Since the Supreme Court's controversial Kelo decision last summer, eminent domain has entered a new frontier. It’s not just grandma’s house we have to worry about. Now it’s God’s house, too. “I guess saving souls isn’t as important,” says Reverend Gildon, his voice wry, “as raking in money for politicians to spend.” The town of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, has plans to take Centennial Baptist — along with two other churches, several businesses, dozens of small homes, and a school — and replace them with a new “super center,” rumored to include a Home Depot. It’s the kind of stuff that makes tax collectors salivate.When a church isn't safe in Oklahoma, it isn't safe anywhere.
It makes sense on one level. Churches don’t generate any tax revenue for the government to spend. They don’t “stimulate” the economy. They often, much to their peril, occupy prime, envied real estate. With the supercharged powers granted by Kelo, be very, very afraid.Once a church occupied a place on the city square, true enough. Churches were--and in some places I've been they still are--social centers of communities. As for their tax exempt status, the charitible works of a church were once considered a good in themselves. Not so much anymore, it would appear. (Note to self: How visible are the works of local congregations these days? Are inward-facing congregations going to be most at-risk?)
The secret training took place primarily at three camps—in Samarra, Ramadi, and Salman Pak—and was directed by elite Iraqi military units. Interviews by U.S. government interrogators with Iraqi regime officials and military leaders corroborate the documentary evidence. Many of the fighters were drawn from terrorist groups in northern Africa with close ties to al Qaeda, chief among them Algeria’s GSPC and the Sudanese Islamic Army. Some 2,000 terrorists were trained at these Iraqi camps each year from 1999 to 2002, putting the total number at or above 8,000. Intelligence officials believe that some of these terrorists returned to Iraq and are responsible for attacks against Americans and Iraqis.There's much more at Rick Moran's Right Wing Nut House.
A bank that has been offering special services for Muslims for two years has now formed a subsidiary to focus solely on the religious group.You know what? Univerity Bank has been rated Outstanding by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for Community Service and Community Reinvestment. If FDIC insures a bank that has a program exclusively for Muslims, is there a Church-State issue? (Or a Mosque-State issue, as the case may be?) FannieMae buys the MALT product according to this from the bank itself. Is that going to get the ACLU's shorts in a knot?
The Ann Arbor-based University Bank has created University Islamic Financial Corp. to offer Muslims home financing, deposit accounts and Islamic mutual fund shares.
"The formation of the subsidiary allows us to have a financial institution which is 100 percent in compliance with the Muslim Shariah, the legal code of the Islamic religion," bank President and Chairman Stephen Lange Ranzini told The Ann Arbor News for a Saturday story.
Bonneville, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...I wonder, will we get to hear someone like Robin Givhan (right) chat about Secretary Rice's wardrobe during middays?
The per capita cost of around C$771 ($660) a month was partially offset by monthly savings of C$96 a month in emergency services, C$150 in hospital care and C$201 in police services per personIt's all about the bucks when the government is in the healthcare business: all the caring warmth of an MVA teller.
The sickest thinking–and the source of most of human misery throughout the ages–is based on the following beliefs:Go read the rest, especially the links under the Update. Certain economists got a little sniffy with Karlgaard's broad-stroke description of academia as dominated by zero-sum-game thinking.
• The Earth is running out of resources;
• People consume more than they contribute;
• Wealth is a zero-sum distribution game.
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday blocked a vote to reauthorize 16 expiring provisions of the controversial USA Patriot Act.So much for any kind dot connecting between agencies. So much for tearing down the wall between intel and law enforcement.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday and blocked legislation to renew the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.Apparently the rest of us aren't in a war. That's a relief because I was really sure the Islamists wanted us all dead.
(emphasis mine)
"I'm here at this early hour to challenge the terrorists who want to kill the democratic process in Iraq and I want to encourage the healthy people to vote”.Pajamas Media has first hand accounts from all over Iraq. Take a look at the upperleft portion of the site for updates throughout the day.
We are excited to be launching the opportunity today...between now and Christmas we are asking you to send the ACLU direct "MerryChristmas" cards.Head on over to Kevin's blog to get the address for the card writing campaign.
And we aren't talking about these generic "happy holiday" (meaning nothing) type of cards...
Go get as "Christmas" a Christmas card as you can find... something that says.. "Joy To The World", "For Unto Us A Child Is Born", but at least "Merry Christmas", put some of your own thoughts into it, sign it respectfully and zip it off in the mail...
It might be difficult to, say, build a border long fence and the roads to patrol it (not as difficult as the construction of the interstate highway system, though). And it might strain relations with Mexico.As if the hoard of illegals marching into this country and sending cash back to Mexico doesn't strain the relationship already? What are the Mexicans going to do? Tell us we can't get Mexican vanilla anymore? Tell us we can't send our twentysomethings to Cancun to get puking sick anymore? A tequila embargo?
I will kill my classmates, if Allah says so. I will also kill my dad, if Allah thinks, I have to do it. When she asked where such views stem from, the boys said that they had learnt it in koranic schoolsThe Viking Observer has the full report. I don't think the Danes are ready for this kind of thing.
I missed the press conference and would like to know more about the decision to indict. I thought this administration was supposed to be fighting the old Clinton/Kerry law enforcement approach to fighting terror.Relax, Michelle. I think the Bush Administration really can walk and chew gum at the same time, despite the Big Media stereotype of the President.
"City officials reacted to the original disturbances by entering into a dialogue involving the young people and their parents, social workers, the police, teachers, and housing association members."Smells like an invitation to future violence. Worse, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen called the series of events "pranks". Attempted arson?
So much for the lies that led to war. What we're left with is the lies that led to the antiwar movement. Good thing for Wilson and his pals that deceiving the press and the public isn't a crime.Yes, really, the LA Times. Read the whole thing wherein they detail the real liar in the Plame Name Blame Game: Joe Wilson himself.
"I know from experience that what passes for political thought in America today is largely at the level of first-year high school debaters. Instead of listening to ideas and measuring them, most people seem to be looking for anything that resembles a contradiction, whereupon they pounce."As I've pointed out in a number of comment threads, pointing one's finger and stating "hypocrite!" is not an argument. (And you always have to look at the three fingers pointing back at yourself.) I haven't stumbled across anyone hopping up and down about any perceived self-contradiction in OSC's article, but he apparently fully expects it.
Rosenhøj Mall has several nights in a row been the scene of the worst riots in Århus for years. "This area belongs to us", the youths proclaim.(Hat Tip: Rantburg)
'The mother said her son had lately become more and more frustrated and angry towards Danish society, which he criticised harshly. Even if he sometimes sounded like he could go to extremes, his mother is certain that he would never had carried any of it out - and mothers can usually tell the difference between their children's words and deeds,' - Abu Laban, leader of the mosque in question.
"It's a landmark day in the history of Iraq," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "We congratulate the Iraqi people. ... The political process is continuing to move forward in Iraq, and it is an encouraging sign to see more and more people participating in the process."Zarq's organization fails again.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Iraqis "have shown again their determination to defy the terrorists and take part in the democratic process." Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini also welcomed the results, saying Italy would keep supporting the political process in the country.
(Source: Fox News)
Air America, the liberal talk network carried on WWRC-AM (1260), went from bad to nonexistent. After WWRC recorded a mere fraction of a rating point in the spring with syndicated shows from the likes of lefty talkers Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Stephanie Miller, Arbitron couldn't detect a measurable listenership for the station this time around.The signal had trouble dribbling across the Potomac into Northern Virginia, so no one there could hear it if they wanted to. And no one in the District apparently wants to.
"The Magic Number is none!"You can put it on the board... YES!
Bill Veeck, September, 1959
(Go White Sox!)
Don't worry, it's all just a Rovian strategy to pick someone who has little apparent qualifications so the Dems can spend all their capital attacking her. Eventually, Bush will give up and she won't be confirmed. Then, he announces his TRUE pick, and the public runs out of patience for the dems trying to defeat two in a row. Eh? Eh?I doubt it. Bush is loyal to a fault. He wouldn't gratuitously hang someone out to dry.
Al Franken and Randi Rhodes are getting the boot from Philadelphia airwaves, as WHAT-AM (1340) is pulling off programming from Air America, the liberal talk-radio network.I wonder if they'll put more local programming on in their places, or just turn off the transmitter for a few hours. Perhaps another station in blue, blue Philadelphia will pick them up.
Friday will be the last day, and a new WHAT lineup will begin Monday, said general manager Kernie Anderson, adding that "things were not working out" with Air America after about a year.
WHAT aired Air America's programming from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays, sandwiched between the rest of its lineup. The juxtaposition of liberal talk and WHAT's African America-targeted talk programming seemed an odd fit from the start.
Ratings were abysmal.
I want a public service where the Highways Minister is prohibited from flying, where the Health Minister can only access medical care under an assumed name, the Education Minister must face a class of 15 year olds 2 weeks a year as a substitute teacher, and the Justice Minister has at least two released violent young offenders placed into his personal guardianship at all times.There's more, too. Go forth and check it out.
I view that memorial site as sacred grounds, akin to the beaches of Normandy or Pearl Harbor, and we will not tolerate anything on that site that denigrates America, denigrates New York or freedom, or denigrates the sacrifice or courage that the heroes showed on Sept. 11.I don't sense a lot of arm twisting behind a statement like that.
In an apparent major breakthrough, scientists in Korea report using umbilical cord blood stem cells to restore feeling and mobility to a spinal-cord injury patient.I join Doug in calling out Non Reagan and John "Silky Pony" Edwards to futher publicize this exciting development.
The number of seats for each party is not exactly proportionate to the percentage distribution of votes because of some intricacies of the German election law ("Überhangmandate"). Also, while the SPD is 3 seats short of the CDU/CSU seats (225), there can still be changes due to a by-election to be held in Dresden on October 2, 2005.Will one or the other throw a Gorian temper tantrum and take it to the courts? Is that even allowed in Germany?
Iraqi soldiers serving at Taji military base collected 1,000,000 Iraqi dinars for victims of Hurricane Katrina.Thank you.
Iraqi Col. Abbas Fadhil, Iraqi base commander, presented the money to U.S. Col. Paul D. Linkenhoker, Taji Coalition base commander, at a Sept. 5 staff meeting.
"We are all brothers. When one suffers tragedy, we all suffer their pain."
Iraqi Col. Abbas Fadhil.
The amount of money is small in American dollars - roughly $680 - but it represents a huge act of compassion from Iraqi soldiers to their American counterparts, said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Goyne.
Bill Bennett's "Morning in America" radio show started at the same time as Franken's did. At the one-year mark, Bennett's show was broadcast in 116 markets (including 18 of the top 20) while Franken was heard in only 50.Meanwhile, Air America Radio has pushed the money that had been transferred to them from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club into an escrow account: $875,000. (And I didn't think AAR had that kind of scratch.) However, it appears that account is controlled not by the New York City Department of Investigation, but rather by... Air America Radio's parent company. (What are they called this month?--Ed.)
OK, here’s the deal. We left Sunday and stayed in Birmingham, but since the power’s been out here we stayed longer than I had originally planned. We only came back today to check on the cats and refill the food and water, and we were going to move to Fort Walton Beach for however long it took for the electricity to come back on here (since it’s a lot closer than B’ham).The rest of her story is here.
