You’ve Been Warned

MVP Alert

For at least a week I’ve had this thought infrequently popping into my head: This is a prime time for a 9/11-style terror strike in the US.

Because of the money crisis.

Because of the deep divisions in the country due to and/or revealed by the electioneering going on.

Because of a soon-to-be-replaced US President.

Because of seemingly-lame leadership everywhere.

Now I see this story (of which I read very little):

Feds launch dragnet to stop ‘October surprise’ attack

For the first time since 9/11, counterterrorism field agents have been authorized to spy on young Muslim men and women – including American citizens – who have traveled to Pakistan without any specific evidence of wrongdoing.

I still wonder about publicizing this kind of information.

But that aside, who among the citizenry will be watchful and alert and on guard?

(In prayer, that is?)

Worse Than DUI

Texting while driving “more dangerous than drugs or alcohol”

Texting behind the wheel is more dangerous than driving while under the influence of alcohol or cannabis, researchers said Thursday.

Research carried out on young drivers (aged 17-24) using a simulator found that reaction time slowed by 35% when they were writing or reading text messages while driving. In comparison, reaction time deteriorated by 21% for those under the influence of cannabis, and by 12% at the legal alcohol limit.

I’m no teenager (and only two of our five flesh-and-blood children are still teenagers), but I better remember this the next time texting while driving seems so urgent. 😯

UK’s first official sharia courts

Of camels and noses?

UK’s first official sharia courts

Islamic law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases.

The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

Rulings issued by a network of five sharia courts are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through the county courts or High Court.

Previously, the rulings of sharia courts in Britain could not be enforced, and depended on voluntary compliance among Muslims.

It has now emerged that sharia courts with these powers have been set up in London, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester with the network’s headquarters in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Two more courts are being planned for Glasgow and Edinburgh.

HT: Dunker Journal

Headlines…and Perspective

Before the headlines, something to give you perspective: It’s What Disciples Do

One-Year 64-Member Surge

Record 259 corporations honored for ‘gay’ support

The newly released Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, which ranks hundreds of businesses on their “treatment” of employees who have chosen homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lifestyles, awards a record 259 corporations perfect scores, including newcomers Campbell’s Soup and Target.

The total in the 2009 report is up one-third from the 195 corporations so honored in 2008, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which explained that now an estimated nine million workers “are protected from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression because of their employers’ policies on diversity & inclusion, training, health care, and domestic partnership benefits.”

The report notes that when the evaluation was begun in 2002, there were 13 corporations with such perfect scores – a total of 100 out of 100 possible – and that rose to 26 in 2003, 56 in 2004, 101 in 2005, 138 in 2006 and 195 in 2008.

If I were into boycotting, I would have to quit doing business with some outfits:

  • US Airways
  • Dell
  • Target
  • Campbell Soups
  • Visa
  • American Express
  • Bank of America
  • Best Buy
  • Chevron
  • Citigroup
  • Coca-Cola
  • Eastman Kodak
  • eBay
  • Google
  • Intel
  • JC Penney
  • KeyCorp
  • Levi Strauss
  • Macy
  • MasterCard
  • Microsoft
  • PepsiCo
  • Sears
  • UPS
  • Yahoo!

Wow!

Time to join the Amish or the Hutterites.

Or move to the Amazon.

Or forget the whole notion of boycotting.

Just Say “No”

It’s too early for this:

“We’ll take three dozen. Min faDlak?”.

The Iraqi government is seeking to buy 36 advanced F-16 fighters from the U.S., American military officials familiar with the request told the Wall Street Journal.

This move could help Iraq reduce its reliance on U.S. air power and potentially allow more American forces to withdraw from the country than had been proposed.

[…]

Iraq now appears determined to significantly expand the air power of its military, which has become more competent and confident in recent months but depends heavily on the U.S. for air support.

Iraq quickly has become one of the biggest weapons buyers in the world as it seeks to strengthen and professionalise its fighting force.

Iraq still needs to prove it’s on the side of the Americans if they wish to purchase offensive armaments from the Americans.

Maybe these particular F-16s could have a 50-gallon fuel tank and CB radios. 😆

Israel should be able to sleep at night without wondering when those F-16s will come on an aggressive visit.

Maybe these particular F-16s could have remote control manual overrides…with the remote controls in the hands of loyal Israelis in Israeli bunkers. 😆

Besides, if Iraq can afford such weaponry, they should first pay their liberators for services rendered.

And provide a bunch of free oil. A huge bunch, in fact.

And do for wounded liberators and the families of killed liberators what Saddam Hussein used to do for the families of Palestinian homicide bombers.

Oh, and ship that Sadr guy to Gitmo.

Just a few random thoughts. 🙄

Seriously, though, I think providing these aircraft any time soon will haunt the US later.

If they need such aircraft for national defense (which I’m sure they do), let them make the US Air Force a lucrative offer in exchange for on-going American air protection, insisting that the huge air bases included in the deal be named after President Bush and Vice President Chenney.

And Rumsfeld.

And Rove.

Ooooops! Somewhere in there I quit being serious again. 🙁

Above all, love God!
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