The Island

I can't really tell you why I think so without spoiling the movie for you, but I highly recommend the film "The Island" currently playing.

I say without the slightest bit of hyperbole that it is one of the most important films I've seen in the last decade. Mind you, I didn't say best overall, but most important.

Frankly, I am astonished that this got the green light in Hollywood.

Special guest blogger celebrates Mt. Soledad cross victory

Matey Jr. decided to make a movie. As you know, the Mt. Soledad war memorial happens to have a cross on it. The ACLU doesn't like that. The courts don't like that.

The voters of San Diego do.

This movie celebrates the (perhaps temporary) victory for honor and common sense.

Enjoy.

Remember this as the Roberts nomination fight goes on

Howard Dean speaks. He does that sometimes.

"The Republicans have painted us as a pro-abortion party. I don't know anybody in America who is pro-abortion."

Remember that as Judge Roberts nomination goes forward. Seriously, Dean must be hitting the pipe every few hours.

(No, I am not seriously suggesting that Dean is on crack. It's a tongue-in-cheek sentence meant to convey that, as much as he has a reputation for being loony, this statement must surely cause the casual observer to spit something out of his or her nose. It's a joke. I feel the need to post this disclaimer to contrast with Dean's own propensity to call others (with whom he disagrees) who may have been on pain medication coke addicts along with snorting sound effects).

It's time to replay some old movies

Now that we're facing the front end of a new fight over a Supreme Court nominee, I present these three short films:

BOOM! What this is all about.

What sitting justices have to say about how important their job is.

And finally, from ground level -- the view from the trenches -- what is at stake.

Karl Rove

Oh, why not? Everyone else is talking about him.

So, Nancy Pelosi just said that "anyone who revealed the name of a CIA operative should not be in the employ of the United States government."

I don't think she really believes that. From the PiratePundit memory banks:

Quote:

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As a result of their revelations to the public and the press, three U.S. Senators -- Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who's also the ranking Dem on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) -- are the subject of a "criminal referral" made on Monday for speaking publicly about this satellite. Such referrals are made to the Justice Department by the administration when criminal conduct is suspected. In this case, it's not only suspected, it's evidenced on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post. A highly reliable intelligence community source told me that the referral had been made because senior administration officials were beside themselves that the three had taken the controversy on funding this project to the press.

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OK, so it's not Valerie Plame, who surely is more of an asset to our country's covert ops as any silly satellite system might be, but then there is also this, from the wayback machine of the PiratePundit memory banks:

Quote:

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During a hearing on John R. Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations, Bolton and members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee referred to the analyst as "Mr. Smith." They were discussing one of the officials involved in a dispute over what Democrats said was Bolton's inappropriate treatment of an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him.
...
But the committee chairman, Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) mentioned a name that had not previously come up in public accounts of the intelligence flap.

In questioning Bolton, Kerry read from a transcript of closed-door interviews that committee staffers conducted with State Department officials before yesterday's hearing.

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So Bolton and Kerry outed a CIA operative in open hearings. And Rockefeller, Durbin, and Wyden revealed secret space hardware.

So, Nancy, should these people remain in the employ of the United States government?

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45280-2005Apr11.html

Quagmire! What is the timeline for withdrawal from Kosovo?

Perspective, lads, perspective. I'm just saying. What's the exit strategy?

www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/02/kosovo.blasts.ap/index.html

Quote:

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PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) -- At least three blasts rocked the center of Kosovo's capital on Saturday, and one targeted the U.N. mission headquarters.

An Associated Press reporter saw at least three U.N. vehicles set ablaze in the parking lot of the U.N. mission headquarters in Pristina.

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Anyone want to tell us all how long "we" have been in Kosovo?

(Hint: I was still on active duty when the mission began)

VMI prayer plaintiff goes on to teach Sunday School

***must credit CourtZero and/or PiratePundit***

This is just sort of odd. I'm going to see if I can look this guy up and interview him.

Back in April of 2004, SCOTUS decided that the non-denominational lunchtime prayer at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was unconstitutional.

The two plaintiffs, from class of 2002, sued over the prayer with the ACLU. One of the plaintiffs, Neil Mellen joined the Peace Corps just after graduating from VMI.
peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/2629/2019431.html

But that's not the odd part. The other plaintiff, Paul Knick, is now a Sunday School teacher:

Quote:

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Paul Knick is at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, Louisiana and is working with Charles Ransom ’01. Paul was married this past December at Lee Chapel in Lexington. He is teaching Sunday school and enjoying his time in the Air Force. Paul’s brother will be matriculating this August as member of the Class of 2007.

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users.ju.edu/sjoyce/classnotes/view.asp?id=22
Not only is this young man serving in the armed forces, but after having sued VMI for being outraged over prayer, he is teaching Sunday School and his younger brother is attending the outrageous institution.

I find that interesting. I know that there is a difference between public prayer and a private Sunday School class (unless, of course, he is teaching in the chapel on the Air Force base), but any way you look at it there is some irony here. I wonder how this young officer's thoughts have evolved, and if he might think he was exploited by the ACLU.

If anyone knows how to get in touch with Lieutenant Knick, let me know.