Today a plane took off from Blagnac, France with a crew of six for a four hour flight. This flight is historic as it was the maiden flight of the Airbus A380. This is the largest passenger liner to ever fly. It is 308 tons of state of the art aircraft that was ten years in the making.
The four engine plane had 22 tons of test equipment aboard to record every possible aspect of the flight. The A380 has two decks that run the length of the fuselage. It will seat over 500 people and some plans for versions with gyms and casinos. 
Airbus A380
The behemoth comes with a corresponding price tag, an estimated $282,000,000.00 each. The new jet also requires that existing runways will have to be extended and strengthened, baggage handling systems will have to be redesigned to fit to the aircraft and some jet ways will have to be replaced. There will be special tools, and equipment needed to maintain it, mechanics will have to get special training on that bird. The cost of operating this aircraft will be enormous. One has to ask if it is wise, in an era where only one airline (South West) is posting profits, to buy such an expensive aircraft is wise.
Packing more people on one plane and making few flights will make the per flight cost go up, but how long will it take to offset the cost of tooling up to operate it?
One more criticism of the A380 is that when, and it is only a matter of time, one crashes, it will be called a tragedy and give the media another thing to fixate on because there will be 500 victims. We will be able to see floating debris or smoking ruins while we eat our eggs, before the bubble headed host then switches to promoting the next book.
All that being said, man that is one sweet bird. It is a marvel of technology and has been tested more than any other airliner in the world through wind tunnels and computer simulations. It took ten years to make this plane fly and it should be one of the safest ever built. The fact that they can in crease the payload (passengers) will make the long range hauls cheaper and more cost effective. Today’s fuel prices make this a necessity and it will be a wise move for any airline that can afford it. It will also reduce the emissions and pollutants as there will only be four engines instead of 8 (two planes) making the same trip.
In conclusion, there are a lot of positive benefits of such a large plane. Let us just hope that they are purchased and used responsibly by the struggling airline industry. As long as dedicated and talented men and women keep dreaming, we will always continue to set new records for the next generation to try and break. Aviation history reached a milestone with this plane today and we can only dream of the ones yet to come.
Aviation Milestone
It's All About the Oil
I support the President; I don’t think that shocks anyone. I do disagree with him on several issues.
1. Illegal Immigration
2. Taxes (I favor the Fair Tax plan)
3. SSI (Fair tax make the SSI debate a moot point)
4. Oil
This posting is about oil. Today President Bush has asked Saudi Arabia to increase production to help out. I’m not sure that is really going to help and it is not in the US best interests. The reason it’s not going to help bring prices down is supply and demand.
I hear you saying… But Vulture 6, if the Saudis increase the supply, won’t that drive the price down? My answer is no. Production is an issue, but it is one that is mistakenly labeled the most important. If you put more oil in to production it’s not going to help gas prices due to the fact that all that extra oil can not be refined any faster than we are doing it right now.
The last new refinery was built in the early eighties. All refineries are operating at either maximum or near maximum capacity. If we flood the production process, we will have no where change all that crude into gasoline.
Gasoline is currently refined into some 14 different blends for different areas and at different seasons. The same gas sold in Texas can not be sold in California. If we standardize the blends into one national standard then the refineries can operate more efficiently.
Building more refineries would greatly help. Even if we did open up ANWR and the California coast, un-tap all the Texas wells we need new places to process that crude. I suggest we build them in the deserts of West Texas, New Mexico and (Gasp) California. Build them in areas that are wastelands as they are. We can build them with redundant safety precautions to avert any negative natural impact of the areas in which they are built.
It’s time that we start taking responsibility for our own needs.
147 Illegals Caught inside of Texas
The reason this story got this much attention is only due to the fact that the criminals were from Brazil and not Mexico.
Border busts yield 147 illegal Brazilians
Thursday, April 21, 2005 Posted:6:09:05 PM CDT
Border Patrol agents arrest a baffling number of Brazilian illegal immigrant across the valley.
MCALLEN, TEXAS – Border Patrol agents called for backup today after arrested more than 100 Brazilian immigrants.
The agency did not have enough room to process the group, and said they were baffled by the numbers.
Authorities in McAllen sent some of the illegal immigrants to other offices to be fingerprinted and booked.
In just three hours, authorities arrested 147 Brazilians across Hidalgo County. Five different groups of Brazilian immigrants were caught Thursday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. near Los Ebanos. Busts followed near Sullivan City, La Joya, McCook and McAllen.
Agents do not yet know what caused the unusually heavy activity Thursday, but they it shows the success they are having as they secure the borders.
When are we going to call this what it is? This is an invasion of our country by criminals. They are criminals for breaking the law by sneaking into the country without going through the proper channels. I have nothing against immigration; I do have a huge problem with illegal immigration. It’s against the law. We need to take a stand. The minute men have proved that increased survalence helps, the government should step up and do its job concerning security.
We need to secure the boarder for more reasons than just the illegal immigration issue. Last year it is estimated 532 metric tons of cocaine made it across the boarder along with 1,184,311 kilograms of marijuana and 1,077 kilograms of methamphetamines. Securing the boarder would drastically reduce this flow of drugs, keep illegals out and prevent possible terrorists from entering.
Building a wall and increased patrolling of the boarder should only be part of the illegal ailien solution. Revising the way we allow foreign nations to apply for work in the US, make it faster and easier. We should give them a reason to do it through proper channels, show them that there is hope on becoming a citizen. Any change has to be better then just ignoring the problem like we are doing now.
The Houston Chronicle also covers the story here.
Coward Attacks Fonda
While I can understand his rage at Jane Fonda, I can not in any way condone what he did. In fact I abhor it.
This “man” , Vietnam veteran Michael A. Smith, 54 waited in line for an hour and a half to get his book signed, when he got to the table, He started to turn and spit tobacco juice on Fonda, 67 then ran from her. A 54 year old combat veteran ran from a 67 year old has been actress.
Ok, yeah she did do all those aerobics videos in the 80s, I’ll give you that, but does that make her the match for a supposed combat veteran?
The fact that Smith ran shows that he knew what he did was wrong. Through his actions he has nullified a portion of the debate on Ms. Fonda’s 1972 activities. He has hurt his own cause by reacting like a child. Thank you, Mr. Smith for making a civil debate on the issue that much harder.
I do not like Ms. Fonda, I do not like her politics, her acting and her actions. I do not think she is sorry, I have never seen, read or heard of anything that would show that she is truly sorry, just her word on it. However, I do not think that she deserved to be spit upon, after all isn’t that one of the things that we are most incensed about the treatment of Viet Nam veterans?
Mr. Smith, shame on you for your poorly thought out actions. You are no Hero, you are a coward and an embarrassment.
Ms. Fonda, I am sorry you had to endure this.
Judge Not, Least Ye Be Judged Yourself
One of the best known and most misunderstood Scriptures is from Matthew.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5).
If Matthew 7:1-5 is read carefully, one can notice that it is addressed to a hypocrite. Instead of being a deterrence against honestly judging, it is a warning against hypocritical judgment. The last statement of this Scripture commands sincere, honest judgment. If a verse or a part of a verse is taken out of its setting, then it can be made to appear to teach the opposite of what it really means. It is easy to misquote almost anything to produce a desired effect or opinion. Misstating God’s word, however, is morally wrong.
Many who quote, "Judge not," out of its context, do so in order to promote their own activities or sins. They do not see their own inconsistency in thus judging those who obey God's Word about judging what is untrue. Much that is anti-Scriptural has found shelter behind a misuse of the words of the bible. It has been used as an excuse to let people do what they wish without the oversight of God’s Law. The greatest danger of our day is not too much judging, but too little judging of morality, character and spiritual nature.
Disabled Girl Raped at School - Where the hell were the teachers?
UPDATES BELOW
What the hell is going on in that school?
Witnesses: Disabled Girl Punched In Face, Forced To Perform Sex Acts
POSTED: 2:25 pm EDT April 12, 2005UPDATED: 10:15 pm EDT April 12, 2005COLUMBUS, Ohio
-- A 16-year-old disabled girl was punched and forced to engage in videotaped sexual acts with several boys in a high school auditorium as dozens of students watched, according to witnesses.
Authorities are investigating and no charges have been filed in the alleged attack last month at Mifflin High School. Four boys suspected of involvement were sent home and have not returned to class.
also, the principal, Regina Crenshaw, was suspended and will be fired for not calling police, school officials said. And three assistant principals were suspended and will be reassigned to other schools.
Crenshaw had no comment Tuesday.
The girl was forced to perform oral sex on at least two boys, according to statements from school officials, obtained by The Columbus Dispatch.
Part of the alleged assault was videotaped by a student who had a camera for a school project.
School officials found the girl bleeding from the mouth. An assistant principal cautioned the girl's father against calling 911 to avoid media attention, the statements said. The girl's father called police.
Her father said the girl is developmentally disabled. A special education teacher said the teen has a severe speech impediment.
The vice principles should have been fired also. Where were the teachers while all this was happening? Why didn't any of the other students go get help? This school has more problems than the assault.
While I am no fan of law suites, I hope that the parents of this poor girl sue the crap out of this school district and the parents of the kids involved.
UPDATE 4/14/05
This story was filed on the 12th, the actual assault occurred a month ago, according to a caller (from Columbus) to the Glenn Beck Show and confirmed HERE.
UPDATE II 4/15/05
I personally called the Mifflin High School (614-365-5466) to find out what the plans are for ensuring this from happening again. My first five calls were not answered. I then dialed *67-614-365-5466. A very edgy sounding woman answered the phone. I informed her I was calling because I had a few questions about the rape in the auditorium. Our conversation went like this:
Her:Mifflin High School
Me: I'm calling about the rape in the auditorium, I have a few questions.
Her: What are they?
Me: What has the school is doing to prevent something like this from happening again?
Her: We put locks on the doors.
Me: Locks?
Her: Yes.
Me: Is that all?
Her: We are investigating
Me: For a month? Isn’t there a video tape?
Her: I don’t know.
Me: Where were the teachers at the time this happened?
Her: In class, they are teachers you know.
Me: So the kids are allowed to walk around the school unattended?
Her: If you want the number to the communications department I can give that to you, its 614-365-5680.
Me: Why are students left unattended?
Her: I can’t talk to you
Me: You have been.
Her: (CLICK)
So in summary, they are still trying to figure out what happened, the put locks on the doors, the teachers were all in classes, the students can wander about and she can’t talk to me about it.
300,000 Estimated Dead
Iraqis Find Graves Thought to Hold Hussein's Victims
By ROBERT F. WORTH
NY Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 14 - Investigators have discovered several mass graves in southern Iraq that are believed to contain the bodies of people killed by Saddam Hussein's government, including one estimated to hold 5,000 bodies, Iraqi officials say.
The graves, discovered over the past three months, have not yet been dug up because of the risks posed by the continuing insurgency and the lack of qualified forensic workers, said Bakhtiar Amin, Iraq's interim human rights minister. But initial excavations have substantiated the accounts of witnesses to a number of massacres. If the estimated body counts prove correct, the new graves would be among the largest in the grim tally of mass killings that have gradually come to light since the fall of Mr. Hussein's government two years ago. At least 290 grave sites containing the remains of some 300,000 people have been found since the American invasion two years ago, Iraqi officials say.
No, the WMDs were never found. The lack of them does not prove he didn’t have them, everyone thought her did, including himself. He admitted he had them, He used them. (proof Here, Here, Here , Here, Here, and 494,000 other Google search results). It is most likely her sent them to Syria. I concede the point that no large quantities of weapons of mass destruction were found.
The argument that we should not be there is a hollow and self serving one in light of stories such as this one in the NY Times. Please read the whole article.
Hussein’s regime was one of terror, repression and one that violated basic human rights at will. In no way, was the act of liberating the people of Iraq wrong. Me may have gone in for different reasons, but the outcome is far more important than the fact that we didn’t find any large quantities of CBR stocks.
Are You a Hypocrite?
This is from the SF GATE of all places. If you are intellectually honest, you have to ask yourself what is the difference between the rest of the members of congress doing this and Tom DeLay?
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas: Wife and daughter were paid more than $500,000 since 2001 for working for DeLay's campaign and political action committees.
_ Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman: Son Matthew received about $34,000 and daughter Rebecca about $36,000 for working on the senator's 2004 presidential campaign.
_ Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.: Nephew Todd Reichert was paid $3,000 last year, plus several hundred dollars for mileage, for serving as driver.
_ California Democratic Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark: Wife Deborah earns $2,400 a month for serving as campaign consultant.
_ Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.: Wife Arlene Willis serves as congressional chief of staff at a salary of nearly $111,000.
_ Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.: Wife Laurie Stupak earned about $36,000 annually the past two years as the finance director for her husband's campaign.
_ Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio: Wife Elizabeth was paid about $1,730 a month during his 2004 campaign. She has worked as a campaign consultant for him since the 2001 election cycle.
_ Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif.: Cousin Ken Costa made about $45,000 for serving as a co-campaign manager last year.
_ Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah: Three college-age children worked on his campaign last year. Emily was paid $5,425, Jane $9,508 and Laura $17,766.
_ Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn.: Sister-in-law Sharon Davis has been his campaign treasurer since 1994,and daughter Libby Davis was his campaign coordinator in the last half of 2004. Libby Davis was paid about $2,334 a month; Sharon Davis was paid about $1,000 a month for bookkeeping last year.
_ Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, employs his wife, Kathy, as his campaign manager. She was paid $21,791 over four months, including a $7,500 bonus last November.
_ New York Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop: Daughter Molly was paid $46,995 as his 2004 campaign's finance director.
_ California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher: Wife Rhonda Carmony makes $40,000 a year as his campaign manager.
The only difference is that there has been created, a false issue of ethics concerns over DeLay. They were started by Chris Bell, a spoiled brat who was mad because he lost an election after the redistricting in Texas. The 527s funded by a foreign national, George Soros then picked up the ball and have raised issue after issue. The Congressional Ethics Committee has never convicted DeLay of anything; no charges have ever been filed. All of the allegations are just that allegations.
The Media has latched onto this like they did the “vaccine” shortage, the Jackson trial, and any other Cause of the day.
The other charges of trips are in the same category; Pelosi (Pelosi Helped donor to PAC ), Schumer (Schumer uses public money for campaign flights), Biden (Biden make over $90k in trips and Boxer (Average cost per trip is over $5k) come to mind.
If these allegations are in fact of concern to the left then every single person on that list should be given the exact same level of scrutiny.
If you think it is an outrage when DeLay does it, and you don’t think it is when anyone else does , regardless of the party, then you are simply a hypocrite.
John Kerry Blows Undercover Agent?
Oops... That should read John Kerry Blows Undercover Agent's Cover.
Yahoo Asia News
Senators May Have Blown Cover of CIA Agent
Mr. Smith came to Washington again Monday, as an alias for a Central Intelligence Agency officer who works covertly. Senators, however, may have blown his cover.
During questioning on John R. Bolton's nomination to be President Bush's ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee referred to "Mr. Smith" as one official among several who were involved in a dispute over what Democrats asserted was Bolton's inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.
"We referred to this other analyst at the CIA, whom I'll try and call Mr. Smith here, I hope I can keep that straight," Bolton said at one point.
Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., both mentioned a name, Fulton Armstrong, that had not previously come up in public accounts of the intelligence flap.
It is not clear whether Armstrong is the undercover officer, but an exchange between Kerry and Bolton suggests that he may be.
In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials prior to Monday's hearing.
"Did Otto Reich share his belief that Fulton Armstrong should be removed from his position? The answer is yes," Kerry said, characterizing one interview. "Did John Bolton share that view?" Kerry said, and then said the answer again was yes.
"As I said, I had lost confidence in Mr. Smith, and I conveyed that," Bolton replied evenly. "I thought that was the honest thing to do."
They Can’t Win at the Polls
There has been a long held belief that the left can not win on the merits of their beliefs so they make end run plays such as going to the courts to make judicial law and not real legislation thru congress. A couple of examples of this are Abortion, the Death penalty.
Now Democrats and the left are loosing at the polls, they are not getting the seats they need, they are not able to get a clear majority to introduce the legislation they want. They are not able to win votes. This is why the whole filibuster of judicial nominations is going on. The left knows they will loose an up or down vote so they are using the threat of a filibuster to block the vote on the nominations. This prevents any “undesirables” from getting appointed. It clearly violates the Advise and Consent role spelled out in the constitution, but that doesn’t matter to the democrats.
Another example of how they are making end runs is character assignation. A lot of people have been attacking Tom Delay on ethics violations. They feel that because there have been so many violations that Mr. Delay should resign including Members of his own party. It doesn’t mater that Mr. Delay has not been convicted of anything, nor has he been found guilty of a single charge by the official investigating body, it is enough that the constant charges are being leveled.
There are commercials ran by 527 groups that are targeting Mr. Delay for all of the unsubstantiated charges. There are white banners on websites calling for an indictment and all of this over activity that is no worse than things Nancy Pelosi has done, no worse than Chuck Schumer But that is not being reported now is it?
So why should Delay resign? Why are Republicans thinking he should? Because the image of impropriety is damaging so he should leave so we can get back to business. This is wrong, very wrong. If we let the end-run who we send to congress it is only going to further weaken the intended government we are supposed to have. If there is a shadow party, one not elected, but has power to do whatever they want, the power to remove members they disapprove of, we no longer have the representative republic we thought we did.
Delay should not resign, he should fight back, and he should stand up and point out the hypocrisy in the media. All conservatives should stop worrying about hurting the feelings of the left and stand with a firm resolve and protect their core values.
We have far too long acquiesced in the name of civility, only to be attacked again and again for no gain. We must stop loosing ground, stop loosing our values and stand up for them. If we do not stand for something, then we are going to fall for everything.
UPDATE
Where as the majority of us on the right like to debate on the issues the left gives us this:
How is this helpful? How does this promote the left's ideals? All it does is show the hate and contempt they have. They stand for nothing but being against anything right.
UPDATE II
4/13/05 1613
this is on the cafepress website now
The "Kill Bush" products have been removed from CafePress.com. They were created by individuals across the globe, as are the more than 8 million products available on CafePress.com, a diverse network of more than one million shops.
Hate related materials are in violation of our terms of service and are prohibited from being sold through CafePress.com. CafePress.com is an automated service, and as such, products are reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that merchandise that is in violation of our terms of service is removed from our site.
Looks like someone got the message that hate is not helpful in a debate.
R.I.P. Mark Allen Ryan
Last night I was proctoring exams late when I got a phone call from Vulturette. She knew I was administering tests so her calling was unusual. She told me that CPO Vulture (A.K.A. Dad) had called and wanted me to call ASAP. This is a highly unusual act. I called him and he told me that Rainbow Vulture (My oldest brother) had been found dead in his room in San Francisco. We do not know the circumstances of his passing. We are waiting word from the medical examiners office. All we know is that he was pronounced dead at 2:20 PM (Pacific Time).
I wish that I could say that I am more upset about this news than I am, but Mark had decided to cut us out of his life about 5 years ago. We were not that close. I had only seen him twice in the last eighteen years. He is still my brother and he will be missed, only now there is the knowledge that there is no chance for him to come back to the family. I will pray that he found and accepted God’s gift of grace before he passed.
Mark, rest in peace dude, I hope that you find in the afterlife whatever it was you couldn’t find in life.
China Worries the Pentagon
Jim Yardley and Thom Shanker of the New York Times have a great article in today’s International Herald Tribune. It focuses on the growing capabilities of the Chinese military.
I have long held that there will be a conflict with China and the US in the South China Sea. I believe it will be fought over two things, the oil that is under the SCS and Taiwan. China has repeatedly stated that they will do whatever it takes to bring Taiwan under its control. They consider the Island Republic a breakaway democracy, whereas the people of Taiwan seem to treasure their independence.
The United States is obligated to protect the tiny democracy. Congress passed a bill (HR 2479) on March 29, 1979 which was signed into law (PL96-8) by Then President Carter on April 10, 1979 that established a new relationship with Taiwan following U.S. recognition of the People's Republic of China.
Despite the US commitment, China has been making both military and political preparations for an assault on the island. Ten yeas ago the pentagon did not worry about this prospect as it deemed that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) did not have the amphibious capability to sustain a crossing of the Taiwan Straights.
"While the American military is consumed with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global terrorism, and the threat of nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran, China is presenting a new and strategically different security concern to America in the western Pacific, as well as to Japan and Taiwan, Pentagon and military officials say.
China, these officials say, has smartly analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the American military and focused its growing defense spending on weapons systems that could exploit the perceived weaknesses in case the United States ever needs to respond to fighting in Taiwan."(Yardley/Shanker 2005)
The recent law and the strategic planning and military build up are evidence enough that the PLA and the Government have the will to use force. The question is will the United States have the will and capability to honor its commitment? George W. Bush has the will, but if China waits until after the 2008 election to launch an attack the new administration may not be so eager to enforce the law. The American people, weary of the war on terrorism could quickly turn against any support for Taiwan. The Not In Our Name and A.N.S.W.E.R. crowd seem to be opposed to any military action, no matter the justification. They would likely start rallies and anti-war protests against getting involved. This would only serve to undermine any support for defending a nation of free people.
The US Military is already stretched thin. Current operational intensity and lack of production of new missiles, weapon systems, ships and armor leaves gaping holes in the ability to respond to addition crisis spots. Once, it was US policy to have a military that would be able to fight one two full scale war fronts. In the early nineties this has shifted to the so called “Rouge Doctrine” where the US Military was scaled down to fight one war and two regional conflicts. Current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have proved that the military is straining to meet the commitments of this policy. The military is doing a tremendous job but simply does not have the resources to sustain extended operations in a third major front.
Will the US honor its commitment to the freely elected democratic government of Taiwan? It will, but at great cost. Instead of standing up to China now and building up the military, it will try diplomatic means that are most likely to fail. These delays in providing a “Big Stick” and taking a hard stance will certainty lead to a longer conflict and higher casualties when it does come.
Only time will tell if the US will stand up and defend not only Taiwan’s sovereignty but is own honor too.
We Want to Know Why
The buried news from yesterday reports that Samuel “Sandy” Berger pleaded guilty to taking classified documents from the National Archives and cutting them up with scissors. The first reports were that he had stuffed them down his pants and smuggled them out of the archive, however it appears now that he just put them in his pockets. Either way the man is guilty of a very serious offence.
I was in the Navy for 10 years on active duty and I have seen many people have careers ruined for less, such as leaving documents on a desk in a locked office instead of putting them in a safe. It is very curious that Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson (Reagan Era Appointment, 1988) didn’t even probe him on why he committed this crime, but then again, she was there to sentence him, not to interview him.
The charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material is a misdemeanor offence that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to a $100,000. Berger punishment for taking three of five copies of a document has been set as no jail time, a $10,000 fine and he will have to surrender his security clearance for a three year period. Under his plea agreement he will also cooperate with investigators.
The three missing documents are copies of an after action report on the Millennium Bomb Plot. The other copies are still there. SO what would the motivation be for taking the three copies? It has to be the notes and annotations that the Administration officials had written on the copies. What ever that information was it was so damming that Berger thought it worth the risk of breaking the law and face jail time. We can only hope that in giving such a generous plea bargain to Berger that the government will be getting something greater in return.
If this is the end of this story it will set a bad example for all of the people in the military and in the government that handle classified information. It is detrimental to moral when the everyday people get prosecuted and permanently loose their clearances while the political hierarchy gets a slap on the wrist.
We should hope this is not the end, not for political one-upmanship, but for Responsibility and for security.
300 Students Without a School
I can understand the reason why, but not the method in which it’s being done
SUNNYVALE (KRON) -- Some 300 students heading into one of the five high schools in the Fremont Union High School district were sent home early and for good Monday.
"We asked them to come to the office, we called their parents and told them they don't go to school here anymore," said Superintendent Steve Rowley.
The school district is enforcing a policy that limits enrollment to only those students who can prove that they live in the district.
I’m by no means a liberal and abhor public schools, but it is not right to just kick the students out like this. They should have at least let them know which school they should be going to. The school district does have a valid point, they can not continue to bear the burden of the cost of educating students who’s parents do not pay taxes in that district.
Then again that kind of sounds like Texas’ Robin Hood School finance scheme. This program is where districts with a larger tax base like Houston have to send a large portion of the school taxes to poorer districts like Lovelady, Texas.
I still think vouchers are the best reform for school financing.
Al Qaeda Suffers Another Blow
The Security Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conducted a raid on suspected Al Qaeda terrorists that resulted in 7 dead. One Terrorist was captured wounded. An undisclosed number of the security forces were treated and released.
The fighting began after police cornered several militants in the town's Jawazat district. Ar-Rass is near Buraydah, a known stronghold of Islamic fundamentalists in the kingdom.
The Saudis have published a list of the country's 26 most wanted militants and all but five of them have been killed or arrested. It was not known whether the militants killed Sunday were on the list.
With the continued war on Terror becoming more of a reality of Al Qaeda, their operations have been severally hampered over the last few years. The terror group operated on an 18-24 month cycle since the early 90s. That schedule has changed since the invasion of Afghanistan. The only major operation has been the train bombings in Spain. As horrific as those were, the casualties were no where near the count of the WTC/Pentagon Attacks of 2001. Smaller attacks in a more disorganized manner have been carried out, and the fact that Al Qaeda is focusing on launching on their attacks in the combat zone that is Iraq is proof that the organization is just a shadow, a dangerous shadow to be sure, of what it once was.
Sources:
Fox News
Reuters
Obvious News
ABC NEWS
Ireland Online
Positive News
If the Syrians keep their word it looks like Lebanon may see true freedom for the first time in years. The pressure from the UN, America and the example of Iraq has led Syria to look at the situation in an objective manner, leading them to announce they will pull out of Lebanon by the end of the month.
Is this one of the results of the Bush Doctrine or is it just the natural course of Human nature seeking to be free? I feel it is part of both.
Rest In Peace John Paul II
It has been a bad week.
Rest in Peace John Paul II. Though I had issues with the recent scandals, you always acted in the interests of peace and harmony on the world stage.
I send my deepest sympathies to all those mourning John Paul.
It seems weird that there is currently no Pope, no head of the Catholic Church right now.