Thanks To The Tuskegee Airmen

“ . . . .an elite group that earned special places in air-combat history and on the long road of American civil rights: the 933 young black fighter pilots who became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Their success in downing 109 enemy aircraft helped to inspire President Harry Truman's order in 1948 ending segregation in the Armed Forces. Today, . . . will be honored with other Tuskegee pilots and support personnel with a Congressional Gold Medal, a high award that recognizes outstanding service to the nation.” For the Tuskegee Airmen, the honor took a lifetime, By Tim O'Neil, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Happy Buddha's Birthday

Weekend Roundup

Anabolic Steroids-It's What's for Dinner

"Pregnant women eating beef from cattle treated with growth-promoting hormones could well endanger their children's future fertility. . . men from the US whose mothers ate beef at least once a day during pregnancy are likely to have lower sperm concentrations than usual, potentially affecting their ability to have children. . . .This could be due to anabolic steroids and other hormones widely given to American cattle to promote growth, which might have side-effects on the sexual development of unborn male fetuses. It could also be due to pesticides and other environmental contaminants."
I reckon you get essentially the same stuff from chickens & pigs.

Cherries

“On March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted two Yoshino cherry trees on the northern bank of the Potomac River Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The event celebrated the Japanese government's gift of 3,020 trees to the United States.”

Stretching Politics as Usual-U.S. Attorney Fired for Not Prosecuting Porn Store Competing with Uncle Sam's Porn Store?

If we buy it from the government, can we get Liberty & Justice for all?
“. . . we haven't heard much about US Attorney Paul Charlton of the District of Arizona but Mark Kernes at AVN, uncovers a connection to [Attorney General Alberto] Gonzales' recently declared war on porn and the administration's ongoing war on some drugs (warning adult content in ads). Charlton was not on the original ‘to be terminated’ list and it appears he was probably fired as a result of an obscenity case after an embarrassing motion to dismiss was filed by the defense. The case centers on an adult video vendor, Five Star Video, LC, that was indicted in May 06 for interstate transportation of obscene materials, namely a certain four videos. But here's where it gets interesting. Five Star was not the only vendor. A bigger retailer, Castle Megastores was also selling and renting the same videos across state lines. Ironically, Castle was, and is, ‘under the supervision of the U.S. Trustee's Office of the Department of Justice, and the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Arizona.’ In other words, our government is profiting from the same videos, while indicting a competitor for violating obscenity laws. Five Star's attorneys, as any competent counselors would, filed a motion to dismiss in Aug 06 on the grounds that they can't be indicted for selling the same videos the government is also vending. One imagines Atty. Charlton called his supervisors and noted the difficulty in pursuing the case under these circumstances. Three weeks later, his name appeared on the hit list and one of the emails between the White House and Charlton's superior references his unwillingness to prosecute "good obscenity cases." There's also an interesting exchange between the White House and Charlton's superior over how to break the news to Republican Senator Jon Kyl, who is noted to have been historically consulted in such matters. The only other reference to Charlton's performance notes his policy of generally not prosecuting marijuana smuggling cases in amounts under 500 pounds. Both are wise uses of prosecutorial discretion. It makes no sense to waste federal resources on penny ante pot busts and it's certainly nearly impossible to argue one company is violating community decency standards when our own government is setting the standard by vending the same titles. However, I suppose this does give some weight to the White House's contention that the firings were just politics as usual. After all, as we've seen time and time again, no incompetency goes unrewarded in this administration and no competency goes unpunished. . . .” Arizona US Attorney fired for failed porn case? in The Impolitic

A Quarterback Second Only To Nun.

Congrats Marilyn & Dave.

Queerism May Be Genetic, But God Still Hates It.

“ .. . thanks to experiments involving sheep, researchers . . .have determined that sexual orientation is ‘biologically determined in animals, and probably humans’ according a Feb. 2 Slate.com article. Which led [Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary] to ask. . ."What if you could know that your unborn baby boy is likely to be sexually attracted to other boys? Beyond that, what if hormonal treatments could change the baby's orientation to heterosexual? Would you do it?’ Yes, of course you would. It's the Christian thing to do, he says. . . .he writes, ‘finding a biological causation for homosexuality may also lead to the discovery of a 'cure' for the same phenomenon. . . What if a hormone patch during pregnancy will do the job?’ Then slap one on for God, he says. ‘I . . .we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin,’ he writes.
Darwinism? Secular propaganda. Global warming? Malarkey. Abortion? Immoral. Cloning? Depraved. Stem-cell research? Reprehensible. Birth control? Wicked. Slapping a hormone patch on a pregnant woman's belly to de-gayify the unborn? God's science.”

If These Clowns Ever Had A Clue, They Lost It A Long Time Ago.

Christine Quinn Makes Virgil’s Irish Eyes Smile & His Heart Proud.

"John Dunleavy. . . , banned gay groups from marching [In New Yorks St. Patrick's Day Parade] and last year would not allow City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who's 100-percent Irish and 100-percent gay, to walk wearing so much as a pink pin. . . . Quinn will blow off the Ancient Order of Hibernians entirely this year by taking her dad, her partner Kim Catullo, and five council members (including Staten Island Irishman Mike McMahon) to a more inclusive parade in Dublin."

Saints Patrick and Brigid Would Be Proud of You Again.

See, also, The case against St Patrick's Day- Green beer. Bigotry. Ridiculous outfits. It is time to change a holiday that is nothing more than a figment of nineteenth century romanticism.

To see a real St. Patrick’s Day celebration, go to Chris’s Pub.

Virg n' Mary Wish All a Happy & Safe Ides of March

Peter Pace Possesses Puny Principles.

It disturbs Virgil that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is no more morally sophisticated nor broad minded than a bunch of Arkansas State Senators. “Perhaps he was recently attacked by a marauding group of gay thugs -- but probably it's more a case of the very common ignorance of prejudice.”

Don Juan Prim Had Kin In Kilkenny?

“. . . the Kilkenny Prims were said to be related quite closely to the family of Prims in Spain, . . .Around 1780. . . the Spanish Prims sent a pipe of wine as a present for the wedding of "Red Jack Prim of Ennisnag" and "Miss Nixon of Brownsbarn."
Speaking of Kilkenny, tis the season.
Can the Cats do it again?

Sarah Morton’s True Colors Shine Through-She’s A Real Hero.

On Dec. 13, 2002 Sarah Morton, then in her mid 20's, donated her left kidney "Sidney,"to save Chris Engelhoven’s life. “ You know, looking back now I'm kind of saying, `Wow, that was dangerous,'" Morton said with a laugh. "But you see somebody suffering then, and you say, `How can I help?' It was the right thing to do at the right time."
"I'm no hero," Morton said while glancing down at the floor. "There was a need, and I had the answer to his need. I felt the Lord calling me to do that. It was an act of obedience, and to see my friend live again as a human being, it's wonderful. That, to me, is the reward."

Chris, his lovely wife Bonnie, and I thank you for saving Chris’ life Sarah. The world thanks you for your example.

Patti On Bush Family Values

"Experts who work with the poor, the elderly, the very young, warned of these outcomes, but, as usual with the Republican Congress, appeasement of the hateful ruled. The new Democratic Congress has their work -- reversing the politics of hate -- cutout for them." Patti On Bush Family Values
On the brighter side, Halliburton, after sucking this country dry, will move Dubai. Hope they take Cheney with them.

If You Can't Bear To Watch, Don't Worry. You Probably Won't Hear About It.

Memo to scientists: Don't discuss polar bears

FBI used Patriot (Sic) Act to invade privacy, intimidate businesses

Real Patriots are using this doormat when Gonzales, the FBI, & other Bush minions visit. Don’t worry. If you are unlawfully arrested, there’s always Habeas Corpus. Well, maybe.

Eddie Haskell-The Beaver-Wally

Captain America Dead? Noooooooo!

Captain America, shown here receiving medical attention, has been killed according to newspaper accounts. Also shown is a picture with his buddies in happier times. "It's a hell of a time for him to go, We really need him now." Joe Simon
Virgil has not given up. They thought they had him before (See Video Below) and he came back.

Shooting A Hunting Partner In The Face May Be The Best Thing Dick Cheney Has Done While In Office.

“Libby was found guilty not just of perjury but of obstructing justice -- obstructing justice in order to encumber the investigation and keep secret the dark, ugly truth about how the White House sought to cover up its lies about Iraq and its efforts to intimidate and silence critics of the administration. . . . on the same day that the Libby jury returned its guilty verdict, we have the second day of searing and sickening testimony about the way we've been treating our wounded troops at Walter Reed, and Congressional hearings investigating the sudden firing of eight U.S. attorneys for allegedly being too zealous in their prosecution of GOP corruption. . . .
Following the verdict, one of the Libby jurors asked reporters, ‘Where's Rove? Where are these other guys?’ The answer: waiting for a whole flock of chickens to come home to roost.” Why the Libby Verdict Is So Damning, Arianna Huffington

Honest Abe Says Chinese, Korean & Philippine Women Asked For It. What's A Japanese Soldier To Do?

Hilaria Bustamante, an 81-year-old member of Lila Pilipina, has a different view. “. . she was a sex slave in a Japanese garrison. . .. She . . .was heading home in 1942 after scavenging for rice when three Japanese soldiers stopped her on the road and seized her by the arms and legs and threw her into a truck ‘like a pig.’
‘Even as I struggled, I could not do anything. They slapped me, they punched me. I was only 16 then, what could I do?’ she said. ‘They think we are like toilet paper that is just thrown after being used.’”
“. . .there is no evidence to prove there was coercion." Japanese Prime Misogynist Shinzo Abe Abe is the George W. Bush of Japanese diplomacy and image building.

Elephants May Become Extinct Because of Ivory Poachers-The Solution? Kill the Elephants!

"African elephants could eventually become extinct because they are being killed at a rate not seen since an international convention banning ivory trade almost two decades ago."

South Africa has the solution.

Support Your Local Peace Corps.

March 1, was National Peace Corps Day. It helps the host countries and ours. It not only gives us a base of people who understand other cultures, but also, gives us a positive image abroad. We have a lot to overcome after the Bush years. Ask your friendly Congressperson or senator to increase funding.

“Being a liberal means regarding man as neither brute nor angel.”Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., 1917-2007 Thanks for Your Service Arthur.

The operator said: ‘The president of the United States is calling.’ Then, a vibrant Texas voice broke in: ‘Hey, Artie, how goes it?’ This confirmed the caller was indeed George W. Bush, whom I had never met but whose predilection for nicknames - no one in 87 years has ever called me ‘Artie’ - is well known. ‘I am holding conversations about the Iraq war,’ the president continued. ‘And I would like to know what you think I should be doing.’‘I would seize an appropriate moment to declare victory - and cut and run, Mr President,’ I said.” COMMENT: A quiet telephone call with George W. Bush By Arthur Jr Schlesinger, Financial Times, Sep 29, 2005

Virgil’s Faith Is Unshaken By The Discovery of Christ’s Tomb.

“So, does the faith collapse under the weight of a supposed tomb of Jesus? ‘No,. . .Because the resurrection is a metaphor. It's the same pattern of transcendence that you get from the first pages of the Bible, all the way to the end. Historical questions do not shake the faith of us metaphorists. If you wish to take the Bible literally, do. But do not tell other people who take it metaphorically that they are not true Christians.’ Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University and author of the 2001 book, Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts."

Let’s get high, high on Jesus, high on Jesus,
They tried to put His body under ground.
Flashing high on Jesus, so high on Jesus,
But friend, you just can’t keep the good man down.
From High on Jesus by Kinky Friedman