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Coffee stub --
Author: Raine    Date: 08/15/2011 12:28:15

WE had a bit of a coffee emergency in the house this morning -- so until I'm further caffeinated, please enjoy our blog snacks... Be right back!

http://stlukes-parish.org/images/ministry/coffee_donuts.jpg

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41 comments (Latest Comment: 08/15/2011 21:04:05 by Raine)

Rick Rolled
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 08/14/2011 04:57:13

Here's my recap of Rick Perry's speech.

Howdy. [By saying 'Howdy' he's letting you know that he's from the rural South and that, naturally, he's not an elitist. You know only real Americans and rednecks say Howdy.] Thank you, Erick (Erickson, editor of RedState). It is great to be at RedState. And I’ll tell you what, it’s even better to be governor of the largest red state in America. [rimshot]
It’s sure good to be back in the Palmetto State, in South Carolina. I enjoy coming to places where people elect folks like Nikki Haley, true conservatives. And also where they love the greatest fighting force on the face of the earth…the United States Military. [so.... you're saying that all the other states don't love the military? What about Texas?] And I want to take a moment and ask you to just take a silence, think about those young Navy SEALs and the other special operators who gave it all in the service of their country. Just take a
moment to say Thank you, Lord, that we have those kind of selfless, sacrificial men and women. ["I'm a patriot, see?"][/i
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4 comments (Latest Comment: 08/14/2011 23:26:04 by Will in Chicago)

My picture is under 'Dirt, old as'
Author: TriSec    Date: 08/13/2011 13:10:07

Good Morning!

Today we wrap up our 'birthday week' with young Javi's party. Beginning from July 31, we have my brother, his daughter, me, and Javi in a span of 9 days. When my Grandmother was alive, we had to start that clock on July 30...and go 10 days back to get Mama TriSec on July 21.

In any case, we had some fairly low-key stuff on our actual birthdays earlier in the week. Today we'll have a yard full of kids and pizza, and fortunately the weather is cooperating.

I'm sitting here looking at Javi's prize....his first MP3 player. (No, not an iPod.) Coupled with the internet blackout at work, that's got me thinking about music again this week. How many of you have one of these in a box in the attic somewhere?
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5 comments (Latest Comment: 08/14/2011 01:56:31 by clintster)

Three Rings and a Sideshow
Author: BobR    Date: 08/12/2011 12:26:31

Last night was yet another Republican presidential debate. It was apparently quite the show (I didn't have the stomach to watch most of it). Like any circus, though, sometimes it's the sideshow that's more entertaining. But first - the main event:
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42 comments (Latest Comment: 08/12/2011 21:54:39 by BobR)

2011 -- The Summer of Hate
Author: Will in Chicago    Date: 2011-08-11 10:00:00

As a former reporter, I have lived long enough to not be easily shocked. I have covered murders and other crimes. Yet, I was surprised by the scale of death and suffering in the bombing in Oslo and the horrific shootings at Utoya in Norway on July 22nd.  As of now, the death toll stands at 86 people, eight dead in a bombing in Oslo and perhaps 68 dead at a Labor Party youth camp on the isle of Utoya. This tragedy can be likened to both 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing in that fanaticism led to the lost of innocent life.

Initially, some in the U.S. media attributed the attacks to Muslim terrorists as events unfolded. Conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin initially linked the attacks to Muslim extremists on her blog at the Washington Post as did conservative CNN commentator Erick Erickson. However, the attacks were the work of a man of Norwegian descent, Anders Behring Breivik, who issued a manifesto condemning Muslims, “cultural Marxists, and liberalism in general" for creating a Europe that he sees as becoming alien to traditional European cultures.  Indeed, many of the phrases in Breivik’s long manifesto were lifted from the manifesto of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, who also opposed many of the changes in modern society.

What leads a person to choose to kill dozens of people? Hate. The phrase cultural Marxism is a popular one among the American neo Nazi movement. Chip Berlet, a noted observer of right wing extremism, addresses Breivik’s extremism in a recent post "Anders Behring Breivik: Soldier in the Christian Right Culture Wars":
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91 comments (Latest Comment: 08/12/2011 00:25:02 by livingonli)

A vote of No Confidence
Author: BobR    Date: 08/10/2011 12:49:10

In an unprecedented move in Wisconsin politics yesterday, there were six recall elections targeting Republican state senators. All of these recalls were in response to the punitive legislation passed by them (and signed into law by Governor Walker) to deny union rights to state workers. The results are in.

Out of the six, the Democrats took two. They had hoped to take 3 to tip the control of the state Senate into Democratic hands. They were not able to achieve that goal. The were able, however, to narrow the margin to a point where it might be possible to sway a more moderate Republican to vote with the Democrats. Despite not reaching their goal, this will still have state Democrats claiming victory.
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84 comments (Latest Comment: 08/11/2011 01:25:33 by BobR)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 08/09/2011 10:21:30

Good Morning.

Today is our 3,065th day in Iraq and our 3,593rd day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4474
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4335
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3615
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 246
Since Operation New Dawn: 46

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,725
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 930
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 1, 232, 616, 100, 000 .00

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82 comments (Latest Comment: 08/10/2011 03:54:38 by Scoopster)

Ombudsman Freshness, In DC -- Yes DC.
Author: Raine    Date: 2011-08-08 12:02:59

Many people aren't aware that many newspapers have a person on staff called an ombudsman. For those that aren't aware of what this position does, let me me allow the Organization of News Ombudsmen explain:
What is an ombudsman?
An ombudsman is someone who handles complaints and attempts to find mutually satisfactory solutions. Ombudsmen can be found in government, corporations, hospitals, universities and other institutions. The first ombudsman was appointed in 1809 in Sweden to handle citizens' complaints about the government. The word is pronounced "om-BUDS-man" and is Scandinavian in origin.

What is a news ombudsman?
A news ombudsman receives and investigates complaints from newspaper readers or listeners or viewers of radio and television stations about accuracy, fairness, balance and good taste in news coverage. He or she recommends appropriate remedies or responses to correct or clarify news reports.
Why should a newspaper or broadcaster have an ombudsman?
  • •To improve the quality of news reporting by monitoring accuracy, fairness and balance.

  • •To help his or her news provider to become more accessible and accountable to readers or audience members and, thus, to become more credible.

  • •To increase the awareness of its news professionals about the public's concerns.

  • •To save time for publishers and senior editors, or broadcasters and news directors, by channeling complaints and other inquiries to one responsible individual.

  • •To resolve some complaints that might otherwise be sent to attorneys and become costly lawsuits.
    • There is far more at the link, but I think you get the gist of what an important job it really is. This is the person (or department) that is the people's representative to media outlets while at the same time they are the media outlets' representative to the people. It can't be an easy job to balance such things. Many times, they are contracted independently to a media outlet. For those that have been there -- think arbitrator. It's a relatively new concept to American journalism -- it's a concept that began in 1967 to serve 'readers of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times.'

    I'm sure by now, you are wondering where the heck I am going.... I ask that you just indulge me a few moments of your day.
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    65 comments (Latest Comment: 08/09/2011 04:02:54 by BobR)

    The Candidates Part 8
    Author: velveeta jones    Date: 08/07/2011 15:15:53

    Santorum. Just the word strikes fear in some; it is a name coated in ambiguity, reeking from being in the depths of some deep, dark, secret hole. Unpleasant, to say the least.

    But still, he remains committed to running for President in 2012. Here, for your consideration, are the facts about him as far as I can tell from the internet.
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    6 comments (Latest Comment: 08/08/2011 00:45:25 by BobR)

    Kongruss kilt my blog!
    Author: TriSec    Date: 08/06/2011 10:11:40

    Good Morning!

    Ah, the early morning Saturday blog. By know you know the drill. I know I just posted about this two weeks ago, but thanks to the nature of platelet donation, I can go twice within a two-week period, but then I have to lay off for a month. In any case, it's still summer, the need is still great, and there's still a national shortage. So what are you waiting for?
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    8 comments (Latest Comment: 08/06/2011 20:42:29 by Raine)

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