nbsp;   Needless to say the elections will take place on January 30, they most certainly will have there own problems and may create new problems. Any problems resulting from the elections will eventually be phased out and the Iraqi’s will have a country of their own. Whether or not you agree with the war we are in it and we are in to deep to abandon it now. I firmly believe that one-day Iraq will be a great democracy proving that democracies can survive in the Middle East and that the United States’ power will prevail making the world a safer place to live.

::Check out the new blog @ a100wwe.blogspot.com ::

Is Fox News's "bias" to Bush like the popularity that Hitler had when he gained power over Germany? Ted Turner thinks so! At the National Association for Television Programming Executives's opening session. He said Fox News may be on top but they are not the best and said also that Hitler got the most votes when he won right before WWII. And that the network is nothing more than a propaganda tool for Bush. He claims the news is dumbed down and twisted to go in Bush's favor. I don't think Fox News is as biased as they are made out to be. Sure Fox's on-air staff is mostly conservative and yes they do let there biased out, but I sure trust Fox more than I do CNN. CNN is nothing but a liberal propaganda tool. Get over it Ted, CNN has lost the battle for cable news supremacy. But thats my take...

Well from now on I will begin using blogger for my blog host. I have things I wish to do that tBlog as of now does not have, like multiple members. So as a result until tBlog adds these services I am leaving. Over the transition period I will still be supporting this blog and doing duplicate post on both this blog and blogger. You can find my new blog at http://a100wwe.blogspot.com" title="http://a100wwe.blogspot.com" target="_blank"http://a100wwe.blogspot.com . I hope you continue to view my blog as if it were still here. Tblog remains by far my favorite blog host, but the limitations have forced me to leave.

For those of you that do not take kind to the switch I am sorry, but keep one thing in mind. This blog will stay as an active blog by providing post on it every so often. If tBlog adds new features I would be more than happy to come back. If you are interested in beign a member on my new blog please contact me.

Visit the new blog

::don't forget to bookmark the new blog::

Well, today I am going to let you in on some personal information about me that pertains to my post. That is I am still in High School, it’s not been let out before simply for one reason. That reason is it never came up, but now I feel I need to bring up some very troubling and at the same time promising information about the future of America.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The youth of today, me included but not as bad as most, have no idea about there future, past, or present. The main concern of my peers are who they are dating, what some rapper thinks or says, what drug they are going to do after (or in school), or a host of other non-important issues.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   In my history classes they have no idea about the basics of American government, challenges, or people that helped shape America. You may remember from my Martin Luther King Day post I stressed this same point. Well today it’s time again. But don’t worry Dr. King is not my focus for today.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The other day I had to debate a fellow student about something he heard in a Snoop Dog song about smoking pot with the President. Now we all know Snoop Doggy Dog is a great source for our political information, but this was scary. He also challenged me with other references to so songs and artist I have never heard of, but I knew the events were not true. He honestly believes because of what a rapper sung that Bill Clinton, George Bush (both), Al Gore, John Kerry, and several other past or potential Presidents are all part of a secret organization of weed smoking, power hungry aliens with the sole purpose of using Satanism to take over the world. This is a far stretch, even thought the weed and alien stuff could explain quite a bit.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   To move on from stories from people who were probably high when they made it to the act of getting high. Drug use in my school is a serious problem. They have easy access to steroids, marijuana, cigarettes, ecstasy, and many other illegal substances I have never heard of. I will be honest to you, I have never done drugs and the closest thing to it is the laughing gas at the dentist office. The use of drugs at my high school could be considered at the epidemic levels. Few are untouched by there effects, and I am definitely in a slim minority. The attitude towards drugs, students and teachers alike, are minute and seen as a necessary evil. Those that do them are from the gothic to the cheerleaders. The drug enforcement officer is lax on his job, and would rather be doing other things than saving the life of child. The students do not understand the effects of the drug use; they find ways to justify the use. Some say it’s to feel good, others say it’s to improve their eyesight, and the list goes on. No matter what excuse you come up with they all fall to the human trait of wanting to twist events and actions around until they come out as the innocent one.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   This post may seem all negative from what I have said so fare, but there is hope. There are those who don’t do drugs, there are those who know there Americana, there are those who can defy human temptations. All hope is not lost. I know of a handful of students who I can trust the future of America to. They will be they few that the masses ride along on the backs of, I hope that I can be one of these also.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   If you look back at previous post of mine this seems out of character for me, well it is but I also represent a change in my blogging. I am now adding social issues to the blog. The issues will range from topics you just read to many other pressing social issues affecting America. I will also add some more user integration features into the blog to provide a more diverse web of topics. The main focus will no longer be politics; this new shift will allow many more things to be covered, and political and social issues will share the main focus. I hope you enjoy this new focus shift, and hopefully it will last for many posts to come.

Sunday at church my preacher had a very good sermon with some very excellent points. I would like to share and analogy he did with pencils and pens.

Pencils and Pens, what a person uses can sometimes tell you something about that person. First you have to ask yourself what is the difference between a pencil and a pen. The major difference is that with a pencil you can erase, but with a pen you are stuck with what you wrote.

A person who primarily uses a pen can be seen as a determined, unwavering, overly confident person. The person feels they make no mistakes and have no need to erase. When writing say a paper they can go start to finish without making mistakes, they can take notes without missing a thing, they can create anything with there pen and never mess up. If you do make a mistake it tarnishes your paper and you can scribble it out, but you still have leftovers of the mistake. Now we all know that the first part about perfection is not true to the extreme, but makes you think about the pen.

Moving on to a pencil. The pencil is for people unsure, can be seen as lacking self-confidence, and can easily be changed. When you use a pencil if you make a mistake you can easily fix it. You can erase and erase and most of your marks are gone. The pencil is no permanent and you are never stuck with what you wrote.

Now lets relater this to life. Pencil people can go through life and if they see things not going there way they can change it. Think about when you erase a part of a paper multiple times what happens? The piece begins to fade away and eventually wear a hole in you paper, or life. When you continually erase things from life you will begin to corrode at your life itself, this can be mental or physical.

Pen people on the other hand like I said can’t go back and fix their mistakes; they can only try and scribble it out. Scribbling it out only does one thing, makes a splotch in your life forever that is unchangeable. You can add, or you can blotch it out leaving a flaw in your “perfect” paper.

So what should we be the pencil or the paper? Well you could be the word processor, but that’s not an option. I say be the hybrid, we have all see those erasable pens with the eraser at the end. With these you can make permanent decisions, but at they same time go back and at least make the mistake less visible but always there. This allows you to have the best of both worlds. Be a pen, be a pencil, or be a hybrid, it’s your decision. If you’re the pencil don’t let temptations stray you down the wrong path, be confident. For then pen people, don’t let your pride over take you. Yes it’s true you can actually make a mistake, I kid you not, always keep in mind your not perfect. And for those hybrid people, pick the best traits of both worlds; be confident and unwavering, but at the same time accept your faults and sometimes you have to go back and fix things.

::Sorry if the entry seems a little confusing or poorly written. Like most of the time lately I have not had much time, so I had to get this typed up as soon as possible without really having time to think about the entry. Enjoy, try and piece my thoughts together and then ponder on it::

You might have noticed when you came to the blog, don't see how you coundn't, that I am now offering a toolbar for download for my Microsoft Internet Explorer users. I would hope you download this tool. It provides quick and easy access to my site including RSS feeds, a message system, notices about Windows Updates (which most people don't install but are VERY important), and other great features. I have lots of things I can do with it and I hope you will download it and help me make it better. Thanks.

Download the toolbar now 

::Make a Suggestions in the Comments link below::

Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, members of the United States Congress, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:

On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.

At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical – and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability – and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny – prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder – violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time.

So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America’s influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America’s influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom’s cause.

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people from further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America’s resolve, and have found it firm.

We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.

We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America’s belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.

Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty – though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.”

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies’ defeat.

Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:

From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well – a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.

A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause – in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy … the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments … the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives – and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.

All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself – and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.

America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home – the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.

In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance – preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.

In America’s ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character – on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before – ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In America’s ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.

From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?

These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes – and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.

We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner “Freedom Now” – they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.

When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, “It rang as if it meant something.” In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength – tested, but not weary – we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.

May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.

::MY COMMENTS ON THE DAY AND THE SPEECH WILL COME SOON::

If you want to watch the inauguration, but do not have a TV near by CSPAN will have a live web broadcast of the events. They will also have replays of the web cast.

Watch this Event in History, a new chapter in the American Story

Today is the day that we inaugurate our President for the next four years. I have never hidden the fact I am a strong supporter of President Bush, and looking back at my post you can see that those post were biased during the election horserace. I would like to think that all my hard work in maintaining this blog during those many weeks and months at least shifted one vote to Bush. To be honest with you I would be happy if I only affected one vote for either candidate, just the fact they took there time to vote made all of it worth it. Today all the work of the people who helped Bush win the election will come to an end, the hard work will finally see its final pay off and a new chapter in American History will begin.

America through the ages has been unique its transfers of power. Throughout history the transfer of power in a government has been full of violence and anarchy. The United States to this date has yet to have either. People have the right to protest and the right to support, but the one thing that has been preserved is the peaceful transfer of the power of the Presidency.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   The day of inauguration is one of the few days in a Presidency that the man who holds that position it treated like a king in a ceremony fit for the monarchy of large kingdoms. When I see the stage of the inauguration and watch re-runs of past inaugurations I cannot help but think of the great kingdoms of the past like the Roman Empire. I imagine that our process of inducting of the President must have been much like it was when greats like Alexander took power. The large crowds coming to show there support, the honoring of the man who takes power, and the overwhelming pride an American must have in our democracy. The inauguration is the day in which Americans should forget their differences from the election and begin show their support* for their leader, the leader of the free world, the leader of our nation. Lets face it, like it or not your stuck with him so make the best of it, set your differences aside for the day and once it’s over use your right to protest and try and make a difference in America.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   When you watch the inauguration today I want one thing to be on your mind. I want you to imagine a Kings induction and compare it to our President’s induction. By no means am I trying to imply the spoof of “King George”, but I only am trying to convey my thoughts of inaugurations. Today is George Bush’s day, one of the few days in which he is allowed to be treated as a king, the day that marks the begging of his Presidency.

*Remember he is your leader and no matter what you have to support him, but you don’t have to agree with him. Keep in mind by support I mean support for the person, which is different than support for what he does. You have the right to change America and he is one of your tickets to that change. Support him in your prayers, your thoughts, and your hopes. He is your leader for the next four years and he will play a direct role in your future.

By Arshad Mohammed and Saul Hudson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday defended her integrity and honesty as she clashed with senators about Iraq and vowed to press diplomacy to repair ties strained by the war.

Testifying at her U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, Rice was questioned about the number of U.S. troops sent to Iraq, the adequacy of Iraqi forces being trained to replace them and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction that were the Bush administration's central justification for the war.

Rice, whose confirmation as the first black woman secretary of state is all but assured in the Republican-led Senate, said she believed the White House sent enough U.S. troops to Iraq despite the raging insurgency that erupted after the invasion.

In a heated exchange in an otherwise generally cordial hearing, California Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer argued the Bush administration had shifted its justification for the war because it had failed to find stocks of biological and chemical weapons it had asserted were there.

"You sent them in there because of weapons of mass destruction. Later the mission changed when there were none," Boxer told Rice. "Let's not rewrite history, it's too soon to do that."

"It wasn't just weapons of mass destruction," Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein supported terrorism, attacked Kuwait and Israel and needed to be removed given the new U.S. threat perception after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

"We can have this discussion in any way that you would like, but I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity," Rice told Boxer. "I really hope that you will not imply that I take the truth lightly."

The exchange was the most pointed in a hearing that included disagreements between Rice and Democrats on the numbers of trained Iraqi troops -- the linchpin of the U.S. exit strategy -- and the numbers of U.S. troops sent to stabilize Iraq.

Rice said she believed there were more than 120,000 trained Iraqi forces -- acknowledging problems of absenteeism and desertion -- but drew a quick rebuke from Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, who said he thought the number was closer to 4,000.

The discrepancy might be explained by a Jan. 12 State Department report that shows 126,961 Iraqi forces -- including 53,520 police and 40,063 national guard -- as trained but only 4,159 regular Army.

If confirmed, Rice will take on many of the huge challenges facing the Bush administration: the raging insurgency in Iraq, the rift with U.S. allies in Europe, concerns about another attack like Sept. 11, 2001, and U.S. unpopularity abroad.

Rice said she would seek to rebuild U.S. alliances and to spread freedom around the world -- stances met with skepticism by critics who regard the Bush administration's foreign policy as marked by go-it-alone, America first tendencies.

"We must use American diplomacy to help create a balance of power in the world that favors freedom," Rice told the committee. "And the time for diplomacy is now."

Biden shot back: "Despite our great military might we are in my view more alone in the world than we've been in any time in recent memory. The time for diplomacy, in my view, is long overdue."

"We went in to rescue Iraq from Saddam Hussein, now I think we have to rescue our policy from ourselves," added Sen. John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who failed to unseat Bush. "I don't take any joy in this but it's ... the reality we've got to deal with. We've got kids dying over there."

Rice declined to predict when U.S. soldiers may come home from Iraq and said the U.S. exit strategy was tied to training Iraqi forces to replace the roughly 150,000 U.S. soldiers still in the country 21 months after Saddam was toppled.

"Our role is directly proportional, I think, to how capable the Iraqis are," she said.

Rice was national security adviser during Bush's tumultuous first term, which was marked by the Sept. 11 hijacked airliner attacks, the resulting U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and arguably, the worst rift with Europe since World War II.

A Soviet specialist, Rice said preserving Russia's democracy was vital to U.S.-Russian relations amid worries the Kremlin is turning increasingly authoritarian, and she promised to work "personally" to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Bush has chosen the 50-year-old former Stanford provost to replace Colin Powell, widely admired and often seen as the Cabinet's lonesome dove stressing diplomacy to solve crises.

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Day here in the United States. The federal holiday is to celebrate the birth and life of a god, sorry I mean Martin Luther King. I said “god” because the man, yes man, has been put upon a pedestal greater than many other important figures in American history. Now don’t get me wrong Dr. King was a great man, and what he did was just as great but the people that made his life what it is are ignored.

     & nbsp;   &n bsp;  When you ask the average American citizen whom John Locke is chances are they won’t know the answer, but ask them who King is and they can give you an answer quickly. Why does King have a day when the founders of this nation have none? Why does King have a day when George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and countless others that without them King would have never existed not have a day? The simple answer is political correctness and liberal elites have hijacked this nation.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   George Washington and Abraham Lincoln once had there own days to there own where we paid respects to there lives, but now they are thrown into a watered down and almost unimportant holiday called Presidents Day. We get the day off and here some speeches, but in some respects King Day is more important to some people.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp;   Now to John Locke, I personally think August 29 should also be a National Holiday to honor the man who planted the seed of America. In case you don’t know who he is let me briefly tell you. Have you heard the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of property”? Locke believed that people could be in a contract with one another for a particular kind of government, and that they could modify or even abolish the government. The founders of our nation used Locke’s theorys on life and government to write the Decleration of Independence and provide the foundations of American government. The phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of property” was also used by Thomas Jefferson to come up with his world renound and imfamous “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. He felt Locke’s vision was to exclusive to land owners, so Jefferson wanted to be more inclusive by saying all people have the right to be happy.

Well if this is true it may mean that our next campain in the middle east will be Iran. They are a threat, and war may be our only option to stopping the nuke power they have, or could have. Recon missions tell us it may be close to time for a ramp up in war talks on Iran. I want to know what you think, post in the comments what you think about Iran, USA, Pres. Bush, our miltary, and what ever else on this topic.

Read the full story

SnipBit from NEWS.YAHOO.com

Indonesia wants foreign troops out, defends restrictions on tsunami aid

Indonesia told foreign troops helping tsunami victims to get out of the country soon and defended tough new restrictions on aid workers, while rich nations prepared to freeze Jakarta's debt repayments.

Vice President Yusuf Kalla said foreign troops should leave tsunami-hit Aceh province on Sumatra island as soon as they finish their relief mission, staying no longer than three months.

"Three months are enough. In fact, the sooner the better," Kalla was quoted by the state Antara news agency as saying.

The armed forces of Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States Read more of this SnipBit

SnipBit from DRUDGEREPORT.com

FLASH: Bush: 'No women in combat'...

President Bush's policy on women in ground combat takes just four words to articulate: "No women in combat."

Despite extended tours of duties in Iraq for soldiers and an Army examination of women's roles, the president told editors and reporters of The Washington Times yesterday in an interview in the Oval Office that he has no intention of sending women into ground combat, a mission for which they are banned under Pentagon policy.

MORE

SnipBit from DRUDGEREPORT.com

FLASH: Bush: 'I don't see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord'...

Tue Jan 11 2005 22:37:08 ET

President Bush granted THE WASHINGTON TIMES an extensive and exclusive interview late Tuesday, sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

President Bush said yesterday that he doesn't "see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord," but that he is always mindful to protect the right of others to worship or not worship.

Mr. Bush told editors and reporters of The Washington Times yesterday in an interview in the Oval Office that many in the public misunderstand the role of faith in his life and his view of the proper relationship between religion and the government.

"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person," Mr. Bush said. "I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is.

MORE

SnipBit from WASHINGTONPOST.com

Al Gore's INdTV: The People's Programmer

By Richard Leiby

Tuesday, January 4, 2005; Page C03

Tuning in to Gore TV: Little is publicly known about the cable news network planned by almost-president Al Gore except that it will be called INdTV (say it like "indie"), aims to wow the youth market, has set up shop in San Francisco and is supposed to launch this year. But what kind of shows will it carry?

We've received a glimpse of some of the programming envisioned by INdTV execs, who just sent out an e-mail to prospective "digital correspondents," seeking edgy video submissions to serve as pilots. Gore's programming gurus say they hope to "democratize television" by relying on Generation Y contributors and "real-life video." An insider cautioned us yesterday that the e-mail represents just a sliver of the conceptual pie, but the potential must-see lineup includes:

• "That's F*&#ed Up: Is there something unfathomable going on around the corner or down the street? Some state of affairs that just doesn't make sense? You can rant all you want -- it just better be good TV."

• "INdTV Paparazzi: Get someone famous to opine on something substantive. ('Hey Paris -- what did you think of Rumsfeld's quote on the armored Humvee shortage in Iraq?') Or, ask a serious figure about something not-so-substantive. Note: Don't be a stalker."

• "Citizen Reporter: Pick a news story and tell it the way it should be told. No teleprompter, no static stand-ups, no local-news hair. Honesty and humor will go a long way. This is our chance to unwind the spin."

• "All-Nighter: What goes on in your town between 2 and 5 a.m.? We're looking for truly unique stuff, anywhere from the local late-night diner to the woods down by the creek."

• "State of the Union: Give us your wisest, most irreverent State of the Union address. We're talking improvised podium, pomp, politics, personality and, of course, most importantly: sound bites."

• "Addicted: What's your addiction? Food? A fetish? A relationship? Do you lead a double life? This is first-person: time to confess."

(But the e-mail warns elsewhere, "No X-rated content." Drat.)

• "INdTV Is The New Black: Are you a trend-spotter? A cool-hunter? Take off your trucker cap (or put it back on) and show us the next big thing in clothes, culture, style or slang."

(Dare we ask: Are earth tones hip again?)

The cable channel, which Gore and his investors reportedly acquired last year for $70 million, isn't paying contributors unless it accepts their one-to-five-minute segments for use in an industry preview. In that case, INdTV will pony up $200, which grants it the right to use the video "in all markets and media . . . throughout the universe, in perpetuity," according to a contract sent to contributors.

Gore's office referred questions yesterday to INdTV execs. Network CEO Joel Hyatt, Gore's business partner, would not comment. Read more of this SnipBit

SnipBit from MSNBC.com

CBS ousts four for roles in Bush Guard story
Producer says she’s being made scapegoat for network

SnipBit from ABCNEWS.com

'9/11,' 'Passion' Tops at People's Choice

'Fahrenheit 9/11,' 'Passion of the Christ,' 'Shrek 2' Named Top Movies at People's Choice Awards

The Associated Press

Jan. 10, 2005 - Filmmakers Michael Moore and Mel Gibson were all smiles after they won top honors at the 31st Annual People's Choice Awards.

Both men had controversial films that fared well at the box office last year. Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which took a critical look at President Bush's actions after the 2001 terror attacks, won the favorite movie award, while Mel Gibson's explicit "The Passion of the Christ" won in the favorite drama category.

Moore dedicated Sunday's win to the U.S. troops fighting overseas and... Read More of this SnipBit

The DrudgeReport.com is reporting the following:

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee complained late Tuesday that the White House was refusing to turn over documents that illuminated Gonzales' role in crafting memos on prisoner torture. Sen. Patrick Leahy, the committee's ranking Democrat, accused Gonzales of "stonewalling" in providing access to key documents.

MORE

"In fact, I and other Senators have requested a number of documents from you and other administration officials that have not been released," Leahy said in a letter.

The missing documents, according to the Leahy letter, include a copy of the final version of Gonzales' January 2002 memo to Bush on whether the Geneva Conventions' apply to al-Qaida and Taliban soldiers.

The White House said that it had substantially complied with the requests, and that all documents related to interrogation techniques and policies had been made public.

WASH POST to report Weds, newsroom sources tell DRUDGE: But one of the mysteries that surrounds Gonzales is the extent to which new legal approaches are his own handiwork, rather than the work of others, particularly Vice President Dick Cheney's influential legal counsel, David Addington. POST claims Addington drafted an early version of a legal memorandum circulated to other departments in Gonzales' name!

MORE

Help the Asian Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

Like so many other people here in America, and around the world, I am following the events in Asia, and I would like to help. The Network for Good has a list a many of the organizations working in the areas hit by the events. I hope you help these people, if you have not already, this is a time they truely need it.

-a100wwe

Keep the Story and the name alive! Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Story

    This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

    But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

    All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

    When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

    After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

    When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

    After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

    On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

    When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

    So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

    When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

    After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

    So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

    & nbsp;   --Matthew 1:18 - 2:23 New International Version