What's your take?

The following is an excerpt from A Political Odyssey: The Rise of American Militarism and One Man's Fight to Stop It. Sen. Mike Gravel will join me for a reading and discussion at the Barnes and Nobles at 82nd Street and Broadway in Manhattan on Wed. evening, Jul 9, at 7 pm:


From a human viewpoint, the invasion of Iraq has been an unmitigated disaster. It has caused regional instability for the foreseeable future. But seen from Bush's White House, the war has been "won" and victory is being consolidated. Bush meant it when he said "Mission Accomplished." He had four main objectives in invading Iraq. They have all been met. That more than a million innocent civilians have been killed or driven from their homes is [for him] beside the point. The fulfilled objectives are:

· Depose the no longer useful Saddam Hussein and install puppets--DONE.

· Take the oil out of the hands of a renegade Arab leader. Get sweetheart deals for American and allied oil companies--NEARLY DONE.

· Make huge war-profits for friends, allies and campaign contributors, like Halliburton, Blackwater, and U.S. arms manufacturers. Let Cheney still brazenly drawing income from Halliburton. Stop Congress from passing a law against war profiteering--ALL DONE.

· Establish permanent bases [to protect it all]--DONE.

Bush thinks he's won the damned war on the ground in Iraq. Who's counting bodies? What he's lost is the public relations war--a mere nuisance. [And with the "Surge" he's even winning that back.] It cost him Congress in 2006. But did that matter? Judging by how feeble the Democrats have been? Why have they been so weak? Take your pick: They are bought; they lack courage; they are trying to keep their jobs; the administration has ways of keeping tabs on them.

* * *

Okay here is my take...for years most liberals talk about what an idiot George Bush is yet they attribute so many intricate diabolical schemes to him that one must conclude the man to be a genius along the lines of Machavelli.
Whats your take?

The high cost of college

OK the colleges have got our #. First you get charged an application fee of 50.00 to 75.00. I can understand that because high school seniors want to apply to as many colleges as possible. I find this ridiculous. My next daughter up to bat will have maybe 2 choices. Then the three ring circus starts. THe fafsa. Urgh. Then you get your aid package. If you are an average family forget about it. You get pretty much nothing. Then when you go to reject the School Insurance they will not allow it if you do not have Insurance that meets their criteria. The only insurance we have been able to afford and believe me it is very expensive has a 10,000 out of pocket limit and this Cali school finds that unacceptable. They want it to be less than 5,000. What do they care how much I have to pay out of pocket????? This gets my blood to boiling! I am going to need a visit to the Dr. when this is all over. It is one big game and I am no good at games. Any suggestions available out there. We have filled out tons of scholarships, she was her class valedictorian, you get small awards for this accomplishment but not near as much as if she would have had a baby during her high school years or been sent to juvie. I must hold on to the promise the Lord makes that all things will work together for the good of those who love him and follow his commands. I guess this is the price I pay for not saving enough money throughout the years.

Have you heard this?

So I read this article link from the Drudge report, here is the opening;

Tablet ignites debate on messiah and resurrection
By Ethan Bronner Published: July 5, 2008


JERUSALEM: A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days.

If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time."

I am agog at the premise this article asserts, the premise that this stone would ruin our Christian beliefs. What???? As Christians we call that Prophesy and our belief is totally based on the Jewish belief. The New Testament is just the Old Testament revealed. I mean when people say they can only shake their head when they come across something so astonishing...that is how I feel right now. This find causes no re-evaluation of our beliefs it is not a faith shaker. It is a faith builder. People...the whole Christian faith is based in the Old Testament(Jewish). Christ fulfilled the all the things that the Old Testament prophets wrote of. That is why the apostle Paul who was a Pharisee of Pharisee (a Jewish man circumcised on the 8th day learned (in fact Pharisees had to memorize) the Scripture (Old Testament remember the New was not written yet.) was so bowled over when he came to know Christ because he realized everything he had spent learning his whole life as a Pharisee had been manifested in Jesus Christ. Yes the death and resurrection were manifested in Jewish tradition along with how he would be crucified. His clothing were cast lots for, his virgin birth, his healing of the sick, His birth city, The day He would come into Jerusalem (palm Sunday), His being sold for 30 pieces of silver, His title The Lamb of God.
Whoever wrote this article I would guess has never had a conversation with a true Christian. Otherwise his title would have been something like, TABLET CONFIRMS CHRISTIAN FAITH!!!!!! Am I missing something here? *Shakes head*