11/30/10

Give it Up for ... Statistics!

Dr. Jason Richwine is a senior policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation who has a public policy doctorate from Harvard. In the presentation below, Jason offers a (friendly) rebuttal to Ron Unz. Mr. Unz, you may recall, authored "His-Panic," an American Conservative article, about the myth of Latino crime.



BTW: This past summer, Jason convincingly argued, in the Wall Street Journal, that federal employees are overpaid.

In a New York State of Mind

Dinesh D'Souza (pictured), who is now the president of King's College (a Hillsdale College-type school in New York City), debated Christopher Hitchens, the prolific writer and mouthy atheist, on the topic of Western Civilization and Christianity. Go here.

King's is located in one of my favorite skyscrapers - the Empire State building, a marvel of American ingenuity. King's mission statement, put out by President D'Souza, also has its charm:

"At King’s, we pursue academic excellence for the sake of building God’s kingdom as an unapologetically Christian college. That doesn’t mean we try to win arguments solely by citing passages from the Bible. Rather, we are Christians who recognize that we live in secular society and who understand that reason is not opposed to revelation—that reason is a valuable tool to discover and affirm the truths of God and creation. Moreover, we believe that the Bible isn’t merely about the next world, but that it has important things to say about economics, about war and peace, about ethics, and about human nature.

King’s is a new kind of Christian school. We don’t want to be of the world, but we do want to be in the world, influencing through the institutions that shape the world. While other Christian institutions shelter their students from the power centers of society, we prepare them to take their rightful place. While other colleges seek to protect and shelter faith, we go beyond that and teach students how to live from a Christian foundation in the ‘language’ of society’s strategic institutions. Not only can we defend our faith, but our faith informs every aspect of life and society."

It takes more than faith, though, to attend the pricey school - 100% of the student body is receiving financial aid. Yikes.

11/29/10

Narnia: Imagined in a Gadget-Free Age


Oh, when children weren't discouraged from long stretches of purposeful peace and quiet ... memorable works of fiction were produced.

Once upon a time, Clive Staples Lewis, 'Chronicles of Narnia' author, wrote: "I am a product of long corridors, empty sunlit rooms, upstair indoor silences, attics explored in solitude, distant noises of gurgling cisterns and pipes and the noise of wind under the tiles. Also of endless books."

In the photos: That's "The Searcher" sculpture, located in Belfast, which pays homage to Mr. Lewis (who was born in Northern Ireland) and his magic wardrobe.

Every fall, the small northern city of Petoskey, MI. holds an annual C.S. Lewis festival.

Next month, the major-motion picture - "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" - is coming to a theater near you.



Mr. Lewis' Narnia lives on, but would have such an old soul, as he was, approved of the Hollywoodization and mass-media marketization of his enchanting stories featuring Aslan the lion?

11/28/10

Sun. Inspiration: Turkey v. Eagle Sermonette

A 'word in season' from Peter Lord (pictured) who pastored the Park Avenue Baptist Church, of Titusville, Florida, for thirty years.

Pastor Lord is the creator of the 29:59 plan which provides a practical assist to spiritual pilgrims in organizing their prayer lives.

This is a nifty interview, conducted by a blogger in 2008, with the Jamaican-born preacher who is the antithesis of a glib, materialistic televangelist, as well as the antithesis of a wooden fundamentalist.

11/27/10

Using One's 'Talent' for the Cause of Evil

This is gasp-worthy: "A sophisticated cross-border tunnel equipped with a rail system, ventilation and fluorescent lighting has been shut down by U.S. and Mexican officials - the second discovery of a major underground drug passage in San Diego this month, authorities said Friday.

The tunnel found Thursday is 2,200 feet long - more than seven football fields - and runs from the kitchen of a home in Tijuana, Mexico, to two warehouses in San Diego's Otay Mesa industrial district, said Mike Unzueta, head of investigations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego."

11/26/10

"The Gales of November Came Early"

I called my Miami mum, yesterday, and we both recalled - fondly - celebrating a past Thanksgiving at the St. Joseph, Michigan home of Harold and Florence Bentsen (along with their two sons, Tommy and Bruce). At the time, Mr. Bentsen was my dad's boss at Whirlpool Corp. located in Benton Harbor. Very hospitable folks!

Sadly, Thomas Bentsen, whom we also remembered as a polite teenager, died, in 1975, at the young age of 23. He was an oiler on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

Here's a well-written article about that terrible shipwreck. Twenty-nine lives were lost, in Lake Superior, on the tanker that was carrying iron ore.

Listen to Gordon Lightfoot's moving rendition about the men of the Fitz.

Don Alejo Garza Tamez v. "Law of the Jungle"

Subtitle: No country for old men.

Mr. R., passed along this story about a hard-working, old-school Mexican rancher - Don Alejo (pictured) - who, singlehandedly, fought several narcoterrorists to the death for his property. He, at the least, deserves a ballad (a la Gordon Lightfoot-Edmund Fitzgerald).

Re-enactment of what transpired on his ranch here along with an interview (in Spanish) with Mr. Garza's well-spoken daughter, Sandra.

Amazingly, this freedom fighter was 77 years old!

11/25/10

Happy Thanksgiving!


Consider reading George Washington's proclamation on this "day of publick thanksgiving." It's brief. He reminds we, the people, about the purpose of the day. (Hint: It's not about the football, the turkey, or even the gatherings of family and friends. And it's most definitely not a day of mourning, Miz Jolie-Pitts.)

11/24/10

Bitterroot Land: No Shortage of Pork

My latest Belgrade News column is up. Go here.

It's about the waste in the Montana state budget (based on a very comprehensive report published by the Montana Policy Institute) and includes a peek at what Big Sky residents spend on illegal imigration. Sadly, government is now the number one employer in the Treasure State. A terrible fate for a state brimming with ununusually resourceful Americans and full of wonderful natural resources.

P.S. The number three employer is Walmart.

About the pink flower: That's a bitterroot plant; native to Montana.

Ohioan Advocates for American Worker

Steve Salvi (pictured) is the intrepid founder of Ohio Jobs and Justice PAC. He agreed to an interview with TCC.

Tell us about OJJPAC.

OJJPAC is a non-partisan educational civil rights and advocacy organization focusing primarily on the effects of illegal immigration on the rights of American citizens, the economy, U.S. sovereignty, and post 9-11 national security.

Excellent! Now tell us a little about yourself.

I was raised in a small Cleveland suburb and got involved in community activities and politics while a teenager. Highlights of my political experience include over 20 years of grassroots campaigning, including campaign management. I’ve done everything from distributing literature door-to-door to managing a statewide political campaign.

After managing a successful state legislative campaign, I moved to Columbus and worked for the Ohio Legislature, including a brief stint as Secretary to the Ohio House Ethics Committee. I was later appointed by the late Speaker Vern Riffe to serve as an aide to the House Democratic Caucus.

My other political party experience includes serving numerous terms as an appointed or elected member of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Central and Executive Committees and as elected Ward Leader in Columbus, Ohio, prior to returning to northern Ohio.

My formal education includes degrees are in political science, and I also have a post-degree certificate in paralegal studies.

Does Ohio need an Arizona-style law?

Yes, as long as the federal government fails to do its constitutional duty and fully enforce U.S. immigration laws. I believe that when the federal government fails to perform one of its most essential duties, the states have the right and obligation to perform those duties, especially when it involves public safety. Although the U.S. Constitution does not allow the states themselves to deport illegal aliens, Ohio and other states have the existing authority to detain and arrest illegal aliens, certainly if they have violated a local or state law.

As long as Ohio passes a bill that mirrors existing federal law, my expectation is that it would (should) be found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Most critics of Arizona’s law have used hysterics and misinformation to build public opposition to the law. Opponents paint a picture of images of Nazi Germany — where law enforcement indiscriminately asks people for their “papers.” That is not true. Critics also fail to point out that all aliens visiting the U.S. are already required by federal law to carry a valid passport for the purpose of identification.

In the world of politics, who is getting the job done in Ohio (either by protecting jobs or reforming immigration)?

I don’t think any public official is getting the job done — at least effectively. A lot of public attention has been going to a couple public officials in Ohio but their success seems to be primarily making news headlines. Anyone can introduce a bill — or grab a headline — actually getting bills passed is another issue. Now that Republicans control the governor’s office TCC note: Former GOP congressman and Fox News personality, John Kasich, was just elected governor of the Buckeye State. and the Ohio House and Senate, we’ll see which public officials are really interested in immigration enforcement. There will be no acceptable excuses.

What media outlets do you trust (or get your news from)?

I don’t completely trust any media outlet. I think anyone who blindly believes what they hear or read on television, the radio, or the internet is foolish. The truth is that we really don’t know how accurate much of the information we’re being fed is true. We must do our best to verify what we can and question news sources on the most critical issues. I believe there has always been some level of journalistic activism but it seems that activism has become a primary mission of many media organizations — including writers, editors, and publishers.

Most of my research is performed via the internet — which relies heavily on online content from traditional media stories. However, there is a growing number of what I call “push back” non-profit organizations that conduct and publish their own research, serving as a check to journalistic activism or so-called media bias. As traditional media continues to lose market share, the fight for public opinion will gravitate even more to the web — where non-traditional media and issue oriented profits and non-profits will have growing influence.

Thank you, Steve, for your hard work as a volunteer for a just cause!

11/20/10

When Phil Met Jessica

Conservative author Phil Kent was invited by the College Republicans of Kennesaw State University (GA) to gave a talk on immigration. Guess who was in the audience? Jessica Colotl the illegal alien and college student who became a liberal media darling earlier this year. Here's the (lengthy, balanced) story about the event. Everyone gets their say, and Phil even had a civil conversation with young Jessica.

L to R, Phil, Jessica, Scrappy (KSU mascot)

11/19/10

Poster Boy for the DREAM Act

No doubt, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi will use this articulate illegal - the student body president of Fresno State - to make a case for their lame bill and unconstitutional cause.

But they better watch out. Pedro Ramirez (pictured) is a poli. sci. major. At this rate, he (and his ilk) is poised to take a plum job away from a Democratic state employee or legislator.

BTW: FAIR says the vote, on the DREAM Act, is coming very soon. Complain (politely) to your congresscritter.

11/18/10

Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881

Disraeli's observation, about the upper and lower classes, also relates to our modern problems with unassimilated immigrants : “ ... two nations ... as ignorant of each other’s habits, thoughts, and feelings, as if they were of different planets; who are ... fed by different food, are ordered by different manners, and are not governed by the same laws.”

More of the prime minister's wise thoughts.

11/17/10

One is the Loneliest Number

See and hear Commissioner Jim Runestad's opening remarks about unemployment, food stamp usage, welfare benefits (in Oakland County, Michigan), and how illegal immigration affects such negative variables. Jim was speaking at an immigration debate sponsored by Oakland University. He says it was 'seven against one.' The commissioner, apparently, was the lone voice on behalf of rule of law.

11/16/10

Go Figure



Spotted at Gorilla Rants.

Educational Epcot (W/Out the Cool Rides)

Our ongoing national experiment in mindless, expensive multicultural education continues to go awry.

Take your pick in recent news items that make us old-school types go "Whaaa?" (Or, waaa.)

- The finding that Latino students are now the majority in California schools. How will 'American' history now fare? Meanwhile, the Cali Supremes say in-state tuition for illegals is ok.

- That using a story, written by Julius Lester (a respected black educator), as a 'teachable moment' in a lesson about slavery, can result in a lawsuit.

-That a visually-impaired Muslim gal gets to bring her guide horse to the University of Michigan (as well as ride on a public bus with the mini-horsey and bring it into a public restroom).

- That Reid Buckley, William F.'s brother, describes the spiritual X-factor that is missing in the education of today's young people.

In the photo: Epcot's Spaceship Earth

Update: Steve Byas reveals his 'bias' toward that silly Flocabulary curriculum.

11/15/10

Media Darlings

My latest Belgrade News column is here.

11/13/10

La Entrevista


AOL Noticias has published an interview with New Mexico's Susana Martinez, the nation's first Hispanic latina head of a state. Governor-elect Martinez wants to repeal the Land of Enchantment's laws that allow illegals to drive and have access to the state's lottery scholarship. She explains why in the article.

11/12/10

Friday FUN: Birds of Prey Sanctuary

Photos from a field trip I took to SEE-North which is located in Harbor Springs, MI., and which is a cozy sanctuary for injured raptors.

This is Koda, a golden eagle. She can't fly but still looks fierce.



Chilli, the one-eyed eastern screech owl. My favorite birdie of the bunch. Her real name is "Chillido" which is the Spanish word for shriek.



Raptor specialist Jeremy Stoppa, of SEE-North, with Lucy the red-shouldered hawk who is also blind in one eye.

11/8/10

Gone Badgering

I'm spending the next few days in Wisconsin where I'll be speaking to and with Tea Party Patriots (and other fun adventures).

Blogging should resume at the end of the week.

11/5/10

Fri. Fun: Opposing the "Powerful Funeral Lobby"

Who knew that the casket-selling business was so cutthroat?

The Institute for Justice, a fiscally-responsible libertarian public interest law firm, fights for school choice, private property rights, and free speech. One of the IJ's current clients are the monks of St. Joseph Abbey (based in Covington, Louisiana) who are involved in a dispute with the State Board of Embalers. The latter is opposed to the monks selling their tasteful, simple wooden coffins and competing with them for 'business.'

Watch:

11/4/10

Get Your Copy Today!


Praise from The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers for this new booklet: "The victims and their families' stories are so debilitating to read, but read we must! We can no longer over look the serious criminal atrocities perpetrated by deportable aliens against our mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sons and daughters of Americans."

Ordering information here.

Update: Mentioned in the Amherst Bulletin by Phyllis Lehrer.

11/2/10

Mama Grizz Endorses The Tanc

Just received the news (Thank you, Dr. Wane.) that Sarah Palin has endorsed Tom Tancredo for Colorado guv. She's been making "last-minute" robocalls on his behalf. The message: "Tom is the right man for the job, and he'll fight for lower taxes. He'll stop growing government and start growing the economy. And we know he'll continue working to end illegal immigration.”

Very nice, Mrs. Alaska Governor. Just for that I may have to cast a vote for Bristol on DWTS.

Say it Ain't So Update:

John Hickenlooper (Democrat)
50.5% (835,792)

Tom Tancredo (Constitution)
36.8% (610,548)

Dan Maes (Republican)
11.2% (185,561)

Don't let the cowboy hat fool you ...

... into thinking this is a lightweight or lighthearted performance. Au contraire. What follows is a substantial and interesting PowerPoint presentation about violence on the southern border by Patrick Bray of the Arizona Cattle Growers' Assocation. Mr. Bray knew Rob Krentz and knows ranching. Every federal politico in the U.S., who makes the cut in today's important election and thinks he/she knows everything there is to know about the border, should hear this speech. It was delivered in Arlington, Virginia last month at the WW34.