Jesus, I hardly know ye!

What is on the head of Jesus? Is it a teeny-tiny lampshade? Is it a fez? Is it a raspberry? What's your take on it?

With my spare yarn....

A lot of people don't like squirrels, and I'll admit that if you take that cute, furry tail away they do look an awful lot like rats, but around here the squirrels feel the love. I get requests left at the feeder specifying chest measurements and sleeve length, color and texture. Nothing too heavy, mind you. After all, it is Florida! Who couldn't knit for a rodent? Where's your heart?!

My kind of Man

If you're a knitter you've got to visit this site:

http://www.yarnboy.com/wp/index.php

He's a dude and he knits! And he's not gay... not that there's anything wrong with that...

Check out his bio. He also writes poetry about his stuttering.

--Julie

Danger Soup & Home-made safe-sex

The recipe at this link is still making me laugh.

http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/lugh06/dangersoup.htm

But it's not nearly as cute as this one:

http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/lugh06/familyplanning.htm

Get out the needles and start knitting!

Ten ways to become a liberal

Here's a web link that I enjoyed:

http://truthrock.blogspot.com/2006/07/ten-ways-to-become-liberal-for-dummies.html

What would be the point?

Embryonic stem cell research is alive and well. What-- just because it's happening on animal embryos instead of human embryos makes the research invalid? If, as you say, we all evolved from the same soup this should be more than adequate for you.

These studies have yet to reveal any "cure" or even any theraputic use... while studies using adult stem cell and umbilical cord cells are offering great hope to those patients suffering from MS and even spinal-cord injuries.

The real question is this: Why is it so important to tout embryonic stem cell research as the Great White Hope? Why isn't the media giving attention to the advances being made with adult stem cells? I believe it all comes back to the sanctity of life issue that liberals so love to roll their eyes over.

Life has meaning only for those who are wanted.

Inconvenient pregnancy? It's not a life... it's just tissue... get rid of it. Sick, elderly relative putting you out? For goodness sake, let's put them out of their misery... or at least out of sight! Hundreds of thousands of women and children dying in Somalia? Where? I think it's in Africa... those savages just need to kill each other off... where's the channel changer?

Desensitizing the world to the idea that life is a Gift, from a Giver... that's the agenda, isn't it? It doesn't matter what religious laws say about when life begins... it comes down to human beings putting themselves in the place of Pride above other human beings. I deserve to be here, you don't. Poof! You're gone.

The cells that are in question are left over from couples who seek invitro fertilization as a means of getting pregnant. It seems harmless to take those "unwanted" cells and do research with them... what does this have to do with the whole sanctity of life issue?

They're babies!

They are human beings who are not outside of God's knowledge and plan. They are not "unwanted". Case in point: The Snowflakes frozen embryo adoption program which connects donating families with adopting families. I have a dear friend who has a 3 year old daughter due to the desire of one family to place their remaining embryos in a loving home rather than being destroyed. This process was accomplished at no profit to the foundation or the donating family. The lives of the stored embryos were valued... and there is always some couple, somewhere, who would gladly adopt those babies.

And before you start bashing my narrow minded government for not allowing stem cell research, perhaps you should be reminded that from 2001 to 2004, this Administration provided $54 million for human embryonic stem cell research pursued within clear moral bounds. During this same period of time, federal funding for non-embryonic stem cell research exceeded $1.7 billion.

From this, 78 derivations of human embryonic stem cells have been found eligible for federal funding. With this federal funding, scientists are developing these lines; so far, 22 have been made available as fully developed lines. Because stem cell lines replicate themselves, eligible lines can be used by many individual researchers. Hundreds of experiments are underway at facilities around the country... what are we really arguing about?????

Oh, that's right. Life.

If we can devalue life a little bit more, then we can make it just a little bit easier to destroy it when it becomes inconvenient.

But could it be...

...that the reason stem cell therapy hasn't proven to be the panacea scientists hypothesize is because they cannot find a government pragmatically broadminded enough to allow testing? When life begins is a very difficult subject. I believe in my heart that life begins at birth, and I am very reassured to know that Jewish law backs me up. I can, therefore, support abortion rights and the crusade for stem cell research without feeling wicked or condemned.

That said...Bringing this debate into a personal, real-life arena where people I love have had miscarriages and still births does give me deep feelings of sorrow for what was lost. I would never tell anyone of these women they did not lose a life. This does not, however, keep me from my support of the above mentioned controversies.

How to Shut Up a Democrat...

Well, I guess Tami has nothing to say about little Monica.

Well, here's a something tantalyzing for you liberals to chew on:

IT HAS BEEN REPEATED so often that it is now a mantra: "Embryonic stem cells offer the most promise for finding cures" for degenerative diseases and conditions such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury. But saying something ten thousand times doesn't make it true. Indeed, the embryonic stem cell mantra has yet to be demonstrated scientifically. -- The Great Stem Cell Coverup (Promising medical research you never hear about.) by Wesley J. Smith

Read more on this article and then let's blog, baby!

http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/519gzqaa.asp

--Julie

Let's talk throwing up a lot...

...on my little blue dress.

Anything for a vote...

Wake up Kitty! Free food and a bumper sticker do not a promising candidate make!

This makes me throw up in my mouth a lot

- Tami

A True Patriot

I can't believe you would bash Hillary Clinton when she as been to visit our troops not once, but twice in Iraq. She constantly supports our fighting men and women. She has pursued the Defense Department to investigate why our Service men and women are not getting their promised financial reimbursements for the body armor they purchased before being deployed. She has spoken out in strong support (as has Washington's Senator Patty Murray) of our veterans' rights to continuing health care and equal opportunities employment upon their return from deployment. She is calling for the Bush Administration to present a decisive plan to end the war (that Bush declared ended) in a way that will bring America honor and safety. She is not asking that we pull our service men and women and allow terrorists to take over Iraq. Who would think that anyone, especially the Senator from the state most affected by 9/11 would want that? The War on Terror should never have become a partisan issue. I believe that Senator Clinton is remaining bi-partisan in her support of our troops and in support of the War on Terror.

And, by the way, most of the service men in that picture have their backs turned to the camera. Maybe some of them are smiling.

P.S. Can I still come visit you in FLA? I'll go through security clearance if you like, but I won't go through deprogramming "camp" again.

Hillary with our troops

You can bet the soldiers had to check their weapons at the door of this gathering.

Notice the only faces smiling are Hillary and Chelsea's? Keep smiling ladies... and nobody will get hurt.

They would lay down their lives for her... what will she do for them? Hopefully more than her husband did. Ask any military person about the eight years of neglect Bill subjected us to during his time in office.

In 2002, when we entered the war with Iraq the hot topic was the substandard quality of weapons and equipment for U.S. soldiers... oops! Did everyone forget who cut military funding and troop size for seven years straight during his administration?

Thankfully, our boys are over there with state of the art training and equipment now that President Bush has breathed new life into our military budget.

War isn't cheap, but lives are priceless.

This makes me throw up a little in my mouth

--Julie

Come Hezbollah or High Water

In a nutshell, Lebanon is one of the handful of Arab states with no oil (Jordan, Syria, Israel, too). It is a poor country whose government was powerless to repel the influx Hezbollah terrorist who have, basically, declared squatters' rights. Hezbollah, funded by Iran (whose leader is channeling Hitler), crossed the boarder from Lebanon into Israel and attacked a group of soldiers, killing something like 8 of them and kidnapping 2. Israel went right into action. They bombed the airport for fear that the soldiers would be flown to Iran, where they would never be heard from again (you'll remember the head of Iran saying Israel should be wiped off the map).

Israel's government has warned the people of Lebanon that there will be fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, so they should move to safer ground. Israel has apologized again and again for civilian casualties, but there is not much in the way of viable choices for Israel. Firstly, Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, so there is no way to imply diplomacy. Secondly, if diplomacy was an option, I do not remember a time when negotiating with terrorists has been effective. Israel tried with the PLO and still the suicide bombers killed innocent people. Israel gave the Gaza to the Palestinians and still they dug a tunnel under the boarder killing and kidnapping soldiers.

Here is one area where I fully agree with the right-leaners of the USA. Support Israel! Protest the terrorists who will not recognize Israel as a country of the world! Do not be brainwashed by one-sided media showing only casualties on one side of the fence. The Jews of Israel are not conquerors or occupiers. They got a piece of non-oil producing land from the UN after WWII and have been defending their right to a homeland ever since.

It's Our War

You are so wise.
I was doing a bit of research online and came across an excellent article supporting your view.

weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles
/000/000/012/433fwbvs.asp

I do find it interesting to read your verbiage on this conflict. You have a vested interest in it, and your arguments are passionate. They remind me of my own in respect to the conflict in Iraq-- a war in which I have a vested interest.

You say, "I do not remember a time when negotiating with terrorists has been effective"... do you feel that way about the terrorists who are keeping us in "battle" in what should be "peace time" Iraq? It seems many liberals think that our peacekeeping mission over there should be very simple. We should pull out and let Iraq's problems shake themselves out. How would that play out in the current Israeli/Lebanese conflict? I believe that the U.S. should support the new nation of Iraq and stay as long as is necessary to keep terrorists from gaining the upper hand.

And yes, I do think the U.S. should continue to be Israel's strongest ally... to think of doing anything else would be inexcusable.

What the Hezbollah?

Dear Tami
Please explain this war with Israel and Lebanon to me.
It happens everytime a war breaks out somewhere-- by the time I notice it, the introduction is over and I missed the premise of the action. It's like walking into a movie late and never really catching on.
Who is fighting and why?
How do you feel about this, my Jewish friend?
What's your opinion on it?
Pray, tell.

--Julie

How Nervous Little Dogs Start Their Day...

I'm as shocked as you. I had no idea this was happening right in our own home.