Which of them truly chooses Jesus as his "Commander-in-Chief"? Maybe all of them, but I really don't know!!

Amazingly, I heard the same sermon twice on POTUS-08 -- both coming to work and them leaving my job for home. Maybe God was trying to tell me something. Basically, "both" sermons (really, the same sermon twice, and not political in any way whatsoever) were totally out of character for POTUS-08 (a channel on XM Radio entirely devoted to politics--both Democrat and Republican). Mike Huckabee spoke on the importance of our not forgetting who our real Commander-in-Chief is and discussed the "hardships" referenced in Second Timothy 2:3-4.

Once he was through with the obligatory little "jokes" (actually a lame five minutes) to get his church-goers warmed up, his actual message was powerful and riveting. It was a message that I hope every American is able to hear at some time or other, no matter what that American's political persuasion. It was a message that we all too often forget to realize--even those of us who think of ourselves as "Christians." Yes, we are soldiers, but with Christ as our Commander, there is only one final outcome and that should be joyful news to us all.

After he said, "I am here today to talk about Jesus and not to talk about me," he stayed on focus for a full half hour and I was glued to the XM Radio in my car for the entire half hour--actually both half hours--same words to and from work. He continued ... "God is still looking for good soldiers, good soldiers for Christ ... Every single person here is a soldier that God needs in his army. He is just waiting on us to say here am I, send me."

No, he probably didn't win any votes in South Carolina where he gave his homily, but he likely won over several persons to Christ ... and isn't that what life is all about?

Don't uhhh ... muck ... with Huck 'n Chuck ... but give 'em a buck or so anyway ...

My buddy, Bill PUCKett, suggests that the Huck 'n Chuck ticket would be hard to beat. Even BaRUCK wouldn't muck with Huck 'n Chuck. Huckabee does need the bucks though, so go to his website and show your support.

Admittedly, this is a silly, totally-without-redeeming-merit posting and surely Chuck Norris would not accept second place on a Presidential ticket, but the thought of his going into the Vice-President's office (say, tomorrow) and saying to Dick Cheney, "Uhh ... Mister Scumbag, would you step out here in the hallway with me for a second?" sounds awfully exciting, doesn't it?

And you have to admit that having Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris as our President and Vice-President sounds a whole lot better than 44 straight years of Bushes and Clintons, don't you think?

Yes, I want to believe .... but even more to the point, I want to KNOW!!!

It's coming on the anniversary (again) of one of the more bizarre events and "reports" to have crossed the Commander's desk during the eight or so years during my tenure as the Chief Scientist of US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).

I was reminded of it as General Wilfried De Brouwer (Belgian Air Force) spoke earlier this month at the National Press Club. I won't go into details; they are amply splashed all over the web and elsewhere. You can read the account (with suggested link) of the NPC meeting by clicking on the "News "Item" button on UFO northwest's website for starters. (It's in chronological order and the news article is dated 12 November 2007.)

The bottom line is simply that over a period of about two months--my final two months at USAFE--the Belgian Air Force was reporting (and asking its NATO partners about) a number of anomalous sightings of triangular airborne lights--fast and irregularly moving (silently) over their airspace. They scrambled F-16s, but could not make contact.

One picture (shown below), taken later that year in Belgium, which I copied from another site on the web, suggests that a dark triangular shaped aircraft was the overall object "carrying" the lights, but no official explanation has been forthcoming in the 18 years since that first report. My memory of General de Brouwer was that of a pretty down-to-earth man (and pilot) with an exceptional scientific mind--and presumably he was a top gun in the Belgian Air Force in earlier years, although I haven't seen him in about twenty years now and don't remember all of the details that were printed on his bio that I was provided at the time of our meeting.

That aside, I certainly echo the sentiments of the generals and senior officials who met at the National Press Club earlier this month: Let's get serious about the UFO phenomenon and at least begin to open some of the (presumably archived) data being held by the US DOD and other US Governmental agencies.

Hillary might well be POTUS 44, followed by POTUS 45 and POTUS 46 ... for starters! Five decades of Bushes and Clintons ahead!

POTUS 46? (Chelsea Clinton)


POTUS 45? (Jeb Bush)

Lest you all think this is just wild speculation on the part of a deranged old man in Ocean Shores, Washington, think this over: Jeb Bush will only be 63 in 2016 as Hillary finishes her second term as POTUS and Chelsea will be a young candidate (admittedly) at 44 in 2024 as Jeb finishes his second term in the White House.

Hmmm ... January 1989 through January 2033 ... that would make 44 or so years of unbroken time with a Clinton or a Bush as POTUS (President of the United States).

This scenario is all legally possible under the Constitution of the United States.

Remember! You heard it here first!

As a sop to my wonderful brother Richard in Connecticut ...

Call it a sop, if you wish, but basically this is the sum substance of my brother's comments in previous postings (scroll down at right). Admittedly, Ron Paul is an interesting candidate , but ....

I had tears in my eyes as I watched Amanda Baggs teach me more than I ever thought I was capable of being taught ....

Yes, I truly welled up as I watched Amanda Baggs (above) teach me more than I ever thought I was capable of being taught ....

Amanda Baggs has a powerful message for parents of autistic children--and all of the rest of us who understood so little about these wonderful, talented and thoughtful persons. Amanda types as a computer voice reads her words: "Listen to other autistic people. In fact, expose autistic children to a wide variety of autistic adults. It may be the autistic adults who do have either typing or speech who are far more equipped to be able to communicate with other autistic people."

Her smile ... her enthusiasm ... her wild gestures ... even her frustrations ... were beautifully portrayed to me late last night during a rerun of CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta's special on Amanda ("Finding Amanda") and others with whom he "interviewed."

Do you know an autistic adult?

Maybe you only think you know that person. My brother Richard in Connecticut spends one day every other weekend with his autistic nephew and I look forward to hearing what he has to tell me about the unusual and fulfilling times he must have with this wonderful young man.

I am so happy that I was allowed to meet 27-year-old Amanda Baggs at her home in Vermont last night. My life will never be the same.

To have learned so much about the advances in adult stem research only hours after watching "Finding Amanda" leaves me in awe of our wonderful human species. Thanks, God!

President George W. Bush can truly tell his naysayers today, "I told you so!"

Differentiation of pluripotent stem cells occurs in a haphazard manner producing many types of differentiated cell. Such differentiated cells can be isolated from other cells, including stem cells, by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), by culture in conditions that favour one cell type over another, or by the use of selectable markers such as green fluorescent protein or resistance to neomycin. These selectable markers must be expressed from a promoter construct that is introduced (by electroporation or transfection) into the starting population of pluripotent stem cells and that drives expression of the marker in the differentiated cell type of interest. Cells can be transplanted as pure populations or, following tissue engineering, as tissues or physiologically functional parts of organs (organoids).
From Nature 414, 92-97

Ever since his unpopular veto of Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research President Bush has stuck to his guns that scientists would come up with an alternative method of developing embryonic stem cells, one that did not involve killing embryos.

Well, they did! It surely appears that his critics (never Mediawingnuts on this issue) will be eating crow as the results continue to pour in. Research into ploropotent stem cells (derived from adult stem cells) is producing results faster than the press can report them and faster than medical journals and dissertations in human biology can keep up.

More on all of this to come (SOON!), I'm quite certain.

You won't hear me say this too often, but ...

way to go Pres!!

Just how inevitable are the frontrunners (Rudy and Hillary) in polls of the two major parties?

inevitable contenders come next November?

Uhhh ... I wouldn't bet on it--not even at high odds today!

The polls showing on the screen this evening were startling to say the least. Obama beating Hillary in Iowa? Huckabee possibly beating Romney in Iowa--and Giuliani only finishing fourth or fifth in Iowa and losing New Hampshire--maybe finishing third behind Romney and either Huckabee or McCain?

Actually, I never thought that a cross-dressing, thrice-married, anti-gun rights but pro-gay rights, pro-abortion, liberal (Giuliani) or a flip-flopping Mormon (Romney) would satisfy most Republicans and sadly, that "woman" thing is even harder for poor Hillary to shake than being black or, like her hubby Bill some years back, being a philanderer.

Whew!

If only we could turn the clock back a bit ... like maybe a decade or so!


Myself? I'd like to see an African American with a middle name of "Hussein" running against a Baptist preacher who plays a mean bass guitar next November myself. How would that be for an improbable event?

Ty Ziegel gives me one more reason to despise our continuing occupation in Iraq--and all war and needless violence, for that matter!

Ty Ziegel, American Hero

I watched a truly sad--yet horrid--program on my cable TV last night. No, it wasn't in High Definition, as are the local channels now that I upgraded my cable box. However, the image of Ty Ziegel (above) is forever etched in my mind in Ultra High Definition.

The basic thrust of the CNN program entitled, Waging War on the VA, was that we are inadequately (grossly so!) compensating our wounded servicemen and women returning from Iraq. Ty's story was only one of countless others that suggest that money is not only the basis of our being there in the first place, it is the basis upon which we are inadequately measuring the damage being inflicted upon our servicemen and women who have courageously gone to Iraq, mistaken in the notion that their presence in Iraq is a portion of our War on Terror. Even now, after having pulled down Saddam's statue and having watched the sad--but clearly criminally insane--Saddam gruesomely hanged ... and while observing the entire Middle East deteriorate as we continue to occupy a country which was originally (in 2003 and before) in direct opposition to Osama bin Laden ... our young men and women there believe they are on the leading edge of that same War on Terror.

Sadly, the countless other 'stories' of Iraqi men, women and children whose bodies and minds have been as disfigured as Ty Ziegel's (above) ... will never make CNN Cable News.

Oh yes, only two months ago, Ty's younger brother (and best friend), Zack Ziegel, was deployed to Iraq.

And the band plays on ...

My brother Richard in Connecticut has been "hooked" by Ron Paul!

Random Backer of Ron Paul
Ron Paul's supporters come in all sizes and colors, but they are all for small government and 100% support of the Constitution (as originally written--before such amendments as the Civil Rights Amendment or the institution of a Federal Income Tax Amendment).

Most are well-intentioned and we must pray for them along with those persons drawn to many of the other mainstream candidates--those other than the backers of Mike "I-Like-Mike" Huckabee, of course.

No, I take that back; we all need your prayers--including those of us who are trying to push a rope so as to get Mike Huckabee into the White House.

Huckabee says it like it IS! Abortion is a moral WRONG and shouldn't be allowed by either the states or the Federal Government!

Disagreeing with his fellow pro-Life Republican presidential candidate, Fred Thompson, Governor Mike "I-Like-Mike" Huckabee rejects even letting states decide whether to allow abortions, claiming the right to life is a moral issue not subject to multiple interpretations [words and italics mine].

"It's the logic of the Civil War," Huckabee said today, comparing abortion rights to slavery. "If morality is the point here, and if it's right or wrong, not just a political question, then you can't have 50 different versions of what's right and what's wrong."

"For those of us for whom this is a moral question, you can't simply have 50 different versions of what's right," he said today in a broadcast interview--which I listened to on my XM receiver while returning from church.

Wow, if Hillary would come out against abortion or Mike Huckabee were to declare preemptive wars to also be immoral, I'd have a difficult time next November, wouldn't I?

But, for today, it's Mike Huckabee who has the moral certitude, the personality, most of the issues ... and even some of the polls of late ... leaning in his direction.

Is it just me or is Huckabee possibly more electable than Thompson anyway?

CBS, New York Times Polls Of Iowa And New Hampshire

My last posting suggested that the reason that Thompson was the choice of the National Right to Life Committee was that he was more electable ... i.e., ahead of Huckabee in the polls. Well, in Iowa at least, the New York Times Poll suggests otherwise.

I personally would select Mike Huckabee as the more true to his position "Right-to-Lifer" ... but Fred Thompson is a good choice too!

In a lot of ways, Thompson and Huckabee are twin "embryos" in the political fray--certainly not a match for the Odd Couple: Pat Robertson and Rudy Giuliani! For reason that elude me, Fred Thompson got the National Right to Life endorsement this morning instead of the more consistently socially-conservative Mike Huckabee simply because Thompson is the more consistently pro-corporate candidate.

Well, if electability is the issue, the National Right to Life Committee might have it "right."

Still, just for the record ... I like Mike!

Israel will do almost anything to insure that either Hillary or Rudy occupies the White House in 2009 ...

I think you get the picture ...

The following scenario unfolded in my diseased mind while on the phone with my brother Richard in Connecticut earlier this evening ... but is also probably already etched in stone in the bowels of Dick Cheney's war room:

1. - Both nomination processes will surely tighten up with Hillary stumbling a bit around her unpopular--even if oftentimes correct--positions and her own shaky campaign financing ... and Rudy trying unsuccessfully to dodge a bullet or two with his own past association with--and choice of--a New York City police commissioner and oh yes, some pre-9/11 mayoral mistakes coming to light.

2. - Israel becoming antsy as it watches its two most viable pro-Israel candidates getting bumped a bit prior to Iowa and New Hampshire.

3. - The US Government becoming even more mired in Mideast and Asian political debacles -- Pakistan now becoming an additional burden to the Bush team and with an Iraq "victory" becoming even harder to define than was ever even possible back in 2003.

4. - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continuing to threaten Israel and (in words and silly gestures) continuing to thumb his nose at the United States ... yes, even more than before our current election season got underway.

5. - Iran's nuclear possibilities seeming more and more remote (despite Ahmadinejad's ranting) to the American public and American support for a surgical strike on Iran (aside from Hillary and Rudy) remaining lukewarm at best.

6. - The obvious question arising: What can Israel do that might (would undoubtedly) turn the above events towards a Hillary or Rudy presidential win in November 2008--while defusing an Iranian threat for maybe a decade or more?

7. - The answer becoming more and more obvious with every passing day: It's as easy as looking carefully at the graphic at the top of this posting--and the peaceful looking view of the Middle East below ... (scenario continued below the graphic)



8. Yes!! Look for an Israeli strike being launched against Iran's centrifuges sometime before the nominating process has gotten too far along for such a strike not to propel both Hillary and Rudy into their party's nominations. (It's worth noting that the largest part of the air space required for Israeli missiles and/or F-16s to penetrate to Iran would require US "permission" before such an attack. Any bets on which way Cheney and his war room might be leaning? The cloud cover on the space photo might be the excuse on that day, but whatever ...) Yeh, Hillary's "experience" in the White House and Rudy's 9/11 "experience" would be hard for both Democrats and Republicans to overlook as we move towards the later primaries and the nominating conventions.

9. As a logical consequence of the eighth step of the unfolding scenario, it is certainly the case that if Israel attacks Iran prior to the Pakistani Presidential elections, there will be no Pakistani Presidential elections for the foreseeable future. This can only complicate matters more and may (indeed) be exactly what both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and Osama bin Laden, who still runs the Al-Qaeda network from Pakistan, would enjoy.

10. As for next November, who knows? But once activities in the Middle East become even weirder than they are today, my money would be on the memory of dusty-faced Rudy on 9/11 to win the day for the GOP over a woman nominee on the Democrat's side of the fence. Yes, Hillary would be a whole lot better for America than Rudy, but either way, the Israelis win.

11. After that, God help us all!!!

(Why wouldn't we be capable of listening to voices of reason coming from the likes of Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama and/or even Dennis Kucinich after an Israeli attack upon Iran? Because the ugly clouds of war blind even the most reasonable among most Americans.)

Happy Veterans' Day!!

Hmmm ... This might be a good one to bookmark and peek at in another ... say, five or so months ...

My brother Richard in Connecticut reminds me of my own mortality ... and just what "moolah" is all about!

Mary Lillian Ellison in Life

Not too many of you remember the Fabulous Moolah" (Mary Lillian Ellison to her children, grandchildren and five former husbands), but she was one of those folks who truly "lived until she died." My brother sent me an article from the New York Times announcing her death at 84 and somehow knew that I was one of the few who enjoyed TV wrestling and other such "sports" prior to politics having taken over the Boob Tube. I guess she was a regular at Madison Square Garden, but what occurs to me is that even George W. Bush can take a lesson from this lady.

Who wouldn't pay a hundred and a half to see Donald Rumsfeld come behind George W. Bush (both dressed in the manner of Rudy Giuliani), jump up, put both legs around his head and then throw him forward to the mat? (That's called a flying head scissors to you non-fans of TV wrestling) Or who wouldn't pay a C-note to watch George W. get Rummy by his golden curls and pull him/her over his shoulder, then slam him to the mat as hard he can? (That's called a flying mare!)

So long, Ms. Ellison; you will live on in the hearts of those of us who watched television wrestling in its heyday.


Mary Lillian Ellison in Death ... a "reality" in plastic

Did Mohammad really go to the mountain ... or did the mountain come to Mohammad?

The Odd Couple
Pat and Rudy

As usual, my brother Richard in Connecticut got it wrong. He really believed that someone with the integrity of televangelist Pat Robertson would join the campaign of multi-married, pro-abortion and gay rights activist--and liberal Republican, Rudy Giuliani. What really happened, of course, is that Mr. Giuliani converted to Christianity and joined Robertson's "700 Club" ... and is now an activist against gays adopting homeless kitties and such.

A marriage made in ... I won't say it!

It's worth visiting this site every once in a while ...

Click on above image to see the "surge" in action.


...and for the casualties as of today, click here ...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change ...

... the courage to change the things I can ... and the wisdom to know the difference!

As 2007 suddenly became the deadliest year in Iraq yet for the United States earlier this week--after six more of our boys died in three attacks on Monday--the Serenity Prayer is about all we have left to rely upon. It seems so inane that as many as 850 of our boys and girls could have died in 2007 as the Presidential candidates parade across America with only one or two even making scant mention of the sad reality of the continuing Occupation in Iraq.

Kucinich at least has the courage of his convictions ... where are the rest of us?

Unless Kucinich's bill at least goes forward to the full house for debate, we will never see this Time Magazine cover ...
They shoved his bill to impeach the Vice-President to the back of the agenda .... waaaay back! Okay, so the chances of an impeachment are nil to zero ... but, why not let's see just who the folks are who say one thing and (might) vote another. I would be willing to bet that the MAJORITY of the American electorate want to at least see the bill to impeach Mr. Cheney go forward for a vote. Shouldn't the House of REPRESENTATIVES at least look as though they are REPRESENTING the electorate?

Today's actions (other than that of Dennis Kucinich and a few others in both parties) are a disgrace! That's spelled

D-I-S-G-R-A-C-E !!!

Rudy sees it; why can't we???

Dennis Kucinich said it was shaped like a triangle, didn't he?

Sunday, during a town-hall meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, Giuliani assured one of the students present that preparedness will be key for all crises, including those from outer space.

The questioner (a young boy) asked, "If (there's) something living on another planet and it's bad and it comes over here, what would you do?"

Rudy Giuliani said it was his first question about an intergalactic attack and then answered the question directly: "Of all the things that can happen in this world, we'll be prepared for that, yes we will. We'll be prepared for anything that happens!"

This was the same mayor who was "prepared" for the 9/11 terrorist attacks against his city six years ago.

Two full days later and Kucinich's sighting of a UFO is still the hottest political revelation to have emerged from the Democratic debate ...

I said "Unidentified," didn't I?

Why Tim Russert actually insisted on bringing up a "non-political" issue is a matter for another forum and another time.

But from my perspective, he couldn't have brought up a more important subject than the combined concerns of most Americans about their Government's continuing cover-up of data collected and analysis performed by its own scientists and military for more than five decades. That, and the real serious concerns of some of us about extraterrestrial aliens wandering about in/on our earth/dimension with little information being provided to the folks who really need whatever information is being tucked away in places like Area 51, Wright-Patterson AFB, the Pentagon and between the ears of hundreds of persons with the clearances that exceed even that of at least two of our Presidents (Carter and Reagan both tried and were denied "access") and many other senior officers and civilians (myself included) who were warned at one time or another ... "Don't ever ask me that question again, Dr. Ryan!"

For the record, Shirley MacLaine in her book, Sage-Ing While Age-Ing wrote on pages 143-144 that Dennis Kucinich "had a close sighting over my home in Graham, Washington, when I lived there. Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for ten minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn’t comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."

I listened intently again today to Stephen Bassett on POTUS08 (an XM radio station directed entirely to the 2008 Presidential Elections) as he reiterated one more time just how misinformed most Americans are on the subject of UFOs, yet how correct they are in insisting that more be revealed by the Government.

Even Tim Russert told us all on Tuesday night that 14% of all Americans have seen a UFO and Dr. Bassett reminded us yesterday and again today that more than 70% of all Americans believe that something is out there ... and that our Government ain't coming clean with us.

Fourteen percent!!!??? Migod! That's more than forty million Americans!!! That's 40,000,000 Americans who claim to have seen a UFO!!! And more than a hundred million more believe that something is "out there"!

Maybe this Kucinich flap will bring things to a head ... finally ... and at long last!

Meanwhile, you can still go to Bill Puckett's great website to learn more.